adhesive carpet
Society / Technology

A type of carpet designed to make the floors of weightless areas easier to walk on. Called "theater carpet" by some, due to the sensation of sticky movie theater floors, a sensation also found in adhesive carpet. It is able to detect the shifting body weight of a walker as they move, and also allows for the level of adhesiveness to be adjusted. Works with all types of footwear. Developed at the beginning of the 21st century by a carpet manufacturer, it has since come into use in a number of places, such as spaceships and weightless areas of spaceports.


adjustable glass
Society / Technology

The molecules of liquid crystals change direction depending on the surrounding temperature, electric field, and magnetic field, causing optical changes in areas such as color and transparency to occur. With adjustable glass, a thin layer of liquid crystals is placed between two sheets of glass, allowing a person to freely change the permeability of the light entering the room, thus creating the effect of having blinds in front of the glass. In addition to liquid crystals, other substances such as oxidized tungsten are also used.


AID
Acronyms / Information and Communications / Technology

Acronym for Auto-analysis Identification Device. An analysis device equipped with various sensors such as a spectrograph, a gas chromatograph, and a geotechnical sounder, as well as an AI system. Also contains 3D measuring instruments like optical and atomic probes. Designed to assist with forensic analyses, the increase of which being the direct result of a soaring crime rate. Although it does not possess a complex AI with emotions and a personality, it is capable of compiling case facts, delivering accurate analysis results, making inferences, and drawing its own conclusions. Introduced at the beginning of the 21st century for cost-reduction purposes, it later fell into disuse after all police stations on Earth were joined under one network, and a centralized, large-scale analyzer was developed.

Victor Jurgens uses an AID he brought with him from Earth, containing a simple AI enhanced with a CG face. He has nicknamed it "Gorby", after the last president of the former Soviet Union.


AMM
Acronyms / Culture and Sports / Outer Space / Society

Acronym for the Astronauts Memorial Museum. A museum displaying exhibits related to all aspects of space exploration and development, it is divided into 4 main areas – the Coral Hall, the Moon Corner, the Space Corner, and the Beyond Corner. Popular among both tourists and Beyonds, with the Beyond Corner containing exhibits related to the Policenauts and Beyond Coast itself. The table coral placed in the lobby was extracted from the Great Barrier Reef, and is admired by Beyonds as a symbol of the CELESS.


Amphibian
Culture and Sports / Outer Space / Society

Slang for a person who travels between Earth and outer space. This has replaced the antiquated word "astronaut" in common speech, though it is still used in the scientific and historical sense.


AP
Acronyms / Society

Acronym for Advanced Police. A next-generation police force comprised solely of government Frozeners, capable of operating in areas with extreme conditions where a normal police force could not. Formed by Gates Becker in 2020 as an experimental mobile police unit designed to operate outside the colony. All of its more than 50 current members are Beyonds born and raised on Beyond Coast.

AP carries out international rescue missions in lieu of a military unit, which is forbidden on any colony by the Outer Space Treaty. The gene therapy its members undergo, as well as being fathered using sperm from past astronauts, ensures they posses genotypes well suited to outer space's environment. In addition, they all use artificial blood, which has a higher oxygen transportation efficiency than normal blood, invaluable to them in their frequent work in areas of low oxygen density. They also have intraocular lens implants to prevent vision problems while working in areas with low atmospheric pressure. With the introduction of EMPS, AP's range and mobility have vastly improved, allowing its members to function in a variety of extreme areas.


aplastic anemia
Life Science

A disease where damage to a person's hematopoietic stem cells, the cells responsible for creating new blood, causes their bone marrow function to be decreased, which in turn results in decreased production of red blood cells, white blood cells, and megakaryocytes, the precursor to blood platelets. This can lead to anemia, increased risk of hemorrhaging and bruising, and frequent infections due to a weakened immune system. Exposure to radiation, chemical additives, or industrial chemicals such as pesticides are some of the known causes. It can also be brought on as a side effect of certain drugs. Approximately 20% of people who develop it die within a year.

Karen Hojo suffers from secondary aplastic anemia as a result of radiation exposure while living on Beyond Coast. Countless other people on Beyond, where injury from drugs is widespread, have also developed this disease due to the side effects of prescription drugs. It is considered one of the most problematic diseases of the 21st century, and has been placed in its own category on Earth. There is currently a movement going on to try to get aplastic anemia officially designated as one of the diseases of outer space, though a definitive answer has yet to emerge.

For the last several years, repatriatists have been pursuing legal action against the ISPA and the Beyond Coast government regarding the classification of this disease.


artificial blood
Life Science / Technology

A type of blood developed to improve the oxygen and nutrient transportation efficiency of blood, as well as to provide a solution to the lack of blood available for transfusions. Based mainly on substances such as perfluorocarbons and fluorescein diacetate, which were used in the latter half of the 20th century for storing organs, it is also called "milk blood", because its red blood cells are white in color. It does indeed possess superior oxygen transportation efficiency and regenerative abilities, but the heavy burden it places on the kidneys makes it necessary for them to be genetically modified and for the user to undergo regular hemodialysis before it can be used for extended periods of time. For these reasons, it is not permitted for medical use among the general public; it is presently only authorized for use within the military and in members of BCP's AP Unit. In addition to milk blood, there is a second-generation powder type made with genetically modified hemoglobin, and a third-generation type containing 100% artificial blood cells, but both of these types are still undergoing clinical trials.

A person using artificial blood has their original blood placed in cryogenic storage and can switch back to it at any time.


artificial organ
Life Science / Technology

Any one of a group of man-made organs developed as replacements for human organs such as the heart and kidneys. Artificial organs designed for permanent use currently do not exist; they are mainly used in bridge-to-transplants as temporary replacements until a donor can be found. There are hybrid organs in development that combine organic tissue with synthetic materials, but creating fully functional replacements for organs such as the pancreas and the liver remains challenging.


ASL
Acronyms / Outer Space / Society

Acronym for American Space Lines. A space travel company that conducts flights between Earth and Beyond Coast, offering direct flights to the colony from cities such as Los Angeles and Chicago. It became famous for being the first company to employ space stewards and stewardesses on its flights. It has also received praise for the way it responds to passengers who experience SAS while onboard. The charming uniforms sported by its staff, which have the added functional benefit of helping to maintain normal circulation in weightlessness, are popular among travelers.