A GLOSSARY FOR PRECIOUS CARGO I have not bothered here to take space describing BDSM terms that are common in our own day, such as "dominant", "submissive" and "safeword". Those who aren't familiar with such terms would do better to visit a good Website devoted to giving basic information on bondage, discipline and sadomasochism. anti-inertia device -- a small device which can nullify the dangerous effects of inertia during rapid accelerations and turns, for example. Sharp limits of mass and range prevent it from being in widespread industrial use, but it works fine for the mass of the average furry in a crate. com-check -- small electronic computer device that acts as a credit card does in our time, but more secure and with more functions than a piece of plastic can have. It can keep receipts and reservations, for example. crystalware -- A futuristic technology indeed, crystalware uses barium crystals for its functions, and takes the place of some areas of electronic technology in use today. (Okay, so I'm bluffing and don't really know what I'm talking about. It sounds cool, doesn't it? ;-) ) darksex -- the current slang term for BDSM sex. Darksex Underground -- the outlaw organization of sexual rebels devoted to making darksex possible for those unfortunate enough to live on Federation planets. A good portion of its efforts are taken up by smuggling Federation furries to the freedom and safety of Open Planets where darksex is legal between consenting adults. Federation -- the Galactic Federation, the vast ubergovernment that is the ultimate source of political authority for most of the galaxy's planets, rising several centuries ago from the ashes of the Dark Ages. Its core is run largely by humans, although most planetary governments are run by furries. It enforces its dictates with an array of economic, social, political and (as a last resort in some cases) military sanctions. Galactic Bureau of Morality (GBM) -- a kind of galactic Federation vice squad, this largely human-staffed organization enforces the strict dictates on furry sexuality and morality coming from the Federation's core bureaucracy. It concerns itself with interplanetary vice such as the Darksex Underground more than enforcement on planets themselves. Jegarlik Hacker Anti-State -- Yep, in Fodessa's day hackers across the galaxy have founded their own shadowy nation/corporation, based not in physical space but in cyberspace.(Thank you, Simon Barber!) Officially completely neutral, its members span the galaxy and support the anarchic "Anti-State" by selling their services to anyone who can negotiate an acceptable price with them. La Grange Point Five -- one of the many interstellar space stations at which ships can dock, trade cargo, get supplies, etc. (Think Babylon Five or, better, Deep Space Nine.) La Grange Point Five is nominally in Federation space, but in fact most of its administration are Open Planet sympathizers. See "Open Planet". Mesui Knife Adepts -- Like the serious devotees of the martial- arts schools of our own time, Mesui Knife Adepts seek spiritual enlightenment and self-mastery by means of the perfection of the art of combat with knives. The school was originally founded by the great teacher Mesui Aggeno during the turmoil of the Dark Age. Its devotees have spread throughout the galaxy; renowned for their deadliness with their chosen blades, they often find mundane work as bodyguards and enforcers. minga-cool -- A fashion common among the more fashion-plate furries on a few Open Planets. It relies heavily on pleasantly bright yet earthy colors such as russet-red and soft yellow- green, glossy fabrics and a tight fit. Open Planet -- Virtually any planet not allied with or actually a member of the Galactic Federation. Most of these planets have democratic or even anarchistic political structures, although a few have experimented with various forms of socialism or even communism not seen in our day while others have new forms of government totally undreamed of in 2000 in our world. Nearly all afford their inhabitants far more freedoms in the area of sex and personal conduct than Federation planets; many have been settled only within the last two centuries. However, like the Federation planets, they have strict environmental and population controls in place; after the collapse of the Dark Age, no one any longer kids themselves with the libertarian or corporate-liberal notion that personal freedom takes precedence over the preservation of a planet's life support systems. Perion -- one of the Open Planets, settled perhaps 300 years ago. Most of it has a tropical or semi-tropical climate, allowing nudity or near-nudity for even the most avowedly warm-weather furs for all or most of the year. See "Open Planet". sector -- An administrative segment of the galaxy. Each sector tends to have its own dominant culture, usually with roots in a Terran one: for example, in Alban Sector, where Caitlin was raised, English is the rule and there are many recognizable linguistic and odd cultural legacies from a Terran country known as Great Britain; Dijjang Sector was originally settled by humans from such countries of Terran Southeast Asia as Malay and Borneo; Sa-Quoi Sector, where Fodessa mostly operates and in which Bournabi lies, still retains some flavor of Chinese culture. Slaaneth -- A space-age god of sex and rebellion. Originally this bisexual deity was one of the chief demons in the cosmology of the rather puritanical Chaofucian religion (one of the most popular three religions in the galaxy); it is alleged to be responsible for tempting adherents to commit sensual sins. Darksexers and sexually rebellious furries of every description have taken it as their patron deity over the past three centuries. (Yes, I ripped it off from the Warhammer Chaos god Slaanesh.) solid -- Cool, keen, neat. spidersilk -- the huge "spiders" of Chai aren't true arachnids -- among other things, they have endoskeletons -- but like the spiders we're familiar with, they produce a kind of "silk" from spinnerets with which they build webs. They proved easy to domesticate, and the tough, fine, lustrous white silk is easily gathered, dyed and processed into lovely fabric. It happens to be much easier to clean than silk from silkworms. tachyon mail -- The interstellar equivalent of email. See "tachyon transmitter". tachyon transmitter -- Interstellar communication is by means of devices using tachyon technology, which defies Einsteinian laws. If you don't understand that, just accept my word for it. It permits instantaneous communication even through space over a very considerable area. teleport booth -- Nothing supernatural about these devices; they're in common use throughout the galaxy. You step into one, key in a destination, and are instantaneously transported to your destination. Sort of like being "beamed up" in Star Trek, but their limited range confines their use to transportation within the space of a few hundred miles. Underwave Network -- In the Precious Cargo universe, the Internet has of course vastly expanded, although broad equivalents of IRC, the Web, email, etc. can be recognized. The Underwave Network, which actually provides a variety of services, is uncontrolled by the Federation and is the network of choice used for data you don't want the Federation to see. It is not a protocol, nor is it a service provider; it's more like the real-life Undernet network on IRC, in all its uncontrolled glory, but it offers more than one protocol. (It is not, of course, free from Federation surveillance, but it permits coding technologies that most "respectable" service providers won't permit.) Again, this uses tachyon technology. Vorun -- One of the Open Planets. Its climate is more varied than Perion's. Blackmuzzle's vast Darksex Underground operation is based here. vidcom -- These are the combination video-audio communication devices that our Earthly telephones were supposed to have become by now. They transmit sound, 3D visuals, and (if bandwidth is sufficient) even smells to a limited degree. (Remember, this is a furry universe we're talking about.) wristcom -- You've seen these in Star Trek and other scifi TV shows and movies, haven't you? Their range is limited to within half a mile or so in the Precious Cargo universe, though.