A derisive nickname for the Circumlunar habitats which were the first centers of life in space. They are now considered obsolete relics. Schismatrix: the system that includes the entire Shaper/Mechanist universe. The term is first used when the advent of détente opens the possibility of the Shaper and Mechanist factions coexisting harmoniously; a splintered posthuman settlement of the Solar System. Sundog: A nomad, without strong group affiliation and the permanent residency it affords. The label probably arose as the circumsolar asteroid belt would be the main territory inhabited by these itinerants. Criminals, Refugees, political exiles and the disadvantaged would adopt this lifestyle out of necessity, criminals may prefer its anonymity. Wirehead: A person who ignores or has abandoned his physical body in favor of permanent virtual reality. Lobster: A mechanist faction which permanently installs their bodies into spacesuits so that they can live in the vacuum of space. Looks: A language of facial expressions. To an untrained observer, they appear to be an endless series of sidelong glances. Geneline: A political family structure used by Shapers. Genelines trade genetic material, power, money and influence with one another as part of the subtle interplay of Shaper politics. Unplanned: A Shaper epithet for humans born naturally. Typically, such beings are unmodified genetically—but all such people are considered inferior. Cicada: A person from the Czarina-Kluster Ideologies Preservationism: Contends that technology is destroying the essence of humanity. Places strict limits on anti-human technologies, advocates study of human art and history, and even for some the end of the Interdict with Earth. Détente: Belief that in the face of alien contact that humanity should present a united front. Followers of détente called for increased cooperation and contact between Shapers and Mechanists. Détente ended with renewed war and the rise of the Cataclysts. Militarism: Dogmatic loyalty to one's own faction, that underlies the cold war between the Shapers and Mechanists. Outright warfare is rare, as the fragility of life-supporting environments in the Solar System makes mechanized warfare an exercise in mutually assured destruction. Instead, economic warfare, political rivalry and espionage are the more socially acceptable forms of conflict. Cataclysm: This ideology was first promulgated by the Superbrights. It demanded an end to artificial social controls and destruction of authority. Eventually devolved into terrorism and resulted in lingering animosity towards the Superbrights. Zen Serotonin: A cult that uses biofeedback (principally neurochemical-deploying biomonitors and sleep-monitoring beds) to maintain