CODE OF ABACAB (noun)

    New.


A code of conduct set in some current runner communities. According to observers, it was established in 2011 by a runner named "Scarecrow." The code uses a different name for the Misery-Makers ("Fossils") and outlines the following rules:

Overview: The subjects on the run from entities of questionable physics (hereby referred to as "Fossils") will find it in their best interests to keep a universal etiquette. Remember, we're all in this together. We're all running from different Fossils, but we're all running, all the same.

i- Subjects should maintain mutual respect. Keep the golden rule in mind at all times: Do unto others as you'd have done unto yourself. That's really all there is to it. 

ii- Subjects should respect the deceased in accordance to personal background, even to those under the influence of Fossils. For absent friends, not in the presence of enemies. The dead are the dead, respect that. Yes, even to proxies and Fossil-subs. 

iii- Subjects should not approach those under the influence of Fossils unless explicitly provoked. For reasons that should be obvious, unless the proxy is charging at you or a friend, you should try to leave them be. You don't want to be on the run from even more Fossils. 

iv- If suitable shelter and/or sustenance is discovered, subjects should check for and respect boundaries. If you find a house or food or something that looks like it's all yours, first check for nearby people or even graffiti signs or anything that might mark the discovery. Don't just steal the stuff. This isn't for the sake of being nice; this is all for the sake of keeping yourself out of trouble. But if there's no sign of other people, have at it. 

v- Subjects should, for sake of clarity, avoid using graffiti for sake of gang symbols. Graffiti is a means of communication. Write words, or leave a symbol representing shelter or Fossils. Don't use it for petty gangs, or else you'll cause confusion and people will think it's a new type of Fossil. 

vi- Subjects should respect territorial laws. Just because you're on the run doesn't mean everyone around you is. If there's police officers, do your best to respect them. If there's laws against, say, squatting in abandoned houses, then you shouldn't use that house as shelter. 

vii- Subjects should take caution at all times. Respect your peers, but also be afraid of strangers. Be smart, careful when hitchhiking, keep a weapon on you and know self-defense. Try to develop an understanding of all the Fossils so you know what to be on the lookout for. 

viii- Subjects should avoid online interaction. Blogging lets the whole world about your location, and there's an awful lot of blogs from different cultures with different customs and interpretations of Fossils. You want to avoid confusion, so use only the knowledge you acquire with your own eyes and ears.

 It is unknown where the name originates.