This chapter contains no further story development. It serves as a glossary of background information, extra lore, worldbuilding tidbits, and author's notes for both 60 Seconds to Midnight and Chrysanthemum Dreams.
I own none of the rights to the external works referenced here.
For a more comprehensive visual guide, visit this fic on my AO3 profile, under the same username.
Character References
Anna's signature long coat was based on Officer K's (played by Ryan Gosling) appearance in Blade Runner 2049 .
Elsa's signature samurai jacket was based on V's default appearance in Cyberpunk 2077.
ADJ9-77.2's trench coat was based on Roy Batty's (played by Rutger Hauer) appearance in Blade Runner .
K (Kristoff), Flynn, Rapunzel, and Wesley Townsend (Weselton) were unchanged from their movie counterparts aside from clothing to fit the setting.
Weaponry
Ronin Kitsunebi Thermal Katana: Anna's personal sword. Translates to fox-fire. The blade is lined with nanofilaments capable of reaching red-hot temperatures.
Ronin Yuki-Onna Cryo Katana: Elsa's personal sword. Translates to snow woman. The blade is lined with liquid-nitrogen microtubing capable of reaching hypothermic temperatures. Based on the weapon designs from Cyberpunk 2077 .
Ronin VX-50 Kensei, hand cannon: Anna's personal gun. Translates to sword saint. Chambered in 50 action express rounds. Comes with a six-shot cylinder, a laser sight, and a recoil dampening compressor. Based on the Austringer hand cannon from Destiny 2 .
ArmaRex CP2076 Chromehand, sidearm: Elsa's personal gun. Chambered in 45 ACP rounds. Comes with a reflex sight, a fourteen-shot magazine, and two-round burst functionality. Based on the M-10AF Lexington from Cyberpunk 2077 .
ArmaRex N7SHP Dragoon, railgun: Bolt-action precision sniper. Chambered in 15mm tungsten slugs. Comes with a telescopic scope offering 4x, 8x, and 12x magnification. Loosely based on the M-179E Achilles from Cyberpunk 2077.
ArmaRex AJM10 flechette rifle: Automatic. Chambered in 5mm flechettes. Each flechette carries an electric charge capable of delivering a lethal shock. Designed for usage against cybernetically enhanced foes.
ArmaRex Type-27 Directed Energy Rifle, plasma rifle: Automatic. Entered mainline production in 2100 after its prototype stage. Fires superheated bolts of plasma and is powered by a battery in the 40-megawatt range.
ArmaRex Type-14 Directed Energy Shotgun, scattergun: Pump-action. Fires a volley of plasma bolts in a concentric pattern.
Cybernetics/Cyberware
Raptor Blades: Evolution of the pulse blade. Stored in the forearms and can feature thermal, cryo, electric, neurotoxin, or serrated variants. Based on the Mantis Blades from Cyberpunk 2077.
Eyes/Ocular Implants: Commonly used for scanning purposes. Can detect electronics, but can also be used as a camera.
Strength Implants: A popular choice among soldiers, gangers, and mercenaries alike. Replaces organic muscles and tissue with synthetic components.
Netware: A collective term used to describe implants capable of connecting to the net, enabling the user to remotely access and control various electronic devices.
Operating System: The component that powers the neural interface, as well as cyberdecks and netware. Comes in variants designed for multiple roles, including netrunning or reflex tuners to boost reaction times and combat effectiveness.
Neural Interface: Essentially a computer integrated with the human brain and enables the user to directly access technology via neural cords. Also provides a heads-up display and can process raw data by turning it into simulated audio-visual sensory feedback. Can also be linked human to human through other means.
Cyberdecks: A netware component that stores a suite of pre-programmed quick-hacks. Powered by RAM, which enables the user to launch them via omni-pad, and is depleted with repeated usage.
Quick-Hacks
Ping: Highlights all electronic devices and users connected to a local net.
System Reset: Renders the victim unconscious by restarting their operating system.
Reboot Optics: Temporarily blinds the victim.
Short Circuit: Causes electronic components and cyberware to malfunction.
Overload: Causes electronic components and cyberware to burst into flame.
Synapse Burnout: Induces tremendous pain by spiking the nervous system.
Contagion: Causes confusion and disorientation, while spreading the effects from one victim onto others. Can be used in conjunction with other quick-hacks.
Vehicles
Daimyo CTX-67V Kijimuna: Anna's personal sports motorcycle. Kijimuna is a yokai, a spirit or creature in Japanese folklore, taking the form of red-headed forest children. Based on the Yaiba Kusanagi CT-3X bike from Cyberpunk 2077 .
Kjellfrid Model 43 Nøkken: Elsa's personal muscle car. Named for the water spirit that is based on Germanic folklore. Based on the Quadra Type-66 Cthulhu from Cyberpunk 2077 .
ArmaRex MK-VII Drachen: The hover-tank. Main armament is the gauss cannon. Supplementary weapons include hydra rocket pods and a 20mm autocannon. Additional features include thermo-optic camouflage plating, prototype energy shielding, smoke canisters, as well as other defensive implements. Based on the design by tuner95 on DeviantArt.
ArmaRex Panzer Assault Mech: A walking tank. Main armaments are a tri-barreled minigun, a plasma cannon, and rocket pods.
ArmaRex Jäger Gunship: A VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft commonly employed by police forces.
Skycar: Essentially a flying car. Replaced traditional land-based automobiles following their inception.
Other Technology
Omni-pad: Essentially a portable computer that was housed in a bracelet and worn on the wrist. It featured a holographic interface and served as a phone, as well as a myriad of other purposes like launching quick-hacks. Inspired by the omni-tool from the Mass Effect games as well as the Pip-Boy from the Fallout games.
Holo-displays/screens/televisions: Screens were no longer a thing in the future. Most forms of technology used holographic projectors with which the user could interact.
Neural Cords: A length of cable stored inside the human body, often in the wrist but potentially in other parts thanks to cybernetics which connected to the user's nervous system. They were used to physically "jack" into different forms of technology.
Artificial Gravity: An integral feature found on all spaceships and extraterrestrial colonies. Maintained gravity to the level as found on Earth.
Historical Events
The Second Space Race, 1969-1995: A period of intensified funding and research into extraterrestrial colonization across the US, the USSR, and China. Cold War tensions were eased off. Technologically, humanity jumped forward by leaps and bounds during this time. However, it led to extensive and irreversible degradation of the global environment.
The Resource Wars, 2004-2020: A massive conflict that broke out across the world due to shortages of all critical resources. Megacorporations were pitted against each other as they fought for survival. It was during this time that the ravages of anthropogenic climate change fully manifested themselves. Most countries destroyed each other, leaving behind large swaths of uninhabitable land across the globe due to scorched earth tactics. A massive exodus of Earth's wealthiest citizens occurred as a result.
The Collapse, 2020: Strained to the breaking point and weakened by global conflict, all belligerents of the Resource Wars were in the process of being destroyed or were falling apart from within. The Soviets allied with the Chinese Coalition and launched a series of nuclear strikes against the US. A short nuclear exchange followed, and the ensuing fallout left the world's population decimated. The US fractured and fell apart. Faced with imminent destruction, what remained of their government signed an armistice that put a halt to the hostilities.
Annexation of Canada, 2023: Following the collapse, the remains of the United States military forcibly acquired Canada's sovereign territory and assumed control. This was done to alleviate overpopulation within the existing megacities and to take advantage of the real estate further north for urban redevelopment.
The Expansion Wars, 2091-2094: A series of intense land-grabs made by Old Russia as they tried to expand the borders of their Iron Line across Europe. The Baltic Blitz was the most intense battlefront which ended with the invasion of Finland and Sweden. While the European Republic stopped the aggressive spread of communism, too much blood had been spilled on either side and the conflict ended in a stalemate.
The Second Collapse, 2101: Unable to recover the confluence, Uncle SAM and the NUS military decided to cut their losses. If they couldn't have it, then they ensured that no one else could. Two warheads were launched, and all records of this time were destroyed in the ensuing interplanetary nuclear war.
Locations
Arcadia: Situated in the Hellas Basin of Mars. It was the largest colony and one of the first established with three main biodomes to house the population. Onyx Hill contained Putingrad, Chinatown, and the Scarlet Crescent. Downtown contained Corpo Plaza, Elysium Park, and Little Japan (where Elsa and Anna lived). Merigold Heights contained the Carbon Quarter, the Delle, and the Yuri Gagarin Spaceport. The sprawling sub-city ran beneath Arcadia and connected it all together.
Cinnabar Bay: The incomplete resort town that was left abandoned in the middle of the Martian desert.
The Iron Curtain: Inspired by the real-world equivalent that spanned Europe during the days of the Cold War. In this alternate history, it hovered over Arcadia and shielded the Martian colonies from orbital attacks.
Janus Station: Named after the Roman god of beginnings, endings, gates, time, and transitions. It was a floating city located in orbit above Arcadia.
Port Armstrong: Named after Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon. It was situated underneath Mons Malapert on Earth's moon. It was the first extraterrestrial colony ever established. Hidden beneath the lunar surface were also the Gray House and the Panopticon, the successors to the White House and the Pentagon, respectively.
New York: In 2101, it looked much different than today. Most notably, the lower parts of the boroughs were flooded, while the remaining dry parts of the city were walled. Central Park was redeveloped into urban housing and apartment blocks, while the rest underwent dramatic transformation. The streets were narrow and claustrophobic. The buildings were tall, massive, and imposing.
Gjallarbrú: Named after the bridge in Norse mythology that needed to be crossed in order to reach Hel, connecting the realms of the living and the dead. It was the secret research facility located in the old ruins of the real-world West Point Military Academy where Elsa was reborn. A literal black box where she uncovered the nature of her origins.
Los Angeles: Like the rest of the former United States, the city was crumbling apart piece by piece due to a series of earthquakes that occurred in the years following the collapse. Nora and Anna were originally from there, as well as Mouse.
Megacorporations
VanirCorp: Founded by Mathias Rosenthal in 2011. In Norse mythology, Vanir referred to the gods associated with health, wisdom, and the ability to see the future. The company specialized in genetic research and bioengineering, but their main trade was in the production of the Exogenesis (EXG) line of androids, meant to serve as ideal slave labor. Usage of androids skyrocketed as they supplemented the weakened human population. The most recent production line, EXG6, was discontinued after rogue androids became a known phenomenon.
Weseltech Dynamics: Founded by Wesley Townsend in 2013. The company specialized in advanced medical technology and cybernetic bodily modifications. In 2099, when Matilda Rosenthal was murdered and VanirCorp went under, their remains were acquired and production on the Adjudicator (ADJ) line of androids began. Adjudicators were programmed to be hardened android killers, but they could also be used as assassins if need be.
ArmaRex: An American arms corporation that specialized in the production of military hardware, technology, weaponry, and vehicles, as well as the provision of private security forces. They had no loyalties and sold their products or services to the highest bidder, making them one of the most profitable and lucrative corporations active across the solar system.
Ronin: A Japanese arms corporation that specialized in high-end weaponry, namely firearms and swords. Ronin translated to drifter or wanderer and is used to describe masterless samurai warriors. While they were not as large or influential as ArmaRex, their products were renowned for being top-quality. Their competitor may have been more accessible and widespread, but Ronin prided itself on catering only to the most refined tastes.
Daimyo: A Japanese motorcycle manufacturer and a sister corporation to Ronin. Daimyo referred to the feudal lords who presided over Japan beneath the shogun.
Kjellfrid Motors: A Scandinavian car manufacturer. Kjellfrid translated to beautiful.
Lazarus Biomechanica: A corporation that specialized in animal cloning and genetic research. Lazarus of Bethany was the saint associated with the restoration of life
Adamantius: A corporation that specialized in tailor-made cyberware such as ocular implants, as well as netware and netrunning equipment like cyberdecks or operating systems. Adamantius was an ancient Greek physician and a professor of medicine.
Kobrakon: A corporation that specialized in the production of security robots.
SovAir: Arcadian-based transport agency. They were formally based on Earth, but an incident in which two children were killed forced them to move their business off-world.
PharmaCorp: An American pharmaceutical and medical research corporation.
Teng-Lao Heavy Industries: An Arcadian-based corporation that specialized in producing heavy machinery, mechanical parts, and other equipment. Elsa worked for Teng-Lao on a contractual basis.
ACN: Arcadia City News. A multimedia conglomerate that specialized in journalism, as well as other ventures in the entertainment industry, namely television, film, radio, and pornography. Anna worked for ACN as a media intern.
Darby-Saxon Incorporated: An American shell company that existed as a front to mask the illicit business dealings between Wesley Townsend and Alyosha Verenkov.
Sierra Geotech: A corporation based in Portland and was responsible for overseeing the EDEN initiative.
Factions
The Android Freedom Movement: It didn't officially exist until Elsa killed Matilda, but before then, it was a scattered network of sympathizers who advocated for equal rights on the behalf of androids. The Minerva Collective was the main headquarters in New York, though many other groups existed in different countries across Earth. The Underground Railroad was a subcomponent of the movement, referring to the secret routes that androids used to get off-world.
New United States: Abbreviated as NUS and was based on the moon across the lunar colonies. Port Armstrong was the capital.
Former United States: What remained of the country in North America on Earth. Following the collapse, many states splintered apart and declared their own independence. California became a free state in 2035. New York became a free state in 2037.
New Soviet Union: Abbreviated as NSU. Made up of the USSR, along with additional countries that joined the Warsaw Pact after the second space race. While they maintained a presence in Old Russia, most government functions were relocated to Arcadia.
Chinese Coalition: An entity comprised of southeastern Asian nations beneath Chinese leadership. A few countries part of the coalition include Japan, Korea, India, and other island states across the Pacific Ocean.
European Republic: Made up of European NATO states, headed by West Germany. It functioned mainly as a mutual defense pact, but also served to facilitate trade and the movement of goods, capital, and people within its borders.
Gangs
Verenkov Crime Family: An offshoot of the original Russian Mafia based in New York after they disbanded. They were spread across Arcadia, as well as New York and other parts of Old Russia. Alexei Verenkov was the head of the family, followed by his two lieutenants who were also his children: Alyosha and Svetlana.
Demons: A gang based in New York. Their members were infamous for having extensive and exotic cybernetic bodily modifications.
Scavvers: Not a true gang in the conventional sense, but they were the most numerous bunch that inhabited New York's flood zones. Living where no one else would, they scavenged the remains of the urban metropolis that was buried beneath the tide.
Brutalikorps: A gang based in Arcadia. They were neo-Nazis with a penchant for dressing in leather fetish gear.
Rippers: A gang of butchers based in Arcadia. They were vicious body snatchers who harvested organs and cyberware from unwilling and often living victims.
Crimson Corsairs: A small gang based in Cinnabar Bay. Their activities mostly went under the radar, but they were wiped out following a confrontation with ArmaRex forces.
Steel Serpents: An LA-based gang that Nora and Anna worked for in their childhood prior to moving to New York.
Yakuza and Triads: A Japanese gang and a Chinese gang based on their real-world equivalents.
Acronyms
ICE: Intrusion Countermeasures Electronics. Security software and programs designed to protect data from hackers.
OLAF: Omniscient Logistics Assistant and Friend. Elsa's personal AI.
Uncle SAM: Smart Autonomous Machine. The AI that governs Port Armstrong.
ARB: Android Retention Bureau. The division of the NYPD responsible for dispatching adjudicators to deal with rogue androids as well as investigations into suspected insurgent activities.
RAM: Random Access Memory. A resource that powers cyberdecks.
EMP: Electromagnetic Pulse. A common feature found in explosive weaponry, designed to disable electronic equipment.
FMR: Forced Memory Repression. An aggressive type of 'therapy' and mental manipulation that involved inducing tremendous pain while targeting specific memories. Over time, those memories would become associated with the pain, thereby taking advantage of the mind's natural inclination to block out traumatic experiences.
IFF: Identification, Friend or Foe. A technology that distinguishes between friendly forces and enemy forces.
Additional Lore
Project SNOW: VanirCorp's secret research project originally intended to find a cure for Alzheimer's Disease. When Matilda took over, she shifted the aims of the project and turned to unethical methods, eventually leading to the creation of Elsa.
STARGAZER Program: A colonization program intended to preserve humanity in the event of another catastrophe, headed by the NUS. Five colony ships were sent out into deep space, never to return. Only the USS Roanoke, after being declared missing, returned despite the unclear circumstances that led up to its disappearance.
EDEN Initiative: An effort to restore and heal the landscape in the free state of Oregon. Mentioned very briefly by K.
Krylov-Reidiker Test: An empathy test used to measure emotional development and intelligence in synthetic beings. For adjudicators, failing the test resulted in their destruction, which was how Weseltech ensured dominance and control over their creations. Inspired by the Voight-Kampff test and the Baseline test from the Blade Runner films.
The Watchers : Strange, mutated creatures that inhabited the abandoned hospital that Elsa and Anna visited in Chrysanthemum Dreams . While their origins were left unexplained, in an early draft, it was revealed that they were the failed result of experimental bioweapons testing.
Space Travel: In this future, FTL (faster-than-light) engines have not yet been invented, meaning that just like when humans first crossed the oceans, moving across space from planet to planet could take weeks or months. Still, it was significantly faster than previous travel times thanks to advancements in spacefaring technology. With the first moon landing, it took three days. Now, it only took one. Comparatively speaking, Mars used to be a trip of several months but now could be reached in one.
Author's Notes
Chrysanthemums: In some European cultures, these flowers symbolize death and the process of mourning and grief. In the case of Chrysanthemum Dreams, the single yellow flower that Anna and Elsa possessed was an heirloom from their deceased mother, meant to represent hope for a better, cleaner world than the one they lived in. Both of these interpretations are combined, illustrating the loss of innocence when the flower is tarnished, and the nature of death with the dynamic between Nora and Elsa.
Auguries of Innocence: At the beginning of Chrysanthemum Dreams, the excerpt from the poem by William Blake serves thematic purpose. Specifically, the line "a heaven in a wild flower," which, again, is a callback to their significance throughout the story.
Pale Fire: At the beginning of 60 Seconds to Midnight, the excerpt from the novel by Vladimir Nabokov serves as foreshadowing. A poet describes a vision they see during a near-death experience, that of a tall white fountain. At the end, the bridge to the confluence is described as a tall white fountain of light.
CD Themes: This fic was all about memories and the role they play in shaping identity and personhood. A few of the chapter titles reflect philosophical concepts, which are meant to highlight Elsa's personal journey in rediscovering her humanity. What makes a human human is based upon their ability to reflect on their collection of lived experiences. Memory and recollection foreground everything we think and do. Artificially fabricating memories is then an existential exercise in how we choose to determine humanity.
6STM Themes: This fic was all about cycles and the repetition of cycles. Cycles of life and death with Nora and Elsa. Cycles of peace and war with the resurgence of Cold War tensions. Cycles of love and hate with those dedicated to saving the androids and those dedicated to hating them. The parallels to the real-world events are intentional. Additionally, the meta narrative rounds out the theme of cycles, what with Anna and Elsa having already lived through other stories and timelines. Buddhism and reincarnation were also brought in to highlight this theme.