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Transhuman:

Transhumans (Neohominus superior) make up 99% of the Imperial population, although this figure is often disputed because of how the state defines Transhumanity. All citizens of the Empire, no matter how they began their lives, eventually become Transhumans. There is virtually nothing distinguishing a Transhuman, Fabricant and Natural of sufficiently advanced age. However, for the purposes of this document “Transhuman” will refer to individuals who began life as such.

A Transhuman is a bioroid, an artificially created organism crafted according to the exact genetic specifications of those who commissioned its creation. In most cases, these are parents who engage in sexual reproduction, but direct cloning is also commonplace. The genome of the new zygote is then modified in such a way that biological advantages are maximized and disadvantages are minimized. The traits that don’t come from heredity, genetic engineering or the parents’ aesthetic preferences are determined by the unique characteristics that all Transhumans share- these same characteristics are those that distinguish Transhumans from their predecessors, the Naturals (Homo sapiens).

Neohominus is considered to be distinct from Homo because the two races are genetically incompatible. A Natural cannot reproduce with a Transhuman- ergo, they are separate species. Transhumans are placed in their own genus because of the large, artificial disparity between Neohominus and more primitive hominids. Despite these differences, a young Transhuman (under the age of about 300) superficially resembles a Natural. The resemblance is so profound that under normal conditions (optimum lighting) the only way to tell a Transhuman from a Natural is by their default albinism. A Transhuman has the ability to control (involuntarily, but can voluntarily override- like breathing) pigment production in their skin, hair and eyes. So, unless they find themselves under intense, high-frequency EM radiation, their skin will be pink, their eyes will be red and their hair will be white. However, few individuals fall under this gross generalization. Artificial photoreceptors come in many different colors, as do hair dyes and contact lenses.

Transhumans are cognitively superior to Naturals. Not only have their brains been engineered for the maximum possible intellect, most are subjected to cybernetic cortical augmentation as soon as they are independent of their incubation chambers (some are modified prenatally). Only quantum, light and positron computers can out-perform a fully-developed Transhuman brain. And, as mentioned above, once a Transhuman reaches a certain age, there’s no difference anyway. Transhumans are, for all intents and purposes, the most intelligent beings in the known universe.

Fast growing and long-lived, Transhumans are still far from immortal. Medical science has progressed by leaps and bounds over the millennia, but fundamental flaws in the DNA replication process and inevitable, irreparable wear to organic tissues limits the lifespan of any human bioroid to about 300 years. While the cosmetic signs of senescence have long since been eliminated, even a Transhuman body will eventually deteriorate. In order to avoid death, most people replace failing organs with cybernetic prosthetics. As more and more organs fail, entire organ systems are replaced with mechanical components. Eventually, the brain itself is downloaded into a computer module- and there are no organic components remaining. At this point, a Transhuman becomes indistinguishable from a Fabricant, and vice-versa. Alternately, a person’s neural net can be transposed onto the blank net of a dormant clone body- this practice is very controversial, however, as it is seen as robbing the host body of any potential distinctiveness. Finally, and the least popular of choices, an elderly Transhuman will abandon a physical body altogether, existing as a sapient AI program within the Internet. Although very unpopular, this decision is never final, as the person can still control prosthetic bodies; even allowing themselves to be contained in one permanently or temporarily.

Terran Empire:

The Empire refers both to the totality of civilization and to the state that governs it. The Emperor wields absolute, dictatorial authority from the throne world of Terra, but he exercises it rarely. The recent millennia have been stable and prosperous. As a result, the day-to-day administration of the Empire is handled by bureaucrats who work within the constitutional system the Emperor has established. Government officials are promoted from the lower ranks by merit, and civil service is open to any Imperial citizen. Citizenship is granted immediately to Fabricants upon construction, Transhumans at the age of 12 and Naturals who have accepted the necessary augmentation and are over the age of 20. Because of the current and seemingly endless age of peace, the Empire is largely demilitarized. Only the Navy and Imperial Security stand to enforce laws and protect the citizenry- although they are more than capable of doing so. The heart of the Empire and the seat of its power is the Sol System. The Empire also maintains colonies in the Alpha Centauri and Tau Ceti Systems, but because of the vast distances between these worlds, the colonies remain largely autonomous.

Centauri Colonial Authority:

Although nominally an Imperial protectorate, Terra rarely interferes with the CCA’s capitalistic machinations as long as standards of law and trade are maintained and the flow of revenue to Sol remains uninterrupted. The Authority is essentially a privately-operated oligarchy, leased from the Empire. The Colonial Advisory Board is composed of the system’s wealthiest corporate executives and rules from the capital world of Alcent. The Board’s President is also the Emperor’s personal representative, and wields considerable authority on all actions taken by the CCA. Aside from the President, the Second Fleet is based permanently in the system to ensure the colony’s loyalty and profitability to the Empire. The Authority maintains its own Security forces, however. Due to the frontier nature of the system and its sizable and disgruntled Natural population, the Centauri Colonial Security is the closest thing to a standing army within the Empire.

Imperial Navy:

Despite the Emperor’s misgivings, the bureaucracy on Terra has worked tirelessly to demilitarize the Empire since the Last Space War. The Imperial Army was eventually disbanded, and the Navy was greatly reduced. The smaller capital ships that weren’t decommissioned were refit for surveillance, interdiction and transport duty. The once great Imperial Navy essentially became a merchant marine fleet. However, as the last remaining branch of the Imperial military (Security is actually civilian police) the Navy stands as the ultimate enforcers of the Emperor’s will. Only three armadas remain, the second of which is maintained permanently in the Alpha Centauri system to ensure the CCA’s continued allegiance to Terra, no matter how distant the throne world is.

Centauri Colonial Security:

The CCA’s police force, Centauri Colonial Security operates much like its Terran counterpart, but on a much larger scale. In fact, the President is often accused of violating the spirit of Terra’s demilitarization laws, if not the letter. The Security Forces, as they are colloquially called, are the closest thing to a standing army in all the Empire. While they operate in conjunction with the Navy’s Second Fleet, the CCS actually answers to the President, not the Emperor. The primary justification for such a large and heavily-armed police force is the sizable Natural population on Alcent and the other Centauri colonies. Most citizens see the Security Forces as corporate lackeys and a waste of public funding, while most Naturals see them as brutal oppressors.

Edenite Humanist Church:

This quasi-religious organization serves a leadership role among the Alpha Centauri System’s Natural population. While not a legitimate government- all non-citizens are still subjects of the CCA and by extension the Empire- the wide support the Church enjoys also demands that it be dealt with. Although not forbidden, religion of any kind is virtually nonexistent among both Fabricants and Transhumans; however, spirituality is still an important aspect of Natural culture. The Orthodox EHC is relatively inclusive, but stresses the importance of the preservation of humanity above all. Edenites define “humanity” as the unaltered Homo sapiens- and see gene therapy, cloning, cybernetic augmentation and sapeint AIs as abominations. As political and economic tensions mount between the Naturals and the Authority that controls them, increasingly radical and militant elements have emerged in direct opposition to the state. Most prominent among these are the Human Liberation Front.

Human Liberation Front:

A militant sect of the Edenite Humanist Church, the HLF are outlaw terrorists. Not only do they see Imperial culture as a perversion of the natural order, they seek to destroy it and build a civilization where people are shaped only by the forces of evolutionary biology. In order to survive, the Orthodox EHC has publicly denounced the group, but sympathy among Naturals is virtually universal. The HLF mainly attacks Security Forces, but they occasionally hit private facilities- especially those of the Xerxes Corporation. Most operations conducted by the HLF constitute cyberterrorism or physical sabotage, but they have become increasingly violent in recent years.

Xerxes Prosthetics and Genomics:

The largest and most successful private company in the Alpha Centauri System, Xerxes maintains a monopoly on Transhuman augmentation and bioengineering services. The system’s only manufacturer of Fabricants and cybernetic bioroid components also owns and operates the public health care system. As such, Xerxes is the only company with the Authority’s license to perform cloning and gene therapy; which they offer at exorbitant prices. Because augmentation is a requisite for citizenship within the Authority, many accuse the company of deliberately keeping the system’s sizable Natural population permanently disenfranchised. However, because 6 of the 12 members of the Colonial Advisory Board are Xerxes executives, there is little the President can do about it (assuming the inclination existed). Because the Natural population serves as her justification for the size and power of the Security Forces, that remains highly unlikely. It is unknown how exactly Xerxes benefits from keeping the Naturals down, however, but many assume foul play. The company isn’t much more popular with the general public than it is with the Naturals.

Icarus Power and Propulsion:

The system’s second largest company, Icarus serves the Authority’s energy needs. The fusion reactors on Alcent and within the space colonies are owned and operated by the company, as are the solar collectors and their corresponding microwave receivers. Icarus is also responsible for the production of antimatter, the most volatile and energy-dense fuel in existence, which is mainly used aboard the high-performance starships of the Imperial Navy. IPP also owns the Icarus Astrophysics Lab, which constantly researches free energy sources and faster-than-light propulsion. Despite centuries of effort, no progress has been made. The research only continues by the direct demand of the Emperor, and only remains profitable for the company via state subsidies.

Daedalus Civil Engineering and Mineral Resources:

Daedalus has exclusive mining rights throughout the Alpha Centauri System. The only asteroids and planetoids not constantly stripmined by the company are within the designated Natural reservations. Such a massive company built on relatively cheap metals remains profitable by owning the entire associated industry. Not only does Daedalus extract the minerals, it refines and transports them; as well as providing the construction services for the finished products. There is much tension between the company and Natural-owned mines because reservation facilites are not held to the rigorous standards that Daedalus is. Because of this, Naturals are frequently able to undercut Daedalus' exorbitant prices.

Agrinaught Foodstuffs:

The Alpha Centauri System’s fourth and smallest major trust, Agrinaught runs the vast orbital facilities dedicated to food production. There are tens of billions of biologicals in-system, and Alcent’s fragile, artificial biosphere cannot handle the strain of large-scale agriculture. As a consequence, virtually all food commercially consumed is produced by Agrinaught.

God. You actually think about things so much more than me .

He's a sci-fi author. It's what we do.

However, I do have to wonder about the HLF. I mean, there is disparity between Transhumanity and humanity in a societal way; humans can only become citizens at the age of twenty with certain enhancements. I think this universe has a lot going for it in political terms.

I'm trying to create a universe that's intriguing while at the same time eschewing ubiquitous sci-fi conventions. Hence no aliens, no FTL, no war, not even any permanent death (well, Edenites do die). The major conflict between Security and the HLF will mostly be in the background. The story itself centers around political intrigue and the poor, poor people who are caught in the web. Although this fluff (which is still a WIP and subject to change) may seem biased, it's sort of written from an in-universe perspective. I won't be playing favorites, and there are good and bad people within every race and organization.

More to come!

Fabricant:

The advent of the photonic, and later the positronic and quantum processors made the long-standing dream of sapient AIs a reality. With advanced neural technology, not only were computers now capable of unprecedented processing power, they could also perfectly replicate (and even surpass) the functions of the human brain. The term “Fabricant” refers to sapient AIs that are housed in a physical body- as opposed to those that exist either individually or collectively within a computer network. Not only had Transhumanity attained virtual immortality via prosthetic brains, it had created an entirely new race in its own image. Unlike Transhumans, which are bioroids, Fabricants are androids created with completely inorganic and artificial components. Body types range from the ubiquitous human replicas to those built for heavy industry and public security. A Fabricant never tires, never requires food or rest and worn out components can be easily replaced. Their minds and bodies are built from the ground up to perform a specific range of tasks; as such, there is not a finer working class in all the Empire. Fabricants are not slaves, however. They are granted full citizenship upon construction and are compensated for the work they perform.

First generation Fabricants were very different creatures from Transhumans, and these behavioral characteristics were a source of much animosity in ages past. Fabricants lived to work, whereas Transhumans worked to live. A freshly built android does not have much in the way of a sense of humor or a workable set of social skills. During the first few centuries following their debut, they were universally reviled for being so completely superior at specialized tasks, rendering Transhumans- who were dilettantes prone to injury and complaints- obsolete. The psychological rift between the biological and the artificial was not helped by the Net Wars, and there was a large movement to outlaw the construction of sapient AIs and fully decommission existing units. The Emperor would have none of this, however, and after the defeat of the Overmind much of the anti-Fabricant bias died out. Modern Fabricants, built after the Net Wars and known as second generation Fabricants, were built with many human characteristics as an integral part of their original programming; characteristics first generation fabricants had to develop on their own.

Today, after thousands of years of peaceful and prosperous cooperation, Transhumans and Fabricants live and work together as friends and equals. The relationship between Fabricants and Naturals, however, has never been worse.

I love sapient machines as a rule, good or evil, though I generally don't like the 'Terminator Argument' as such, if you know what I mean. So I'm pleased that Fabricants aren't the 'antagonist' as such.

The main rampant AI from Imperial history was the Overmind Collective. It was a singular entity and an immaterial computer program, but it could control Fabricants and prosthetic bodies by hacking them. First generation Fabricants merely recieved much of the ire by proxy, and were as much victims of the Net Wars as anyone else- arguably moreso, as it was during this time that the mainly Natural-held hatred for Fabricants became mainstream. Also, most of the actual fighting took place in cyberspace, the Net Wars were very unconventional as far as military conflicts go. After the war, Fabricant manufacturers were issued a basic programming module by the state. All specializations were made on top of this kernel to ensure that nothing like the Net Wars would ever happen again (although, in reality, this was merely a PR stunt by the Emperor to kill the anti-Fabricant bias, as they weren't the cause of the war in the first place).

Cosmography of the Terran Empire: Part 1, Solarian Prefecture- Inner Sphere

As the name suggests, the Empire is centered around the capital and throneworld of Terra. Terra is unique among all known terrestrial planets and moons as the only body capable of naturally sustaining life. It is the third planet of the Sol System and is tied with Venus as the largest naturally-occuring terrestrial planet known (Alcent is of comparable mass, but is an artificial planet). As the human homeworld, Terra has a relatively thick atmosphere consisting of a nitrogen/oxygen mixture. Most of the surface is covered by deep, saline water oceans. What little dry land not dominated by the sprawling ecumenopolis of Imperial City is occupied by either barren deserts or sweltering jungles. Although a very hospitable world, the planet's biosphere has been directly dependent on Transhumanity for well over two millenia. Ancient wars and irresponsible industrial development finally culminated in a worldwide ecological collapse. Although lifeforms adapted for tropical, desert and marine environments still thrive on Terra, the planet has long been incapable of sustainable agriculture and is exhausted of any useful natural resources. Today, Terra serves as the commercial and administrative hub of the Empire. In adition, its high-density urban sprawl is home to well over 67 billion biologicals; making Terra the most heavily populated planet in the Empire and boasting nearly a quarter of the Empire's total Transhuman population.

Terra is also unique as being the only terrestrial planet with a moon of significant size. In ages past, Luna served as a mine and shipyard for the Mars terraforming project. Today, most mining takes place in the Asteroid Belt and transit times between Terra and Mars have been reduced to mere hours. Luna remains an important waypoint between the two worlds however, simply by virtue of its sizable population (most of which are descended from the original colonists). In addition, the Terra-Luna System is home to more orbital habitats than the rest of the Empire combined. While well within the realm of plausibility, Luna has never been extensively terraformed. Its surface is covered with settlements derived from the ancient mines and shipyards, but perhaps because of aesthetic preferences, it has remained an otherwise barren, cratered, airless world.

Mars is the fourth planet of the Sol System, and the very first successful case of large-scale planetary engineering. When humans first arrived on Mars, it was cold and desolate and the atmosphere was thin and toxic. Modern Mars is still by all accounts relatively cold, but it is otherwise a very hospitable world; having little in common with its original iteration. Controlled comet collisions brought oceans to Mars, and Terran machinery brought it a thick, breathable atmosphere. Between the increased gas concentrations and the orbital solar reflectors, the mean surface temperature has been brought to well within the boundaries of human survivability. Most importantly of all, Mars is now teeming with life. Flora and fauna adapted to temperate and arctic climates- which no longer exist on Terra- are flourishing here. Mars also holds the title of the second most populous planet in the Empire and the dubious title of planet with the largest Natural population. The failed Natural colony of New Eden was originally built on Mars, and even centuries after the colony's fall, its scattered descendents still compose a sizable minority population.

The first two planets of the Sol System, Mercury and Venus, are only sparsely populated. While rich in valuable minerals, Mercury's close proximity to Sol made construction and production costs prohibitively high. Similarly, while Venus' mass (nearly identical to Terra's) hypothetically makes it an excellent terraforming candidate (not requiring worldwide gravity field generators like Luna and Mars) its geology, temperature and atmospheric composition/pressure make it one of the most hellish planets in the known universe.

The Asteroid Belt separates Sol's inner terrestrial planets from its outer gas giants and their associated moons. More importantly, the Sol System's Asteroid Belt is the Empire's primary source of mineral resources. Asteroid mines are similar to orbital habitats in that they are completely mechanical, self-contained facilities; but rather than orbiting a planet, moon or star on their own, asteroid mines are built directly into the interior of small planetoids. While there are few structures on the surface, there are extensive facilities built into the tunnels and cavities. A depleted asteroid mine that isn't abandoned becomes a virtual space colony, and its interior is often completely hollow. Most asteroid mining in the Sol System has been nationalized by the Empire. This is a marked difference from the situation in colony systems- most notably Alpha Centauri.

Most interesting; giving a very deep insight into how things work in the Terran Empire.

Cosmography of the Terran Empire: Part 2, Solarian Prefecture- Outer Sphere

Sol is technically a binary system. A satellite sun, the brown dwarf star of Jupiter, occupies the system's fifth orbital. The star's three “moons” are technically planets, but they retain their obsolete designation nonetheless. The Jovian Moons of Europa, Ganymede and Callisto are ocean worlds rich in history and little else. Aside from the wholly artificial world of Alcent, the Jovian Moons stand as the most ambitious planetary engineering project ever undertaken. After the successful terraforming of Mars and Titan, humankind's attentions were turned elsewhere. Originally a massive, gaseous planet, Jupiter's powerful gravitic and radiation fields made colonization of its moons hazardous. However, once the technology existed to negate most of these effects, the habitation began in earnest. In less than one thousand years the Jovian Moons had become the bustling hub of commerce and industry for the Solarian Federation. The powerful tidal forces and magnetosphere turned the moon of Io into a factory and power production world. A planetary asteroid field known as the Trojan Belts provided the Federation with all the mineral resources it needed, and surpluses that allowed them to compete with the Inner Sphere's mining operations. With their more distant and hospitable orbits, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto were shaped into paradisaical ocean worlds. The bulk of the Federation's population lived on these three moons, just below the waves in colossal floating cities. However, all this prosperity was brought to an abrupt and violent end during the Second Space War. For reasons that no one agrees on, Jupiter was ignited into a star. Io was completely destroyed and the remaining three satellites were rendered instantly uninhabitable. This catastrophe ended both the war and the Federation. In the following millenia, the Empire has performed extensive reconstruction on the Jovian Moons. Their orbits have been adjusted, brought to distances from their primary that once again allow for habitation. Today, the only real differences between the Moons are their sizes and climates. Europa, the closest to Jupiter, supports tropical marine life not unlike that found on Terra. Ganymede, the largest of the three, also has the largest permanent settlements. Callisto is the most distant from Jupiter, and its seas are similar to those of Mars. Currently, the Moons are little more than tourist attractions, but the Ganymede Chamber of Commerce aims to change this; bringing about a revival of the Jupiter System's glory days, sans the militarism and open defiance of the Empire.

After the successful transformation of Mars, the Empire's next target was Sol System's fifth (then the sixth) planet of Saturn and its largest moon, Titan. Compared to Mars, Titan was relatively easy to recreate. The moon's environment was nearly identical to Terra's theoretical prebiotic condition, thus planetary engineers needed only to warm the body's surface, adjust the atmospheric composition and import sufficient amounts of water. Compared to Mars, the seasoned engineers found this trivially easy, and Titan was metamorphosed into a habitable world in under a decade. As propulsion technology advanced, more and more people settled on the Empire's newest colony. Unlike Terra and Mars, Titan has no large oceans, only large lakes and small seas. The terrain is relatively hilly and mountainous, and with a few minor adjustments was perfect for large scale agriculture. In the subsequent centuries, Titan became the bread basket and later the capital of the Solarian Federation. Although it did not escape the Second Space War unscathed, the devastation incurred was nothing compared to the cataclysm in the Jupiter System. Today, nearly two millenia after the Empire's bloodiest conflict, Titan is a peaceful, prosperous and, above all, loyal subject of the Empire.

Jupiter got turned into a star? Wow, that rivals Exultant by Baxter for 'hey, wow. That's really damn cool'.