The Tech: A Chronological History
Before the Sundering (Unknown Date of Creation): The Tech artifact, a distinctive triangular key, was first created as a standard-issue device for the Consortium's extensive staff. This philanthropic scientific dynasty dedicated itself to the preservation of human history and genetic health. These keys were distributed widely, equipping staff from archivists to bio-engineers for their critical work.
Each key likely served as a secure access point or data repository, safeguarding the vast intellectual wealth amassed by the Consortium. They were instrumental in the daily operations of an organization focused on the future of humanity.
The Sundering (Implied Cataclysm): The cataclysmic event known simply as the Sundering brought an end to the Consortium's reign and scattered its advanced technology. This global upheaval fragmented the centralized system, leaving countless Tech keys strewn across the devastated landscape. The once-common tools became relics, their original purpose obscured by the ensuing chaos.
Current Era - Sector 36 (Post-Sundering): In the current era of Sector 36, the Tech keys are considered ultra-rare scavenger finds. While thousands of inert units litter debris fields and forgotten ruins, powered, functional units are exceptionally scarce. When discovered, these operational keys hold the potential to unlock crucial encrypted data from the pre-Sundering world.
Upon its first activation, a Tech key locks into the genetic signature of its primary user. However, due to inherent inefficiencies in this genetic locking mechanism, members of the user's close relations can also operate the device. The data protected by these keys often includes invaluable pre-Sundering medical caches or vital cultural archives, offering glimpses into a lost civilization.
This access to uncontrolled history, however, comes with significant risks. The authoritarian Red Sun Dominion actively confiscates any discovered Tech artifacts, viewing their encrypted data as seditious. To possess an activated Tech key is not only to hold a fragment of the past but also to invite the watchful and punitive eye of the Dominion.
