Full Premise
The City
As the worlds population boomed and the overall standard of living increased, the demand for high powered vehicles and brand new technology grew. The ability to create green technology simply couldn’t keep up as engineers made all of our science fiction dreams come true. The new gadgets came at a steep price, ripping the Earth’s ozone to shreds. Places that were once lush and full of wild life were now deserts. Rivers ran dry, crops shriveled and animals starved, all for a flying car. As the world decayed large domes were erected around major cities. At first only the richest and most privileged were allowed under the protective cover due to the cost of living in these sanctuary cities.
Overtime the population forced to try and survive in the harsh wastelands outside of the domes died off. The prestige of the lucky few inside began to fade as well. Eventually three classes formed: the upper, middle and lower class. The upper class is composed of the super elite. They are the old families that managed to preserve their wealth, the savvy investors and businessmen and the knowledgeable engineer that knew how to make a profit and keep it. They’re known for owning businesses and at times personal A.I. The middle class are just what the name suggests -- they are neither wealthy nor poor. They’re police, teachers, nurses, artist. The lower class is composed of the unfortunate few that lost their wealth for various reasons. They tend to habitat the seedier sections of the heart of Tokyo. Many hackers were born in this class, though they are scattered through out all three of the classes. Because of the economic instability this class faces they often have a troubled childhood. Due to the large income disparities between the classes the groups often view those above or below them with disdain, leading to a form of class warfare.
Welcome to Tokyo, one of the last safe havens on earth.
Districts
Chiyoda: The seat of Japanese power. Chiyoda is home to the Imperial Palace; Akihabara, the electronics mecca; and Akasaka, the business center.
Chuo: An homage to Japan's old and new elements, Chuo includes the famed department stores of the Ginza as well as the fish markets of Tsukiji.
Minato: A port district, at least in name. Minato is home of the artificial island Odaibai, as well as Roppongi, famed for its wildly luxurious lifestyle.
Shibuya: The fashionable shopping district, which encompasses Harajuku, haven to the teenyboppers of Tokyo and the Meiji Shrine. Shibuya is also home to the nightlife of Ebisu.
Shinjuku: This district plays host to the wealthy and privileged, with its luxury hotels, giant camera stores, and Tokyo's wildest and most infamous red-light district.
A.I.
Humans are not the only beings that reside in the city. As technology boomed, engineers began creating intelligent robots that had the ability to understand and feel human emotion. The first few prototypes were terrible failures. There was a time when many assumed that it was impossible to produce a safe A.I. robot. After many years of refining two forms of A.I. were developed: private service and social service bots.
Social service bots (SS bots) are owned by the government and private businesses, they are capable of making their own decisions, earning wages, and having their own homes. Their "free will," however, is limited: SS bots are not allowed to leave their jobs, though they may have their own home. In addition, they are highly susceptible to hackers, who can access their operation systems and take over. It is up to the SS bot to update their protection to prevent hijacking.
Private service bots (PS bots) are owned by private individuals and have little to no free will. They are virtually slaves to their human owners. Once purchased the owner‘s voice and image is programmed into the bot and the ability to resist his or her command is removed. They receive no wages, but have little need for them due to the fact that they live with their owner. Unlike SS bots, it is up to the PS bot’s owner to provide protection against hackers. Due to the expense of this line of bots it is expected that all PS bots are updated once every three months making them less susceptible to hacking.
(As of now, only five (5) PS bots will be accepted to the comm. This may or may not change as the comm progresses.)
Hackers
Hackers, once only a nuisance, have grown to the status of enemy number one. Now that the world relies entirely on computers and the internet, hackers have the ability to control A.I., access power grids, and even damage the domes that shield cities from the wastelands. The government implemented "No Hacking" legislation fifty years ago in a desperate attempt to combat hackers. In their efforts to de-popularize the growing trend among the younger generation the government started to play on the middle and higher class’s fear of the lower class. They stated that 78% of all hackers came from lower class families. This statistic is now believed to be true, if not a little down played. Despite popular belief, hackers come from all walks of life, from the poorest of poor to the richest of rich, though many in between do originate from poverty.
To this day the government is still ruthlessly tracking down hackers. Captured hackers are given the option of life behind bars and possible execution depending on the severity of their crimes, or working for the government. Those that work for the government are forced to create programs to track and stop other hackers. Despite all of this, many hackers continue to threaten the precarious stability of life inside the dome.