In 2184, class isn't hidden—it's displayed. Every aspect of a person's appearance, behavior, and access immediately signals their position in the Sprawl's hierarchy. Reading these markers is a survival skill. The Dregs resident who mistakes a corporate executive for approachable, or the executive who fails to identify a dangerous operative, can find themselves in lethal situations.
This document catalogues the visible and invisible markers that define social position in the Sprawl.
Who: Unregistered individuals, debt defaulters, Waste survivors Population: Estimated 200-400 million
Markers: The defining characteristic is absence—absence of registration, records, network presence. The Invisible exist in the gaps of the system.
| Category | Indicators |
|---|---|
| Identification | No visible ID implants, no biometric registration, blank on scans |
| Clothing | Whatever's available, often mismatched, no corporate logos |
| Augmentation | None or desperately outdated, often failing |
| Network | No access to standard networks, uses dead drops and physical messages |
| Location | Deepest Dregs, Blackout Zones, Waste margins |
| Speech | Regional dialects, pre-Cascade languages, limited common tongue |
Who: Street workers, salvagers, bottom-rung registered citizens Population: ~3 billion
Appearance Markers:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Clothing | Functional, worn, repaired multiple times. Salvaged corporate uniforms with logos removed. Weather-appropriate layers. Visible patches and reinforcements. |
| Augmentation | Basic neural interface (often decades old). Visible scars from budget installations. Mismatched components. Frequent glitching or calibration drift. |
| Physical Condition | Signs of hard living—weathered skin, missing teeth, untreated minor injuries. Anti-aging unavailable, people look their age or older. |
| Accessories | Tool belts, visible weapons (where legal), storage bags. Nothing decorative. Everything has a purpose. |
Behavioral Markers:
| Behavior | Description |
|---|---|
| Movement | Alert, efficient, aware of surroundings. Avoid open spaces. Know the routes. |
| Eye Contact | Direct with peers, averted with authority. Quick threat assessment on entry. |
| Speech | Direct, profanity-laden, slang-heavy. District-specific dialects. Minimal small talk. |
| Network Use | Public terminals, shared devices, carefully rationed data. Privacy through physical obscurity rather than encryption. |
Recognition Phrases:
Who: Entry-level corporate employees, small business operators, skilled trades Population: ~2 billion
Appearance Markers:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Clothing | Corporate-issued uniforms or affordable civilian clothing. Single corporate logo visible (employer). Clean but not expensive. Standardized rather than individual. |
| Augmentation | Current-generation basic interface. Employer-provided enhancements (usually locked to workplace functions). Consistent but unexceptional. |
| Physical Condition | Baseline healthy. Access to basic medical care visible in dental work, corrected vision, treated conditions. Look their age. |
| Accessories | Corporate ID badge (always visible). Standard comm devices. Minimal personal items. |
Behavioral Markers:
| Behavior | Description |
|---|---|
| Movement | Transit-grid efficient. Follow designated routes. Avoid conflict zones. |
| Eye Contact | Equal with peers, respectful with superiors, slightly dismissive of lower tiers. |
| Speech | Corporate-appropriate language. Minimal profanity. Industry jargon. Careful neutrality on political topics. |
| Network Use | Corporate accounts, monitored communications. Personal devices, but limited data. Aware of surveillance. |
Recognition Phrases:
Who: Senior employees, successful independents, technical specialists Population: ~500 million
Appearance Markers:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Clothing | Quality fabric, current fashion, subtle corporate affiliation. Personal style within professional norms. Tailored fit. Some designer elements. |
| Augmentation | Professional-grade enhancements. Enhanced neural processing visible in faster response times, multitasking ability. Cosmetic optimization beginning. |
| Physical Condition | Actively maintained. Gym access, nutritional optimization, basic cosmetic treatments. Appear 5-10 years younger than actual age. |
| Accessories | High-end personal devices. Quality accessories. Status watches or jewelry. Understated wealth signals. |
Behavioral Markers:
| Behavior | Description |
|---|---|
| Movement | Confident, purposeful. Priority transit access. Comfortable in high-security zones. |
| Eye Contact | Assured, evaluating. Reading status markers in others. |
| Speech | Precise, professional. Multiple registers depending on audience. Code-switching between corporate and casual. |
| Network Use | Multiple accounts, premium bandwidth, encryption standard. Comfortable with digital identity management. |
Recognition Phrases:
Who: Corporate executives, faction leaders, successful power brokers Population: ~10 million
Appearance Markers:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Clothing | Bespoke tailoring, designer originals. Corporate colors as accent, not uniform. Fabric that responds to environment. Subtle tech integration. |
| Augmentation | Executive-grade optimization. The "Helix Eye" (silver iris ring). Enhanced pheromone production. Physical perfection that looks natural. |
| Physical Condition | Optimized across all parameters. Anti-aging treatments visible—executives look 35-45 regardless of actual age. Perfect symmetry. Engineered attractiveness. |
| Accessories | Minimal but exceptional. Each piece costs more than most people's annual income. Items that signal specific networks or achievements. |
Behavioral Markers:
| Behavior | Description |
|---|---|
| Movement | Unhurried, space-claiming. Private transport, priority access, no waiting. |
| Eye Contact | Commanding, assessing value. Pheromone enhancement makes prolonged contact uncomfortable for lower tiers. |
| Speech | Measured, deliberate. Every word chosen. Multiple languages common. Silence as power signal. |
| Network Use | Multiple identities, quantum encryption, private networks. Proxies for routine communication. |
Recognition Phrases:
The Executive Tell: Beyond the visible markers, executives often display a distinctive stillness—enhanced processing means they don't fidget, don't display uncertainty, don't show micro-expressions. This unnatural calm is itself a status marker, immediately distinguishing them from those who haven't undergone executive-tier neural optimization.
Who: Corporate royalty, transcendence candidates, unique power holders Population: ~100,000
Appearance Markers:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Clothing | Beyond fashion—statements. Unique pieces that exist nowhere else. Technology and biology merged into aesthetic. Sometimes unsettling. |
| Augmentation | Transcendence-grade. Capabilities not available to anyone else. Visible and invisible modifications that exceed current medical understanding. |
| Physical Condition | Post-human. Bodies that have been rebuilt rather than enhanced. Age is a choice. Appearance is a design decision. |
| Accessories | N/A—at this tier, the person themselves is the accessory to their power. |
Behavioral Markers:
| Behavior | Description |
|---|---|
| Movement | Deliberate in ways that suggest enhanced perception. Responses that precede stimuli. Presence that changes the room. |
| Eye Contact | Often avoided—something in elite eyes disturbs baseline humans. When made, it's decisive. |
| Speech | Varies wildly. Some are expansive, some silent. Communication happens on multiple levels simultaneously. |
| Network Use | Private infrastructure. Possibly integrated with consciousness. Methods opaque to lower tiers. |
Recognition Phrases:
| Marker | Tier 0-1 | Tier 2 | Tier 3 | Tier 4-5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clothing Material | Salvage, synthetic | Standard, uniform | Quality, tailored | Bespoke, responsive |
| Corporate Logos | None/removed | One (employer) | Subtle affiliation | Personal brand |
| Augmentation Visible | Obvious, mismatched | Standardized | Refined | Integrated/invisible |
| Aging Signs | Accelerated | Normal | Delayed | Absent/chosen |
| Movement Quality | Survival-efficient | Transit-efficient | Confident | Commanding |
| Eye Contact | Wary | Appropriate | Evaluating | Disturbing |
Budget Installation Signs:
Professional Installation Signs:
Executive/Elite Installation Signs:
Dregs Speech:
Chrome's glitching hard, need Patch to jack the feedback before I flatline. Grid's hot though—Ironclad sweeps all morning.Example
Corporate Speech:
The optimization protocol requires implementation before quarterly review. Interface performance metrics need addressing—perhaps schedule a maintenance consultation.Example
Executive Speech:
Example: "Interesting." (Complete sentence conveying evaluation, skepticism, and dismissal simultaneously)
Low-Tier:
Mid-Tier:
High-Tier:
| Zone Type | Residents | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Blackout Zone | Invisible, refugees | No infrastructure, dangerous, unwatched |
| Deep Dregs | Tier 0-1 | Minimal services, high crime, community-dependent |
| Standard Dregs | Tier 1-2 | Basic services, corporate presence, functional |
| Corporate District | Tier 2-3 | Full services, heavy surveillance, clean |
| Premium Zone | Tier 3-4 | Gated, security-heavy, amenity-rich |
| Elite Enclave | Tier 4-5 | Private, location often unknown, fully custom |
Access Layers:
The Checkpoint Reality: Movement between zones requires transit through checkpoints. Your documentation, biometrics, and apparent status are evaluated. Looking wrong for your destination triggers additional scrutiny—or denial.
Currency Handling:
Consumption Patterns:
| Item | Dregs | Working | Professional | Executive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food | Synthesized basics | Corporate cafeteria | Restaurant access | Personal chef/grown |
| Clothing | Salvage | Purchased standard | Designer | Bespoke/unique |
| Medical | Street doc | Corporate clinic | Premium provider | Personal physician |
| Transit | Walking, basic | Standard grid | Priority routes | Private transport |
| Housing | Shared/minimal | Company-assigned | Owned/leased | Estate/compound |
Debt is visible in the Sprawl. Those in debt default lose access rights, transit privileges, and employment options. Their status is broadcast to every system they interact with.
Debt Markers:
Identifiers:
Status Tell: Quality of neural interface visible in response time, multitasking ability, and the subtle eye movements of data processing.
Identifiers:
Status Tell: Physical capability focus—strength augmentation, durability mods, hands-on competence signals.
Identifiers:
Status Tell: Biological perfection gradient—the more optimized the appearance, the higher the status.
Identifiers:
Status Tell: Adaptive capability—the ability to move between tiers without triggering suspicion indicates Collective training.
Up-Dressing: Appearing higher status than actual. Risks include:
Down-Dressing: Appearing lower status than actual. Reasons include:
The Tells: Even skilled actors often have tells:
Mistaking Operative for Civilian: Street-clothes corporate security, Collective operatives, independent operators—many dangerous individuals deliberately present below their capability level.
Warning Signs:
Mistaking Wealth for Safety: High-tier individuals aren't automatically allies. Their power comes with their own dangers:
Initial State: You begin unregistered or barely registered—invisible or Dregs-level. Your ORACLE shard marks you as unusual but doesn't immediately elevate your class presentation.
Skills to Develop:
Key Learning: The Dregs has its own aristocracy. Salvage masters, respected street docs, Collective operatives—status exists at every level. Learning to read it keeps you alive.
Transitional State: Resources accumulate. Better augmentation. Better clothing. Better access. You begin moving between tiers, learning to present appropriately for each context.
New Challenges:
Elevated State: Your resources and connections place you in professional or executive contexts. The markers that once excluded you now apply to you.
New Realities:
Post-Class State: At elite levels, normal class markers become irrelevant. You are recognized for individual power, not category membership. The markers shift:
Class markers should feel:
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Social Interaction Protocols
Who Speaks First
In the Sprawl, conversation initiation follows strict status protocols:
Equal Status: Either party may initiate Lower to Higher: Wait to be acknowledged before speaking Higher to Lower: May initiate at will, expect immediate response Cross-Class (3+ tiers): Lower party should not initiate without urgent cause
Violating Protocol: Speaking out of turn marks you as either ignorant (tourist) or dangerous (someone with enough power not to care about protocol). Either interpretation has consequences.
Physical Space
Personal Distance by Tier:
The Pheromone Factor: Executive-tier optimization includes engineered pheromone production. This creates an unconscious discomfort when lower-tier individuals get too close, enforcing distance without explicit demand.
Eye Contact Duration
Indexed — no record on file.