What technology is there in the Choices and Consequences world?
We know there are solar panels, even if they don't look quite like the ones we have, because they are mentioned in Strand of Faith. They are still photovoltaic, but thinner than ours and very flexible. There are computers as well but the extent to which these are used and widely available depends on the House and its access to resources. They are nothing like as powerful as the ones we are familiar with today.
Development has concentrated on medical and energy generation technology, then transport. It’s early days for communication technology – for example landline type phones are around, but rare and expensive due to the need to lay and protect cabling. They are also treated with suspicion by a lot of people. Entertainment related technology is coming, but it’s not there yet.
In House St Peter, technology is mostly found in the hospital and in energy generation rather than personal use. In House Eastern (which features in Thread of Hope) it is more widespread and there is also a reference to electric vehicles.
Here's an extract from Weave of Love which explains why one family doesn't have a telephone...
“Perry?” I asked. “Why don’t your parents have a telephone of their own?”
I knew telephones tended to be the prerogative of the wealthy but I was sure Perry’s family fell into that category.
Perry grinned at me. “Officially, or the real reason?” he asked.
I shrugged. They were different?
Perry answered anyway, “Officially, not many people round here have them, so they’d make little use of one. Ma doesn’t want anything that sets them apart from everyone else, or marks them as different. And installing them is expensive and that would be a waste of resources.”
“And really?” I asked.
“If they don’t have a telephone, Lord Neville can’t get hold of them quickly or easily. Which means it’s much harder for him to place any demands on them.” Perry laughed slightly. “Except I happen to know that it was Lord Neville who arranged and paid for the one to be installed at the Pastor’s house. It’s used by most of the community but the real reason it’s there is in case Ma and Pa need it.” He grinned at me again. “I don’t think they know any of that, so don’t let on.”
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