Glossary

(This is a starter glossary for commonly accepted definitions among the bulk of citizens of Edict Zero. Please note that you won’t find any spoilers here unless you keep scrolling down to an expanded section of terms.)

CAPITOL CITY

This city-within-a-city is the central hub of the mainland metropolis of Capitoline–a name that has been all but lost to the denizens of Edict Zero. It is also the seat of the federal government, Edict Two, whose sprawl of buildings frame the “Capitol Square” district.

CONSPIRACIST

This is a synonym for “conspiracy theorist”, an old term which has fallen out of regular usage. Conspiracy theories about the federal government, corporations (such as The Zenas Corporation), society, the history of the five islands, the world, Edict One, and even the validity of reality itself wield heavy influence over the perspective of the conspiracist, who believes in secret plots, hidden truths, and sometimes mysticisms. Some common threads run through the otherwise diverse schools of conspiracist thought, such as a belief in secret land masses out in the oceans.

Like-minded conspiracists assemble into cults or groups. While most activist groups are peaceful–organizing conventions, rallies, and protests–some have extremist philosophies. They engage in such illegal activities as operating vehicles sans working Z-Link Units (so as to avoid tracking or remote override), vandalism, attempted economic sabotage of government and Zenas Corporation properties, stockpiling guns (not legal for civilians and non-law enforcement), computer hacking, breaking and entering, and trespassing in restricted areas or sailing in restricted waters (usually in an attempt to escape the E-2 Department of Security’s containment perimeter).

EAST TRI-DON

Sometimes referred to as The East Island Mob, “The Triad”, or “The Big V”, The East Tri-Don is a criminal syndicate helmed by three crime families (who each represent a point of the V). Their geographical stronghold is in the heavily urban East Island, but their influence extends into the eastern mainland.

“EDICT ZERO”

The alternate name for “New Earth”, a world of mostly water save for five main islands in close proximity. Edict Zero was originally the codename given to the planet and the mission to reach it by those leaving the doomed “Old Earth”, which was destroyed by a comet.

EDICT ONE

A technocratic government and society of people who are descendants of the scientists and crew of the starships which transported humankind from the doomed planet Earth to their new home on Edict Zero. With their own separate history and evolutionary curve, they had generations to grow and progress technologically and sociologically while their precious cargo–the rest of humankind–were on pause in suspended animation chambers. It is this which draws the line of distinction, dividing mankind in two.

The people of Edict One live separately on starships and on a secret base sometimes called “The Sixth Island”, save for a handful of representatives in Edict 1 Embassy offices throughout The Five Islands and its Ambassador from the main Edict 1 Embassy in London, North Island.

Although maintaining immunity from the laws of Edict Two, Edict One has waived the direct authority over all other edicts that their highest ranking edict number would otherwise denote through a “policy of minimal interference”, which expresses respect for and scientific interest in studying the natural development of human civilization.

Managing a delicate balance between loyalty to its own prime directives and its responsibilities to its less advanced human counterparts, Edict One offers elective services to Edict Two through its ambassador with the promise of third party oversight of unquestionable objectivity. Its most notable services are as a consultant on government affairs, health care, and as an executor of its sciences, handling the processing of all forensic evidence through its own labs (E1CLS – Edict 1 Crime Lab Services) with a guarantee of impartiality and no possibility of tampering.

EDICT TWO

“The Federation” of five island states, this is the ruling government of Edict Zero.

EDICT THREE

This cluster of federal agencies is responsible for the enforcement of law and administration of justice. In having been appointed “Edict Three”, it has no authority or investigative privileges over agencies, departments, or other particles of Edict Two.

EDICT FOUR

There is no official appointment of “Edict Four”, but the term is used commonly among those in E-2 and E-3 to reference government and law enforcement constructs which function on the state level.

GQ-7

An abbreviation for Geiddecker-Quinn 7 : the name of the comet which destroyed Old Earth on September 18, 2133.

MANAGER SYSTEM

These includes HMS (Home Manager System) units, as well as commercial OMS (Office Manager System) and SMS (Security Manager System) units. Manager systems are AI-governed computers which manage as many aspects of a home or business as its owners will allow it access to (appliances, electronic doors, telephones, email, bank accounts, security systems, just about anything).

PARADOX ARTIFACTS

Dating back to the early years of colonization, “The Paradox Artifacts” are a legend of secret objects scattered throughout the five islands. Divided between magical and technology-based, each item is unique and possesses a special power which its owner can employ. Believers have different opinions as to the purpose and origins of the artifacts.

POSEIDON

The larger of New Earth’s two moons.

RMOS

Stands for ‘Remote Mission Oversight System’. Utilized by several agencies, including Federal Investigative Services from their HQ Operations Command Center, this computer system offers real-time tracking and diagnostics of agents by establishing wireless data links to devices which have been surgically implanted. The implants contain identification and medical data, and monitor bodily functions.

THALES

The smaller of New Earth’s two moons.

WISP

West Island State Police. Their members are often referred to as “wisps”.

EXPANDED

(SPOILER ALERT:)

(This expanded glossary covers terms which were gradually introduced during Season 1 and Season 2 of the show. If you have not listened to the first two seasons, you may wish to do so before scrolling down and reading.)

CLIENT

A program that maintains a data connection between the master program and the hardware interface to an organism’s brain.

CLIENT ENTITY

Sometimes referred to as only “clients”. It’s through these virtual bodies that exchange of data and interaction with the physics of the simulated world takes place. Like native entities, these programs are born and develop organically in the simulated environment, storing data acquired through experience in a virtualized brain owned by the entity. Unlike native entities, their consciousness relies on the connection to the client and is influenced by the subconscious of the organism “outside the box”.

NATIVE ENTITY

Sometimes referred to as only “natives”. Meant to emulate life, intelligence, and emotions as closely as possible, these are virtual organisms, which are born and develop organically in the environment of the Edict Zero world. Most of Edict Zero’s population consists of native entities.

QUONDAM CLIENT ENTITY

Sometimes referred to as “quondam clients” or “quondams” for short. This refers to a physical entity (body) once but no longer bound to a client, due to a disconnection. This transient state results in death of the entity with the (now very rare) exception of an understudy entity merging with it and assuming control.

UNDERSTUDY ENTITY

These once common programs are now rare since the understudy system corrupted beyond recognition. This hybrid entity was created to bridge the gap between the design differences of natives and clients. Having only a rudimentary identity of its own, it would merge, or “bind”, to a fresh quondam client entity, assuming control and during which: ownership of all the data it stored. Maintaining the continuity of that entity’s life as a quasi-native, the two would carry on as one. Upon the death of the quondam client entity, the understudy would separate, release ownership of that entity’s data, and await a fresh quondam to jump to.

“REJECTION”

The client interface utilizes the dream state of the organism’s brain. If the brain rejects the “reality” of the dream state, it may interrupt the dream state and cause a disconnection. Within Edict Zero, this results in a quondam client entity and, absent of the now broken understudy system, a “Sudden Death Event” of that entity.

“THE GUPH”

A First-In-First-Out queue, The Guph process was designed to hold disembodied clients awaiting entry into Edict Zero via a freshly born entity. These could be newly connected clients, or clients who are between “lives”, waiting for the next at which time all memory of the previous life would be dumped.

While The Guph remains a destination for clients whose entities have died, the reincarnation function corrupted and was discontinued. This has left a nowhere door through which clients are still ejected under certain circumstances.

“GHOSTS”

When certain corruption events occur or when the Guph is overfilled, a disembodied client entity is spilled into the world as a spectator.