The Council of the Wise

Summary:

“The Council of the Wise Era, especially the period when the council was headed by Xanthe Northfield, was characterized by peace, prosperity, and the flowering of knowledge and enlightenment.” -- Koma Manuku in his work “The Early History of Eternity Station.”

“While no one can deny that the average citizen during the Council of the Wise Era benefited from a high quality of life and were theoretically represented by the best and brightest members of the station, this work will explore the less pleasant details that are frequently left out of works on that period including holo-addiction, overly ambitious scientific experimentation, and the frequent corruption of the “meritocracy system” which often led to connections being more valuable than actual talent.” -- Petros Magnus in his work “The Council of the Wise Era: Golden or Gilded.”

“Membership in Eternity Station’s Council of the Wise was determined using a system based on meritocracy. Each councilor was to be one of the most skilled and successful members of the group that he represented. The groups themselves were generally based on occupation or species; although other types of groups were added if there was shown to be a legitimate need. The number of representatives each group had was based on the number of individuals on that station which belonged to that group. The High Councilor was meant to act as a representative for the entire population of the station and was expected to have demonstrated a high level of competence both in their original field and as a councilor. Generally the High Councilor was someone whose discovery or early work had provided a significant and tangible benefit to the entire population of Eternity Station.”--Fifth Year History Text Book

Command 5 (Tactics 4, Loyalty 6)

Because foreign relations during this period were peaceful, little emphasis was placed on the accumulation of military power or on weapons development. Additionally, military positions and weapons research generally had a slightly lower unofficial status than equivalent positions in other fields. Nevertheless, the station had a small and talented professional military that, more often than not, either acted in a ceremonial capacity or quietly dealt with the fallout of dangerous experiments gone wrong.

Due to a fairly high quality of life and a feeling that, in general, the Council of the Wise represented their interests, the citizens of Eternity Station had the loyalty of a contented population with an optimistic view of the future.

Development 8 (Advanced Technology 8, Cultural Influence 8)

The Council of the Wise Era was characterized by a flowering of technology and culture. It was a time of optimism and of a strong belief that any problem could eventually be resolved through further research and advancement.

Scientists, academics, and inventers were generally respected. The inhabitants of Eternity Station during this time period had good reason to be proud of their educational system, which started at age thee and provided an excellent general education by age 16. After that point, higher education was freely available for any whose test scores indicate they could benefit from it; and apprentice programs were available for those whose talents lay in different directions. Significant advances were made in most every field; though, research that tangibly improved the lives of the population of the station was usually more highly regarded than the more obscure or “knowledge for knowledge sake” research.

Art and music also flourished during the Council of the Wise period. The artists’ representatives on the Council of the Wise ensured that public art, galleries, and museums were adequately funded and readily available to all members of the station. Additionally, many of the more wealthy members of the station prided themselves on acting as patrons to the station’s artists. New forms of art were developed and perfected during this time period. First holographic technology was used to create moving, three dimensional statues. Then, many classic novels and new works were transformed into holo-novels. And finally, holo-scenarios became fully interactive, which unfortunately also lead to holo-addiction for a significant minority of the station.

Resources 8 (Standard of Living 8, State Market Power 8)

While there was some disparity of wealth on Eternity station during this time, the quality of life for the average citizen remained quite high. Basic and luxury goods were readily available. Employment was high; and assistance and retraining was available for those who needed it. Additionally, all individuals who had been born on the station or lived there for at least 20 years were entitled to one low interest loan of up to 200,000 credits (approximately 2 years average salary) provided they presented a well developed plan to the Council of the Wise detailing how the money would be used to further improve life on the station.

The station was also a hub of free trade between other stations and worlds. Resources flowed freely, with the station generally importing raw materials and exporting technological and cultural goods. Taxes were more than sufficient to meet the government’s needs.

Awareness 5 (Diplomatic Clout 7, Espionage 3)

Relations between Eternity Station and its neighbors during this time were generally quite cordial. Diplomacy, negotiation, and compromise were considered the best ways to deal with any conflicts that arose. The station had a highly skilled and well funded diplomatic corps.

On the other hand, the station had no formalized branch devoted to either internal or external intelligence gathering. These types of duties were performed to a very limited degree by the police (in an attempt to prevent rather than just respond to crimes), the Diplomatic Corps (gathering basic information to assist in negotiations), and the occasional private researcher.

Heroism 6

Education, and personal growth and development were strongly encouraged during the Council of the Wise Era. The Council, itself, was chosen from individuals who had made notable achievements in their fields.

However, while this was officially the case, it wasn’t always true in actuality. Many of the best and brightest preferred to continue working in their chosen fields rather than moving into government. Additionally, skills in ones original field didn’t always translate well to skill at governing the station or even representing the members of one’s original occupation. Finally, especially in the mid to late eras, connections and charisma often played as much of a role in a person’s selection as representative as did their actual accomplishments

Complications 8

Thesis: The Council of the Wise fulfills the hyperadvanced liberal space culture archetype. They represent government by conscience and reflect a time of enlightenment, peace, prosperity, and optimism about the future. They reflect the belief that any problem can eventually be resolved with sufficient research and technology. And, that power and authority should rest in the hands of those whose past accomplishments have show them to be intelligent and capable. While, the society is not pacifistic, they strongly believe that diplomacy and compromise are much better options than physical force to most situations. However, they have principles and beliefs that would not be compromised, even under threat of destruction.

Representative: High Councilor Xanthe Northfield. She was a noted inventor prior to and during her time on the Council of the Wise, where she initially acted as one of the representative of Eternity Station’s engineers. She is known for making significant improvements to the household helper (a limited purpose robot that could perform cleaning, gardening, and maintenance functions); for making the clothing fabricator less expensive and smaller; and for inventing the gourmet food replicator and the cleaning curtain. She also contributed to the development of nano-factories

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