UPBs (1000)

Trade

A universal polymer base, or UPB, is the basis for most technology in the Pact Worlds, the Veskarium, and many other systems. Each UPB is a tiny multifunction component, not much larger than a grain of rice, capable of being configured to act as a brace, capacitor, circuit, diode, fastener, insulator, lens, modulator, pipe, resistor, and dozens of other constituent parts. UPBs can even be spun out into fabric, broken down into component chemicals, reconstituted into new chemicals, or supplemented with base materials (such as dirt or sand) to form massive braces or walls. The right combination of hundreds or even thousands of UPBs can create everything from a comm unit to a laser weapon to powered armor. In their raw form, UPBs have a bulk of 1 per 1,000 UPBs, though when aligned and configured they can easily take up less bulk, and when configured for a specific purpose that calls for a minimum size and bracing (possibly combining them with inert materials), they can have a higher bulk.

UPBs are so ubiquitous that they are usable as currency in many major settlements and trade hubs. While credsticks are a more convenient and secure way to carry value, UPBs have the advantage of direct utility and untraceability. They are a popular way to pay smugglers and criminals, but they are also useful for trade missions to systems with UPB technology that don’t use credits as currency. The value of the Pact Worlds’ credit is based on the economic utility of a single UPB.