Wordlist for Song of Scarabaeus

biocyph seeds/BRATs – biocyph retroviral automated terraformers; 6-meter-tall bullet-shaped devices containing biocyph circuitry and retroviral machinery; they are dropped on an alien world by the hundreds to terraform the ecosystem
chip – implanted teck
commclip – portable communication device worn on toolbelt
creds, gigacreds – unit of currency
cypherteck – teck who interfaces with biocyph via wet-teck implanted in the cerebral cortex, using either a softlink or hardlink
datacap – modular component of a datastick, about an inch long
dataglove – glove worn over the palm of the hand to interface with dry-teck
datastick – modular data storage unit the size of a pencil, composed of datacaps clipped together
drub – 2' long “cattle prod” used for discipline
dry-teck – regular computer circuitry (as opposed to wet-teck/biocyph)
eco-rad – see rad
gravplating – gravity plates from which the ship's deck is constructed
holoviz – holographic computer display
infojack – person with expertise in databases, who can uncover information about people, or create false data trails and false idents
intrasys speed – sub-light speed for traveling within star systems
jump gate – man-made construction around a jump node that facilitates use of the node
jump node (node) – wormhole
lag – derogatory term for serf
leash – comprises two implanted chips, one of which picks up the brainwaves of the other and is hooked to a bomb that will explode if the connection is broken; range 2000 m
Linguish – standard language spoken throughout the Crib and much of the Reach
magkey – key for magnetic locks
medfac – medical facility
medigel – antiseptic gel that is smeared on wounds and dries to a flexible transparent coating
nanofinds – custom-built nanoteck that seeks out and destroys specific DNA patterns
neuroxin – toxic drug that pervades the ecosystem on Talas; only the Talasi are immune
nodespace – hyperspace within jump node
palmet – portable personal computer
plaz alloy – construction material
Reach, the – known space
realspace – outer space that isn't nodespace
rovers – pirates or mercs, often financed by legit companies
Saeth – special ops forces during the Liberty War, financed by an alliance of Fringe worlds that later disowned them to protect their treaties with the Crib
Scarabaeus – Edie's name for Candidate World VAL-One-Four Tee-Three
serf – bonded worker or convict (derog. lag)
shiv – knife
skiff – small landing ship, usually not capable of jumping
slater – flying creature on Scarabaeus that resembles a large woodlouse
softlink – connection between human and computer using implanted wires in the fingertips
spur – retractable weapon worn on forearm; fires projectiles
tom – small robot programmed for cleaning, maintenance, medical monitoring (from automaton)
voice snag – device clipped to the throat that prevents vocalization
wet-teck – biocyph circuitry
wet-teck interface – biocyph circuitry grafted to cypherteck's cerebral cortex to enable her to "talk to" biocyph