Net

What is the Net
The Net is the name given to the vast telecommunications network of the Cyberpunk world. It is analogous to the real world internet (which was still in it's infancy at the time Cyberpunk 2020 came out), but much more extensive, including things like appliances and even cybernetic limbs. The Net is made of up of hard lines, radio links, cell networks, microwave transmitters and anything else that can transmit information from one computer to another.

Access to the Net requires a modem of some kind. It is possible to use the Net the way we use the Internet in real life; with a computer or terminal, keyboard, and video display (also called Vidboards). But the professionals experience the Net in 3 dimensions, using a complex cybernetic interface called a cybermodem. People who use cybermodems are called Netrunners. A cybermodem provides an experience that is much more immersive and intuitive than the traditional keyboard/computer interface. This allows Netrunners ro react far faster than would ever be possible with a keyboard.

Using the Net in anything more than the most rudimentary ways requires a cybermodem (sometimes called Cyberdecks) You do not necessarily need interface plugs installed in your head to use a cybermodem though. There are also options for electrodes or even 2D displays with a keyboard. But actual netrunners will always use plugs, because actual cybernetic connections wired to your brain ensure the very fastest reaction times. And in the Net, speed matters. A lot.

Icons
An icon is basically a 3D avatar you control to interact with other stuff (people, programs ect) in the Net. Icons can be as simple as a flat 2D monochrome shape, to a complex photorealistic human form. Everything in the Net is represented with icons...Data Fortresses, other Netrunners, individual programs, whatever.

Everything in the Net is rendered in three dimensions. The interface program in the cybermodem will interpret the Net for the Netrunner. Most of the Net environment is similar to the movie Tron, but the quality of the rendering depends on available bandwidth and memory. It is possible to render a completely realistic environment, similar to the movie The Matrix. More complex icons require more memory. For this reason, the bulk of the Net uses lower quality icons (think Tron, or present day video games). Things like long distance links (LDLs) will also have icons associated with them.

Programs in the Net have their own icons, and can be customized like anything else. They interact with other icons in intuitive ways that allow almost anyone to become a hacker. For example, a worm program may show an icon like a stylized worm burrow into a data wall and form itself into a doorway allowing access inside the data fort. All people and programs in the Net interact in ways like this.

The 3D interface in the Net is common to all cybermodems. So what you see, is what everyone else sees too. The Net originally had multiple interfaces that people could choose from. The three most popular were Megacity (where everything was rendered to look like 1930s Film Noire), A dungeons and dragons motif, and one that looked like Tron. Eventually the UIs were all consolidated into one, and it is now the standard for everyone. The Tron-like interface is now the default for the Net.

Ihara-Grubb Transformation Algorithms
The IG Transformation Algorithms are a core part of the Net experience. They allow the Net to be rendered as an analog to the real world. They extrapolate distances to look similar to realspace. So if a computer is sitting in an office building on the 30th floor running a BBS, and another BBS is 3 blocks away on the ground floor, you will "see" the other BBS, in the Net, as being about 3 blocks distance and 30 floors lower in elevation. Movement in the Net is programmed to feel similar to movement in the real world, and therefore moving around becomes a lot more intuitive. Netrunning is far less cumbersome than the conventional Internet in the real world.

IG Transformation Algorithms govern the way the Net looks in other ways as well. They control how the environment is rendered in real time. For example, if the connection is unstable or there is interference, you may see the landscape morph into mountains that are harder to cross (and if it is bad enough, maybe impossible to cross). Areas of low resistance may be rendered as smooth grid lines. The exact details of the environment will depend on the region (more on that below), but will be similar almost anywhere.

As in the real world, the Net extends to wherever there are computers connected to it.

Data Fortresses
A Data Fortress is simply a computer system. It is a 3D representation of that computer within the Net. The specific form the fortress takes depends on the the system it is hosted in...as with icons, more realistic environments will require more resources (memory). The default rendering for data fortresses looks like something similar to Tron. But they can be as elaborate and photo-realistically detailed as The Matrix. You could make your data fortress look like a castle, or a cruise ship or a space station. Within the data fortress, the sysop (System Operator...the person in control of the Data Fort) determines what it looks like. The only limitations are the system's own resources.

Data Fortresses have data walls. These represent how hard it is to enter the system. Data wall strength will depend on the amount and quality of resources of the system. There are programs that can penetrate data walls and allow a Netrunner to move through them. All Data Fortresses have code gates (which will be rendered as actual doors, or something similar), which are the normal way of getting inside a system's data walls.

Within the Datafortress, various parts of the system will be rendered in intuitive ways. For example, files may be stored in a locked office (a section of memory in the system) in what looks like an actual filing cabinet. So your icon would open the filing cabinet and take out the file...giving you access to the information.

Programs
All programs are represented by icons, just like people. And many programs are almost as complex as real people. There are far too many programs to list here. They span everything from common utilities to quasi-sentient AI assassins. Common examples of programs include:
 * Codecracker (Decryption) - A common program used to crack code gates in Dataforts. The default icon takes the form of a beam of white light shooting out from the "hands" of the Netrunner's icon, causing the code gate to glow and then dissipate into fog.
 * Wizards Book (Decryption) - This program uses brute force methods to comb through billions of possible combinations in an attempt to find the correct key. The default icon takes the form of a stream of symbols flowing from the outstretched hands of the Netrunner's icon.
 * Raffles (Decryption) - Raffles tries to decrypt keys that are specific words by asking the code gate questions (Is it bigger than a breadbox, is it hot or cold, ect). The default icon looks like a well dressed man from the 1900s briefly speaking to the door, and then vanishing when it opens.
 * Watchdog (Detection) - A defense program for dataforts. It is designed to alert the Sysop to intrusions withing their datafort. Watchdogs do not have to be confined to a datafort though...they can be assigned to watch portions of the Net (LDLs for example) and send alarms when triggered. The default icon looks like a large black dog with a spiked collar and glowing red eyes.
 * Bloodhound (Detection) - Similar to watchdog, but it will also track the intruder's location rather than simply alerting the Sysop. The default icon is identical to Watchdog, but it has glowing blue eyes and a glowing blue collar instead.
 * Pitbull (Counter Intrusion) - A more advanced version of Bloodhound, it will not only track the intruder to their source, but will cut their line as well, severing their connection to the Net. It otherwise has all the same capabilities as Bloodhound and Watchdog. The default icon is a robotic watchdog made of steel, with glowing red eyes and a glowing red collar.
 * See Ya (Detection Utility) - This program is designed to detect invisible or hidden icons. It's default icon is a shimmering silver screen that overlays part of the Netrunner's view.
 * Hidden Virtue (Detection Utility) - Designed to determine the difference between VR constructs and actual object or people. For example, it would be able to tall that a book on a shelf inside a datafort was an actual file, rather than just part of the simulation. Or that what looks like a virtual person is not part of a datafort simulation, but is a real person running the Net. It's icon is a simple glowing green ring (circle) that appears as an overlay in the Netrunner's view that they can look through.
 * Speedtrap (Detection) - This program will alert the Netrunner to the presence of nearby anti-personnel programs (programs that could be dangerous to the Netrunner). It cannot tell where the offensive programs are, only that they are nearby. The default icon is a floating pane of glass in the Netrunner's field of view...when it detects the presence of an offensive program, a monster appears in the glass. Otherwise it remains blank.
 * Flatline (Anti-System) - Flatline is designed to target the cybermodem of other Netrunners. It will fry the interface chip of the Cyberdeck, requiring it's replacement. And in the process, of course, will sever the Netrunner's connection to the Net immediately. It's icon is a simply yellow beam emitted from the fingertips of the Netrunner's icon.
 * Poison Flatline (Anti-System) - A more destructive version of flatline, it will destroy the entire Cyberdeck, not just the interface chip. A cyberdeck fried with this program is not salvageable, and must be completely replaced. It destroys the memory as well. Cyberdecks are generally expensive (at least hundreds of eb, with some in the tens of thousands of eb or more), so this can be a big deal. It's icon is a green beam instead of yellow.
 * Krash (Anti-System) - Simply causes the Cyberdeck to crash, requiring a reboot. This will sever the Netrunner's connection to the Net. Rebooting will take 10 or 20 minutes. This will work on dataforts as well as Cyberdecks, though it can only disable one CPU at a time (and many dataforts have more than one). It's default icon is a large round cartoon bomb with an active fuse.
 * Murphy (Anti-system) - This will cause the Cyberdeck or Datafort to launch all of it's programs at once, as quickly as it is able to. It has no default icon.
 * Vrizz (Anti-System) - This program impede the cyberdeck performance, reducing it's capabilities until it is rebooted. It can be used against dataforts as well. It's icon is a neon DNA helix.
 * Viral 15 (Anti-System) - Forces the Cyberdeck to randomly delete one program or file from the deck's memory every minute until the deck is turned off. The specific files or programs deleted are random. It's icon is a metallic blue fog with a white neon DNA helix in it's center.

Artificial Intelligences
AIs (artificial intelligences) do exist in the Cyberpunk world, and the Net is their natural environment. There are many types of AIs. Some are deliberately created by corporations or governments, some by accident, and some are emergent properties of the Net itself. There is a great deal of debate as to whether AIs are actually sapient, or merely give the appearance of sapience. But in outward appearance, AIs can be completely indistinguishable from real people.

Types of AIs:

Dedicated Heuristic Controllers (DHC AIs) Symbolic Analysis AIs (SAD AIs) Human AIs Transcendental Sentience AIs (TS AIs) Critical Pathway Plateau AIs (CPP AIs)
 * The most basic form of AI, they are barely sapient. They are designed to perform specific functions, and their focus does not often stray from those functions. Most Droids from Star Wars would fit this model of AI. An Assassin Droid does not ponder the nature of the universe or dream of becoming a chef...it's focus is on assassinating, and all of it's thoughts will be focused on that. DHC AIs in Cyberpunk are similar. They are capable of interacting like a person, and learning and improving themselves, but their focus is narrowed to the specific function(s) they were designed for.
 * Originally called Symbolic Analysis and Deduction (SAD) AIs. These are AIs deliberately designed to emulate human behavior. Think Data from Star Trek. The scope of their thoughts are much broader than DHC AIs. Although they can obsess over specific subjects just like humans do. They are most often used as artificial assistants of some kind (online help or secretaries for example).
 * These are AIs that were originally actual people, but have had their consciousness digitized and now exist only on computers in the Net. The process is often not voluntary...soulkiller programs can produce this type of AI for example. They are otherwise indistinguishable from Symbolic Analysis AIs. Jobe, from The Lawnmower Man, was a good example of this type of AI.
 * The mere existence of these is highly debatable. There is no consensus on whether they are actually real. TS AIs are an emergent property of the various regions of the Net. Meaning the structure of the Net itself (the IG Transformation Algorithms) provides a network that allows these AIs to come into being. They were not programmed or created by anyone...in the same way that flocks of birds and schools of fish do not deliberately form the ordered patterns they create. But by their nature, TS AIs are so large that most people cannot interact with them. Even when they can, conventional communication is not really possible, because the AIs are incapable of understanding any existence outside of themselves. The shape their consciousness takes depends on the nature of the region they occupy. The Sovspace AI is far more chaotic and fragmented than the Pacifica AI, because it is using much more outdated and unreliable infrastructure.
 * These are similar to TS AIs, but on a much smaller scale. They are AIs that came into existence by some accident. A company may be trying to create a very complex program that, by coincidence, becomes sapient. Skynet from the Terminator movies is a good example of a CPP AI. These can only emerge in specific types of hardware (holographic crystal processing networks), so there is no way to create them on your home computer. Though, presumably, they can move to conventional systems after their creation, just like any other AI. Their personalities can vary widely...they may appear indistinguishable from people, or they may behave in completely alien ways. Because they are not deliberately programmed from the start to be AIs, the final form their personality takes is impossible to predict.

Regions
Regions represent large ambiguous sections of the Net that share the same basic virtual. Meaning, what the default environments look like (often called "Virtuals"). The actual boundaries are not fixed though, and can shift all the time for a number of reasons. Mostly it has to do with how much control various governments or influential groups can exert in the area.

Thanks to the IG Transformation Algorithms, Netspace is analogous to real space. Almost like an alternate dimension. So if you are Netrunning in a Pacific Island, for example, you will see things through the Pacifica Virtual. The Virtuals for each Region are described below:

Atlantis
This region is controlled mostly by the Central American Federation (CAF) and the Corporations allied with it. It is popular for it's black market trade. Atlantis covers the area of realspace associated with the (south) Atlantic ocean, including Central and South America, the entire south Atlantic down almost to the south pole, and the African coast.

It's borders are in constant flux, sometimes by a lot. They can change by 1000 miles in a single day. This is due to the unrealiability of it's switching stations (if it goes down, a neghboring region like the Eurotheater or Rustbelt will take it over). It's volatility can sometimes affect Netrunner programs. It's virtual is described as "old fashioned" (futuristic by our standards), similar to the movie Tron. Some islands have contrusted custom virtuals to attract tourists...the Caribbean islands do this.

Robotic looking icons are chic with Atlantis Netrunners. Atlantis is a sort of Wild West...there is little oversight or policing done here. The governments and Corporations that control this area are not very well coordinated, and you can get away with a lot in the chaos.

The main Corporations that dominate here (in addition to the CAF government itself) are Arasaka, Orbital Air, RIO Meatwagon, SovOil, and WNS (Worldsat Communications Network).

Major grids include Havana, Panama City, Quito (Ecuador), and Rio.

Pacifica
Pacifica covers all of the Pacific ocean pole to pole, including all of Australia, most of the western half of the US (to Denver, at which point it transitions into the Olympia region), Alaska, Southeast Asia (include Hong Kong and the rest of SE China) and the part of Russia near Alaska. It does not include any of South America, nor does it include Japan (Japan has it's own region, called Tokyo/Chiba). Pacifica will sometimes take over parts of Atlantis if the weather is bad.

The Pacifica virtual is probably the best of all the regions on the Net. It's virtual is a stylized version of a real Ocean, with glowing fish shapes and other sea life. Dolphin programs (complex, but non-sapient) patrol it, cleaning up garbage data...and according to some, tattling on any criminal activity they see. The sky is pleasantly illuminated, without any specific light source. The sky has many hazy overlapping sections of varying hue and brightness. There are two moons in the sky...the lighter one one represents the sun in real time, and the other the regular moon. These can actually be used to keep track of time while in the region (although as a Netrunner you will, of course, have easy access to a clock just as you would using any other computer). The LDLs in this region are represented with unique abstract art sculptures as icons, and where the LDL leads can be known simply from the sculpture representing it.

The city grids hover above the water on tiles or planks. The default architecture resembles a modern stylized version of floating ruins will columns and balustrades. The surface geometry of all of the buildings is reflective and smooth. Unlike the default elevation rendering that accompanies areas of low bandwdith in the form of mountains, the Pacifica virtual renders these areas instead as dark and ominous. An area of little or no transmission will appear to have hurricane like conditions (so, impassable), with a black and red sky and massive choppy waves in the water.

Control is not as uniform as other regions of the Net. The region is so large that different groups exert different levels of control over the region. The eastern part is dominated largely by the American West Coast, and the larger corporations based there. They also control Hawaii and Alaska as well. The USPG (US Government) and France share control of the middle of the ocean on various islands. The South and Southwest portion of the region are jointly controlled by the Australian and New Zealand governments. The Western portion of the region is controlled by the FACS (Fa Asian Co-prosperity Sphere), and the Japanese Zaibatsus.

Netwatch has a strong presence in Pacifica, and Magnificent Curtis (their leader here) is something of a celebrity. Unlike the rest of the Net, the Pacifica branch of Netwatch is actually very even handed and fair. Magnificent Curtis is very strict about how the organization is run, and careful to make sure all laws are followed.

Major grids include the Antarctic relay station,(controlled by the EU/UN), Jakarta and Manilla, Galopogos Islands, Hong Kong, Singapore, and various USPG domains (Honolulu for example).

Reference
FISK, C. Cyberpunk, Version 2.0, 1st ed. Berkeley CA: R.Talsorian Games, 1990