Panopticon

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The world is watched. Everything of consequence is monitored, every interaction recorded and logged. Panopticon worlds usually form only on planets sufficiently hostile to force bubble cities or similar contained, controlled habitats. In such compressed circumstances it becomes possible to track individuals to an extent that would be infeasible on more free-ranging worlds. Some panopticon worlds are relatively benign, but most exist in order to enable some ruthlessly oppressive power structure. In an effective panopticon society the only people with unpunished crimes are those responsible for monitoring the observations. The societies that grow from such soil tend to pair spectacularly corrupt overseers with a populace trained to a half-demented degree of dissembling.

Leaders:
^{Who might be encountered while conducting business}

• Spaceport monitor official
• AI surveillance controller
• Official empowered to turn off surveillance
• Local elite of the Great Unwatched

Enemies:
^{Who might be encountered who opposes the group}

Monitor saboteur

Official paranoid about unobserved far traders

Offworlder seeking to subvert the monitors for their own purposes

Avid blackmailer

Complications:
^{How might the situation on the world be more complicated}

Telepaths run an undetectable psychic comm network

Locals actually communicate via subtle contextual cues rather than the words they speak

The surveillance state is new and society is in turmoil over it

The watchers are actually looking for something specific and mortally dangerous

Things:
^{What items might be found on the world}

Monitor-proof shielding shipment

Cargo of hyper-advanced surveillance gear

Semi-intelligent monitoring hardware

Entertaining but extremely illicit surveillance logs

Things:
^{What regulations might complicate things}

The local currency is based on privacy allotments

Local clothing is transparent

Concealment or deceit of any kind is a serious crime

The locals are incredibly good at detecting smuggled goods

Tags: Lopop,Trade