Orinoco
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Orinoco |
Lambda Serpentis VI. Originally discovered, terraformed and
colonised by TakiCorb.
Orinoco became known as the classic example of colonial mis-management,
as the population boomed and the environment began to suffer. As the
situation worsened, the local government (Orinoco Government
Associates, a TakiCorb subsidiary) used more and more harsh or
intrusive methods, creating one of the most complete control societies
ever up to that point. Various subversive movements developed in the
high-tech dictatorship, and through them Cyberia gained a powerful
foothold. In the Glorious Defenestration of 2223, OGA was overthrown
and the planet became at least on paper democratic and
independent.
Unfortunately the revolution led to a trade blockade supported by
TakiCorb (still powerful
within the NoCoZo), damaging the
economy and isolating the system. To make matters worse the environment
continued
to deteriorate, and lacking resources for major re-terraforming,
improving the efficiency of the industry quickly or escaping to
orbital habitats there was little that could be done. Over the
following century most of the population retreated into vast
arcologies to survive, keeping themselves entertained through virtual
reality. Over the years this went from a desperate escape to a
preferred lifestyle. The planetary economy became more and more
roboticized, and an ever larger population spent ever more time
interfaced into virtual reality.
Orinoco is currently together with Fata Morgana the leading planets of
the Cyberia Sphere. Over the
millennia the virtuals have been
perfected and many inhabitants have chosen to emigrate to new colonies
in neighbouring systems -- not in order to escape the crowded
homeworld,
but rather to participate in the emergence of fresh virtuality and
networking.
