The Jackal's View of Science & Technology

I live in a world where great advances in technology have taken place.
Depending on where you live though, everybody does not have access to
all of these new advances. Although the most limiting factor in getting
access to new technology has been monetary, other factors such as geographical
location, race, and political issues has limited the trade of technology
between governments. The result is that big human empires have made big
advances in science, while smaller towns that have a d-bee population
are confined in this manner. The contrasts in this area are vast. In one area,
you might find a thriving Coalition city with high technology items such as
cybernetic facilities and holographic billboards; then see a d-bee village
having a hard time repairing its windmill so it can grind its flour.

In high technology areas, every aspect of life has been changed. From
connecting to the internet with a cord attached to an implant in your head,
to nuking your store-bought burrito in less than five seconds, everything
is different; better. Money is exchanged electronically. Vehicles fly high
above the ground. Medical facilities can almost bring back the dead. It
is a brave new world.

With the coming of the rifts, the shift in science is to make bigger and
better weapons. The introduction of supernatural menaces has helped the
process along, but I think that governments produce weapons for more classic
reasons: to gain power and make war on their neighbors. These new weapons
include, but are not limited to, laser, ion, and plasma guns, body and power
armour, advanced explosives, super-human augmentations, and giant robot vehicles.
The Coalition, in particular, is the worst perpetrator, but that is another
discussion. These new weapons do, however, allow people that have them to defend
themselves in the open wilderness. Those that don't have them though,
are open prey.