ESPER Machine

The miraculous Esper is “a high-density Omniview image analyzer.” You don’t know what that means, and you don’t have a clue how it works. Nobody but Esper Corporation does, the megacorp who owns the patent and manufactures all Esper terminals for the LAPD and other agencies as a government contractor. All you know is that it can change the point-of-view of any image captured by a compatible device. With a simple voice command, Espers can pan and zoom within that recorded image’s three-dimensional space, enhance the tiniest detail in high resolution, even maneuver around obstructions and reveal new information not seen in the original image.

Esper terminals range in size and functionality. The smallest (relatively the size of a TV set) can only provide Omniview analysis on one image at a time. Every Blade Runner has one of these magic boxes at home. The biggest Esper terminal by far is the Esper Wall, owned and exclusively accessed by the LAPD. This wall-sized supercomputer located at RDU HQ is capable of impossible computational powers, processing endless amounts of data across innumerable sources and feeds. More than a mere image analyzer, the Esper Wall is the nervous system of the Esper Network (EN), the ever-watchful surveillance network constantly recording video through the city’s countless Esper cameras. The Esper Machine has versatile uses in casework. Blade Runners may capture Esper footage of a crime scene to thoroughly investigate then or later. You can also input confiscated imagery/video and enhance for evidence. You’d be surprised how many trafficators, drones, security cameras, and other Esper-enabled devices are recording much of the city from multiple angles, all from which Espers can mine for evidence if you can secure the footage.

If all else fails, you can check the Esper Network to see if its many prying eyes saw anything you didn’t. It doesn’t see everything, mind you. It’s got Omnivision, not omniscience or omnipresence. The EN demands too much processing power, so it can only hold about 24 hours of footage before being forced to record over yesterday’s data. The EN also only monitors street-level activity for the most heavily trafficked Sectors, as megacorps and suits prefer to pay for their own security and discreet solutions. Plus, the best back-alley dealers among crooks and megacorps alike know how to keep out of sight.

As there is much outside Esper’s purview, the EN is about as useful as any other closed-circuit security camera network. Just because the EN sees something, it doesn’t mean anybody notices. If you know exactly what, where, and when you’re looking for, it can be vital for surveillance, crime scene investigation, even tracking fugitives. And since the EN is datalinked to the LAPD Mainframe, you can cross-reference on face-prints and select other data in the case archives.

Much like the Mainframe, only Blade Runners and other authorized LAPD personnel can access Esper terminals. Operators can make Wall inquiries and the supercomputer will deliver a report after the required processing time. Make too vague an inquiry, and you’ll retire before results come back.