Scarcity

It is important to stress that there are a finite number of Creator transpods (at the Hub and on Discovery Landers), and even Merge tech transpods are in relative short supply. As a result, jumping is rare, expensive, and highly controlled. To jump, you must possess status and resources and/or have the right connections. This is especially true if you are jumping into a Creator-transpod-generated version of yourself rather than utilizing a "rental" skin.

The power requirements related to jumping are another limitation that contributes to scarcity: Fabricating a body in a Creator transpod drains the Protens powering the system; the more complex a skin, the more energy consumed. Creator Tech (whether on a Discovery Lander or in the Hub) will recharge the Protens, but this process takes time, and the system will not operate until there is power to do so.

These same scarcity issues apply to Assemblers, too: The fabrication of equipment and supplies uses up Proten power; the more complex and extensive a jumper's equipment and supply loadout is, the longer the process will take (because the Protens will need to recharge). Additionally, jumpers are competing for Assembler use with a planet's population, which uses the Creator Tech for any number of needs (food, technology, weapons, etc.). On a developed planet, every Assembler is used around the clock, so access is limited and expensive.

The limited number of Protens in existence is another area of scarcity: Protens emerge from the Mass-O and cannot be replicated, and the only other source are the crystal "farms" on Progenitor Ships, Discovery Landers, and the Hub (Servitors make a limited stockpile available). A5C4QPQPAD17IMIO9OOM4I2HED4K ER3D9544STJ2ATB7COJDALJM8CI6ELI4GJB7CH3JGPQQ69B30IA8A9NLKLRCF54KEQ38C9ML4UI98SSNAIA689SM4CQIDHH6SJBJ95454RQQB1LMEOA78OP5KKQ261H7IGJ9B99K4UIP69334MIN6LN5KKPPF9I4ELJ8C91K4C318TB78IA7B9SM4CHGCT94ER3QB4P3ICIQB153AIA5F1K64RAIDHHMSJB7B5BJAQQ98P76OOREB9O68HPPF5HNIGBFB5BJ8PQQB1K30ORDAPQ5KLRO6L4KEKJ8C9MM8R33DKSJ2ORP89RM6R9PETH36JJGCH3MOTJ2D5LNAIA6A9NM2M2DCTH5ELJ8C9N4QPR48TK6GP23898M6R9P61D5EDBQ951J0T2991I6UOAN9PNKIHQED1H6IGJ9B99K4CB369B6MIA8A9R4II22EPI34LJP953KCSR2ASSNKP2389K64RJC61GKER3LB9SK2T2CAD16GORDALJM8HR8DH4KGJJGC9MM8SQQAD178OHJ9OO4II2EEPI5EP3FCH1K4Q2QDP96OOR989SLKM2EEPI5GIJAB99K4S32D5130OA7ALJLCLPLE1H36MJCCDN4SR2CCSUJQ.