The world of Simulation – 1990 is divided into two distinct realities: the Simulation itself, a vast, complex virtual environment, and the Consortium, the physical facility where the participants’ bodies reside.
The core setting of the book is the simulation, an artificial world designed to mimic the year 1990. Within this environment, consciousnesses from the outside world are embodied in digital selves.
Participants vs. NPCs: The population is split between simulation insiders (like Ella, Rosie, and Kacey), whose true consciousnesses are inside, and NPCs (Non-Player Characters), which are digital, non-sentient shells that cannot be possessed or affected by special abilities.
Simulation Abilities: Some insiders possess unique powers that operate according to the simulation’s rules:
Anomaly/Anomaly Detection: The ability to perceive other conscious beings (Insiders) within the simulation. These individuals appear to the user as “thousands of lights scattered across the world, glowing as translucent yellow and orange dots.”
Body Switching/Possession: The power to instantaneously transfer one’s consciousness from their current body to a suitable new host body within the simulation.
Hardened Air/Force Field: The capacity to manipulate the environment, creating an invisible, protective barrier, or expelling a powerful, offensive blast of “hardened force field.”
The Consortium is the off site, real world facility that houses the control center and the physical bodies of all participants whose minds are trapped inside the simulation.
Pods: The physical bodies of the participants are stored in thousands of light gray container units called Pods. Each occupant is motionless, connected to life support, with their eyes closed, waiting for their consciousness to return.
The Goal: The ultimate objective for the protagonists is to find the proper mechanism or exit point within the simulation to be successfully “sent out” and returned to their bodies in the pods. This act of exiting is a key plot point, often involving a great personal sacrifice or risk.
The lore of Simulation – 1990 revolves around the history of the project, the collective subconscious manifesting inside, and the threat posed by antagonistic forces seeking to exploit the system.
Visions (in the Sky): The most unique mythological element is the appearance of immense, translucent figures that manifest in the sky. These apparitions include gods, prehistoric beasts, and mythical creatures. They are understood to be a manifestation of the collective beliefs or mythology of the people in that specific geographical area of the simulation.
The Order: The primary antagonistic force within the simulation. This is a large, hostile, and highly organized group numbering in the thousands. The order actively hunts people with simulation abilities like Ella and Rosie. Their motivation is to force or exploit the ability wielders to find the way to exit the simulation.
The History of Escape: The possibility of escape is established by the story of a former programmer who successfully managed to leave the system, a process referred to as being “Five-percented out.” This historical success fuels the desire of others to also find an exit, even those within The order.
The Paradox of Purpose: The concept of escaping is contrasted with the despair and resignation felt by those who choose to remain inside the simulation to help others exit, feeling “purposeless and hollow” in the silent aftermath of a successful extraction.
