Report 1: 03 Feb 0011
Overview
Total population across all bodies stands at 1223m (growing at 2.23% per year). Naturally, growth on colonies is significantly higher than on Wounded Garden, driven by the younger population, higher incomes and use of in vitro fertilisation and synthetic wombs, as opposed to the more conservative and traditional homeworlders. Despite this, homeworlders make up 97.9% of the population
There has been an explosion of economic activity since landfall, with wealth nearly quadrupling, research output more than doubling. A strong trade lobby has prevented any taxation on the growing space industries - leveraging taxation and financial engineering instead.
The Pacifist / Federalist coalition has reigned in an uninterrupted continuation since landfall, occassionally exchanging the leadership between parties. The few resources deployed for ‘military’ means include the “Orbital Web” of Thorn class fighters, launching regular salvoes of geo-survey missiles alongside the limited geo-survey fleet.
Thorn class Observer 441 tons 4 Crew 20.2 BP TCS 9 TH 0 EM 0
1 km/s Armour 1-5 Shields 0-0 HTK 1 Sensors 0/0/0/0 DCR 0-0 PPV 2.25
Maint Life 7.22 Years MSP 5 AFR 8% IFR 0.1% 1YR 0 5YR 3 Max Repair 3 MSP
Magazine 15 / 0
Sprout [7] Control Rating 1
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months Morale Check Required
Avarice Launcher (3) Missile Size: 5 Hangar Reload 111 minutes MF Reload 18 hours
Thorn Control Alpha (1) Range 16.6m km RES 100
Farsight Beta (3) Speed 320 km/s Range 5,030m km WH 0 Size 5 TH: 32 / 64 / 128
Restrictions
Restrictions are emergent, near-permanent political/cultural taboos that prevent certain activities. They build up over time, and can only be removed through culture-wide revolutions
The long rule of the Pacifism faction has created a new set of restrictions:
- No military units can be built or stationed and Wounded Garden
- No military shipyards can be stationed at or in use above Wounded Garden
Planets
Wounded Garden
The homeworld remains the hub of economic activity and research. It’s university campus (WG University) focuses on researchers over all other specialities.
Economic prosperity is highly uneven - elegant research campuses and new industries contrast with those labouring inefficiently in conventional industries or living on the limited government assistance.
The first commercial shipyard glows with industry, churning out freighters and cryo-ships to support and supply the colonies.
Industrial Intent class Freighter 40,000 tons 135 Crew 431.7 BP
390 km/s
Cargo 25,000 Cargo Shuttle Multiplier 6
Sprout [7] Control Rating 1 BRG
Aventura: Prospera Drive (5) Power 312.5 Fuel Use 11.18% Signature 62.5 Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 245,000 Litres Range 9.8 billion km (292 days at full power)
In short - the buoyant optimism of the first landfall is slowly curdling. While the planet is more productive than ever, inequality has also never been higher. Federalist emphasis on off-world development has left some feeling bitter and abandoned, even as others benefit from the surge in productivity and demand.
Rising Ape
The economic situation of the orbiting Rising Ape colony is a sharp contrast to their colleagues below. The lack of atmosphere drives near-instant, zero interference communication, allowing for financial speculation, investment and trading on an unprecedented scale.
Millionaires are made, fortunes are lost. Without the economic activity of this small elite, the budget would be in serious deficit - a truth they use to their political advantage.
The low gravity and lack of contaminants allows for the development of high-end technical entertainment products [e.g. Sim-Ego 5000 virtual multimedia system] and recreational drugs, exported to the eager masses below.
The prestigious, and well funded Educational Excellence Institute acts as a finishing school for the children of the elite, creating the leaders of tomorrow and the networks that sustain them.
A growing class of employees toil in the terraformers creating a new Eden. Their success is limited, as of yet, but these investors think in decades, buying up uncolonised land for the anticipated post-terraform boom.
The Private Colonies
Around the nearest gas giant, a few intrepid employees cling onto barely habitable moon colonies - Insight and Ambition. Funded by the overflowing coffers of a consortium of billionaires, they race against their dwindling supplies to create a semblance of life in alien places.
All supplies and population arrive here through purely private means, with no state involvement. Employees all, they understand that their lives and livelihoods depend upon success. Indeed, many channel their incomes into the purchasing of shares in the new colonies, hopefully that they’ll ‘make it big’ when the work is done.
The Morrigan & Moons
Orbited by two listening posts, the rapidly militarising planet of The Morrigan sustains itself on the exported military complexes and shipyards forbidden on the homeworld.
It’s founders and leaders dream of a fortress world, where organised and highly specialised ground forces are supplemented by surface-to-orbit installations. So far, research and development into this field, however, has been restrained by the politicians ‘back home’.
Only time will tell if the growing unemployed population, comprising 50% of working age individuals, will endure the cost of these ideals.
Space
The mining colony Brightwind, so named for the glimmer of the irradiated dust scattered by hundreds of nuclear detonations, flings minerals and resources to The Morrigan, daily fueling the barracks, shipyards and ground based defences.
Far, far away, sits the mysterious planned codename Minerva. Orbited by a dozen moons, this super-Jovian gas giant sits beyond the reach of the nascent space industry. Still, the coincidence of orbits, the gravity distoritng effects and technology may conspire to bring about a bounty - the legrange point links between LP1 and 2 cut the distance dramatically - and ever smaller, as Minerva drifts anticlockwise. Below is a screenshot from a classified briefing on the matter.
Politics
All political parties have ideals, mandates and taboos. Ideals describe their general principles, mandates describe requirements they must achieve in the next 12 year cycle, and taboos indicate forbidden / restricted practices that they must not perform.
With an election scheduled for 0014, the political parties have begun posturing and presenting their agendas.
Incumbents
These parties have reigned over the long decade of founding and peace. Have they done a good enough job to remain in power?
Ad Astra
We came from the stars. They belong to us. Let us not delay our destiny.
Ideals: Colonisation, Expansion
Mandate: Found new colony every 3 years. Fully terraform Rising Ape
Taboo: 40% of all productive capacity must be assigned to colonisation / expansionist work [terraformers, infrastructure etc.]
Forward to the Future
Curiosity, knowledge, experimentation - this is how the future is won
Ideals: Exploration, Research
Mandate: Quadrouple research capacity
Taboo: Military ship count can never exceed civilian ship count
Outsiders
These political parties have been excluded from many of the big policy decisions, to the anger of their base and leadership. Is there revolution in the air? Is it their time?
Morrigan’s Children
The universe is large, dark, and full. In times like these, one must carry a large stick
Ideals: Power, Discipline
Mandate: Advanced STO and police force on all colonies except Wounded Garden
Taboo: At least 50% of research output must be applied to military technologes
Terra Firma
Born of the rich soil of our ancestors, we know where we belong. Unified under one banner, we must prevail.
Ideals: Unity, Loyalty
Mandate: Raise population capacity and YoY population growth on Wounded Garden to above 2%
Taboo: No industrial capacity (e.g. construction facilities) can be outsourced to any collonies.
Upstarts
With rising inequality, new parties have thrown their hats into the mix. Who can tell how these new ideologies will disrupt the political landscape?
Abundance Inc.
A rising tide raises all boats. The best of us are best place to make the world better
Ideals: Competition, Opportunity
Mandate: Double racial wealth. Always use private sector capacity [freight, colony] over public sector
Taboos: Never raise shipping taxes above 0%, never run budget deficit, never tax civilian mining
Workers of the Worlds
A civilisation is judged by the prosperity of it’s poorest citizens. We will be judged worthy
Ideals: Equality, Justice
Mandate: Halve proportional and absolute unemployment
Taboos: Construct no additional automation [auto mines] until full employment achieved.
They are summarised below:
| Ad Astra | Forward to the Future | Morrigan’s Children | Terra Firma | Abundance Inc. | Workers of the world | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New colony every 3y Terraform RA |
4x research capacity | STO + Police force on every colony |
Grow WG | Double Wealth | 1/2 unemployment | |
| 40% industry on expansion |
Military < Commercial | 50% research on mil |
All construction on WG |
No tax, no deficit, always private | No automation |
Vote
No single party is likely to win a majority at this stage, so coalitions are to be expected. For as long as the poll below is open, it is influencing the campaign.
Please also contribute your ideas for parties, taboos, mandates, and any other ideas. Parties often fracture and reform, new ideals drive political transformation, and the more you contribute, the better this will be!
- Ad Astra
- Forward to the Future
- Morrigan’s Children
- Terra Firma
- Abundance Inc.
- Workers of the Worlds