abstract
| - RIGs monitor the lifesigns of an individual. Developed from medical monitoring systems designed for elderly patients, it has found common usage among the adult population. All RIGs share several basic features. A spine-mounted display serves to indicate the user's general state of health as a glowing segmented bar which depletes as the user takes damage. When the user dies, it emits a "flat-line" sound similar to an EKG, which is loud enough to alert others within earshot of the RIG wearer's demise. Holographic projectors mounted on the wrists can create a two-dimensional display in front of the user, to display whatever they might need to see. The size of the display can vary depending upon the data it is accessing. It can also project a colored line to guide the user to a destination, be it a location or a service like a store or workbench. It is capable of two-way audio and visual communication. RIG users can be individually tracked if need-be, even if dead. Finally, RIGs can be used as a form of biometric lock, only allowing specific RIG users access to designated areas, though such scanners fail to take into account whether the user is living or dead. RIGs can be upgraded at a nano-circuit repair Upgrade Bench using Power Nodes. Depending on the RIG, Nodes can be used to upgrade air supply, resilience to damage, or enhance the strength of Kinesis. RIGs vary greatly depending on the user's occupation and status. Civilian RIGs are typically little more than the spinal display and wrist projectors attached to basic clothing. Engineers and other service personnel wear similar garb, but often possess Kinesis and Stasis modules to aid in their profession, the latter with the requisite monitor mounted to the right of the spinal display. For more dangerous work, RIGs are installed in full-body suits. These suits, in addition to the RIG's basic functions, have features such as an internal oxygen supply for work in a vacuum, gravity boots, and thrusters for zero-gravity movement, and armor to protect against damage from various sources. RIGs appear to be ubiquitous throughout society. Very few people are shown not to possess them, which suggests that most professions require some form of RIG to be used. Various RIG-equipped suits can be purchased from stores, provided the user has clearance and the proper blueprints. More advanced suits offer benefits like increased storage space, damage resistance, and "bonuses" to weapons, stasis, kinesis, or store purchases.
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