User blog:GrandMethuselah67/Lore Sheet: The Democratic Imperium of Neohumanity

Preface: Over the course of millennia, the Human Race has transcended the human condition. Human experience has expanded from the small blue cradle called Earth, reaching the stars. In the year 2090, the United Government was established, its rule democratic. Under the United Government's rule, humanity managed to colonize the moon, Mars, and Venus. In the year 2250, Humanity becomes a type I civilization on the Kardashev scale, their power source being the very core of their planet itself, and all of the resources the planets follow. By this time, large scale colonization of Venus and Mars is already underway, and the moon is already safely colonized. In the year 3100 AD, humanity has colonized the whole solar system and is working on colonizing other star systems. The Metro Sphere, dubbed "Humanity's Greatest Invention", is a series of satellites and superstructures orbiting the inner solar system and getting power directly from the sun. The Meto Sphere also has engineered cities and artificial climates where various creatures dwell. In the year 3500, computer science has become advanced enough to simulate the birth of the universe, enlightening disciples of all fields of science. In the 40th Century, computer science reached its ultimate potential. Suddenly, nothing was impossible for the United Republic of humankind. It was by the 41st Century that humanity had control over a third of the galaxy, with smaller alien civilizations under their rule. The United Republic's expansion has come to a halt, however, by bitter rivalries with older and more powerful civilizations.

The language for the United Republic, called Jzi-Su, is something that's spoken commonly among all humans, along with exclusive languages between factions. Jzi-Su constantly update itself to encompass the words of alien cultures and give names to new discoveries, which is happening exponentially as humanity explores the stars. Jzi-Su is immediately downloaded into a human's brain at birth, and the transhuman brain is constantly updating Jzi-Su seamlessly.

Transhumanism
The earliest forms of Mind Uploading appeared in late 2059. It had been an idea for a while before that, but until the first human was uploaded into a computer, it had only been an idea. Mind Uploading originally had been a clunky and inconvenient process only available to the military. It wasn't until the year 2120 that Mind Uploading actually became available in mainstream society. Though still highly inconvienient, it was available to an increasingly shrinking upper class at the time, which was due to climate change and other global problems. The rich used mind uploading for a variety of purposes, which birthed an elite and beautiful upper class that widened the divide between the rich and poor even more. It was only in the year 2220 that transhumanism actually became available cheap on a multitude of platforms. This created a "Transhuman Revolution" with people uploading themselves into younger, stronger, and all around better bodies.

Before mind uploading came genetic engineering. Perfected in 2048, genetic engineering was yet another thing only really available to the rich. The use of genetic engineering in the upper class yet again widened the divide between lower and upper class.

In the year 2300 after years of improvement, transhumanism was perfected. The idea of what was "human" had drastically changed over the years. Humans now use transhumanism to take on their own personal ideal form, which might include animal forms, half-animal forms, or other forms such as ones from mythology or something of that nature. Not only that, but superpowers have become available to common citezenry due to the integration of femtotechnology and quantum engineering into transhuman bodies. Now, humanity is able to be whatever they want to be and more. Most humans at this point are nomadic, being free from the need to eat or sleep.

Religion and Philosophy
[[File:Al_Kai_Doru.jpg|frame|left|"Here, in this modern world, we have perfection available to us. And so, I firmly believe our duty as humans is to achieve our own personal ideal of perfection."

-Al Kai Doru, the Teacher]]Religion, at least in the traditional sense, is completely absent from human culture by the 41st Century. Though some cultures do hold on to some form of theology, most humans are athiest or agnostic at this time. Instead, most follow a Philosophy called "Doru", named after the famed philosopher, Al Kai Doru, the Teacher. The Philosophy is simple: achieve your own personal idea of perfection. Doru never teaches what perfection actually is, and leaves it up to whoever follows it to decide. As such, humans at this time are obsessed with becoming everything they've ever wanted to be. With the technology available, that is now possible if not easy. The Doru has split into many branches since its introduction in 2340.

Of course, many other cultures do cling onto theological beliefs, but they'd be unrecognizable to anyone from the 21st Century. Some humans have made themselves Panthiests, while others make up pantheons of gods that they believe fit the universe. Some worship themselves, believing that humankind has become indistinguishable from the gods of old. Some practice entirely different beliefs that cannot be described in modern terms.

Social Structure and factions
Social classes in the 41st Century essentially do not exist. With technology being as advanced as it is, resources are practically unlimited, making money practically obsolete. Every human being now lives what a person from the 21st Century would consider a "highly privileged lifestyle", with mobile 3D printers being perfectly able to print anything they need from clothes to food. In the disappearance of the social class and the appearance of the Doru philosophy, the social structure of the human race has been replaced with factions. Factions are the result of groups of humans having different ideas of perfection, and thus looking and acting different ways. The result is humanity separating into different "races", which appear different ways, act different ways, and believe different things. For example, the Sylva are synonymous with elves. They're tall, slender, and beautiful humanoids with pointed ears that live in the many woodsy areas that the United Republic have engineered in various territories. The Sylva are solitary and believe in some kind of cosmic nature religion, and often look down upon those of other factions or "races".

It isn't uncommon for factions to get into disputes. Whole wars have been fought all over the United Republic's over different ideas of perfection. However, these wars are often short lived and devolve into bitter rivalries due to the rule of the United Council.

Due to the colonization of other alien societies and the practice of Doru, the definition of "human" has radically changed. "Human", has become a way to describe a state of being rather than a species. Aliens incorporated into the United Republic are deemed "human" by most, and all factions still retain that they're "human" even if they've changed what they are in search of personal perfection.

Technology
Cities: The average city in the United Republic is silent, clean, and fully automated. They seamlessly integrate plant life into the urban atmosphere, making it completely eco friendly. Said plants are biologically engineered to directly transmit any energy they capture to the city itself, and some trees are bioluminescent, replacing lamp posts. Cars drive themselves and are pod-shaped, powered directly by the sun and an inner hydrogen battery. The driver can simply think of a destination and the car will get there in either the quickest or most scenic way. To a padestrian, cities may be eerily quiet and sterile, which is why virtual reality is often integrated into cities. Interactive buildings allow the Virtual Reality user to change the environment as they see fit. They can change buildings into ancient marble buildings, or they can change the area into a jungle. Cities completely repair themselves due to nanotechnology, and the police force is replaced by highly adaptive robots that can materialize out of the environment at will.

Virtual Reality: Virtual Reality has been available for as far back as 2345, but it was perfected by the 41st Century due to computer science reaching its ultimate potential. Virtual Reality allows whoever's using it to create entire realities in cyberspace, with a digital "bit" being equal to a quantum string. Due to advanced mind uploading, the user can literally detach his/her consciousness from his or her body and immerse it into cyberspace. This allows practical immortality. There are even factions that dwell in virtual realities, favoring the digital world instead of the physical world. Due to the workforce becoming obsolete, the average human spends most of his or her time in virtual reality, constructing realities for artistic satisfaction or playing hyper-realistic games that offer them godly powers. Virtual reality has also allowed doctors to create realistic models of viruses.

A.I and robotics: For a while, robots and A.Is have become completely indistinguishable from humans. A while after that, humans have used A.I to exponentially increase their intelligence. Now, robots and artificial intelligence are part of day-to-day life. In fact, the average human in the 41st Century is more likely to talk to a form of artificial intelligence rather than a human -- not that there is any difference at this point. A.I serves as an advisor to government officials; they arguably have all of the real power since humankind is completely dependant on super intelligent A.I at this point.

3D Printing and Femtotechnology: Femtotechnology is like nanotechnology, but femtotechnology goes to the subatomic level. With femotechnology, humanity is able to construct things at the subatomic level, and even change already existing structures by changing the finer materials within an atom such as quarks and strings. Due to this and 3D printing, resources have become practically unlimited for the United Republic, with 3D printers able to conjure food and clothes out of thin air and architects able to engineer whole planetoids into earth-like environments.

Space Technology: A small, car-shaped space ships have been available to common citizenry since the year 3800. These space ships often drive themselves and are piloted by A.I., and have a core powered by antimatter. Travel can go as far as 9 times the Speed of Light, and 12 times the speed of light on the higher end space ships. Virtual Reality ports and artifical gravity are installed in the average personal space ship, allowing the pilot to simply "plug in" and allow the A.I. to take him or her to his or her destination. It also comes with fully protected windows, allowing

whoever is riding the ship to look out into the space landscape and see the stars. If the view is too boring, the windows and virtually enhance the view, adding more stars, nebulae, and even planets for pure aesthetic value.

Weather technology and terraforming: Huge machines called "World Engines" are capable of controlling tectonic activity and weather on a given planet, as well as terraforming an uninhabitable planet. These are usually used for, of course, terraforming and getting rid of natural disasters. The terraforming process often takes 1,000 years, which is nothing to the average immortal human. These can also be used to destroy planets, converting them into completely uninhabitable places that are hostile to all forms of life.

The Metro Sphere: Considered a peak of human technological ability, the Metro Sphere is a dyson sphere constructed in a massive radius from the sun to just beyond the orbit of Jupiter. The Metro Sphere is made out of wholly new states of matter unknown to scientists in previous centuries (constructed via femtoengineering and materials from the asteroid field, Kuiper belt, and Oort Cloud) that absorb power directly from the sun: some 386 yottajoules per second. Another function of the Metro Sphere is protecting the inner solar system from gamma rays and other potential threats, as well as alien invasions with the heavy artillary that lies in the outer Metro Sphere. The Metro Sphere has several rings inside and outside of it, which contain their own atmospheres and environments where humans, A.Is, and other creatures created by the Transhuman Revolution. These engineered environments are often very metropolitan, but some are ocean-worlds or forest-worlds. By the 41st Century, each solar system in United Republic territory has fully protected Metro Spheres, armed for any external threat. The Republic is working on plans for a Galaxy-Wide Metrosphere which will be called the Megasphere, but the bitter rivalry with other republics and empires and worry for strong enough materials make the Megasphere highly theoretical, but estimated to be both possible and done by 1,000,000 AD.

The Light Year Array: At the edge of the solar system, beyond the shroud of comets known as the Oort Cloud, a vast spherical network of telescopes was created. This has a total collecting area measuring one light year in diameter. The Light Year array is composed of millions of automated radio telescopes, constructed using self-replicating femtotechnology. Together, these radio telescopes allow humanity a godlike view of the cosmos. The Light Year Array catalogues every galaxy within 13.7 billion light years, including all of the stars and planets in each, to produce a detailed 3-dimensional map of the Universe. The motion vector of each star, guided by the mathematical probabilities calculated by A.I., allow humankind to create a gigantic simulation of the universe, allowing them to turn back time to see what happened just after the Big Bang and the ultimate fate of the universe. The data of the Light Year Array is available to every human in the United Republic via virtual reality. The Light Year Array is used for mapping, planning future projects, and looking out for alien invasions. With the advanced array of radio telescopes, humanity is able to watch what's going on outside of their planet in real-time.

The Consciousness Engine: In the United Republic, death is taken very lightly. This is due to the Consciousness Engine, a product of the perfection of tranhumanism. Now that consciousness can be whimsically uploaded into other bodies, death is very much optional for the average member of the United Republic. When humans "die", their consciousness is automatically transferred to the nearest virtual reality center where they're bought into the Consciousness Engine, a virtual room that allows humans to seamlessly resurrect themselves. In the Consciousness Engine, humans are given the choice to resurrect, stay in Virtual Reality where they are practically omnipotent, or release their consciousness into the unknown for a "natural death". The Consciousness Engine is the driving force behind humans' immortality, but it doesn't work if the human is much too far away from a Virtual Reality server.

Eden, the Nature Sanctuary


In the year 2210, human scientists have begun massive rewilding efforts to fix all of the destruction they've done to their environment. Over the years, wars, nuclear detonations, nanotechnology testings, and asteroid terrorism had rendered nearly all organic plant and animal life on the Earth nearly extinct. However, over the years with terraforming, humanity had created an entirely new continent on their planet called Eden. In Eden, humanity used genetic engineering to recreate the many species that had gone extinct in the past thousands of years. This global rewilding effort was finally completed in 2310, and the continent Eden symbolized humanity finally reaching harmony with nature. Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere shrinked to pre-industrial levels, species that were long extinct were now restored on Eden, even some dinosaurs. In the 41st Century, the continent is a lush, green civilization that many creatures call home.



Some are humans that have decided to migrate to Eden gave themselves to nature and become animals, some are animals that were raised to human levels of sentience and intelligence. Some are A.I. that regulate the general ecosystem. Eden hadn't actually become open to the public until the year 3000. The time was used to preserve the species in Eden until they were at a high enough population where their existence was completely unthreatened except by any of their natural predators.

Sexuality and gender in the eyes of 41st Century Humans
Due to the Transhuman Revolution of the 2220's, humans were able to change their gender at will. This led to some serious social and psychological reform, and different ways to think of sexuality and gender. It is because of the Transhuman Revolution that views on gender, sexuality, and sex in general became extremely more lax than societal rules regarding the above were in the 20th and 21st Centuries.

In the 41st Century, the average human being is pansexual. Physical beauty isn't difficult to come by at all in the 41st Century; genetic engineering and transhumanism bought forth a race of 6ft or above, beautiful and athletic humanoids. In the 41st Century, it isn't unusual or unheard of for someone of a certain gender to have another body that's the opposite gender. Some factions even abandon the concept of gender altogether in favor of hermaphroditic bodies.

Any sex is fine as long as it is with all of the people involved have consented for the act. Views on sex have become so lax that it isn't uncommon for friends to have sex as a friendly act like shaking hands or hugging. As a result of sex being so common and, as a result, devalued, more intimate forms of bonding are made between people who love each other. Transhumanism allows two augmented humans to form a psycho-empathic bond called an "embrace", where they're able to intimately share thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations with each other. Embracing has replaced sex as the most intimate act a couple can have, and now sex is seen as a casual thing.

A People United: The Legionaries of the Republic
Since the first homo sapien constructed a spear, humans have had one massive talent: war. Even in the 41st Century as humans evolve into a mostly peaceful people, their talent of dividing and conquering definitely spreads. The Legionaries of the Republic use several different battle strategies and methods of attack that are both new and updated forms of old strategies. Of course, new weapons are added to the arsenal of the Legionaries as the centuries went by. In the 41st Century, the United Republic Legionaires are a massive and overwhealming force, using brutal skill and predictive models to both get rid of threats before they manage to get the upper hand, and crushing enemies that come against the army.

The Legionaires are in the hundred billions, with a diverse mix of humans, androids, A.I., clones, and aliens part of the Republic. Foot soldiers are mostly non-sentient robots, but the more complicated jobs are carried out by the more intelligent entities in the United Republic. Super intelligent A.I. usually take control of strategy during combat, using highly predictive models to predict the next movement of the enemy down to single soldiers via mathematical probability, intuitive knowledge of psychology, and general logic. There are several branches of the U.R.L, each in charge of a specific task regarding hostile foreign relations:

The Space Corps: The largest and most used of all of the U.R.L's branches, the Space Corps handles battles within a planet's atmosphere as well as within outer space itself. The fleet contains self-replicating, semi-sentient ships capable of making complex strategy decisions. Pilots of spacecraft are empathically connected to their ships, allowing them to control it the same way they'd control their very bodies. The typical Space Corps ship is armed with MASER cannons, Orzhov Drives, missiles with nanobot warheads, and drones capable of kamakaze-ing into an opponent ship. The Space Corps is often tasked with patrolling outer space and is also responsible for making sure United Republic laws are followed within their territory. Space Corps soldiers typically are trained to remain isolated for long periods of time, trained in combat, and comlex engineering for the reparation of their own or other ships.

The G.I.C: G.I.C stands for Ground and Infantry Corps. The G.I.C. get to get up close and personal with the enemy, armed with several augmentations both biological and technological, advanced armor that is both incredibly durable and super advanced tanks and helicopters. The Ground and Infantry Corps is made mostly of mindless drones, but some dedicated soldiers decide to join and are put in more complex positions. The G.I.C. only really come in when the United Republic wish to liberate any colony that's in trouble or wish to take over new territory. Compared to the modern soldier, a G.I.C. soldier is typically six feet and nine inches tall, capable of expanding his or her own muscle mass, ridiculously fast and accurate, capable of predicting the target's next move (helmets are connected to predictive A.I.), and capable of taking all types of punishment on top of the abilities available to the average human in the United Republic. They can also pilot mechs that are psionically attached to them, armed with massive weapons that could topple megabuildings and a mode-switching matrix to fit whatever situation the soldier is in. These mechs can also double as an empathic submarine, making the G.I.C. capable of doubling as a Marine force.

The I.A.S.A: The Intelligence Agency of Secret Affairs is a branch of the Legionaires that operate at a very high level of discression. The I.A.S.A. are the ones the Republic send when all methods of direct confrontation would lead to either the public not supporting the action at all, or massive trouble for the Republic itself. The I.A.S.A. are taught methods of Special Ops and espionage. They usually have little or no armor unless they were sent to make a big mess. They're also usually armed with gadgets that offer them a wide array of abilities like cloaking and mind-wiping. The I.A.S.A are often tasked with infiltrating smaller enemies of the Republic and assassinating whoever it is that's giving the Republic any trouble. They're also often tasked with killing escaped war criminals, notorious criminals, or any of the other dirty stuff that the more "official" branches of the Legionaires aren't able to do. The I.A.S.A. is often augmented heavily, allowing them to change their face or overall physiology to blend in with absolutely any crowd. They can also increase their sexual traits for seduction or decrease them so that desires don't get in the way of the mission. Each I.A.S.A agent is completely focused with the mission and doesn't give up for the good of the Republic. They're often asked to do morally questionable things, and they do it as a matter of sheer loyalty. Older I.A.S.A agents are often jaded or bitter individuals who have seen terrible things and made many questionable moral choices.

The C.V.A: The Center of Virtual Affairs is basically the virutal police of the United Republic. Made up of skilled hackers and super intelligent A.I, the C.V.A regulate virtual reality servers to make sure they're safe places for those that dwell within the servers. In times of war, the C.V.A destroy the enemy's technological infastructure, digitize data held by a civilization and assimilating it into the United Republic's data, and destroy alien virtual reality via powerful virtual avatars. The typical legionaire of the Center of Virtual Affairs typically doesn't have to leave his or her house, which is why this is the perfect job for those who want something productive to do while at home.



These are just a few of the many divisions and sub-devisions of the U.R.L. Each branch has even smaller branches specializing in a specific field.