InnerSOL: Sagas of Leistung (Discussion & Thread Proper)

[Elemental_Elf]

[size=30]InnerSOL: Sagas of Leistung[/size]

 
[spoiler=The Larger Map][/spoiler]

 [ic=At the Signing of the Mutual Defense and Cooperation Pact, c. 2140]Human beings once looked to the stars and dreamed of the boundless potential of space, as if it was a mystical, welcoming frontier. We the people of the EL4 Colony Cluster know this is not true. Yet we persevered through all the hardships and have founded a glorious home, here amongst the stars. Now that the difficult and dangerous work lies in the past, the Western Alliance seeks to '˜reintegrate' our Colony Cluster with their union. Why now, why after 50 years of being scorned by our homeland must they come back to the colonies they abandoned to the United Nations?

I say no. I say no to the Western Alliance, to the Panchinese, the South Asians and to the Europeans! We are free! We are a sovereign nation founded on the blood and sweat of our ancestors! This is why I, the duly elected President of this colony cluster, sign this military pact with our new allies - the Martian Totality. Make no mistake my good citizens, my good friends, war is upon us. Now is the time to make a stand and with this document we have secured the long term preservation, and independence, of our Cluster. I do this so the people of Earth know we are taking a stand against them, their imperialism and their corrupt vision of space!    

For the preservation of our beautiful colonies,

~ Gorge Paine, President of the EL4 Colony Cluster [/ic]


- What is the InnerSOL? [note] [ooc]This setting is one that has been rattling around in my head for years and years. I've finally decided to post it on the CBG, if for no other reason than I want to have a place where I can store my ideas outside of my head. :)  This thread i fully intended to be open to any and all questions, comments and concerns you the good people of the Turtle nation may have.

I plan on regularly updating this thread with a new content post every few days (schedule allowing).

Please enjoy the setting, or if nothing else the map :)  [/ooc] [/note]
-----The InnerSOL: Sagas of Leistung is a science-fiction setting where humanity has unfurled its wings and colonized Luna, Venus, Mercury, Mars and even space itself. The year is 2143, four years after the Ares War that saw the whole sale slaughter of nearly 100 million men, women and children. InnerSOL is a setting where Mars is the most politically unified nation in the solar system. InnerSOL is a setting where the earth was once unified under a single banner, the banner of the United Nations but has since devolved into five major political, economic and military blocs along with a handful of other countries who willingly or unwillingly resist integration. InnerSOL is a setting where enormous space colonies dot the heavens, housing millions of people. InnerSOL is a setting where massive floating cities glide across the Venusian sky, where each city is secretly controlled by a different Mafia-esque family. InnerSOL is a setting where war, hatred, bloodshed, greed and bigotry play a key role in defining human nature and human destiny.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS:
General
- How Did Humanity Get Here
- Map Gallery
- The 4 Races of Humanity

Countries
-  The Western Alliance

 
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Anyone who posts in this thread is entitled to take the official InnerSOL Badge!
 

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[Elemental_Elf]

[ic=Supreme Chancellor's Inauguration Speech]
The History of man is one of self loathing and unmitigated jealousy for the possessions and lives of others. That is the legacy Earth bequeathed to us and that legacy is one the people of Mars reject in its entirety.

~ Supreme Chancellor of the Martian Totality, Wilhelm Du-Klein, King of Elysium.  [/ic]

How did we get to where we are today?

The history of humanity is both grand and vast, filled with the trials and tribulations of billions of men, women and children. The current Era of history began with Humanity's harnessing of the force called Fusion. Fusion power quickly spread across the world in the mid 2020's, allowing for the embitterment of the entire species in just a few short years. By 2030, the whole of humanity relied solely on Fusion as its primary means of electrical power generation.

A second space race began when the Chinese put a man on the moon in 2031. Soon after American and European corporations came and set up factories and mining operations, these small companies would prove to be the foundation upon which the world would colonize the Moon. From there, the Europeans, Chinese, Russians and Americans decided to collectively pursue the colonization of Mars through a process of rapid terriformation.   Within thirty years the entire planet would be transformed from a barren red rock to a new earth complete with an oxygen/nitrogen atmosphere, vast oceans and vast bamboo forests. Each country was given the right to settle and found large territorial colonies on the planet, however only the American colony of New Oregon and the Chinese Colony of Wong were truly successful.

At the same time that the world's attention was fixed on Mars, large corporations looked to Venus as a new home, where they could create a playground for the rich to visit, a place for corporations to found research facilities away from the prying eyes of Earth and as a new world to call home. Compared to Mars, the colonization of Venus was quick and painless as each massive city was suspended high up in the sky by giant balloons that float on the dense Venusian atmosphere.  The first city founded was named Victrix Vegas. As its name suggests it was a city of sin, developed as the solar system's largest tourist attraction. The profits earned from the city would go towards the founding of every other Venusian Colony.

Beyond the celestial bodies, mankind has also created colossal artificial habitats. These Space Colonies, as they are called, are grouped together in large numbers at each of the Earth-Sun Lagrange points. Space Colonies provide a vital service of being intermediate stopping points on space traffic going to and from the different celestial bodies. Without the Space Colonies, humanity would not have been able to realize its potential and populated the solar system.

[Elemental_Elf]

Map Gallery:

Current Maps
[spoiler=The Solar System:] [/spoiler]

[spoiler=Earth] [/spoiler]
 
[spoiler=Mars] [/spoiler]


Historical Maps
[spoiler=Earth c. 2069] [/spoiler]

[Steerpike]

Beautiful maps!  I get a very 1700's American vibe out of the whole thing - War of Independence etc.

Venus sounds very interesting.  I take it there are no formal governments?  Is Venus terraformed at all or are the floating islands super acid-proof?

What's tech like in this setting?  Are there AIs?  Personality uploading?  Highly developed robotics?  Genetic engineering?  New super-weapons? Does your average citizen have to work 5-6 days a week or is most labour automated by this point?  Is war still waged primarily by troops and people in machines, or have unmanned war-machines, viruses, and computer-guided missiles largely replaced tanks, airplanes, and rifles?

How about religion - is it still a prominent political force or has it atrophied?

Is the environment of Earth filthy and polluted, or has terraforming/ecological tech allowed us to clean up the atmosphere and develop clean, renewable energy sources?

[Elemental_Elf]

Great Post Steerpike, thank you!  :)

Beautiful maps!

As this is my first real attempt at a Sci-Fi map, I'm humbled! :)

 

I get a very 1700's American vibe out of the whole thing - War of Independence etc.

That is definitely a thread that runs through the setting :)

Venus sounds very interesting.  I take it there are no formal governments?  Is Venus terraformed at all or are the floating islands super acid-proof?

There is a 'formal government' that meets in Victrix Vegas however, this is more of a puppet House of Representatives mainly used to show the solar system "we're still democratic, see!" There is nothing passed by the House that has not already been pre-approved by the Families (and even then the government only deals with superficial issues such as memorials and tourism). The real power lies with the Seven Families, each of whom runs their very own floating city.

The problem with Terraforming Venus is that, by comparison to Mars, it requires a lot of extra work (bombarding it with icey asteroids to add oxygen, taking a massive asteroid and skimming it across the atmosphere to speed the planet's rotation up, eliminating the green house gasses, getting even more water to the planet, etc.) that it was simply easier and more economical to build the floating cities. Not only are they easily constructed (coated with materials that resist acid rain) but the idea of 'cities in the clouds' is quite romantic and attracts a lot of tourists simply for that reason.

Most of the cities lie around the equator, which is slowly being terraformed simply by the presence of humanity. Most believe Venus will become a watery earth-like world some day but for now, everyone is enjoying the soaring cities.

What's tech like in this setting?  Are there AIs?  Personality uploading?  Highly developed robotics?  Genetic engineering?  New super-weapons? Does your average citizen have to work 5-6 days a week or is most labour automated by this point?  Is war still waged primarily by troops and people in machines, or have unmanned war-machines, viruses, and computer-guided missiles largely replaced tanks, airplanes, and rifles?

The Tech is more advanced than the technology we possess today (obviously). Much of its advancement was due to the harnessing of Fusion Power, which allowed Humanity to create wondrous things (like Space Colonies) and not be burdened the need to find and process Fuel (Hydrogen is found everywhere in space after all). AI is generally limited to human-form androids used in dangerous manual labor and mundane service industry jobs (such as working in a zero G mining facility or at a McLaren fast food restaurant).

 Human piloted robots were one of the first High Tech Industries created in space. Giant Robots are used to build and maintain the Space Colonies, lug heavy equipment from zero to higher gravity environments and are even instrumental in War (thanks to the visionary Supreme Chancellor Wilhelm Du-Klein of Mars).

Laser based Weapons have been perfected since the early 2030's; Laser Guns and Laser Cannons have become the pre-eminent choice for all militaries. Having said that, old fashioned slug throwers are still see common usage, if for no other reason than for their primitive design catches more advanced enemies unawares. Further, Missiles are still the bread and butter of mass destruction weapons due to their cheap price tag and raw destructive power.

Thanks to the wonders of modern life, the average human enjoys four 6 hour work weeks. Hard Labor has been virtually eliminated thanks to androids and mecha, further most mundane assembly line and basic service industry types of jobs have also been eliminated.

War in this era has more in common with Naval warfare than traditional infantry style combat. Large Carriers with big guns shoot at each other while sending their Modiru (humanoid form robots, piloted by humans, and made for war) out to attack the other Carrier's Modiru (and if lucky, directly attack the enemy Carrier). Having said that, infantries are still very important but the sheer destructive capabilities of modern weapons makes the potential of thousands dead anathema to modern military doctrine. Thus most 'infantry' are more akin to Marines than to the Army. Biologic, Nuclear and Chemical warfare are strictly prohibited as are the destruction of Space Colonies and the dropping of large objects onto planet surfaces (though the latter two have occurred in the Ares War).

How about religion - is it still a prominent political force or has it atrophied?

Religion lost much of its political weight once people were freed from the Earth. A majority of the citizens of the Western Alliance and the Islamic Republics of Arabia and Iran still maintain a religious belief (in Christianity and Islam respectively). The African Union is a unique case in that it has blended Islam, Christianity and native Tribal religions into a unified whole called Kumimoto, which preaches total and absolute pacifism.

Outside of Earth, most people identify as Atheist, Agnostic or Deist.

Is the environment of Earth filthy and polluted, or has terraforming/ecological tech allowed us to clean up the atmosphere and develop clean, renewable energy sources?

Thanks to the creation of Fusion power and the switch to H3 fuel for transportation vehicles the earth gradually became a healthier place. Add that to the loss of nearly over 2 billion people (due to emigration and declining birth rates), the planet returned to a more natural world. However, compared to the vast virgin bamboo forests of Mars, the Earth is a gray, urban world.

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Once again, thank you very much for your thoughtful post Steerpike :)

[Elemental_Elf]

[ic]We will not let the Martians invade our land, burn our crops and kill our children. We do not have the luxury of being pacifists like the Africans. We must fight, not only for our beautiful land but for the entire planet. We are Earth's last, best hope for survival. We will not fail, we will not retreat and we will not let the Martians through!

God Bless the Alliance!

~ President Jacques De Quebec prior to the Battle of Guam.  
[/ic]

The Western Alliance

[/size]

General

The Western Alliance was forged in the fires preceding the devastating Nation War. The constituent nations of the Alliance are the North American Union and the Confederation of South America. The Alliance, which was supposed to be temporary, evolved into a permanent union once it became clear the Martians were no friend of Earth. During the Ares War, it was the Western Alliance, not the Russians nor the Europeans who defended beautiful Terra from the horrors of the Red Planet's assault. It was the Alliance fleets that engaged the Martians across the Solar System. It was the blood and sweat of Alliance soldiers that routed the Martians at Liberty and pushed them back to the far corners of Earth. The Western Alliance sees itself as the Defender of Earth and the Protector of Democracy.  When all other nations backed away in fear, the Alliance was there to save the world.

   Behind the propaganda however, the Alliance stands on tenuous feet. The North American Union is seen as being the dominant force with in the Alliance as all of the Alliance Presidents and the bulk of the Fleet is composed of North Americans. The High Governor of Venezuela often gives rousing speeches condemning the North American Imperialism and its fallacious need to protect the world. The High Governor of Costa Rica is also highly critical of Alliance policy claiming it spends far too much of the military and should seek reconciliation with the nations of Sol. The Alliance President Rachel Kent rebuffs all such criticisms citing the fact that the Totality has become a Fascist state ruled by a megalomaniac and that war is coming again and much sooner than any of the Alliance, or the people of Earth would prefer.

   Beyond the Terran front, the Alliance also faces legitimate condemnation for its unilateral occupation and subsequent integration of the EL1 Colony Cluster. During the Nation War, the resistance forces on Earth told the colonies they would have freedom if they aided the resistance's cause. For eight years this promise was kept. Then the Ares War began, which soon engulfed the Alliance. Troubled by the EL1's lack of defense (and its potential capture by the Martians) the Alliance forcibly occupied the Cluster and reinforced its defenses. Unfortunately, the Totality seized the opportunity for a just cause and attacked. Though victorious, the Alliance's 5th Fleet, and the Cluster itself, suffered heavy losses. Months later, the Martian elite force '" Demari '" infiltrated the EL1 Colony of Manada with the Aim of stealing the Alliance's latest Modiru. Unfortunately, a battle ensued outside and an Alliance ship's main cannon missed its intended target and struck the Colony dead on, destroying it and everyone inside. Since that time, there has existed several anti-Alliance terrorist cells within the cluster, attacking high value targets and disrupting the day to day operation of the Alliance's military.  

   For good or ill, the Western Alliance is the only nation truly dedicated to the destruction of the Totality and for that reason war will come again as neither side will ever back down.  

[Ghostman]

Is the Totality actually hostile to all of the Earth-based factions or is that simply how Alliance propaganda paints it? What could they possibly gain by antagonizing the entire Earth population when it is politically divided? And why would these other factions make no effort to defend themselves if they truly were threatened?

struck the Colon dead on,

That there is an epic typo! :-p

[Cap. Karnaugh]

Nice ideas EE. I'm just wandering, ¿how could they colonize Venus and Mercury? They seem too hostile for human beings and not prone to terraforming.

The one thing I don't like (or at least don't see it as plausible) is The Western Alliance; Northern and Southern Americans are REALLY REALLY DIFFERENT, from culture to language, so I see it hard them joining under one flag. At most, I guess that North and Central America forming one nation, and South America another.
Keep up with the excellent work!

[Elemental_Elf]

Is the Totality actually hostile to all of the Earth-based factions or is that simply how Alliance propaganda paints it? What could they possibly gain by antagonizing the entire Earth population when it is politically divided? And why would these other factions make no effort to defend themselves if they truly were threatened?

There was quite a bit of propaganda in that description (I promise to give each nation a slightly skewed look to balance that out!). During the Ares War (which was initially a Russia-EU-Western Alliance v. Mars war), the Panchinese actually sided with the Martians (due to the massive build up of Russian forces in western Kazakhstan). Further, many of the non-integrated countries (Australia, Morocco, Iran and Madagascar) are very close to the Totality as Mars provides a counter weight to the Super Powers on Earth.

The Western Alliance embodies a lot of the perceived negative aspects of the United States (patriotic, arrogant, militaristic, economically imperialistic and a firm belief in their own manifest destiny), so any time wars are brought up, the Alliance invariably emphasizes the villainy of their enemies and downplays the contributions of their allies. The Russians were very instrumental in the Ares War but you'll never hear that from an Alliance citizen. :)

struck the Colon dead on,

That there is an epic typo! :-p

o_O;;;;; *yells at the uselessness of spell check*

Nice ideas EE. I'm just wandering, ¿how could they colonize Venus and Mercury? They seem too hostile for human beings and not prone to terraforming.

For the latter, it has been colonized in very much the same way as the moon. However, given that the planet is a MUCH more hostile environment, only the polar regions can be even considered for colonization. Even then, Mercury has just 3 small cities and is dominated by a faction of Artmen (humans who have had their consciousnesses downloaded into synthetic bodies) who are attempting to discover a means of creating a disembodied consciousness and thus bring humanity closer to God.

The easiest way to explain how humanity has colonized Venus is to quote wikipedia:

The one thing I don't like (or at least don't see it as plausible) is The Western Alliance; Northern and Southern Americans are REALLY REALLY DIFFERENT, from culture to language, so I see it hard them joining under one flag. At most, I guess that North and Central America forming one nation, and South America another.
Keep up with the excellent work!

Indeed they are very different however, the Western Alliance is an Alliance of two free countries. In Effect, the Alliance controls the two country's interests in space, their militaries and their foreign policy while the two constituent countries maintain their own domestic policy.

The Alliance was considered a boon to both sides - North America gained access to the South American Mass Launchers (i.e. electromagnetic catapults used to propel ships into space) as well as the ability to complete their DSA (Defense Shield of the Americas), while the South Americans gained the protection of the formidable North American Navy as well as an increased presence on the solar stage (prior to the Alliance, South America was regarded in much the same was as the League of South Asia (i.e. a fledgling power)).

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Thank you both for your questions, I really appreciate them! :)

[Elemental_Elf]

The 4 Races of Humanity

At the dawn of the present era, Humanity stood on the cusp of what was and what would come to pass. Technology had advanced to the point where people could replace body parts with superior mechanical constructs. Humanity latched onto this idea with gusto; today it is difficult to find a person who has not received some form of cybernetic upgrade. With all the dangers presented to man in space, the most common cybernetic upgrades tend to be focus on ocular implants, limb replacement or muscle stimulants that allow people to work in a Zero-Gee environment for extended periods.

Some individuals have sought to fully integrate themselves with the mechanical and thus download their consciousnesses into blank slate androids. Though legal, the practice is officially discouraged by many governments, especially, the Australian. The android bodies typically possess greater strength, speed and mental ability but with the cost of being forced to upgrade parts, if not the outright replacing the entire body, as time goes on.  Artificia Men or Artmen, as they are called, typically choose careers where their added strength and vitality are needed. Often this leads them to becoming soldiers, police officers and space merchants. Due to this, Artmen usually have a reputation for being overbearing, militant, and  [note] [/note] unscrupulous, attributes that Naturals despise.

Beyond the concept of mechanical amplification there lies the notion of genetically engineered individuals. Though highly controversial and divisive on Earth, the people of Sol have embraced the idea and utilize it to varying degrees. The most prolific users of genetic modification are the Martians, whose government officially condones and supports the process through various tax reduction and propagandic means. The '˜Martian Package' (as it is often called) focuses on resisting muscle degradation (due to Mar's lower gravity), increasing mental faculties and base-line reaction time. In addition, Martian allows parents to engineer the looks of their children, down to hair and eye color. Finally, the '˜Martian Package' also makes an individual highly resistant to disease.

The Martian's extensive use of genetic engineering is often seen as '˜tampering too much' with the destiny of man. The independent Space Colonies allow a basic package that screens out hereditary diseases, fortifies the body against zero-gee and increases the effectiveness of the immune system. To do more is considered too controversial to allow (especially considering the Colony's proximity to Earth. The Families who secretly rule Venus have, publicly, taken a hands off approach to genetic engineering. Behind the scenes however, the Crime Bosses are deeply involved in the genetic black market, often targeting specific wealthy, soon-to-be Terran parents, offering them a free trip to the '˜paradise planet' if they seek to discreetly give their children that extra edge needed for success.  

[Mason]

I love this setting! Really cool ideas. A little more info on the Ares War would be helpful. Are the tanned countries on the Earth map 'rogue' nations or un-aligned?

[Elemental_Elf]

I love this setting! Really cool ideas. A little more info on the Ares War would be helpful.

 :)  :)  :D  Thank you!

The Ares War jumped to the top of the to-do list :)

Are the tanned countries on the Earth map 'rogue' nations or un-aligned?

The tan/orange nations on the map of Earth are independent countries that have, for a variety of reasons, refused to integrate with one of the Super Powers. For example, Taiwan is still viewed as a part of China however, it has not been forcibly integrated due to the close ties Taiwan has with the Western Alliance. Australia on the other hand is the home of the 'Earth First' movement which is a radical anti-space isolationist organization that seeks to eliminate Earth's presence in Space.

[Nomadic]

For the latter, it has been colonized in very much the same way as the moon. However, given that the planet is a MUCH more hostile environment, only the dark side can be even considered for colonization. Even then, Mercury has just 3 small cities and is dominated by a faction of Artmen (humans who have had their consciousnesses downloaded into a synthetic body) who are attempting to discover a means of creating a disembodied consciousness and thus bring humanity closer to God.

I don't know if you realize this but mercury doesn't have a permanent night side. It actually rotates slower than it orbits so that its day is about twice as long as its year. This means that any city would only be in darkness for 88 days. There is a way to get around this though. From current research it appears that there are deep craters near the poles that never see sunlight. If you were to place cities here they would be safe from the intense radiation and could be designed much like a normal lunar city. In addition there is ice here (scientists believe its actually water ice) which is the reason they discovered the poles never see sunlight in the first place. This is important to consider because water is very valuable in space (drinking, cooling equipment, processing fuel, etc).

[Elemental_Elf]

For the latter, it has been colonized in very much the same way as the moon. However, given that the planet is a MUCH more hostile environment, only the dark side can be even considered for colonization. Even then, Mercury has just 3 small cities and is dominated by a faction of Artmen (humans who have had their consciousnesses downloaded into a synthetic body) who are attempting to discover a means of creating a disembodied consciousness and thus bring humanity closer to God.

I had not realized Mercury was not tidally locked to the Sun (the way Luna is to the Earth). Thank you for catching me on my science there :)

[TheMeanestGuest]

What exactly is the current role of the UN? You said they were formerly responsible for administering the Lagrange point colonies, but I noticed they still occupy a fortress and possess an armada substantial enough to warrant a label. When you get the chance, I'd be interested in hearing more about their role in your setting.