FederalSpace:Peoples

History

The quick-and-dirty history of the setting. Play "spot the borrowed inspiration" as you read along! :)

21st Century Cyberpunk and the Eugenics Wars

As the 21st century goes along, Earth becomes more and more cyberpunky, as new technology completely fails to resolve many of the big social problems that date back to the 20th century of before. All the cultural divisions finally bust loose at the end of the century in World War III, which is one big war and whole bunch of little ones. This is our Eugenics Wars parallel, and maybe the subsequent conflicts can still be called that.

Long story short: The bad guys win.

The Terran Empire

This brings us up to about the mid-22nd century. The United Earth Government, which eventually becomes just the Terran Empire, pacifies the globe, and conquers space, using the new space technologies that were developed just before the Wars. Imagine the Empire as a mix of what little we know about the canonical Khans, and the Evil Mirror Universe Federation. Brutal military force, chaotic social situation, lots of runaway genetic engineering to manufacture warrior races and sex slaves and biowarfare critters. The first contacts with extraterrestrial intelligence occur during this time, and go about as well as you'd expect from Space Nazis. The Empire's borders are rather porous, with people escaping to form their own little free colonies beyond the frontier… and then the Empire expands to absorb them. But what with all the escapees, and the Empire's own internal politics, lots of people disappear Out There. Eventually, the Imperial capitol even moves from Earth, and it's just The Great Galactic Empire.

And then something causes the whole thing to fall apart. Probably several somethings, ranging from economics issues to civil war, but I also like the idea of something like a Berserker or Planet-Killer device suddenly blitzing through, or a supernova disrupting warp travel, or something else big and scary. In any case, the Empire collapses, and we get our Long Night scenario. This is about the start of the 25th or 26th century or so.

The Triplanetary Confederation

History doesn't stop during dark ages, it just isn't recorded as well. Various pocket empires arise, more isolated colonies, more alien contacts. Stuff changes. Now fast-forward to the late 27th century, where three worlds have formed the Triplanetary Confederation.

Analogy to characters: Bones is Earth, a lot of history, a lot of old memes, always the first to worry about the dangers in new technology, but there to help all the same. Kirk is Centauri, aggressive, capable, alternately forthright and sneaky. Spock is Hephaestus, struggling with two natures, but primarily thoughtful and logical.

World One: Earth

United now under a much more peaceful and democratic government that has successful restored and rebuilt devastated Earth. They're saddled with a load of guilt for inflicting the Empire on the rest of the universe. (Real-world inspiration: I haven't seen a lot of the 1960s German SF program Raumpatrouille Orion, but I know of it. A story I've heard, though I don't know how true it is: The space patrolmen seem to argue a lot, why? Because the Bundeswehr encouraged this among its troops, as a counter-reaction to the militarism and unquestioning obedience that the Wehrmacht and SS attempted to inculcate. This analogy seems as good as any for explaining why Starfleet seems to have a loose opinion toward chain of command.)

World Two: Alpha Centauri

Our source of boundless can-do, no-nonsense frontier spirit, and maybe the source of our Confederation's trust in government institutions—they built them themselves, of course they trust them! (A bit of that 1950s-1960s American civic duty ideal.) A random idea which is a footnote in Centauran history, but might stand out for us: some of the early colonists tried to gengineer a way for women to grow as tall and tough as men, hoping this would eliminate gender inequality; whether it did or not, the trait breeds true, and easily spread to other worlds. (The only reason for doing this is so I can have a less gender-segregated military without having certain people grumble about physical requirements. ;) )

World Three: Hephaestus

Hephaestus was another name for Vulcan, so we know which world this is! A planet with a population dominated by H-class genetic upgrades, an early attempt at a "strong genius" model, marred by emotional instability and some other quirks. In the isolation of Nightfall, they had some massive wars, until a couple of the geniuses worked out an artificial philosophy and set of rituals that spread and brought peace. The "Prime Logic" and "IDIC" philosophies will become well-known outside their planet—though many H-class upgrades don't follow it, it's a common stereotype.

The Federated Worlds

Our Triplanetary Confederation works out a new kind of FTL drive, the transwarp drive (today just "warp drive"), and starts exploring. At first, they're just following up their old trade contacts, but the Confederation picks up allies, and soon there's a move toward a new kind of interstellar government. Worried about a repeat of the crimes of the Old Empire, the wrangling over a new constitution continues for years.

But they finally sign the document, and the new Federated Worlds are founded, a cyberdemocracy dedicated to the principle that all life-forms have a fundamental right to existence in their own terms, and that governments are instituted among sapients to secure an equitable compromise for all within their sphere. (Or some such language; I'm not an expert in interstellar treaty law, so I probably can't phrase it properly.) And this young federation is a smashing success.

That brings us up to the present day, 2809 CE, shortly after the Federated Worlds' Centennial celebrations. The last war with the Cronan Empire was decades ago, the old space exploration program has been reactivated, and the government is involved in a top-down reassessment of internal programs. Stuff's changing, except the stuff which hasn't, but life goes on.

The Others

But they aren't the only new government on the block:

The Orion Alliance

A mercantile trade and defense alliance, grown into a group of federated states. In some aspects, it clings to ancient traditions; in others, it blithely charges forward down new paths. A mirror image of the Federated Worlds. Sometimes they are partners, sometimes rivals. (If you like, you can think of the Alliance as the U.S. and the Fed as the E.U., though that's a gross simplification, of course.) In fact, because of the dispersed nature of space, in places the two governments overlap, with worlds switching allegiance from time to time, or existing side-by-side.

The Great Galactic Empire

…is what they call themselves. Everyone else thinks of them as the Cronan Empire. A fragment of the old Empire still survives, centered on the world of Cronos, and with a resurgent, feudally-inspired culture, they're back in the Great Game, hoping to reclaim lost territory or colonize new. These are the Klingon / Soviet Union analogs.

New Byzantium

Our Romulan analogs, and also our Space Communists / China in Space. Formerly isolationist, now hoping for new blood and ideas, a small but powerful polity with lots of transhuman aspects, and lots of little intersecting social groups and concepts of public face that make it tricky for outsiders to quite grasp what's going on.

The 'Borg Hives

Several of these, actually, mostly way out in the deeps beyond explored space. People who modified themselves and their society so heavily that they may no longer be human, and now exist in such a web of telecommunication and body-modification that each hive is practically a single "person." A couple are aggressive like the TV shows, but others are introspective, or even friendly—though disturbing, for how far they differ from human norms, and yet how close they can still be…

And More…

Plus various pocket empires, like whatever we'll name our Cardassian analogs, and a myriad of isolates, including no doubt a few nuts who base their culture off of Greek mythology, Nazism, cowboy movies, or Edgar Rice Burroughs novels. If it works for them, it's hard to criticize…

All of the larger nations have a mix of races, species, and cultures within them, often on the same worlds. And there are, of course, alien, or alien-dominated nations, as well. I'd like to work the Kzin / Lyrans in there somewhere, the Gorn are a must, the Tholians would fit the "freaky alien space horde bent on devouring us out of existence" role nicely, I wouldn't mind sticking the Hivers and the K'Kree in there on the side… there's room, Space is Big. And don't forget that the aliens may well have para-alien genemods, alien-animal uplifts, and AIs of their own—and humans living among them, playing the "obligatory non-alien part" on their media shows, etc.

It's a big, wide, wonderful galaxy out there.

The Interstellar Nations

The Federated Worlds

Brainstorming

• AI-assisted cyberdemocracy, with a Council and a President.
• Individual worlds have lots of freedom, so long as they hew to "universal principles" of the rights of lifekind, e.g. human rights, environmental conservation, etc.
• While our economic definitions don't exactly apply in an interstellar society with AI, fusion power, and rapidfacturing, the Feds are socialist-ish.
• Suggestion: people draw some sort of basic living stipend (a stock holding?), lots of public housing, etc.; colonists reinvest into developing a new world, then have the option to buy back into the core system, or retain economic independence.
• Constant tension between the sheer weight of Earth's history and population, and everyone else.
• Current arts and culture are in a phase of rediscovering and reclaiming "traditional" pre-Empire art; a lot of emphasis on personal performance and hobbies.
• The Starfleet is an arm of the civil government (albeit a heavily-armed one), and associated with the other stellar organizations; analogous to Japanese SDF. Something like this:
  • Federation Council.
    • Justice Administration.
    • Diplomatic Administration.
    • Worlds Welfare Administration.
    • Federal Space Administration.
      • Department of Colonization and Terraforming.
        • Colonial Rangers.
      • Department of Transportation.
        • Merchant Space Fleet.
        • Bureau of Starports.
      • Department of the Star Fleet.
        • Core Fleets.
        • Frontier Fleet.
        • Star Fleet Marine Corps.
        • Strategic Space Command.
        • Fleet Surgeon General.
      • Department of Survey.
        • Deep Space Scouts.
        • Scientific Survey Bureau.

Random Action Table (1d6)

1. Consider old Terran philosophy.
2. Try to reach a compromise.
3. Beam down a probe.
4. Check the database again.
5. Set phasers to stun.
6. Offer to help.

The Orion Alliance

Brainstorming:

• A republic with AI advisors, with a Parliament and Prime Minister or Ministers.
• Corporate capitalism, complete with well developed mass media, etc.
• Reduced social programs and lax regulation of business, in order to encourage business. Greater individual liberty than the Federated Worlds, but also great social inequality—the poor are poorer.
• Less conservative technologically, but also less stable—more boom and bust cycles.
• Colonies tend to be for business first, and ideology only much later.
• Army and Navy are traditionally-structured militaries, but compete at times with the private corporate fleets.
• Great music, food, and drink!

Random Action Table (1d6):

1. Light a cigarette.
2. Offer money.
3. Offer sex.
4. Apply overwhelming force.
5. Bluff.
6. Damn the consequences and do the right thing.

The Great Galactic Empire

• Great Houses (derived from former military corps of the empire). Each house has its own traditions and holdings; technologically-assisted feudalism.
• A Senate, with elected Emperor.
• Lots of military tradition, but not necessarily militarized or autocratic—too much competition between houses for that.
• Great emphasis upon honor, duty, and glory—always strive to do better, to qualify for a greater oath to a greater patron, and to attract greater clients. Violent. Lead from the front.
• Glorious colorful banners, capes, swords; black helmets and gas masks in battle.

Random Action Table (1d6):

1. Challenge them to a duel.
2. Praise their abilities.
3. Follow orders to the letter.
4. Gengineer a solution.
5. Ask your brothers and sisters for help.
6. Attack!

The New Byzantine Sphere

Brainstorming:

• Roman Republic? "Athenian" cyber-assisted democracy, with completely anonymous posting? Single-party state?
• See previous economic caveat, but these are our Space Communists. Everyone works for the state.
• Society to us would seem a strange mix of fragmented and homogenous:
  • Everyone born and raised in public creches, to ensure equality of opportunity. You select your own parent-mentors when you reach the right age.
  • Everyone belongs to multiple social groups, with privacy defended fiercely—you can gain social advantage by figuring out just who someone is friends with, so there are intricate social masks, and even spoofing by pretending to attend a group you're disinterested in…
  • Careful distinctions made between mating, householding, sex, and love; you may be "married" to one person for the sake of appearance and property holding, and have a couple of regular sexual partners elsewhere—or even belong to a swinger's club—but your romantic confidant could be someone else entirely. And if they are your spouse or sex-partner, it's impolite to say so.
• Wide use of personal augmentation, paired with the principles of "with great power comes great responsibility" and "subtlety trumps blatancy." Top Byzantines are the smartest, healthiest, sexiest people you've ever met—and have a workload to match. On duty, they're expected to wear the uniform and blend in; in off hours, they really cut loose. Bottom-tier proles have minimum required service?
• Non-expansionist, but uncompromising on security.
• Long policy of isolation now being abandoned in the hopes of attracting new blood and ideas. Approached with the gritted-teeth attitude of taking cough medicine—they hate this, but they know it'll make 'em better. Privately, many welcome the change (and many others want to sabotage it).

Random Action Table (1d6):

1. Say nothing.
2. Consult one of your secret clubs.
3. Say polite nothings with hidden meaning.
4. Make a gratuitous demonstration of your official resources.
5. Pass the buck.
6. Seemingly retreat, then take action a moment later.

The Borg Hives

• The far end of the transhuman curve—people so self-modified that they hardly count as human.
• Born and raised in a web of rapid telecommunications (even implanted comms, sensory-sharing?), each "hive" reacts almost as a single personality, as emotional responses spread throughout the web, and anyone with a question can receive advice almost instantly. Some hives are aggressive, most are just absent, a few are friendly and interact with the more normal cultures. Because of this, hard to generalize…
• Bodies are just shells, to be adapted as needed for different tasks. Use of "zombie" bodies as bioshells when no longer needed; no distinction made between minds of different origins (human? AI? uplifted dolphin? non-uplifted housecat? all the same). Lots of robotics.
• Most live far beyond the frontiers, for the sake of privacy, or for esoteric reasons of their own. Some accept immigrants; some have emigrants.

Random Action Table (1d6):

1. Suddenly, the entire Hive's attention is focused on the situation.
2. Bring in a different shell.
3. Stare blankly.
4. Suddenly stop and do something else.
5. Odd emotional response.
6. For a moment, seems utterly "normal."

Pocket Kingdoms & Isolates

• Isolates: Plenty of these out there—small groups who set out with their own power and equipment, to engineer their ideal society, away from the common crowd.
  • Hidden in asteroids, scattered on frontier worlds, sometimes just in private spaces within settled space.
  • Rely on being small and harmless for defense; some maintain relationships with the larger governments just in case, others try to go invisible.
  • Lots of these in and aorund Federal space, since the Feds don't mind; few in the Empire, because the local houses, or the Emperor, want control. (However, some cadet branches are practically isolates themselves.)
• Pocket Kingdoms: Generic term for independent worlds, and small interstellar polities, whether they're actually kingdoms or not.
  • Lots of these are dictatorships, I mean, People's Democratic Republics. The rest tend to be complicated but well-populated worlds, which endured the Nightfall and decided they liked independence.
  • Many are neutral, or fall into client-patron relationships with the larger nations. The Empire tolerates 'em if they pay tribute; the Orions cheerfully make trade or perform military interventions; the Fed tends toward formal diplomacy with limited trade ties.
  • The Badlands are a region of particularly balkanized and shifting allegiances, which is a constant source of diplomatic frustration.
  • A number of these worlds spawn pirates, privateers, and space vikings, though these are generally quite localized problems; anything gets big and problematic, one of the big nations sends in a fleet.
• New Byzantium can be considered one of the most successful pocket kingdoms, since they maintain an active interstellar presence beyond their sphere.

Aliens

I do like me some alien aliens, but too many of them interacting with humans, and humans become just a drop in the ocean… One compromise might be that it seems there are lots of sapients out there, but they tend to be scattered—the dense and complicated human-dominated space is typical of aggressive species, and passive species pretty much stick to one world. You might encounter a few visitors from anywhere, but rarely interact with the full cultures…

• Uplifts — Neo-dolphins in particular appeal to me, and there may be some other uplifts here and there. The old Terran Empire experimented with a lot of these, and then killed off the useless ones, but some have still held on… and new ones may have been created.
• Free AIs — There are some weird machine intelligences out there.
• Kzin / Lyrans / Aslan / etc. — Our "cat-like" race of carnivores, and their genetic variants. Aggressive; lots of fighting. Might steal bits of Vargr culture from Traveller, as well, like their flexible concept of social status.
• Hivers / Puppeteers — More Niven influence, and I do like Traveller's Hivers. They'd fit in just fine.
• K'Kree — So would Traveller's K'Kree.
• Tholians — Because talking killer crystals are awesome. (And steal from some other Trek aliens: "YOU UGLY BAGS OF MOSTLY WATER.") I suggest letting them have emphasizing stargate technology for travel, rather than warp, just to be different—and they supposedly arrived from far away originally, right? One massive teleport mission.
• Gorn / other lizardy folk — Inspired by Murry Leinster's fun story "First Contact", I suggest our Gorn analogs turn out to be one of the closest and friendliest alien species to humans—we understand each other well. 'Course, this does mean there are also easy conflicts, but nothing's perfect.
• True Andorians — Our Andorian analogs, whatever they are, are probably genetically-engineered by some other species, to better interact with humans. Heck, maybe the Hivers?
• There's something that lives in certain gas giants: big, serene, and difficult to interact with. Since we have rather different living requirements and sensibilities, we usually ignore each other.

LIfe in the Eight-and-Twenty

A Galaxy Without Poverty?

Pteryx on Replicated Society

Concerning Trekish optimism, there are two key things to keep in mind:

1) Replicator technology is assumed to mean the end of poverty, and 2) Humanity as a whole is assumed to have "grown up".

Mess with #2 too much and you start to lose the optimism, but #1 certainly has wiggle room. Replicators have to be powered by something, leaving energy as the only truly scarce resource left. There are certainly renewable varieties, but those aren't portable across space, while the sorts of energies we usually see featured in Trek are -- yet the scarcity of *ahem* antideuterium and dilithium crystals somehow doesn't result in the remnants of an economy, nor does the continued demand for hand-crafted goods (primarily seen in food in the shows).

Thus, what I find myself seeing is this: The majority of people stick to planets, where solar and wind energy and such aren't going to go away and thus you have endless replicator energy for those willing to settle for replicated things -- which in the end is no real hardship, just a luxury-free middle-class-esque lifestyle rather than what we'd call "poor". Then you have the likes of starships, which must rely on scarcer yet portable resources, and the people willing to deal with such a "less civilized" mode of living in order to bring the worlds things that can never be replicated -- knowledge, peace, friendship.

Commentary: Since I'm heading towards a setting with a genuine economy—replicators as manufacturing units, not cornucopia devices—some of this isn't relevant. (Especially since, as Pteryx points out, invoking "unbelievium" fuels just shifts things around rather than eliminating the issues.) I'm taking the direction of, for example, Transhuman Space, where high prosperity is possible through advanced but conventional means. However, this is a good start of the theme: Pleasant but dull core worlds, less pleasant but more interesting frontier, and starships with limited but portable resources.