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Prometheus
Galactography > Sephirotic Empires > Communion of Worlds
Galactography > Regions of Space > Inner Sphere
Galactography > Systems and Worlds > Systems & Worlds O - P
Galactography > Regions of Space > Inner Sphere
Galactography > Systems and Worlds > Systems & Worlds O - P
Prometheus (Zeta 1 Reticuli IV) |
 Image from Steve Bowers |
Prometheus Data Panel | |
| comments | Originally center of Ufer culture, with a number of orbital habitats, but little surface occupation until the planet was partially terraformed during the early Integration. |
|---|---|
| Planetology | ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: |
| System | Zeta 1 Reticuli |
| Planet | Zeta 1 Reticuli IV |
| Planet Type | Terraformed Paludial Gaian, originally a frigid desert world |
| AI | AI overseers: a number of ex-libertarian hyperturings AI's ethos: benevolent overseeing, but allowing for some social experiments if feeling bored, curious or playful |
| Polity | Name: Zetareticulite Confederation Symbol: Stylised UFO with space brothers descending Affiliation: Communion of Worlds Colonized: 1758 a.t. |
| Psyche, Art, Culture | Metapsychology: generally meditative, idealistic, gently pious, artistic, mildly experimental, although influences from Atlantis and Daedalus II are widespread. Metaethics: ranges from generally pacifist, compassionate interventionism, communal lifestyle, respect for the hereditary Bioborg priesthood (the Elders) to libertarian and transhumanist. Aesthetics: simple colourful fashions, architectures, etc. Extensive parks and gardens, shrines, communal places and meeting halls. Religions and Ideology: indigenous Nuagism and various local forms of Sophism, Zoeticism, Buddhism, Utopism, and Libertarianism are all found. Culture: general bohemianism, some libertarianism, assorted elements from Atlantis, Daedalus, Communion of Worlds, Zoeific Biopolity, Sophic elements, and Utopism are found in different proportions in different states and orbitals Language: New English, New French (Raeliste, Neodadaite, etc) Atlantese, and New Anglish are all widely spoken |
| Territories | Surface, Orbital, a few asteroids and halo objects, some outposts around nearby brown dwarves |
| Immigration | Net Immigration: 2 million per tenyear from all sectors Net Emigration: 10 million per annum to all sectors comments: After increasing for many centuries, the population levelled off during the early separative empires period, as no more raw resources were available for new habitat production. From that time on, immigration was discouraged, apart from xenoprovolves, who are provided with generous incentives for immigration, which has caused some resentment among locals living in already overcrowded conditions. |
| Government and Administration | Government Type Loose confederacy of some 152 nations and orbital-states, polities, microstates, and micro commonwealths. The whole overseen by aiocracy both independent of and via hereditary priesthood. Some orbitals and surface nations have representative cyberdemocracy, others rule by mild Aristocracy, Meritocracy, or Theocracy. Administrative divisions: Each component polity has local autonomy. National holidays: Arrival Day, Raphael Day, Rapture Day, Anniversary of Confederation, many local holidays. Constitution: Confederation of Zetareticuli Charter and Hypertext. Legal system: varies locally, but all based to a greater or lesser extent on Communion Protocol Documents. Foreign Policy: Trade, Cultural and Ideological links with the Communion, Utopia Sphere, and elsewhere. Good relations with Atlantis, Daedalus, and the rest of the Zeta Reticuli system. |
| Economics, Local Infrastructure | Economy Currency: The Zetareticuli Dollar is good throughout the Confederate and is backed by the administrative ai. Atlantean, Daedalan, and various local scripts are also found, as is exchange by barter. Major Industries: Historical and Fantasy simulations, Arts and Crafts, Imagineering, Fashion and Lifestyle Design, Habitat design and nanofabrication, Personoids, Tourism and Pilgrimage. Angelnetting : partial angelnetting in all orbitals and surface domes. Major Orbitals: There are extensive orbital habitats, including Adamski, Crystal Palace, Hynek, New Hope, Rael, Streiber, Vallee, and a number of others. |
| Travel | Major Spaceports: Rael Spaceport Complex, Hynek Docks Hazard Rating : Orbitals and Surface Domes - 0.0 to 0.1 (varies). Visa Restrictions : None. (non-permanent residence only (apart from Xenosophonts and xenoprovolves)) Freedom of Movement : all space (surface and aerial) within a 2 km radius of the Gray's Monoliths are off-limits. Environmental Requirements : Breathing apparatus and thermal clothing required for Prometheus surface. Sites of Interest: the Gray Monoliths, Raphael Monument, the Museum of Galactic Civilization, the Zooeum of Ancient Ufological Folklore, the Streiber Orbital Park, a full working nanoreplica of the Heavenly Fellowship, Adamski Mons (on the surface), and a number of shrines to the 'Galactic High Command' and 'The Ascended Master Jesus' are among the many sites of interest. |
During the late Interplanetary period, a number of nuagist, ufer, and space brother sects, known as Travellers, managed to acquire and launch spacecraft towards Zeta Reticuli. Others went to the Pleiades and the Orion nebula. According to their religion (based on ancient late Industrial Age, Information, and Interplanetary age folklore), these start systems were inhabited by aliens, who have visited the Earth in the past in craft called ufos (significantly, in all the time terragen life has explored space there has never been a solid sighting of a ufo). These aliens, sometimes known as greys, were thought of as diminutive big-eyed humanoids who, some ufers and nuagers believed, had made a secret pact with Earth (and later with Orbital, Mars, Belt, Gengineer, and megacorp) governments. In exchange for humans to experiment on, the aliens gave man technology (according to them, this is how man supposedly discovered nanotech and wetware!). But the majority of ufer and nuager sects believed the Greys were friendly, and their Church was able to acquire enough funds and resources to reach Zeta Reticuli.
The vessels, very primitive by later standards, travelling at a small fraction of the speed of light, took well over a thousand years to make the journey. In 1735 AT the first vessel passed right by Zeta Reticuli without slowing down. It was believed the guidance system was faulty and the crew and colonists either in hypersleep or dead. In 1758 AT a second ship, of different design, approached. This one managed to decelerate but the cryogenic systems had failed. Such failures were common among many of the backyarder ships. A local Atlantean company called Isha Space Command (after the name written in Old Earth English on the side of the hull), was set up, and the vessel made a popular, if macabre, exhibit, complete with the frozen corpses of the colonists. The term "corpsicle" was coined to describe them, it later became a standard late Federation term for any of the backyarders who died but remained frozen in transit. A third ship, the Heavenly Fellowship, employing more advanced life-support systems, arrived thirty years later with the crew alive and well.
The backyarders at first believed the Atlanteans and the various ai in Zeta Reticuli to represent the Space Brothers themselves! By 1950 AT the ufers had grown to form a large colony inhabiting some eighteen ships and five thousand "survivors" (mostly engeneratored clones from on-board geneprints), plus second, third and fourth generation children who had been born since arrival. On discovering the true nature of Atlantean society they were horrified, and they set up their own "True Atlantis" in Prometheus orbit, where they were cared for by Atlantean charity groups and some friendly vecs, and awaited the return of the Space Brothers (the planet itself was still occupied by the isolationist ai, whom the ufers affectionately nicknamed "The Gray"). Eventually the colony became a self-sufficient bohemian outpost, to which many Atlanteans, disillusioned by the materialistic lifestyle, migrated. They were joined by a few curious hyperturings who, after many aeons of subjective libertarianism, had grown bored with the Atlantean experiment and decided it would be fin to experiment with something new. By the 41st century (4000 AT, the Integration), the string of ufer orbital habitats constituted the second largest power in the system, the Zetareticulite Confederation.
Over the next few thousand years, half a dozen further backyarder ships arrived. The Confederation ai, using extensive synaptic modelling, cytological simulation and nanotech replication techniques, were able to revive two thirds of the crew, who acquired celebrity status and for the most part were able to fit into the new world.
The Confederation ufers were early enthusiasts of further interstellar colonisation, and set out in a number of ships from the 1900s and 2000s AT onwards, some of which actually founded further settlements. During the early Consolidation Age the Ufers joined the Communion, as they believe the empaths to be the paradigm for the original space brothers.
In 4234 AT the system received a visit by an S3 TRHN emissary, whom the Confederationists named "Raphael" and who provided them with a few clarketech trinkets, much to the envy of the Atlanteans. "Raphael" descended to the surface and made contact with the isolationist ai "Gray". Following this, "Gray" unexpectedly transformed part of emself (and several hundred square kilometers of the surface of Prometheus) into a series of unusual diamondoid-coated monoliths, while the majority of eir mass became a huge swarm of small ISOs ('the Rapture") that accompanied Raphael back to the TRHN.
During the following centuries, the Confederacy attempted to terraform the frigid desert world of Prometheus into something more baseline friendly, being careful not to disturb the monoliths, which were eventually became shrines of contemplation. By this time the ufer culture had already ossified into a sort of hereditary priesthood, who have modified their genotype to resemble the "venusian space brothers" of pre-interplanetary age folklore.
The Confederacy remained neutral during the Version War years, and helped in negotiations during the Revisionist Occupation. It experienced a revival during the ComEmp period, but the hoped for stargate to Heartland was never constructed.
During the intervening centuries, Prometheus and the Confederate polities and orbitals have become increasingly assimilated within general Zeta Reticulan culture, although still retaining their own distinctiveness. It is likely that were it not for the local AIs and the influence of respective sephirotics and their memeticities, culture would eventually become identical to that of Atlantis and Daedalus, and in some parts of the Confederacy it already is. For the most part the various worlds of the system have friendly relations.
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Development Notes
Text by M. Alan Kazlev (after original concept by Anders Sandberg)
Initially published on 03 October 2008.
Initially published on 03 October 2008.
