COWBOY BEBOP - The World

LAW ENFORCEMENT Since the construction of the Phase Space Gates, law enforcement has been powerless to stop poverty and crime from skyrocketing throughout the Solar System. Though the ISSP (Inter Solar System Police) was formed to catch interplanetary criminals, it wasn't enough to bring about law and order. Bounty hunting and volunteer law enforcement have become commonplace.
COWBOY SYSTEM In a desperate attempt to keep crime under control, the "Cowboy System" was established. After passing a lenient written test, any civilian could apply a bounty hunting license and capture criminals from the ISSP wanted list for reward money. By 2071, over 300,000 registered bounty hunters reside in the Solar System.
ORGANIZED CRIME Ruthless criminal organizations, such as the "Red Dragon" crime syndicate of Mars, control much of the Solar System. Those who go up against these gangs are either bought out or murdered, a common practice of gangs like the "Blue Snake" crime syndicate.

SPACE TRAVEL

MONO SYSTEM
All space ships are classified as "Monomachines." MONO is an abbreviation for "Machine Operation Navigation of Outer Space" The "Monosystem" encompasses the airframe control mechanics, the navigation system and the automatic billing system of any given ship. In short, it is a necessity for all outer space activity. Steering capsules called "Monopods," a standard feature of "Narrow-sense" Monomachines, can be ejected and navigated independent of their ships.

Phase Space

Ship Exiting Phase Space

PHASE SPACE GATES
At the dawn of the 21st century, Phase Differential Gates (also known as Phase Space Gates) were constructed across the Solar System. Designed by the famous Chessmaster Hex and funded by the Gate Corporation, the gates enable space craft to enter hyperspace, traveling 240 times faster than in normal space. However, after discovering a flaw in the design, Hex attempted to stop the the gates from being built. He was fired from the corporation and the gates were built without his approval.

The Broken Moon

GATE INCIDENT
Shortly after Chessmaster Hex was fired by the Gate Public Corporation, a Phase Space Gate between the Earth and its moon exploded, sending moon debris into Earth's atmosphere. Chunks of the debris constantly strike the surface of the planet rendering it virtually uninhabitable. The gate incident changed the lives of many including Faye Valentine and Wen.

Aside from groundbreaking developments in space travel, there have been major advancements in other technologies.

The universal currency known as the Woolong was established. Though paper money is still in circulation, electronic money cards are more commonly used.

Medical technologies such as artificial organs and cryogenics have been perfected. Using "Alfa Catch" devices, Images from the human brain can be displayed on monitors.

Virtual reality videogaming has become the norm and videocassettes are a relic of the distant past.

The internet, once known as the World Wide Web (WWW), has evolved into the massive Solar System Web (SSW). Although the interface of the SSW is much more chaotic than that of the WWW, common problems such as computer viruses continue to plague the online world.

Money Card System

Frozen Faye

Solar System Web

THE SOLAR SYSTEM

	VENUS Population: 500 Million Culture: 70% Middle Eastern and African Travel Time From Earth: 7-13 Hours (via Phase Space Gates) Appears In: SESSION 7 With the addition of oxygen-producing plants in the sky, Venus was terra-formed into a habitable planet. However, the falling spores of the plants cause "Venus Sickness" in a very small percent of people. If untreated, the sickness could cause blindness. The architecture of Venus is predominantly Middle Eastern.
	EARTH Population: 200 Million Culture: Varied Appears In: SESSIONS 9, 18, 19 & 24 After the "Gate Incident," daily bombardment by meteors, devastating the planet's surface. The only people crazy enough to stay on Earth are hackers, who hone their skills on the many abandoned communications satellites that continue to orbit the planet, eccentrics who are too stubborn to leave and those who can't afford to leave.
	MARS Population: 300 Million Culture: 50% Chinese Travel Time From Earth: 12-24 Hours (via Phase Space Gates) Appears In: SESSIONS 2, 5, 6, 15, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26 & The Movie Mars is the center of activity in the Solar System. Its many craters have been transformed into vast metropolitan areas.
	ASTEROID BELT Population: 80 Million Culture: Asian, Latin, European Travel Time From Earth: 2-8 Days (via Phase Space Gates) Appears In: SESSIONS 1, 7 & 14 Larger Asteroids in the region between Mars and Jupiter are colonies, centers of free-trade that have been converted into urban areas or fertile pastures. Tijuana, an asteroid with an excavated center, is famous for its beef.
	MOONS OF JUPITER Population: 350 Million Culture: European Travel Time From Earth: 2-3 Days (via Phase Space Gates) Appears In: SESSIONS 4, 10, 12, 13 & 17 Ganymede, Callisto and Io have been terra-formed and colonized. Ganymede is a fishing planet, almost completely surrounded by water. Callisto is frigid, hostile and in a constant state of economic depression with many abandoned construction sites. Io is a dry place with expansive plains similar to Mexico.
	SATURN Population: 30 Million Travel Time From Earth: 4-7 Days (via Phase Space Gates) Appears In: SESSION 13 & The Movie Titan, the sixth moon of Saturn, is a sprawling desert. In 2068, it was the stage of a bitter civil war. The economic depression in Callisto is partially attributed to this conflict. The merciless wasteland reshaped the lives of war veterans including Gren and Vincent.