ELSEWHERE

Back before the Death Stranding, the comms and delivery networks were what held society together. The whole thing was automated--AI-managed, deliveries carried out by drone. The belief was that taking people out of the equation would revolutionize the entire system...but things didn't quite pan out that way. Instead, we started seeing cases of what would eventually be dubbed "drone syndrome." It was too much for some folks to accept, leaving everything to machines and nothing for the common man. And indeed, the oxytocin deficiency and hormonal imbalances we confirmed seemed to back up that assessment. Humanity needed to be part of the process. So laws were put in place, and we stepped back into the picture again.
And then what happened? All the people put out of work by machines who got called up again convinced themselves society couldn't survive without them, and that brought on a whole new disorder. Delivery dependence syndrome, they called it. When the Death Stranding tore us apart, the delivery problem spiraled even further. It wasn't helped any by the fact that the chiral clouds prevented planes and drones from flying, which meant we had to go back to relying completely on human couriers whether we liked it or not. Eventually, delivering goods became all some lived for. They were obsessed, addicted--consumed by the desire to deliver. Over time, they turned into the MULEs we know and love today.

"Beaches" are unique to the individual experiencing them -- everyone "has" a Beach

We've got a fake drug called Likecin that is the hormone your body makes when you get a "like"