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reformed-distributed-republic
A social group that enforces trust and mutual dependency through random, high-risk rituals involving strangers, creating artificial absolutes in a factionalized society.
1 chapter across 1 book
The Diamond Age (1996)Neal Stephenson
Chapter 79
In this chapter, Hackworth and Fiona journey into the Cascades foothills and encounter members of the Reformed Distributed Republic (R.D.R.), a faction that uses dangerous, trust-building rituals involving random, high-stakes tasks to create mutual dependency and social cohesion. Hackworth learns about the R.D.R.'s practices and shares a cryptic connection with Maggie, a local woman, through a device that transmits data via microscopic mites in the bloodstream, hinting at a deeper network of shared knowledge and relationships.