Ink Bug

This is a small, mobile robot that can print or draw on paper or other suitable surfaces. Ink Bugs are a common substitute for computer printers when only a few pages must be printed, and a printer would be too large.

An Ink Bug receives data from a nearby computer via radio or infrared, but it can also store the equivalent of 20 pages (double for ever TL above 8) and print them when a tiny button is pressed or when it is placed on paper. This is very practical for standard form and contracts; businessmen and civil servants may carry several Ink Bugs instead of an attache case full of forms. Many small computer have a housing for an Ink Bug from TL8 on.

Several Ink Bugs can work on the same print job, but this requires a computer to coordinate them below TL9. A handful can print even a large poster or map quickly.

For practical purposes, assume an Ink Bug requires negligible amounts of energy. It recharges from a base station that also replenishes the ink. A base station costs $20 at any Tech Level and can be built into a computer; offices have "Bug Houses" for a dozen Ink Bugs. An early TL8 base Station is the size of a cigarette pack, all more advanced models are matchbox-sized.

A late TL7 Ink Bug is possible, but sensor and robot technology are not very advanced at this stage, and the little things keep missing the edge of the paper and continue printing. The cost would around $200, and the resolution poor.
An early TL8 Ink Bug costs $50, is roughly the size of a palm and moves on wheels or legs. It has sufficient sensor capacity to recognize paper sizes and to format correctly, but is easily confused by non-standard paper sizes and types (vellum, alien paper, etc.). It prints about one page per minute in black or white at 600dpi.
A late TL8 Ink Bug is the size of a walnut shell, can be disguised as a brooch or other piece of jewelry (egyptian scarab replicas or tiny Bugatti race cars are always in fashion), print two pages per minute and do very well with odd paper sizes and types as long as appropriate printer drivers are available. Cost is $40. It can print color very well, and its resolution is about 1200dpi.
A TL9 Ink Bug does not get much smaller, but can climb and print on walls, write and draw like a plotter instead of just print, and imitate handwriting rather well. It costs $30 and does three pages per minute. Forgers use TL9 Ink Bugs to imitate another persons handwriting. Most commercial Ink Bugs have a precise, steady writing that can be recognized as the work of an Ink Bug with even a cursory analysis (though not with the naked eyes), but some makes imitate the way a human writes very well, and resist all attempts to detect the forgery with a Skill of 14 (cost $300 at least, often illegal).
A good forgery also requires samples of writing and analysis equipment. The Ink Bug just writes the false document from available data.
Scan Bugs: The Scan Bug is the brother of the Ink Bug. It scans as quickly as an Ink Bug prints, and costs the same. It TL9, a Bug can do both equal to a late TL8 version that does only one thing.

Bigger Bugs

The charm of an Ink Bug lies in its small size. Bigger versions are always possible, but must compete with regular printers. Large ink Bugs are the size of a modern cellular phone and are most likely specialized for jobs where printers fail, such as printing on irregular surfaces (T-shirts, stickers), very large surfaces (posters, flags) or three-dimensional objects (statues, mannequins). They are also very good for the military, or guerrilla fighters, because they can give ordinary clothing a camouflage pattern.

Adventure Ideas

The Night of the Berserk Bugs: A radical political organisation spreads a computer virus that makes Ink Bugs come out at night and scrawl slogans on the walls. This can be anything from a running gag to an adventure hook.
Little Lost Bug: A scientist of a foreign power wants to defect with an important secret formula. He does not get far. Counter intelligence finds him and silences him - permanently. They remove all traces, but miss his Ink Bug that was detached from his Pocket Pal computer at the time they struck (See the Near Future Telecommunication page for more information on Pocket Pals). The Ink Bug with the valuable data is found by someone who sells it to a Character on a flea market. Just wait till he gets home and turns the Ink Bug on...