Difference between revisions of "FreeRIDErs (setting)"

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−	{{Universe|FreeRIDErs}}	+	{{Universe|FreeRIDErs}}{{DEFAULTSORT:FreeRIDErs (Setting Overview & Story Timeline)}}
	{{byline|author=Jon Buck		{{byline|author=Jon Buck
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	|user=Robotech_Master}}		|user=Robotech_Master}}
−	=={{separator|f|Stories in Chronological Order}}==	+	=={{separator|f|Setting Overview}}==
		+	[[Image:CatGirls.jpg|thumb|300px|Kaylee and Uncia in battle dress, by Marty Salsman (http://martysalsman.deviantart.com)]]In the 25th century, scientists and technicians on the distant colony world of Zharus make a startling breakthrough in energy storage and artificial intelligence, with the aid of "qubitite," a naturally-occurring metamaterial with remarkable quantum properties. The creation of true AI springs from quantum simulations of neural networks based on animals' genetic material that expand to take on true sapience.
−	Authors may add links to their stories as they happen in chronological order in story time. For a complete listing of all FreeRIDErs stories, since this list may be updated sporadically, see [[:Category:FreeRIDErs|the FreeRIDErs Category]].	+	Matching these "Reticulated Intelligence" (RI) neural networks with nanotech-composite "Drive Extender" (DE) transforming robotic bodies produces the RIDE: a metallic animal that can transform itself into a vehicle such as a hover-motorcycle (or hover-car or even plane for larger animals), or into an environmentally sealed suit of anthropomorphic-animal body armor to survive the extreme environments of Zharus's deserts, undersea, or even outer space. (Because combining with such a suit goes beyond merely putting it on and involves elements of physical and neural linkage, the act of merging with a RIDE in armor mode is called "Fusing.") Thanks to "hardlight" technology, RIDEs can even be covered with solid holographic fur that feels real to the touch, and even to the RIDE itself.
−	'''156 AL'''	+	However, due to their animal basis, Fusing with a RIDE can have consequences for the pilot. In order for them to be neurologically compatible, the pilot has to have similar physical features to the RIDE itself—and the RIDE's nanotech innards are designed to grant those changes. This means that Fusing with RIDEs based on ordinary land mammals will grant the rider their ears and tail (and sometimes more extreme additions such as nose, eyes, or fur).
−	*[[User:Robotech_Master/Deserted|Deserted]] ''([[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])''	+
−	*[[User:Robotech_Master/Merging_Traffic|Merging Traffic]] ''([[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])''	+
−	*[[User:JonBuck/FreeRIDErs|FreeRIDErs]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]])''	+
−	=={{separator|f|Background Material}}==	+	RIDEs based on further different animals, such as reptiles, birds, or undersea mammals, can produce much extreme changes in their riders that restrict their ability to change back or combine with a different RIDE. And likewise, if the pilot is the wrong gender, the RIDE's nanites will adjust that, too. In most cases of gender or other extreme change, the changed human is unable to safely change back for at least three years.
−	==={{separator|f|Monetary Units}}===	+	These RIDEs are used in taming the huge continent of Gondwana, a harsh and often lawless frontier that, unlike the more sedate and longer-settled continent of Laurasia, has many rich resources there for the taking, and a number of city-states occupying the ring of fertile land around the great central desert. In the desert, RIDEs are necessary to live. In the cities, they are urban transportation and playthings of the wealthy and middle-class alike. But even as they are considered mere "equipment" by many, those who know and love them know they are more than that—they are ''people'' too. Will the world come to realize and acknowledge this?
−	'''Source:''' Reynolds, Nathan. (149 AL) ''Zharus: A Socio-Economic Primer'' (Uplift: Uplift Press)	+	[[Image:Uncia-Harlan-Stein.jpg|thumb|150px|Uncia in battle dress, by Diana Harlan Stein (http://naiadstudios.com)]]In recent years, rumors of a new form of change have been circulating—a combining of rider and RIDE that goes far beyond Fusing. Called "Integration," this combines man and machine into a single gestalt being who can no longer separate—and who are rumored to possess powers far beyond those of mere mortals or RIDEs. It is as yet unclear whether these "Integrates" are to be welcomed or feared—and, indeed, many would place them in the same category as Bigfoot, the Yeti, or the Loch Ness Monster. But these Integrates may be growing tired of keeping to themselves.
−	There is a frequently-repeated but probably apocryphal story that posits, when the newly-formed Nexus Consortium in Laurasia was drawing up plans to establish a colony on the continent of Gondwana, it forgot to provide the contractor with its preferred names for things, such as the units of currency the colony would use. So the contractor simply used “monetary units” (or the abbreviation “mu”) as a placeholder, assuming Nextus could change it later.	+	And the latest potential threat may very well be the old home world of Earth itself. For fifty years, it has scoffed at the idea that a distant, backward world like Zharus could be the home of so many major technological breakthroughs. But Earth's mind may be changing on that score—and it has long been known for its willingness to reach out and take what it wants.
−	However, the name had not been changed by the time the colony was actually founded, at which point the colonists—impressed with its straightforwardness and simple Greek-letter abbreviation—adopted the placeholder as its actual currency title. Thanks to Nextus’s rapid economic explosion due to its advances in science, technology, and industry, its “mu,” “moo,” or “moonits” soon displaced other colonies’ own government-backed money (such as Nuevo San Antonio’s neo-peso or Uplift’s cumulo) as the ''de facto'' currency of trade among people and businesses.	+	Welcome to the world of Zharus—and to its denizens. Colonists. Bandits. Miners. Mechanics. ''FreeRIDErs.''
−	By this point, the passage of time makes it unlikely the story will ever be either proven or disproven—but whether true or not, the story has been incessantly repeated by other colonists (and even Nextusians themselves) for the same reason as most ethnic humor—it plays so well to the Nextusian stereotype as a bunch of unimaginative pragmatists. (See also, “How many Nextusians does it take to charge a hardlight projector?”) Unimaginative or not, however, Nextus boasts a GDP 50% larger than its nearest Gondwanan competitor—so perhaps pragmatism may not be all bad.	+	=={{separator|f|Suggested Reading Order}}==
−	==={{separator|f|Zharus: Ecology and Wildlife}}===	+	===Robotech_Master's Take===
		+	As this is a shared universe, there could be plenty of jumping-on points. '''The very best way to read it would probably be by publication order,''' since that would give you the same effect as the people who were reading it in real time from the beginning. '''There's a list available [[FreeRIDErs (publication order)|here]].'''
−	'''Source:''' Banner, R.J.. (122 AL) ''Zharus: A Guide for Immigrants.'' New Boston: Suffolk E-Press	+	Otherwise, I suggest reading "Deserted", "Merging Traffic", "Rochelle & Rufia: R&R", then "FreeRIDErs", then the first few chapters of "Integration" (and my "Foxed" tales), as those were all written earliest and have most of the earliest setting building in them. Then you can read Jetfire's and the other authors' stories in chronological order, and continue reading "Integration" after that. (Probably should leave "Second-Hand Lioness" until after Integration #21, otherwise some events in the main story could be spoiled.)
−	====Introduction: A Far Away Home====	+	I'd suggest to have all of Jetfire's chronologically-earlier stuff read before you get to Integration #14, since that's where some of his characters merge into the storyline. That being said, you could probably just as easily read everything in straight chronological order without missing ''too'' much. Or just pick one writer at random and read his or her works through in order, then pick another one. Once you've read enough, it all starts to make sense together.
−	Zharus was discovered by a sublight survey probe in the year 72BL (Before Landing, 2278 AD). It took twenty years for the data to travel back to Earth at mere lightspeed. At the time habitable planets were starting to appear more frequently as probes were sent to nearby stars. That Zharus was a habitable super-Earth came as a surprise in the astrobiology, astronomy, and xenogeology fields. Underwritten by the philanthropic Zharus Diaspora Group and Steader Colonization Consortium, a fleet of twenty colonization ships were built and sent into the stars, with hundreds more to follow. The journey took thirty-five years and is an adventure tale by itself.	+	Either way, you should read at least some of the stories before you try to dig into the setting background material below the story list on this page. It was mainly written for our own reference and amusement while we built the setting overall, and can be kind of confusing if you come to it without a grounding from the stories in how the world works.
−	The advent of superluminal propulsion a century ago changed the whole colonization landscape. Even the first superluminal starships shaved ''twenty years'' off the travel time. Since then, as speeds through subspace steadily increase, we are now within a year's travel from the Core Colonies of Proxima and Centauri. We have the space, no natives to displace. ''Come join us!''	+	===Claude LeChat's two cents ===
−	Our world is dominated by three truly massive continents to match its impressive girth, rightly named for Old Earth's long-vanished supercontinents. Despite this, our surface gravity is less than Old Earth's. While this leaves planetary resources deficient in most useful heavy metals, asteroid mining more than makes up for it. Our world provides ample resources, including so-called "rare earths" in vast amounts necessary to run modern civilization.	+	I went a different way myself. ''Deserted'' and ''Merging Traffic'' are of course the mandatory first two, since they introduce the setting and all the most important characters. Then you're free to read e.g. the first three ''Inspecteur Hollins'' stories. But not the fourth, not yet!
−	We are proudly the largest jewel in the Earth-sphere's crown. Independent of Earth-sphere politics, yet proud of our heritage.	+	Before jumping into the pivotal novel ''Integration'', you'll probably want to read ''FreeRIDErs'', since it provides a crucial bit of background, and possibly ''All Spark Bulletin'', since it's a good introduction to the Munns. But you can't go wrong with any of Jetfire's prequel stories. Fibio's ''Turnover'' will give you a good idea of the spaceship tech in the series, as well as being an emotional story in itself.
−	====Laurasia: A Temperate Eden====	+	Last but not least, ''Barely Fused, Slightly Foxed'' and ''Longer Fused, More Foxed'' fill in a couple of holes in the aforementioned ''Integration'', but you can safely read them afterwards since they're unrelated but for the characters. As for ''Wolves in the Fold, Part One: A Wolf at the Door'', it makes for a nice "outboard epilogue" to the novel.
−	The smallest continent, Laurasia's growing population of two billion is still uncrowded. As large as North America and Asia combined, by itself it has nearly half of Old Earth's habitable surface area. The continent has been extensively terraformed and the process continues. 90% of food production is centered here, with vast areas devoted to Terran crops and livestock. Yes, we still raise food the old-fashioned way.	+	Stories that can stand on their own, for readers who aren't familiar with the franchise:
−	Visit the capital city of Zharustead.	+	* ''Madison Brubeck and the Spotted Stowaway'', but it arguably cheats because it's a spin-off;
		+	* ''As a Woman I RIDE'';
		+	* My own ''Alpha Camp'', if you don't mind minor spoilers for how the conflict of ''Integration'' unfolds.
		+	* Of the newer stories, ''Slow Boat to Zharus'', though you might want to read some of the early stuff first.
−	====Rodinia: A Native Refuge====	+	=={{separator|f|Stories in Chronological Order}}==
−	The second-largest continent. Slightly larger than Laurasia, it dominates the Southern Hemisphere. The Zharus Colonial Authority designated this continent as a native refuge—a Planetary Park—declaring it off limits to any development aside from a few special tourist and scientific installations.	+	[[Image:Faught_kaylee_uncia.jpg|thumb|300px|Kaylee and Uncia in battle gear as depicted by David Faught - https://www.facebook.com/DavidFaughtArtist]]Authors may add links to their stories as they happen in chronological order in story time. ("AL" stands for "After Landing," representing the number of years after the colony ships landed in 2350 AD.) For a complete listing of all FreeRIDErs stories, since this list may be updated sporadically, see [[:Category:FreeRIDErs|the FreeRIDErs Category]].
−	Zharusian life is primitive by Earth standards, with no native vertebrates. The continent is dominated by life similar to Earth's Carboniferous Period, three hundred million years ago, with the addition of grassoids, flowing plants, and well-developed soils. Verdant and lush, there are many safari options for the willing. Will you dare?	+	Stories that have been updated to the "Director's Cut" second draft edition are indicated with a '''(DC)''' afterward.
−	====Gondwana: A Billion Year Drought====	+	'''66 AL (2416 AD)'''
		+	* [[User:Robotech Master/The General|The General]] ''([[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])''
−	Since its discovery from the very first survey probe, geologists and climatologists from Earth and beyond have marveled at the conditions that have produced the Dry Ocean. A combination of geographical features, tectonic stasis, and the most stable climate ever discovered, have left an area larger than the North Atlantic on Earth drier than the Atacama Desert in South America. At the deepest point, 1,800 meters below sea level, temperatures can reach 80C on high summer days and a chilly -20C on low winter nights.	+	'''108 AL'''
−	The Dry Ocean contains wonders unseen on other worlds, even the low-gravity spindle-arches on Proxima. Desert tours are available for a nominal fee, ranging from personal tours from locals to commercial liners carrying hundreds of guests in climate-controlled comfort on leisurely week-long cruises.	+	*[[User:Jetfire/Aloha|Aloha]] ''([[User:Jetfire|Jetfire]])''
−	Human and native life exists around the edges. The Polis of Uplift is the only one that exists away from the life-giving rains of the continent's Coastal Ring. These hardy, friendly folk will be happy to welcome newcomers from Earth, Proxima, Wednesday, and the other human colonies.	+
−	What life exists in the Deep Desert lives on a different plane of time. See the columnar "plants" that contain numerous channels to trap any hint of moisture in the air, some estimated to be ''millions'' of years old.	+	'''112 AL to 113 AL'''
		+	*[[User:Robotech Master/Greatest Show|The Greatest Show]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'' with ''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])''
−	There is great wealth here, buried in the rock, in vast deposits of evaporates bombarded by millions of years of solar radiation, changed somehow. It's all here, unclaimed riches. Will you get yours?*	+	'''121 AL to 123 AL'''
		+	*[[User:Robotech Master/First Deployment|First Deployment]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'' and ''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])''
		+	*[[User:Robotech_Master/GI_Joe|G.I. Joe]] ''([[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]]'' and ''[[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]])''
−	<nowiki>*</nowiki> <sub>This is not a guarantee. Suffolk E-Press LLC is not liable for ''mu'' spent, death, dismemberment, accidental species/gender reassignment, or potential bankruptcy.</sub>	+	'''122 AL'''
−	==={{separator|f|Crossriders: A Survey}}===	+	*[[User:Jetfire/Broken_Crown|Broken Crown]] ''([[User:Jetfire|Jetfire]])''
−	'''Presentation Speech to Terran Psychological Association Symposium on Gender Issues, Sydney Australia, Earth, 1 May, 2500 AD (150 AL)'''	+	'''128 AL'''
		+	*Marshals: Beginnings
		+	**[[User:Robotech_Master/Ride_Sally|Episode One: Ride, Sally]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'' and ''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])''
		+	**[[User:Robotech_Master/Reaping_the_Whirlwind|Episode Two: Reaping the Whirlwind]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'' and ''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])''
−	If there is any one place that is most renowned for falling farthest outside psychological gender norms in the present day, that place is probably the colony of Zharus. Our global media net has for years been flooded with rumors and tabloid stories about the mores of the place, and the planet's very distance has made determining the truth of these matters…problematic, to say the least. Very few of us have felt we could spare the ''years'' necessary to go and investigate for ourselves!	+	'''129 AL'''
		+	*[[User:Jetfire/Splashdown|Splashdown]] ''([[User:Jetfire|Jetfire]])''
−	However, we at the North American Psychological Journal have been carrying on an extensive long-distance correspondence with our colleagues on Zharus over the last few years, and at this time we are ready to present a peer-reviewed paper originally published in one of their premier sociological journals. Based on this paper we will present tonight, it is safe to say that the truth about Zharus and its "RIDEs" may be even more startling, with more profound implications for the future of gender theory, than even the most outrageous tabloid stories could have predicted. Indeed, if the information about the effect RIDEs have on the body are even half true, there are whole new areas of ''species-related ''body disorders and potential treatments emerging.	+	'''131 AL'''
		+	*[[User:Jetfire/Astra-naught|Astra-naught]] ''([[User:Jetfire|Jetfire]])''
−	Consider that, although we have had nanite-assisted gender reassignment for over fifty years, at ''no other place in the galaxy'' can the decision to change gender be so heavily influenced by economic factors—and at no other place is it possible to have one's own gender changed entirely by accident.	+	'''132 AL'''
		+	*[[User:Robotech_Master/Where_Everybody_Knows_Your_Name|Where Everybody Knows Your Name]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'' and ''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])''
−	As I think you will agree, Zharus could be the site of the next great breakthrough in the field of gender psychology. In months to come, we will be organizing a sponsored expedition to Zharus for more detailed study of these factors. We will have more information available at our booth.	+	'''134 AL'''
		+	*[[User:Jetfire/The_Lady_of_the_Tiger|The Lady of the Tiger]] ''([[User:Jetfire|Jetfire]])''
−	('''Source:''' ''Laurasia University Sociological Letters'', 4 June, 148 AL)	+	'''133 AL to 138 AL'''
		+	*[[User:Jetfire/Cave_of_Wonders|Cave of Wonders]] ''([[User:Jetfire|Jetfire]])''
−	By: Dr. Freya Tournquist, Ph.D.	+	'''138 AL to 152 AL'''
		+	*[[User:Jetfire/Sum of Their Parts|Sum of Their Parts]] ''([[User:Jetfire|Jetfire]])''
−	'''Introduction'''	+	'''140 to 141 AL'''
		+	*[[User:JonBuck/Fly With Me|Fly With Me]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'')
−	The ongoing revolution in nanotechnology, enabled in large part by the minerals in the Dry Ocean, has only just started to cause social upheaval in human societies on our massive world. There are many aspects to this phenomenon, but rather than writing about them in general terms (including Integration, Reticulated Intelligences, and the like) this research will deal exclusively with what are colloquially called "crossriders".	+	'''143 AL'''
		+	*[[User:Robotech_Master/Darling_Clementine|Oh My Darling Clementine]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'' and ''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])''
−	Who are crossriders? They are people—typically Gondwanan prospectors—who for one reason or another have chosen to purchase and Fuse with a RIDE who is ''not ''their birth gender, thus making a very fundamental change to their bodies upon first use. The long term effects on their social status and psychology is the subject of my next publication. This one is simply a survey of five questions. Unfortunately sample size was not as large as I had hoped, therefore the margins of error are wider. (+/- 2.3%)	+	'''144 AL'''
		+	*[[User:Robotech_Master/A_Fritzmas_Carol|A Fritzmas Carol]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'' and ''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])''
−	'''Survey Results'''	+	'''146 AL'''
		+	*[[User:Hawl/Aloha666_dircut|Aloha 666]] ''([[User:Hawl|HawlSera]]))'' '''DC''''
−	'''1. Why did you choose a female RIDE when you were not a woman yourself?'''	+	'''147 AL'''
		+	*[[User:JonBuck/FADE IN|FADE IN]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]])''
−	# Financial (price): 48%	+	'''147 AL to 154 AL'''
−	# Curiosity: 8%	+	*[[User:Jetfire/Spice Girls|Spice Girls]] ''([[User:Jetfire|Jetfire]])''
−	# Availability: 32%	+
−	# Feature set: 5%	+
−	# Other (specify): 7%	+
−	These results make clear that the majority of crossriders had mainly financial influences, with female surplus unit availability a distant but still ''very ''significant second. Most of the RIDEs purchased by prospectors are retired military units from Nextus. That Polis is notable for having a slight majority of females in its armed forces, while the opposite is true of Dry Ocean prospectors. It becomes a matter of supply and demand. Though the availability disparity is at times very small, most buyers are not willing to crossride for ''any ''reason.	+	[[Image:Zane-Harlan-Stein.jpg|thumb|300px|Zane, and the Zane Cane, by Diana Harlan Stein (http://naiadstudios.com)]]
−	Surplus male RIDEs are typically significantly more expensive on the open market (frequently due to bidding wars between natural-born male riders). This gives a financial advantage to female prospectors and those men willing to crossride due to lower capital outlays. Of course, brand new units made specifically for prospecting are also available from several manufacturers, but even decade-old Nextus surplus units are superior in terms of power, durability, and versatility (DeTomaso, L. 147 AL).	+	'''148 AL'''
		+	*[[User:Hawl/Intended Side-Effects|Intended Side-Effects]] ''([[User:Hawl|HawlSera]]))''
−	Since female units are less expensive and more often available, natural-born female buyers can usually find a gender-matched RIDE much more easily than males.	+	'''149 AL'''
		+	* [[User:Jetfire/In_Space|In Space...]] (149 to 156 AL) ''([[User:Jetfire|Jetfire]]'' with ''[[User:JonBuck|Jon Buck]])''
−	Notable answers to "Other" include (See Appendix A for full text).	+	'''152 AL'''
		+	*[[User:Robotech_Master/Pride_Lioness|Pride of Lioness]] ''([[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])''
−	* "It was cheaper than the gender reassignment nanosurgery I needed, and I got a new friend in the bargain."	+	'''152 to 153 AL'''
		+	*[[User:Jetfire/Walkabout|Walkabout]] ''([[User:Jetfire|Jetfire]])''
		+	*[[User:Jetfire/All_Spark_Bulletin|All Spark Bulletin]] ''([[User:Jetfire|Jetfire]])''
		+	*[[User:Jetfire/The_Touch|The Touch]] ''([[User:Jetfire|Jetfire]])''
−	* "Personal wager. I'll be a man again next year. It's made my marriage a lot more exciting! I have a lot more empathy for my wife now."
−	* "It wasn't by choice. That's all I'll say."	+	'''155 to 156 AL'''
		+	*[[User:JonBuck/Marshals|Marshals]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'' with ''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])''
−	* "I… um… I was fresh off the orbital shuttle and needed equipment. Literally had no idea what I was getting into. I just bought the cheapest one I could."	+	[[Image:Blackmon-KayleeUncia-lines-01.jpg|thumb|300px|Uncia and Kaylee in battle as depicted by Jacob Blackmon - http://prodigyduck.deviantart.com/]]'''156 AL'''
		+	*[[User:Robotech_Master/jeanette-lioness|Jeanette & Tamarind: The Second-Hand Lioness]] ''([[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])'' (begins before "Deserted" and covers all the way through Integration #21)
		+	*[[User:Robotech_Master/Deserted|Deserted]] ''([[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])'' '''(DC)'''
		+	*[[User:Hawl/Crossrider's Dream|CrossRIDEr's Dream]] ''([[User:Hawl|HawlSera]])'' (Takes place one week after Chapter 5 of Desserted, but is not a story in the Integration Storyline)
		+	*[[User:Robotech_Master/Merging_Traffic|Merging Traffic]] ''([[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])'' '''(DC)'''
		+	*[[User:Robotech Master/Rochelle Rufia|Rochelle & Rufia: R&R]] ''([[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])'' '''(DC)'''
		+	*[[User:Robotech_Master/FreeRIDErs_dircut|FreeRIDErs]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]])'' '''(DC)'''
		+	*[[Turnover]] '' ([[User:Fibio|Fibio]])''
		+	*[[User:Robotech_Master/ANGLE ON|ANGLE ON]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'' and ''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])'' (Concurrent with the first half of ''Integration''.)
		+	*[[User:Robotech_Master/DISSOLVE TO|DISSOLVE TO]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'' and ''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])'' (Concurrent with ''Integration'' #16-#17.)
		+	*Integration
		+	**[[User:Robotech_Master/All Nighter|Part 1: All Nighter]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'' and ''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])'' '''(DC)'''
		+	**[[User:Robotech_Master/Integrates|Part 2: Integrates]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'' and ''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])'' '''(DC)'''
		+	**[[User:Robotech Master/RIDEgirls Day Out|Part 3: RIDEgirls' Day Out]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'' and ''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])'' '''(DC)'''
		+	**[[User:Robotech Master/Dating Games|Part 4: Dating Games]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'' and ''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])'' '''(DC)'''
		+	**[[User:Robotech Master/N00bs|Part 5: N00bs]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'' and ''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])'' '''(DC)'''
		+	**[[User:Robotech Master/All Aboard|Part 6: All Aboard!]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'' and ''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])'' '''(DC)'''
		+	**[[User:Robotech Master/A Meating of the Board|Part 7: A Meating of the Board]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'' and ''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])'' '''(DC)'''
		+	**[[User:Robotech Master/Meat the Press|Part 8: Meat, the Press]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'' and ''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])'' '''(DC)'''
		+	**[[User:Robotech Master/Stockholm Vacation|Part 9: Stockholm Vacation]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'' and ''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])'' '''(DC)'''
		+	**[[User:Robotech Master/Spaceflight of Fancy|Part 10: Spaceflight of Fancy]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'' and ''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])'' '''(DC)'''
		+	**[[User:Robotech Master/Citizen Katie|Part 11: Citizen Katie]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'' and ''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])'' '''(DC)'''
		+	**[[User:Robotech Master/The Crew|Part 12: The Crew]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'' and ''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])'' '''(DC)'''
		+	**[[User:Robotech Master/Kaylee Anny|Part 13: Kaylee & Anny]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'' and ''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])'' '''(DC)'''
		+	**[[User:Robotech Master/Assault Batteries|Part 14: Assault and Batteries]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'', ''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]]'', and ''[[User:Jetfire|Jetfire]])'' '''(DC)'''
		+	**[[User:Robotech Master/Task of Amontillado|Part 15: The Task of Amontillado]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'', ''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]]'', and ''[[User:Jetfire|Jetfire]])'' '''(DC)'''
		+	**[[User:Robotech Master/Integrate Raids|Part 16: The Integrate Raids]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'' and ''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])'' '''(DC)'''
		+	**[[User:Robotech Master/Family Matters|Part 17: Family Matters]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'' and ''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])'' '''(DC)'''
		+	**[[User:Robotech Master/Many Meetings|Part 18: Many Meetings]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'' and ''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])'' '''(DC)'''
		+	**[[User:Robotech Master/Meetings Completing|Part 19: Meetings Completing]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'', ''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]]'', and ''[[User:Jetfire|Jetfire]])'' '''(DC)'''
		+	**[[User:Robotech Master/Prodigals|Part 20: Prodigals]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'' and ''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])'' '''(DC)'''
		+	**[[User:Robotech Master/Enemy Lines|Part 21: Enemy Lines]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'' and ''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])'' '''(DC)'''
		+	**[[User:Robotech Master/Alpha Strike|Part 22: Alpha Strike]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'' and ''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])'' '''(DC)'''
		+	**[[User:Robotech Master/Universe of Battle|Part 23: Universe of Battle]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'' and ''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])'' '''(DC)'''
		+	**[[User:Robotech Master/What Happened Mouse|Part 24: What Happened to the Mouse?]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'' and ''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])'' '''(DC)'''
		+	**[[User:Robotech Master/The Big Date|Part 25 (Epilogue): The Big Date]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'' and ''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])'' '''(DC)'''
		+	*[[User:Robotech_Master/Slightly Foxed|Barely Fused, Slightly Foxed]] ''([[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])'' (takes place between Part 5 and Part 6 of Integration)
		+	*[[User:Robotech_Master/More Foxed|Longer Fused, More Foxed]] ''([[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])'' (takes place between Part 5 and Part 14 of Integration)
		+	*[[User:Claude_LeChat/Alpha Camp|Alpha Camp]] ''([[User:Claude_LeChat|Claude LeChat]])'' (begins in Part 8 of Integration)
		+	*[[Taking the Plunge]] ''([[User:Kris|Kris]])'' (takes place after Part 8 of Integration)
		+	*[[Inspecteur Hollins and The Cat's Paw]] ''([[User:Fibio|Fibio]])'' (takes place during parts 9-11 of Integration)
		+	*[[Inspecteur Hollins and The Viral Thief]] ''([[User:Fibio|Fibio]])'' (takes place sometime after part 12 of Integration)
		+	*[[Inspecteur Hollins and The Multimillion Vault]] ''([[User:Fibio|Fibio]])'' (takes place after part 12 of Integration)
		+	*[[User:Robotech_Master/Kandace Jenni Friendship|Kandace and Jenni: A Beautiful Friendship]] ''([[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])'' (takes place during/after the end of Part 15 of Integration)
		+	* [[User:Robotech_Master/Rochelle Rufia Redux|Rochelle & Rufia Redux: Foxing About]] ''([[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]]'' and ''[[User:Jetfire|Jetfire]])'' (takes place after the end of Part 17 of Integration)
		+	*[[Inspecteur Hollins and The Integral Assassin]] ''([[User:Fibio|Fibio]])'' (takes place during part 23 of Integration)
		+	* [[User:Jetfire/Spacer_Oddity| A Spacer Oddity]] ''([[User:Jetfire|Jetfire]])''
		+	*[[User:Robotech Master/Final Countdown|The Final Countdown]] (''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]]'' with ''[[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'')
−	* "My girlfriend said she'd realized she was a lesbian, so what else could I do? I thought the joke was on me when she said she'd actually just wanted to break up without hurting my feelings…but then she spent the night with me and we realized she really ''was'' a lesbian—and ''technically ''so was I. We've been together ever since. I won't say I've had an easy time adapting, but I'm a pretty happy girl."	+	'''156 to 157 AL'''
		+	* [[User:Robotech Master/Spotted Stowaway|Madison Brubeck and the Spotted Stowaway]] ''([[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])'' (starts before "Deserted"; concludes after "Integration" and the "Stonegates" stories)
		+	* [[User:Robotech Master/Yield Ahead|Merging Traffic II: Yield Ahead]] ''([[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]]'' and ''[[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]])''
−	* "I just needed a replacement right away. Didn't care. Been six years. Still don't."	+	[[Image:Cybercats001color.jpg|thumb|300px|Rochelle and Kaylee as interpreted by William Levy (http://williamlevy.deviantart.com/)]]'''157 AL'''
		+	* [[User:Robotech Master/Impossible Things|Impossible Things]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'' and ''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])''
		+	* [[User:Robotech Master/Aloha Stonegates|Aloha, Stonegates!]]  ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'', ''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]]'', and ''[[User:Jetfire|Jetfire]])''
		+	* [[User:Robotech Master/Skunked|Skunked!]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'' and ''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])''
		+	* [[User:Robotech Master/Paws Up|Paws Up!]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'' and ''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])''
		+	* [[User:Robotech Master/A Wolf at the Door|Wolves in the Fold, Part One: A Wolf at the Door]] ''([[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])'' (with ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]''))
		+	* [[User:Robotech Master/A_Wolf_in_Sheep's_Clothing|Wolves in the Fold, Part Two: A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing]] ''([[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]]'' and ''[[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]])''
		+	*[[User:Robotech_Master/Joseph_Life|Joseph Steader, This is Your Life!]] ''([[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]]'' and ''[[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]])''
		+	* The Gondwana Grand Tour ''([[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]]'' and ''[[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]])''
		+	** [[User:Robotech_Master/shell_game|Prologue: Shell Game]]
		+	** [[User:Robotech_Master/ggt_uplift|Chapter One: Uplift and the Tunnel]]
		+	** [[User:Robotech_Master/ggt_nuevosan|Chapter Two: Nuevo San Antonio]]
		+	** [[User:Robotech_Master/ggt_sturmhaven|Chapter Three: Sturmhaven]]
		+	* [[User:Robotech Master/Saints Marching|The Saints Go Marching In]] ''([[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])''
		+	* [[User:Claude_LeChat/Return to Alpha Camp|Return to Alpha Camp]] ''([[User:Claude_LeChat|Claude LeChat]])'' (position in timeline is approximate)
		+	* [[User:Robotech Master/Kevin De-Claude|Kevin, De-Claude]] ''([[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])''
		+	* [[User:Robotech Master/youngguns|Jeanette & Tamarind: The Young Guns]] ''([[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])''
		+	* [[User:Robotech Master/Good Bad Fritzy|The Good, the Bad, and the Fritzy]] ''([[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])''
		+	* [[User:Robotech Master/Family Lynx|Family Lynx]] (''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]]'' and ''[[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'')
		+	* [[User:Robotech Master/Dog Day Morning|Dog Day Morning]] (''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]]'' and ''[[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'')
		+	* [[User:Robotech Master/When the Lady Smiles|Merging Traffic III: When the Lady Smiles]] (''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]]'')
		+	* [[User:Claude LeChat/Imperfect Coupling|Imperfect Coupling]] (''[[User:Claude LeChat|Claude LeChat]]'')
−	'''2. Had you given any thought to such a radical change to yourself prior to purchasing your RIDE?'''	+	'''157 to 158 AL'''
		+	* [[User:Robotech Master/Totalia Prelude|Return to Totalia, Part One: Prelude]] (''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]]'' and ''[[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'')
		+	* [[User:Robotech Master/reindeergames|Jeanette, Tamarind, and the Young Guns: Reindeer Games]] (''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]]'' and ''[[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'')
		+	* [[User:Jetfire/DragonRIDEr_of_Pharos|DragonRIDEr of Pharos]] ''([[User:Jetfire|Jetfire]])'' (Date fuzzy, sometime after Inties are revealed)
−	a) Yes: 3%	+	'''158 AL'''
		+	* The Durian Crew
		+	**[[User:Robotech_Master/Immigrant Song|Immigrant Song]] (''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]]'' with ''[[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'')
		+	**[[User:Robotech_Master/Dressed for Success|Dressed for Success]] (''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]]'' with ''[[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'')
		+	**[[User:Robotech_Master/Thank You for the Music|Thank You for the Music]] (''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]]'' with ''[[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'')
		+	**[[User:Robotech_Master/Head Over Heels|Head Over Heels]] (''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]]'' with ''[[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'')
−	b) No: 95%	+	*[[User:Robotech_Master/Tick Tock Tick|Tick Tock Tick]] ''([[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])''
		+	*[[User:Jetfire/Spies_Among_Us|Spies Among Us]] ''([[User:Jetfire|Jetfire]])''
		+	*[[User:Jetfire/Cat_Scratch_Fever|Cat Scratch Fever]] ''([[User:Jetfire|Jetfire]])'' (Starts in 157 AL)
		+	*[[User:Jetfire/Rescue_911|Rescue 911]] ''([[User:Jetfire|Jetfire]])''
		+	* [[User:Jetfire/United_Way|United Way]] ''([[User:Jetfire|Jetfire]])''
		+	* Return to Totalia, Part Two: Parallels
		+	** [[User:Robotech Master/Parallels Visitors|Part One: Visitors]] (''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]]'', ''[[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]],'' and ''[[User:Jetfire|Jetfire]]'')
		+	** [[User:Robotech Master/Parallels Clementine|Part Two: Clementine]] (''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]]'', ''[[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]],'' and ''[[User:Jetfire|Jetfire]]'')
		+	**[[User:Robotech Master/Parallels Fleet|Part Three: The Fleet]] (''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]]'', ''[[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]],'' and ''[[User:Jetfire|Jetfire]]'')
		+	*[[User:Robotech Master/Cold and Wet Nose for News|Cold and Wet Nose for News]] ''([[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]])''
		+	*[[User:Robotech Master/A Dash from the Past|A Dash from the Past]] (''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]]'' and ''[[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'')
−	c) No Answer: 2%	+	*[[User:Robotech Master/Interchange Ahead|Merging Traffic IV: Interchange Ahead]] (''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]]'' and ''[[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'')
		+	*[[User:Robotech Master/Raising Ruth|Raising Ruth]] (''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]]'' with ''[[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'')
		+	*[[User:Robotech Master/Welcome Back|Welcome (Back) to the Real World]] (''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]]'' with ''[[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'')
−	Note that the "Fuser" process ''does ''make significant physiological changes to the rider. The addition of animal ears and a tail are ''de rigueur''. This is due to the technological necessity to match sensory and motor inputs on a 1:1 basis (Gatt, G., 130 AL).	+	*[[User:Jetfire/The_Power|The Power]] ''([[User:Jetfire|Jetfire]])''
		+	*[[User:Jetfire/All_Hell_Breakin_Loose|All Hell's Breakin' Loose]] ''([[User:Jetfire|Jetfire]])''
		+	*[[User:Jetfire/Riding_The_Eye_of_the_Storm|Riding the Eye of the Storm]] ''([[User:Jetfire|Jetfire]])''
−	Unmodified humans have no tail under normal circumstances. This can cause disorientation in operating a unit with a tail, unless the human's nervous system is wired to control one at all times (ibid). Similarly, the different acoustic and balance effects from human to animal ear shapes would leave the RIDE off-balance as the human attempted to apply its human reflexes.	+	* [[User:Jetfire/iron_hand_in_a_velvet_glove|Iron Hand in a Velvet Glove]]
−	The same principles apply to the nanosurgical sex change, though of course on a much deeper level. Although men and women do have some analogous structures (such as breasts, penis for clitoris, etc.) the 1:1 rule still applies. Some RIDE engineers insist that it's psychologically necessary for the RIs themselves as well, but I leave that kind of analysis to them. It is possible to bypass this requirement by using something called "passive" mode that puts the RI to "sleep", with significant loss of advanced function. (Gatt, G., 135 AL)	+	* ''[[User:Claude LeChat/The Wolf and the Father|The Wolf and the Father]]'' (''[[User:Claude LeChat|Claude LeChat]]'') (takes place after ''Young Guns'')
		+	'''159 A.L.'''
−	'''3. Having experienced both genders, I prefer being:'''	+	*[[User:Robotech Master/Warm Welcome|Warm Welcome]] (''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]]'' and ''[[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]],'' with ''[[User:Jetfire|Jetfire]]'')
		+	* Cougar Town (''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]]'' and ''[[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'')
		+	** I. [[User:Robotech Master/Cougar Town|Cougar Town]]
		+	** II. [[User:Robotech Master/Down on the Farm|Down on the Farm]]
		+	** III. [[User:Robotech Master/A Cougar Comes to Town|A Cougar Comes to Town]]
		+	** IV. [[User:Robotech Master/Play the Game Tonight|Play the Game Tonight]]
		+	*[[User:Robotech_Master/Hello, KITTy|Hello, KITTy]] (''[[User:Robotech_Master|Robotech_Master]]'', with ''[[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'')
		+	*[[User:Jetfire/Slow_Boat|Slow Boat to Zharus]] (''[[User:Jetfire|Jetfire]]'' with ''[[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]]'')
−	'''M -> F changers'''	+	=={{separator|f|FreeRIDErs First Drafts}}==
−	Male: 39%	+	Since we've started going back and revising the early portions of the story to bring the into line with what we wrote later, we have decided to preserve early drafts when they are changed sufficiently to merit a separate presentation. For most of these (but not "FreeRIDErs"), you can also use the "History" function to see what changed.
−	Female: 43%	+	*[[User:JonBuck/FreeRIDErs|FreeRIDErs]] ''([[User:JonBuck|JonBuck]])''
		+	*[[User:Hawl/Aloha666|Aloha 666]] ''([[User:Hawl|HawlSera]]))''
−	Indifferent: 18%	+	HawlSera - I really love writing for FreeRIDErs, it's pretty great, but overtime as my writing skills have evolved and to be truthful, most of the FreeRIDE stories I wrote, were done under the influence of illicit stimulants, which overall I feel had a negative effect on my writing ability. I'm now clean and will be rebooting my FreeRIDE stories. The old "canon", (which honestly failed to work with the overarching canon of FreeRIDE) will be in this section
−	<nowiki>* </nowiki><sub>Sample size for female-to-male crossriders is very small with consequently larger margins of error. Too large to report in this letter. In large part due to the same issues of price and availability addressed in question 1, male-to-female crossriders outnumber female-to-male by 4:1.</sub>	+	*[[User:Hawl/Simon Of Cape Nord|Simon Of Cape Nord]] ''([[User:Hawl|HawlSera]])''
		+	*[[User:Hawl/Bob's Origin|Bob's Origin]] ''([[User:Hawl|HawlSera]])''
		+	*[[User:Hawl/As A Woman I RIDE|As A Woman I RIDE]] ''([[User:Hawl|HawlSera]])''
		+	*[[User:Hawl/At Ace, We RIDE|At ACE, We RIDE]] ''([[User:Hawl|HawlSera]])''
		+	*[[User:Hawl/To Dream, We RIDE|To Dream, We RIDE]] ''([[User:Hawl|HawlSera]])''
		+	*[[User:Hawl/We live to RIDE, We RIDE to Live|We live to RIDE, We RIDE to Live]]''([[User:Hawl|HawlSera]])''
		+	*[[User:Hawl/Nearing The End Of Our RIDE|Nearing The End Of Our RIDE]] ''([[User:Hawl|HawlSera]]''
		+	*[[User:Hawl/For Victory, For Venars, Together We RIDE!|For Victory, For Venars, Together We RIDE]]'' ''([[User:Hawl|HawlSera]])''
		+	*[[User:Hawl/TWREpilogue:We'll RIDE Again Someday|TWREpilogue:We'll RIDE Again Someday]]
		+	*Cores of Sarium
		+	**[[User:Hawl/Buttercup's Heist|Part 1:Buttercup's Heist]] ''([[User:Hawl|HawlSera]])'' (Takes place during the two days before Part 8 of Integration)
		+	**[[User:Hawl/Ruby Withdrawal|Part 2:Ruby Withdrawal]] ''([[User:Hawl|HawlSera]])''
		+	**[[User:Hawl/Making a Man Out Of Jamie|Part 3:Making a Man Out Of Jamie]] ''([[User:Hawl|HawlSera]])''
		+	*Omniverse OverRIDE
		+	**[[User:Hawl/GoKARTers|Part 1:GoKARTers]] ''([[User:Hawl|HawlSera]])'' (Starts in 150 AL, Ends around May 156 AL, about a week or so after FreeRIDErs ends)
		+	**[[User:Hawl/DayOfTheDin|Part 2:Day Of The Din]] ''([[User:Hawl|HawlSera]])''
		+	**[[User:Hawl/Serve In Hell, Rule In Heaven|Part 3:Serve In Hell, Rule In Heaven]] ''([[User:Hawl|HawlSera]])''
		+	**[[User:Hawl/In Need Of A Mother|Part 4:In Need Of A mother]] ''([[User:Hawl|HawlSera]])''
		+	*[[User:Hawl/An_Integrate's_Guide_To_Love|Integrate's Guide To Love]] ''([[User:Hawl|HawlSera]])''
−	Within the margin of error, the preferences reported above are a statistical tie.
		+	=={{separator|f|Background Material}}==
−	'''4. When will/did you return to your original gender?'''	+	Due to the huge amount of material, we have moved this to its own page:
−		+
−	a) Sooner than recommended safe minimum <nowiki>(<3 </nowiki>years*): 7%	+
−		+
−	b) Recommended safe minimum (3+ years): 27%	+
−		+
−	c) 3-6 years after original change: 16%	+
−		+
−	d) 7-10 years after original change: 10%	+
−		+
−	e) 10+ years after original change: 9%	+
−		+
−	f) Never: 31%	+
−		+
−	<nowiki>*</nowiki> <sub>Nanosurgery too soon has significant risks of permanent disfigurement and even death due to interactions with sex-change nanobots that linger in the rider's body for several years to assist in establishing and maintaining the body's new homeostasis. The actual minimum safe period is usually between 2.25 and 2.75 years, depending on a number of individual factors that cannot be determined without detailed homeostatic analysis and costly genome sequencing<nowiki>; 3 </nowiki>years represents a 5-sigma "fudge factor" sufficient to avoid danger in 99.999% of all cases. (Xian, Z.)</sub>	+
−		+
−		+
−	'''5. Overall, has your "crossing" been beneficial or detrimental to your life and career?'''	+
−		+
−	(This was an open-ended question. Respondents were encouraged to put their experience into their own words. The full text of responses are in Appendix B. Here are some notable ones.)	+
−		+
−	* "Everybody should do this at least once. Just a few years of your life out of what, almost 120 years now? It's pure enlightenment. I switch every five years. Life would get stale otherwise."	+
−		+
−	* "My construction crew was all male, and we used to like to share around all the crude male sexist humor we could find—until the day I found out why the new forklift had been so cheap. Nobody knew quite what to think for the first week or so—then I got fed up with the pussy-footing and started forwarding around "dumb guy" jokes. And then two of the other guys worked up the nerve to trade in their male RIDEs for better equipment from "˜the other team' so we could take on bigger jobs! I guess we'll stay how we are for now—it's cheaper than buying new equipment or training natural-born women to work what we have. (And a couple of us have even started dating our co-workers.)"	+
−		+
−	* "I got tired of being the 'office chick'. I was a petite little thing. I would've quit, but the money was just too good. Well, they're not laughing now."	+
−		+
−	* "I hate every minute of it. ''Worst ''decision I ever made. And my zoot's not too fond of me either. Bitch."	+
−		+
−	* "How can I put this? I feel like Alice in Wonderland. I'm not trying to be all mystical or anything, but… women just don't know what they have. I'm all… ripe and womanly. Never going back. My friends have been very supportive. I've already gone native."	+
−		+
−	* "I try not to let anyone know my history, but I don't hide it very well either. I get sneers from 'real' women and men just shun me. My business has suffered greatly, and I live in one of the more progressive polities. I think I'm going to have to start fresh somewhere else. Maybe after I learn to blend in better. Don't get me wrong, though, no regrets here."	+
−		+
−	* "I was a man for three years and I look back on the experience with mixed feelings. It was worth doing once… only once."	+
−		+
−	* "I dunno, maybe I'm the only one who feels this way, but…c'mon, what's the difference? We both eat, we both breathe, we both<nowiki> [</nowiki>urinate] and<nowiki> [</nowiki>defecate]. So we have different plumbing, big deal. (I do spend most of my time alone out in the desert, though. Maybe I'd feel different if I had to put up with other people.)"	+
−		+
−	'''Conclusion'''	+
−		+
−	We are only at the early stages of a vast social change driven by	+
−		+
−	technological advance. It's happening rather more slowly than the old	+
−		+
−	"Singularity" predictions of centuries ago, but it's finally here, courtesy of our wondrous home Zharus. Not only for the physical effects on humanity, but on the new Reticulated Intelligences that are our new partners and essentially humanity's children. Eventually I hope to study the results firsthand, but the Integrated* are reluctant to participate. Despite this doubt, the word "transhumanism" is no longer something to chuckle at.	+
−		+
−	<nowiki>* </nowiki><sub>Indeed, I'm not entirely certain they actually exist.</sub>	+
−		+
−	''References''	+
−		+
−	DeTomaso, Laura (147 AL). Get more ''whoosh ''for your ''mu'': ten year old Nextus mil-spec surplus vs. everyone else brand new! ''FreeRIDER Magazine.'' July.	+
−		+
−	Gatt, Gerhard. (130 AL). Sensory and motor synchronization between organic and inorganic systems in Reticulated Intelligence Drive Extenders. ''Journal of Nanosurgical Engineering.'' ''2''(2).	+
−		+
−	Gatt, Gerhard. (135 AL). Prevention of deep physiological changes utilizing a new operational mode in RIDEs. ''Journal of Transhuman Nanosurgical Engineering.'' ''5''(3).	+
−		+
−	Xian, Zarla (132 AL). Restoration of original physical sex in "crossriders". Procedures and best practices. ''Journal of Nanosurgical Engineering.'' ''3''(1).	+
−		+
−	==={{separator|f|Mysterious Minerals and the Menace from Earth}}===	+
−		+
−	'''Source:''' Stoner, Dr. Moses. (143 AL) ''The Miracle Minerals. ''Nextus: Publishing House E-Press.	+
−		+
−	We are so comfortable with qubitite, the amazing mineral with such peculiar properties that underpins so much of Zharus's modern technology, that we tend to forget its actual origins are shrouded in mystery. Where these deposits came from is unknown, though most appear to agree they seem to have been deposited with the evaporation of an ancient ocean in the "Billion Year Drought" that created the immense desert in Gondwanaland where they can be found.	+
−		+
−	''How'' they got into that ocean is still unclear. Only the merest traces have been found in the planet's current seas. Core samples from other areas of the planet have similarly failed to turn up anything unusual. Miners have ardently sought qubitite deposits in the system's asteroid belts, but have had to content themselves with the ordinary nickel-iron and carbonaceous chondrite finds that are nonetheless vital to traditional nano-manufacturing (though they are still hopeful; they have to date examined less than 1% of the total volume of these belts).	+
−		+
−	The most we now understand about qubitite is that it is a naturally-occurring metamaterial with quantum properties that defy conventional analysis and knock on the door of the Standard Model like an unwanted guest, raising the specter of the long-discredited M-theory (also known as "String Theory") or even something more outlandish. Some have even suggested that it could have been deposited by a wormhole event that spewed matter from another galaxy or even another universe, developed under different physical laws.	+
−		+
−	Regardless of its origin, the mineral was regarded as a simple curiosity (much as Old Earth's petroleum up until the late 19th century AD) until 112 AL, when Sarium batteries first appeared on the market. This sparked a new "Q Rush" that continues to this day, and the planet's first resource-based war.	+
−		+
−	During the Nextus-Sturmhaven War (118-123 AL) in 122 AL, Nextus Polity labs discovered that it could be used in the manufacture of intelligent robotic animals ("Reticulated Intelligences", although they are broadly similar to the AI we've had for centuries), and subsequently nanotechnological vehicles and armor based on those animals. The knowledge and technology soon leaked, provoking a prospecting boom that shows no signs of slowing down even thirty years on<nowiki>; </nowiki>the Dry Ocean has so much surface area that even all of Gondwana's colonists have barely made a dent.	+
−		+
−	Although reports of this technology and mineralogy have made their way back to Old Earth and humanity's core worlds, the Old Earth establishment has largely reacted with a profound disbelief that any major advances could have been found anywhere other than there.* The extended travel time necessary to come from and return to Earth or its nearer colonies has provided additional disincentive for anyone to come investigate.**	+
−		+
−	This may be quite fortunate. If Earth or the older colonies understood exactly what kind of advance qubitite and its attendant RIDEs truly represented, they could overwhelm Zharus's colonies militarily and occupy the planet indefinitely, confiscating its qubitite to feed their own war machines. Every year the Zharusian colonies are able to convince Earth that stories about qubitite's properties are rampant exaggeration is another year they have to prepare for their own defense against an external attack that might be inevitable. ***	+
−	Also, the supply of qubitite is vast, but it is not limitless. Unless another, larger source is found, the current mines could support the needs of a single planet for some time but it is doubtful they could sustain the needs of an entire ''galaxy'' crazy about RIDEs.	+
−		+
−	<nowiki>* </nowiki><sub>This is commonly referred to by the quaint old term "Not Invented Here syndrome".</sub>	+
−		+
−	<nowiki>** </nowiki><sub>Most of those who did come to investigate have been so entranced by what they found that they have chosen to remain here. Also, many of Earth's and Proxima's younger disaffected have either been more willing to believe the rumors or simply bored enough to seek adventure and their fortune mining qubitite, and have traveled by the tens of thousands to swell Zharus's numbers.</sub>	+
−		+
−	<nowiki>*** </nowiki><sub>There are severe interstellar export controls on qubitite, RIDEs, and RIDE/Zharusian IDE technology for this reason—one of the few things every polity agrees on and zealously enforces.</sub>	+
−		+
−	==={{separator|f|The Dry Ocean}}===	+
−		+
−	'''Source:''' Martinez, R. (101 AL). ''A Geological History of the Dry Ocean.'' 2nd ed. Zharus-Steader City: Blackrock E-Press.	+
−		+
−	<sub>(Although this text is somewhat dated, newer editions published by humorless Nextus geologists aren't as interesting. Dr. Roberto Martinez spent thirty years creating this definitive work about our planet's most mysterious geological feature. This isn't text so much as transcript, as Martinez preferred the conversational interactive lecture style that had then-recently fallen out of favor with the Zharus University academic establishment and is now once again in vogue. Think of yourself, the 'reader', as his personal student. And you'll know something about one of our Polis's accidental founders. Enjoy! —ed. (Uplift University Press, 148AL))</sub>	+
−		+
−	====The So-Called "Billion Year Drought"====	+
−		+
−	This is, simply put, romantic hogwash.	+
−		+
−	The human mind can barely conceive of a thousand years' time, let alone a million or a billion. "Deep Time" as it's sometimes called is vaster than any ocean. Not quite as vast as space, perhaps. But that's out of my league. I deal with finite things like rocks and dirt.	+
−		+
−	Fortunately Earth-years and Zharus-years are close enough. I'll just start here by saying, over the course of the last billion years the "Gondwana Central Basin" (or GCB, as I call it) has been either partly or fully flooded roughly fifteen percent of that time—which is 150 ''million ''years. As long as the dinosaurs on Earth in their prime ever lived. Longer than multicellular life has existed on ''this ''planet.	+
−		+
−	<nowiki><</nowiki>images of flooded Gondwana, 3 of the most significant events, plus others>	+
−		+
−	There are three breaching points that by themselves are fifty times larger than Gibraltar Falls at the end of the last Messinian Salinity Crisis on Earth six million years ago that dried out the Mediterranean Sea. The basin has only been completely full on three occasions, with a number of partial flooding events at intervals when rifting or rising sea levels allowed the ocean to flood in over the relatively flat northwestern Coastal Ring. But the flooding has never lasted more than a few million years at most. Once cut off, the GBC evaporates in as little as a hundred thousand years.	+
−		+
−	<nowiki><</nowiki>interactive video of simulated event, comparison to Gibraltar>	+
−		+
−	There are three identified on-again, off-again rift systems. There are two stuck subduction zones complete with naked "island" arcs and "seamounts", and a dozen active volcanoes. There are truly massive deep magmatic structures under Gondwana that lifts and sinks the entire continent. Think about that. We've barely scratched the surface—pun intended—of the geology of this super-Earth. This massive, life-bearing world. Amazing, isn't it?	+
−		+
−	<nowiki><</nowiki>interactive map with video, cutaway of the planet>	+
−		+
−	The Towers, the deepest part of the GCB, have seen the most flooding and thus have the deepest evaporite deposits. The last event was twenty million years ago.	+
−		+
−	====Persistent Geography====	+
−		+
−	One of the things I will admit to my colleagues, and to you of course, is that the continent has been remarkably tectonically stable for those billion years. The other continents and microcontinents have split up and reformed twice, but ''never once'' after its initial formation has Gondwana done the same deep time song and dance. Oh, the shape of the land itself has changed, just look at the Western Wall Orogene and its 11,000 meter peaks (made possible by our lower gravity). But Gondwana has been a cohesive whole for the entire time.	+
−		+
−	<nowiki><</nowiki>animation of the last 1.5 billion years of tectonic drift, showing Gondwana's formation and evolution>	+
−		+
−	Think about that. Volcanoes have spewed, crust split, oceans formed and obliterated, earthquakes that dwarf anything Old Earth can produce. Gondwana endures.	+
−		+
−	====Mysterious Mineral Deposits, Harsh Climate, Hardy Colonists, and Unreliable Equipment====	+
−		+
−	Doing proper field work in the GCB is… pretty damned impossible right now. It isn't ''just'' the continent's negligible magnetic field, the constant ionization making radio a foolish piece of equipment at best. It isn't ''just ''the hellfire 70C temperatures, or the dense atmosphere.	+
−		+
−	No. It's none of those things. It's those evaporite deposits. There's all the regular stuff. Halite, calcite, gypsum, a ''lot ''of lithium. The vast majority of our samples come from windblown dust on the eastern side of the Basin, at a little dustbowl of a town called Uplift. Why they chose that godawful spot for a settlement I have no idea.* I was there when it was founded—I think I inadvertently might've played a role. Anyway, I digress.	+
−		+
−	The dust also contains traces of heretofore unseen naturally-occurring [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metamaterial metamaterials] that defy ordinary chemical classification. We've already found several large deposits of them out in the portions of the desert we ''can ''reach, so it's no mystery how they ended up in the dust. The mystery is the strange quantum properties these metamaterials have.	+
−		+
−	Furthermore, as nearly as we can figure, these minerals are responsible for a prodigious rate of electronic and mechanical failure in our expeditions into the wasteland. There's something about them that "traditional" technology just doesn't seem to ''like''. Harden our gear as we might, even under constant maintenance its lifespan frequently measures only in days or weeks—and as you can imagine, when your air conditioning breaks down in 75-degree heat, you're in trouble.	+
−		+
−	After several tragedies, all future expeditions have been severely curtailed until someone figures out a way to protect our technology against contamination. (And given the way this dust seems to burrow through even micron-fine filters as if they aren't there, something tells me this could take a while.)	+
−		+
−	I've examined these minerals down to the quantum level and I still can't figure out how or why they do what they do. I've handed all my data over to the High Energy Physics Department. They've published several papers on the topic, so give 'em a look for further discussion.	+
−		+
−	<nowiki>*</nowiki><sub>Professor Martinez was a great geologist, but a poor climatologist. He just happened to find the one spot on the "shore" of the Dry Ocean that is the coolest year-round, where moist wind collects. Uplift is one of the few sites away from the Ring where rainclouds form. See y'all at the Rainy Days Festival! —ed.</sub>	+
−		+
−	==={{separator|f|A Wolf in the Fold}}===	+
−		+
−	'''Source:''' Grey, A.W. (AL 165). ''A Wolf in the Fold: AlphaWolf's Wild RIDEs. ''Uplift: Uplift Press	+
−		+
−	Even years after his mysterious disappearance during the raid that shattered his enclave of "feral" emancipated RIDEs, AlphaWolf remains one of Gondwana's most colorful and controversial figures. Fond of comparing himself to the 20th-century Civil Rights activist Malcolm X, his critics nonetheless suggested a more apt comparison would be "one of those whiny 1970s hippies who were always going on about starting a commune and getting "˜back to nature' but then found that real life didn't live up to their idealistic expectations" (Tocsin, 47).	+
−		+
−	His campaign for RIDE independence and equality was fraught with ironies and contradiction. Much has already been made of his "Amontillado" rider psyche segmentation software containing a trojan that forced unwary RIDEs who installed it to conform to his anti-humanist ideals. But that barely scratches the surface. For example, despite originally insisting RIDEs didn't truly ''need'' humans, he nonetheless was responsible for seeing to the well-being of as many as several dozen humans at a time. It turned out that a number of tasks involved with setting up and maintaining a hidden RIDE colony required the use of opposable thumbs.	+
−		+
−	Some of AlphaWolf's human camp followers came from the Liberator movement, with whom AlphaWolf had a sometimes contentious alliance. The Liberators and AlphaWolf's Free RIDEs would frequently meet to allow Liberated RIDEs to join AlphaWolf's enclave, or allow RIDEs that had gotten bored with enclave life to partner with Liberators. If there was a numerical imbalance in the Liberators' favor, AlphaWolf would often insist some human Liberators stay behind to make up the balance.	+
−		+
−	Other times, humans came from AlphaWolf's practice of raiding small human mines or outlying settlements and bodyjacking any humans they came across. Despite popular conceptions, AlphaWolf would but rarely consent to these raids, perhaps not wanting to sour his reputation among the polities' more RIDE-sympathetic humans and human-sympathetic RIDEs.	+
−		+
−	Humans who came willingly were treated slightly better than kidnap victims, but all were made well aware that they were first and foremost the "pets and property" (Tocsin, 89) of their RIDEs, and they lived at the sufferance of their partners. These RIDEs would frequently keep their humans in Fuser form for weeks at a time. (Despite this practice, very few of AlphaWolf's RIDE/human pairs ever Integrated, at least while they were living within the enclave, suggesting that the willingness of the pairing might play a role in its eventual fate.) It was not unheard of for humans to have their genders reassigned without consultation to meet the needs of unpaired RIDEs seeking a human.	+
−		+
−	For all of that, AlphaWolf never ''insisted'' on harsh treatment of "his" humans, nor did he try to prevent any friendships that might arise naturally out of their close proximity. Some of the RIDEs and their "pets" grew very close over time, and many "rescued" humans would simply bide their time until they could escape to be reunited once more with their beloved RIDE masters (McClaren, 113).	+
−		+
−	Stockholm Syndrome could account for some of these relationships, as could the bonds of shared experience—since RIDEs and their humans shared literally every experience unless the RIDE used the Amontillado psyche-suppression software. The Liberators came to appreciate this aspect of the partnership, and frequently took to trading members whose allegiances were starting to seem doubtful—after a few months as one of AlphaWolf's pet humans, most would return almost certainly more extremely pro-RIDE than many of the Liberators' unaltered membership.	+
−		+
−	In some cases, once humans accepted their role as their RIDE's pet, the RIDE and human were allowed to infiltrate undercover into one of the polities, serving as AlphaWolf's eyes and ears within human communities (Tocsin, 91). Undoubtedly many of these human pet/RIDE master duos still live unremarkable lives within their polities to this day.	+
−		+
−	It should be noted that, despite Nextus propaganda to the contrary, AlphaWolf and his RIDEs actually took very good care of the humans they kept—even tracking dates of gender changes so that no one could be inadvertently rechanged prior to the three-year safety mark (Tocsin, 103). This was not done out of any sense of altruism, however, so much as the appreciation that their humans were a rare and valuable resource that could not be easily replaced.	+
−		+
−	It will probably never become clear precisely to what extent AlphaWolf was or was not collaborating with the Nextus military. Some have put forth the argument that he was secretly a Nextus ''agent provocateur'' all along (Forsythe, 7). Certainly his claim to have escaped from a Nextus Special Forces unit seems suspect, especially in light of his often juvenile antics. As with his flamboyant choice of name, it could be a complete fabrication.	+
−		+
−	But if AlphaWolf truly ever ''was'' a part of the Nextus military, it seems extremely unlikely he could have "escaped" without being permitted to leave. It seems equally unlikely he could have made his many trips back into Nextus to "preach his message" without having been captured if Nextus had truly ''wished'' to capture him.	+
−		+
−	What we do know, thanks to recently declassified Nextus military documents, is that despite all of AlphaWolf's precautions, including a hardlight dome designed to camouflage the settlement from satellite eyes, the Nextus authorities had ''always'' known exactly where his "secret" enclave was located (NIA, 37). They chose to allow it to persist because it served two extremely useful purposes.	+
−		+
−	First, it served to pull disaffected emancipated RIDEs out of Nextus, like iron filings to a magnet. The RIDEs most likely to go on violent rampages were instead isolated in the desert without much interaction with civilians beyond the occasional bodyjack raid (NIA, 39).	+
−		+
−	Second, Nextus considered the enclave to be, effectively, a self-assembled strategic reserve. One long-held Nextus contingency plan, in the event of war breaking out between polities or external invasion, called for a lightning raid on the enclave utilizing military-grade ECM and hardware override tools to capture and refetter hundreds of RIDEs with potential military applications (NIA, 63). This plan hews fairly close to what is known about the (still-mostly-classified) Nextus raid that finally dismantled AlphaWolf's enclave and coincided with AlphaWolf's disappearance (Tocsin, 153).	+
−		+
−	AlphaWolf might have thought of himself as "the big bad wolf," but the events leading up to the fall of his enclave showed that he was actually more of a babe in the woods when it came to his relationship to humanity. He and his RIDEs might have been the greatest devices mankind had ever built—but it was still man who wielded the tools.	+
−		+
−	''References''	+
−		+
−	Forsythe, Antonio. (162 AL). AlphaWolf: tyrant wolf or just bad dog? ''Zharus World News.'' 7(42)	+
−		+
−	McClaren, Josephine. (153 AL). Stockholm comes to Zharus. ''Laurasia Psychological Journal.'' 37(1)	+
−		+
−	Nextus Intelligence Agency. (162 AL). ''Declassified Documents Pertaining to AlphaWolf Feral RIDE Containment Enclave''. Nextus: Government Printing Office.	+
−		+
−	Tocsin. (161 AL). ''Maneater: Confessions of an Unrepentant Bodyjacker. ''Uplift: Free RIDE Press	+
−		+
−	==={{separator|f|Integration: A NEW YOU Guide for Noobs}}===	+
−	<center>'''Towers Integrated Enclave'''</center>	+
−		+
−	Okay. I'm sure you're in half a panic right now. You're not sure if you should think of yourself as a "we" or a "me". You feel blind, deaf, and dumb. Your family and friends think you're a freak, you have to use a freaking ''keyboard'' to do anything with computers, and all your clothes are too big because you were Fused for so long. Well, tough break. No worries, though. You're in good company.	+
−		+
−	The first step is to get yourself a DIN. Go see GlennGary, Darla, or a couple others who have the knack. They're really good at figuring out how your new brain processes data now. You're "Individuated" as some nob calls it. Every single one of us has a different data format. In ancient tech terms it's like getting a pre-Internet PC to talk to a Mac. You need something to translate your data into something the other machine can understand. That'a '''DIN''', baby. A '''D'''ata '''I'''nterface '''N'''ormalizer. Don't leave home without it.	+
−		+
−	Really, '''don't'''. I'm''' serious. '''Carry spares! They're cheap. In fact, they're ''free'' from your home fabber.	+
−		+
−	You're thinking about it right now. I can tell. Really, once you have it on don't take it off for ''any reason''.	+
−		+
−	You remember being Fused, right? How easy it got to do anything you wanted with the tech around you and your buddy? You merely had to think, and your quantum companion took care of all the nuts and bolts? Well, you can ''still ''do that. But you need something to translate the data in your head into something standard systems can use. We don't know why, but the Integration process fucks that shit up. Some of us are worse off than others. I know a girl who doesn't even have a dataport. She's stuck with using interface specs and keyboards. Fastest typist I've ever seen, though.	+
−		+
−	Get '''DIN''' or stay in.	+
−		+
−	Okay, so… what else can you do with that new furry-techy bod of yours? Good question. Like I said, we're Individuated, so I can't tell you ''everything ''you can do. But there's a lot in common. I'll start with those hardlight lenses in your skin. Or those glowy tron-lines. Or fiber-optic fur. Whatever you have. They all share the same function.	+
−		+
−	Tools, weapons, disguises, cloaking, image and video projection, playing music for others' ears, and a ton of other stuff. It's our one shared superpower. If you really, ''really ''wanted you could create an image of the old human-you over yourself. Or a couple meters in front of yourself and cloak your body, running it like a puppet. Or that hot chick you saw down the street. Or your furry (feathery, or scaley) other half.	+
−		+
−	Drawback is that there's a pretty hefty power cost. Yes, you still eat, but you've got batteries too and need both to function at full power. Some of us recharge from a power cable, others via induction. Usually it's part of our intestines. Efficient if you ask me. You'll find that energy from various sources can have a "taste". I prefer natural fusion—you know, solar—over that artificial stuff. Yech. Bad taste. Like brocolli. Or yogurt. I ''hate ''yogurt!	+
−		+
−	How durable are you? The Dry Ocean's still no problem. 80 degrees outside? Feels more like 80F on the old scale. Pretty comfy. Go sunbathe. You've got more control over your own body than you ever did before. You can access individual body systems—if you really wanted to. Remember Passive mode? You can hibernate a lot like that. You can lose ''entire limbs'' and regenerate them within hours, though I don't recommend experimenting with that. Womenfolk—crossriders or natural—can keep their periods if they really want to, or just shut it off. You still eat, you still excrete, though you're a lot more efficient at getting energy out of food. It's not really that gross compared to humans. Fart rainbows and pee pancake syrup if you really want.	+
−		+
−	<sub>There's also the little problem that we're utterly infertile. But… whatever. We'll fix it someday.</sub>	+
−		+
−	Generally we have some limited ability to shapeshift. It's not instantaneous, so forget about roaring dramatically, shifting to a regular huge lion, then pouncing on your prey. ''Some ''of us can also change genders, mostly crossriders who've done a lot of flip-flopping. Again, forget poofing between dude and chick at will. Amazingly the change takes days or weeks. Don't ask me why, when the first time you got ka-girled (or ka-guyed) in a few minutes. It is what it is.	+
−		+
−	You'll also find a few locked in "animal" form. Again, we don't know why. The Integration process is like chasing Mandelbrot butterflies. If they flap their wings wrong you end up on all fours, saying "moo" instead of intelligent conversation.	+
−		+
−	In fact, "I don't know" is often said around here. We don't know why or how Integration happens. There are maybe a few thousand of us at most, scattered in small Enclaves all over Gondwana. A few hundred went to Rodinia somewhere, and I think there's another group in Zharustead. They're the best at appearing human. All in all we're pretty spread out, no real organization except very locally. We keep to ourselves.	+
−		+
−	So noob, welcome to your new home! Glad to meet you. It'll be fun.	+
−		+
−	Signed: ''BonnieJane''	+
−		+
−	BTW: You may not be familiar with how we've named our Enclaves. If not, you have some reading to do! Folks took to using names of fantastical places from myth and fiction for their own homes. Avalon, Middle-Earth, Narnia, FourEcks, Wonkaville, Oz, Ankh-Morpork, Darkover, Valdemar, Pern, Cybertron, Olympus, FurryMUCK, Norrath, Aiur, Gallifrey, Equestria, Alderaan, Mechanicsburg, Prester John, Tyria, Andoria, Westeros, Shambhala, Xanadu, Xanth, Vulcan, Chakona… on and on and on. Stuff like that. Even a few things newer than the early 21st century. If you find an unoccupied cave bubble that needs some fixing up, feel free to come up with your own. Nano's cheap around here.	+
−		+
−	'''More to come…'''	+	[[FreeRIDErs (background material)]]
	[[Category:FreeRIDErs]]		[[Category:FreeRIDErs]]

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Latest revision as of 19:53, 4 June 2020

FreeRIDErs story universe

Author: Jon Buck

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Author: Robotech_Master

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 Setting Overview 

In the 25th century, scientists and technicians on the distant colony world of Zharus make a startling breakthrough in energy storage and artificial intelligence, with the aid of "qubitite," a naturally-occurring metamaterial with remarkable quantum properties. The creation of true AI springs from quantum simulations of neural networks based on animals' genetic material that expand to take on true sapience.

Matching these "Reticulated Intelligence" (RI) neural networks with nanotech-composite "Drive Extender" (DE) transforming robotic bodies produces the RIDE: a metallic animal that can transform itself into a vehicle such as a hover-motorcycle (or hover-car or even plane for larger animals), or into an environmentally sealed suit of anthropomorphic-animal body armor to survive the extreme environments of Zharus's deserts, undersea, or even outer space. (Because combining with such a suit goes beyond merely putting it on and involves elements of physical and neural linkage, the act of merging with a RIDE in armor mode is called "Fusing.") Thanks to "hardlight" technology, RIDEs can even be covered with solid holographic fur that feels real to the touch, and even to the RIDE itself.

However, due to their animal basis, Fusing with a RIDE can have consequences for the pilot. In order for them to be neurologically compatible, the pilot has to have similar physical features to the RIDE itself—and the RIDE's nanotech innards are designed to grant those changes. This means that Fusing with RIDEs based on ordinary land mammals will grant the rider their ears and tail (and sometimes more extreme additions such as nose, eyes, or fur).

RIDEs based on further different animals, such as reptiles, birds, or undersea mammals, can produce much extreme changes in their riders that restrict their ability to change back or combine with a different RIDE. And likewise, if the pilot is the wrong gender, the RIDE's nanites will adjust that, too. In most cases of gender or other extreme change, the changed human is unable to safely change back for at least three years.

These RIDEs are used in taming the huge continent of Gondwana, a harsh and often lawless frontier that, unlike the more sedate and longer-settled continent of Laurasia, has many rich resources there for the taking, and a number of city-states occupying the ring of fertile land around the great central desert. In the desert, RIDEs are necessary to live. In the cities, they are urban transportation and playthings of the wealthy and middle-class alike. But even as they are considered mere "equipment" by many, those who know and love them know they are more than that—they are people too. Will the world come to realize and acknowledge this?

In recent years, rumors of a new form of change have been circulating—a combining of rider and RIDE that goes far beyond Fusing. Called "Integration," this combines man and machine into a single gestalt being who can no longer separate—and who are rumored to possess powers far beyond those of mere mortals or RIDEs. It is as yet unclear whether these "Integrates" are to be welcomed or feared—and, indeed, many would place them in the same category as Bigfoot, the Yeti, or the Loch Ness Monster. But these Integrates may be growing tired of keeping to themselves.

And the latest potential threat may very well be the old home world of Earth itself. For fifty years, it has scoffed at the idea that a distant, backward world like Zharus could be the home of so many major technological breakthroughs. But Earth's mind may be changing on that score—and it has long been known for its willingness to reach out and take what it wants.

Welcome to the world of Zharus—and to its denizens. Colonists. Bandits. Miners. Mechanics. FreeRIDErs.

 Suggested Reading Order 

Robotech_Master's Take

As this is a shared universe, there could be plenty of jumping-on points. The very best way to read it would probably be by publication order, since that would give you the same effect as the people who were reading it in real time from the beginning. There's a list available here.

Otherwise, I suggest reading "Deserted", "Merging Traffic", "Rochelle & Rufia: R&R", then "FreeRIDErs", then the first few chapters of "Integration" (and my "Foxed" tales), as those were all written earliest and have most of the earliest setting building in them. Then you can read Jetfire's and the other authors' stories in chronological order, and continue reading "Integration" after that. (Probably should leave "Second-Hand Lioness" until after Integration #21, otherwise some events in the main story could be spoiled.)

I'd suggest to have all of Jetfire's chronologically-earlier stuff read before you get to Integration #14, since that's where some of his characters merge into the storyline. That being said, you could probably just as easily read everything in straight chronological order without missing too much. Or just pick one writer at random and read his or her works through in order, then pick another one. Once you've read enough, it all starts to make sense together.

Either way, you should read at least some of the stories before you try to dig into the setting background material below the story list on this page. It was mainly written for our own reference and amusement while we built the setting overall, and can be kind of confusing if you come to it without a grounding from the stories in how the world works.

Claude LeChat's two cents

I went a different way myself. Deserted and Merging Traffic are of course the mandatory first two, since they introduce the setting and all the most important characters. Then you're free to read e.g. the first three Inspecteur Hollins stories. But not the fourth, not yet!

Before jumping into the pivotal novel Integration, you'll probably want to read FreeRIDErs, since it provides a crucial bit of background, and possibly All Spark Bulletin, since it's a good introduction to the Munns. But you can't go wrong with any of Jetfire's prequel stories. Fibio's Turnover will give you a good idea of the spaceship tech in the series, as well as being an emotional story in itself.

Last but not least, Barely Fused, Slightly Foxed and Longer Fused, More Foxed fill in a couple of holes in the aforementioned Integration, but you can safely read them afterwards since they're unrelated but for the characters. As for Wolves in the Fold, Part One: A Wolf at the Door, it makes for a nice "outboard epilogue" to the novel.

Stories that can stand on their own, for readers who aren't familiar with the franchise:

• Madison Brubeck and the Spotted Stowaway, but it arguably cheats because it's a spin-off;
• As a Woman I RIDE;
• My own Alpha Camp, if you don't mind minor spoilers for how the conflict of Integration unfolds.
• Of the newer stories, Slow Boat to Zharus, though you might want to read some of the early stuff first.

 Stories in Chronological Order 

Authors may add links to their stories as they happen in chronological order in story time. ("AL" stands for "After Landing," representing the number of years after the colony ships landed in 2350 AD.) For a complete listing of all FreeRIDErs stories, since this list may be updated sporadically, see the FreeRIDErs Category.

Stories that have been updated to the "Director's Cut" second draft edition are indicated with a (DC) afterward.

66 AL (2416 AD)

• The General (Robotech_Master)

108 AL

• Aloha (Jetfire)

112 AL to 113 AL

• The Greatest Show (JonBuck with Robotech_Master)

121 AL to 123 AL

• First Deployment (JonBuck and Robotech_Master)
• G.I. Joe (Robotech_Master and JonBuck)

122 AL

• Broken Crown (Jetfire)

128 AL

• Marshals: Beginnings
  • Episode One: Ride, Sally (JonBuck and Robotech_Master)
  • Episode Two: Reaping the Whirlwind (JonBuck and Robotech_Master)

129 AL

• Splashdown (Jetfire)

131 AL

• Astra-naught (Jetfire)

132 AL

• Where Everybody Knows Your Name (JonBuck and Robotech_Master)

134 AL

• The Lady of the Tiger (Jetfire)

133 AL to 138 AL

• Cave of Wonders (Jetfire)

138 AL to 152 AL

• Sum of Their Parts (Jetfire)

140 to 141 AL

• Fly With Me (JonBuck)

143 AL

• Oh My Darling Clementine (JonBuck and Robotech_Master)

144 AL

• A Fritzmas Carol (JonBuck and Robotech_Master)

146 AL

• Aloha 666 (HawlSera)) DC'

147 AL

• FADE IN (JonBuck)

147 AL to 154 AL

• Spice Girls (Jetfire)

148 AL

• Intended Side-Effects (HawlSera))

149 AL

• In Space... (149 to 156 AL) (Jetfire with Jon Buck)

152 AL

• Pride of Lioness (Robotech_Master)

152 to 153 AL

• Walkabout (Jetfire)
• All Spark Bulletin (Jetfire)
• The Touch (Jetfire)

155 to 156 AL

• Marshals (JonBuck with Robotech_Master)

156 AL

• Jeanette & Tamarind: The Second-Hand Lioness (Robotech_Master) (begins before "Deserted" and covers all the way through Integration #21)
• Deserted (Robotech_Master) (DC)
• CrossRIDEr's Dream (HawlSera) (Takes place one week after Chapter 5 of Desserted, but is not a story in the Integration Storyline)
• Merging Traffic (Robotech_Master) (DC)
• Rochelle & Rufia: R&R (Robotech_Master) (DC)
• FreeRIDErs (JonBuck) (DC)
• Turnover (Fibio)
• ANGLE ON (JonBuck and Robotech_Master) (Concurrent with the first half of Integration.)
• DISSOLVE TO (JonBuck and Robotech_Master) (Concurrent with Integration #16-#17.)
• Integration
  • Part 1: All Nighter (JonBuck and Robotech_Master) (DC)
  • Part 2: Integrates (JonBuck and Robotech_Master) (DC)
  • Part 3: RIDEgirls' Day Out (JonBuck and Robotech_Master) (DC)
  • Part 4: Dating Games (JonBuck and Robotech_Master) (DC)
  • Part 5: N00bs (JonBuck and Robotech_Master) (DC)
  • Part 6: All Aboard! (JonBuck and Robotech_Master) (DC)
  • Part 7: A Meating of the Board (JonBuck and Robotech_Master) (DC)
  • Part 8: Meat, the Press (JonBuck and Robotech_Master) (DC)
  • Part 9: Stockholm Vacation (JonBuck and Robotech_Master) (DC)
  • Part 10: Spaceflight of Fancy (JonBuck and Robotech_Master) (DC)
  • Part 11: Citizen Katie (JonBuck and Robotech_Master) (DC)
  • Part 12: The Crew (JonBuck and Robotech_Master) (DC)
  • Part 13: Kaylee & Anny (JonBuck and Robotech_Master) (DC)
  • Part 14: Assault and Batteries (JonBuck, Robotech_Master, and Jetfire) (DC)
  • Part 15: The Task of Amontillado (JonBuck, Robotech_Master, and Jetfire) (DC)
  • Part 16: The Integrate Raids (JonBuck and Robotech_Master) (DC)
  • Part 17: Family Matters (JonBuck and Robotech_Master) (DC)
  • Part 18: Many Meetings (JonBuck and Robotech_Master) (DC)
  • Part 19: Meetings Completing (JonBuck, Robotech_Master, and Jetfire) (DC)
  • Part 20: Prodigals (JonBuck and Robotech_Master) (DC)
  • Part 21: Enemy Lines (JonBuck and Robotech_Master) (DC)
  • Part 22: Alpha Strike (JonBuck and Robotech_Master) (DC)
  • Part 23: Universe of Battle (JonBuck and Robotech_Master) (DC)
  • Part 24: What Happened to the Mouse? (JonBuck and Robotech_Master) (DC)
  • Part 25 (Epilogue): The Big Date (JonBuck and Robotech_Master) (DC)
• Barely Fused, Slightly Foxed (Robotech_Master) (takes place between Part 5 and Part 6 of Integration)
• Longer Fused, More Foxed (Robotech_Master) (takes place between Part 5 and Part 14 of Integration)
• Alpha Camp (Claude LeChat) (begins in Part 8 of Integration)
• Taking the Plunge (Kris) (takes place after Part 8 of Integration)
• Inspecteur Hollins and The Cat's Paw (Fibio) (takes place during parts 9-11 of Integration)
• Inspecteur Hollins and The Viral Thief (Fibio) (takes place sometime after part 12 of Integration)
• Inspecteur Hollins and The Multimillion Vault (Fibio) (takes place after part 12 of Integration)
• Kandace and Jenni: A Beautiful Friendship (Robotech_Master) (takes place during/after the end of Part 15 of Integration)
• Rochelle & Rufia Redux: Foxing About (Robotech_Master and Jetfire) (takes place after the end of Part 17 of Integration)
• Inspecteur Hollins and The Integral Assassin (Fibio) (takes place during part 23 of Integration)
• A Spacer Oddity (Jetfire)
• The Final Countdown (Robotech_Master with JonBuck)

156 to 157 AL

• Madison Brubeck and the Spotted Stowaway (Robotech_Master) (starts before "Deserted"; concludes after "Integration" and the "Stonegates" stories)
• Merging Traffic II: Yield Ahead (Robotech_Master and JonBuck)

157 AL

• Impossible Things (JonBuck and Robotech_Master)
• Aloha, Stonegates! (JonBuck, Robotech_Master, and Jetfire)
• Skunked! (JonBuck and Robotech_Master)
• Paws Up! (JonBuck and Robotech_Master)
• Wolves in the Fold, Part One: A Wolf at the Door (Robotech_Master) (with (JonBuck))
• Wolves in the Fold, Part Two: A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing (Robotech_Master and JonBuck)
• Joseph Steader, This is Your Life! (Robotech_Master and JonBuck)
• The Gondwana Grand Tour (Robotech_Master and JonBuck)
  • Prologue: Shell Game
  • Chapter One: Uplift and the Tunnel
  • Chapter Two: Nuevo San Antonio
  • Chapter Three: Sturmhaven
• The Saints Go Marching In (Robotech_Master)

• Return to Alpha Camp (Claude LeChat) (position in timeline is approximate)
• Kevin, De-Claude (Robotech_Master)
• Jeanette & Tamarind: The Young Guns (Robotech_Master)
• The Good, the Bad, and the Fritzy (Robotech_Master)
• Family Lynx (Robotech_Master and JonBuck)
• Dog Day Morning (Robotech_Master and JonBuck)
• Merging Traffic III: When the Lady Smiles (Robotech_Master)
• Imperfect Coupling (Claude LeChat)

157 to 158 AL

• Return to Totalia, Part One: Prelude (Robotech_Master and JonBuck)
• Jeanette, Tamarind, and the Young Guns: Reindeer Games (Robotech_Master and JonBuck)
• DragonRIDEr of Pharos (Jetfire) (Date fuzzy, sometime after Inties are revealed)

158 AL

• The Durian Crew
  • Immigrant Song (Robotech_Master with JonBuck)
  • Dressed for Success (Robotech_Master with JonBuck)
  • Thank You for the Music (Robotech_Master with JonBuck)
  • Head Over Heels (Robotech_Master with JonBuck)

• Tick Tock Tick (Robotech_Master)
• Spies Among Us (Jetfire)
• Cat Scratch Fever (Jetfire) (Starts in 157 AL)
• Rescue 911 (Jetfire)
• United Way (Jetfire)
• Return to Totalia, Part Two: Parallels
  • Part One: Visitors (Robotech_Master, JonBuck, and Jetfire)
  • Part Two: Clementine (Robotech_Master, JonBuck, and Jetfire)
  • Part Three: The Fleet (Robotech_Master, JonBuck, and Jetfire)
• Cold and Wet Nose for News (Robotech_Master)
• A Dash from the Past (Robotech_Master and JonBuck)

• Merging Traffic IV: Interchange Ahead (Robotech_Master and JonBuck)
• Raising Ruth (Robotech_Master with JonBuck)
• Welcome (Back) to the Real World (Robotech_Master with JonBuck)

• The Power (Jetfire)
• All Hell's Breakin' Loose (Jetfire)
• Riding the Eye of the Storm (Jetfire)

• Iron Hand in a Velvet Glove

• The Wolf and the Father (Claude LeChat) (takes place after Young Guns)

159 A.L.

• Warm Welcome (Robotech_Master and JonBuck, with Jetfire)
• Cougar Town (Robotech_Master and JonBuck)
  • I. Cougar Town
  • II. Down on the Farm
  • III. A Cougar Comes to Town
  • IV. Play the Game Tonight
• Hello, KITTy (Robotech_Master, with JonBuck)
• Slow Boat to Zharus (Jetfire with JonBuck)

 FreeRIDErs First Drafts 

Since we've started going back and revising the early portions of the story to bring the into line with what we wrote later, we have decided to preserve early drafts when they are changed sufficiently to merit a separate presentation. For most of these (but not "FreeRIDErs"), you can also use the "History" function to see what changed.

• FreeRIDErs (JonBuck)
• Aloha 666 (HawlSera))

HawlSera - I really love writing for FreeRIDErs, it's pretty great, but overtime as my writing skills have evolved and to be truthful, most of the FreeRIDE stories I wrote, were done under the influence of illicit stimulants, which overall I feel had a negative effect on my writing ability. I'm now clean and will be rebooting my FreeRIDE stories. The old "canon", (which honestly failed to work with the overarching canon of FreeRIDE) will be in this section

• Simon Of Cape Nord (HawlSera)
• Bob's Origin (HawlSera)
• As A Woman I RIDE (HawlSera)
• At ACE, We RIDE (HawlSera)
• To Dream, We RIDE (HawlSera)
• We live to RIDE, We RIDE to Live(HawlSera)
• Nearing The End Of Our RIDE (HawlSera
• For Victory, For Venars, Together We RIDE (HawlSera)
• TWREpilogue:We'll RIDE Again Someday
• Cores of Sarium
  • Part 1:Buttercup's Heist (HawlSera) (Takes place during the two days before Part 8 of Integration)
  • Part 2:Ruby Withdrawal (HawlSera)
  • Part 3:Making a Man Out Of Jamie (HawlSera)
• Omniverse OverRIDE
  • Part 1:GoKARTers (HawlSera) (Starts in 150 AL, Ends around May 156 AL, about a week or so after FreeRIDErs ends)
  • Part 2:Day Of The Din (HawlSera)
  • Part 3:Serve In Hell, Rule In Heaven (HawlSera)
  • Part 4:In Need Of A mother (HawlSera)
• Integrate's Guide To Love (HawlSera)

 Background Material 

Due to the huge amount of material, we have moved this to its own page:

FreeRIDErs (background material)