Voices in the Dark: PreIOT Thread

[Double A]

There are also real-world concerns about aliens.

 

[CivOasis]

A Report on Modern Technology, Part 2​

For all the ecological toll Earth has taken, mankind has come out with many problems solved - among them, the energy crisis so prominent around the transition from the 20th to the 21st century. No longer able to use fossil fuels, power is now generated from a variety sources - hydropower along major rivers; solar and wind in nations with vast stretches of flat terrain; geothermal in geologically active regions; even some fusion, predominant in regions where alternatives fail and in the few off-world sites where solar has proved insufficient or impractical.

Perhaps the most impressive of all of mankind's achievements, however, is the development of faster-than-light travel, via the Alcubierre drive* and the Casimir effect. An incredibly expensive technology, the Alcubierre drive can only travel over a span of a certain pre-programmed distance, and even then, has been deemed largely impractical for intrasystem travel. Still, a handful of probes have been sent to known locations, though no manned mission has been sent out before now.
*This is not how the Alcubierre drive would work in real life, if it could work at all. The Casimir effect is also rather questionable in its ability to work as depicted.

Exoplanet research has advanced, but the shift of focus back to colonization of the Solar System has slowed its progress. With the advancement of developments within the system - permanently inhabited satellites, colonies on Mars, Phobos, and Deimos; research bases on the Moon and many asteroids; the discovery of unicellular fossils on Mars and the subsequent banning of all planned manned missions and many unmanned ones to Enceladus, Europa, and Titan - space technology has largely been devoted to more fully exploring our immediate surroundings. Despite this, progress has been made towards detecting more extrasolar objects, including atmospheric analysis of gas giants, and, on rare occasions, super-Earths - and, by a stroke of pure luck, one small Oxygen/Nitrogen-atmosphere world, far away...

You may now submit proposals for social and ideological movements, as well as the type of organization that is establishing the expedition, and why. Try to keep these in-line with the storyline so far - we already know that people are very opposed to biotech, for example, so it's unlikely there are any large movements with elements of transhumanism attached to them. Similarly, keep in mind that we've got a lot of options for mission founders and reasoning - multinational research projects, national shows of their achievements, perhaps a private corporation establishing a stepping stone to even more distant worlds?

 

[Omega124]

RANDOM SUGGESTIONS:

The largest independent "colony" on Mars should be communist. I don't really care what the official name for it is, but the commonly used nickname for it should be "Red Mars"

I feel like, to get the most interesting set of characters, the organization that colonizes the planet we're going to should be A. from Earth and B. be a joint vesture between a country and a corporation (think British East India Company). I feel like this way, we get the best of both worlds in terms of country colonization and corporation colonization. We get the reason to colonize (make money, mos likely from mining rare earth metals), but also get the opportunity to make more varied characters that are not necessarily tied to the colony's goals (educators, independent prospectors, etc, etc).

I'd nominate America as the nation because NASA has a history of extensively working with private corporations, and therefore they would make the most sense if we go down this route.

In my opinion, I'd feel like colonies would tend to have more variations in political ideology than Earth will. That is because they are fresh societies that don't have thousand years history of doing X, and also because I feel like partisan visionaries are more likely to leave Earth to try to have their utopia built on Mars or whatever place they feel like colonizing.

 

[GreekAnalyzer]

One idea:
A resurgent Knights Templar (or some other Christian organization) fighting against biotech as unnatural and blasphemous.

 

[Ailedhoo]

Hmmm... we should speak about religion. What is the percentage of religious believes in this future era? Has new religions emerged?

Now back to religion and ideology; considering Taoism emerges the Inner Dominion, a movement (or nation) that has set hold on the colonies and in parts of Earth, preaching for the formation of "the Society of Balance."

There is also consideration for Martian separatist groups, such as the Free Martian Congress and the more militarist Sword of Ares. Phobos has its own separatist alliance known as the Peoples Phobian Pact. Deimos's main alliance is the Deimosian Order of Sovereignty.

Back on the nation are we to come from: I suggest a United Nations venture, allowing colonists from Mars to also take the trip and to give us greater choice in what nationality we take up. The project is international, between many groups, with great funding especially from the Peoples' Republic of China which has endured. For corporations I could suggest Virgin but there is also a note of the space tourist industry giving funds for the sake of investment, particularly from Manx corporations.

BTW: would it be asking much to have a Manx colony on Mars or somewhere, starting as practically a Martian holiday resort?

More ideas will come later.

 

[Sonereal]

First of all, Communist Mars makes little sense? Look at Earth, and look at the number of communist countries you see today. The answer is between "0" and "1", unless you think North Korea and China are still legitimately communist. On Earth, your ability to travel another country is already somewhat impaired by your political affiliations.

So why would corporate colonies, which again would be the norm as per the starting scenario, allow people with strong, communist sentiments go to Mars?

Secondly, Inner Dominion? Taoist? What is even going on?

Third, as established in the starting scenario, the most likely parties to lead the colonial expedition will not be nationstates, but multiple companies acting in a joint venture, along with space agencies of participating parties.

Fourth. No Manx colony anywhere ever.

 

[CivOasis]

One idea:
A resurgent Knights Templar (or some other Christian organization) fighting against biotech as unnatural and blasphemous.

This seems a bit farfetched, though it's already noted that people in general have mixed-negative reactions to most biotech

Hmmm... we should speak about religion. What is the percentage of religious believes in this future era? Has new religions emerged?

Presumably trends are similar to real life, with less religion overall, and the same major religions. I would prefer to stay away from new religions if possible.

Now back to religion and ideology; considering Taoism emerges the Inner Dominion, a movement (or nation) that has set hold on the colonies and in parts of Earth, preaching for the formation of "the Society of Balance."

I'm not actually sure what you're trying to say here.

There is also consideration for Martian separatist groups, such as the Free Martian Congress and the more militarist Sword of Ares. Phobos has its own separatist alliance known as the Peoples Phobian Pact. Deimos's main alliance is the Deimosian Order of Sovereignty.

Some Martian settlements are independent; others de facto so; some have nothing to do with countries whatsoever. Not to mention that both Mars and its moons are pretty patchwork in terms of cultures and origins; the idea of Pan-Martianism doesn't seem like it would work too well.

BTW: would it be asking much to have a Manx colony on Mars or somewhere, starting as practically a Martian holiday resort?

I apologise, but I think it might be

 

[Tyo]

why not something new in terms of factions? a faction that is anti-earthers? something like that.

 

[SouthernKing]

I feel like a very real possibility is that some of the less significant and/or wealthy Martian polities are political refugee groups that managed to scrape together enough money to be lifted from Earth. For example, New Kurdistan. Perhaps one or more of these colonies has sent representatives along on the colonial expedition.

Speaking of which, I feel like a plausible scenario for the colonial expedition is a consortium of companies jointly funding it, with technical support provided by national space agencies or large aerospace companies, and representatives selected on a volunteer basis via lottery or something, I have no idea. The majority aid representatives would undoubtedly come from wealthier backgrounds, but nevertheless still a wide variety would be there; I could see some seats on board being granted to people with grievances on Earth.

 

[Omega124]

First of all, Communist Mars makes little sense? Look at Earth, and look at the number of communist countries you see today. The answer is between "0" and "1", unless you think North Korea and China are still legitimately communist. On Earth, your ability to travel another country is already somewhat impaired by your political affiliations.

So why would corporate colonies, which again would be the norm as per the starting scenario, allow people with strong, communist sentiments go to Mars?

TBH, I only sugegsted it for the novelty of calling a nation Red Mars, but I think it would be easy to justify communist Mars.

Yes, most colonies are corporate based. That's exactly why they would be communist. Terrible working conditions by a mismanaged corporate colony=revolt, and one that would most likely be very anti-capitalist. From there, it's as simple as choosing communism as the alternative to the corporate jerks.

 

[Thorvald of Lym]

Red Faction, anyone?

 

[Robert Can't]

Not really fitting into any real category but I'd like P=NP just for the funs

 

[Marcher Jovian]

I vote that the colony will, in addition to what we have decided, have a large number of backers from the sceintific community such as the National Geographic Society, IUPAC, and SETI working together to get a large number of people from many sceintific backrounds in the colony.

 

[Double A]

There should be a Kickstarted space program.

 

[CivOasis]

I vote that the colony will, in addition to what we have decided, have a large number of backers from the sceintific community such as the National Geographic Society, IUPAC, and SETI working together to get a large number of people from many sceintific backrounds in the colony.

1) Nothing is technically decided yet, thats the point of this section
2) I like the reasoning of their involvement, but logically speaking, most to all of the colonists will actually be scientists regardless of who funds the missiom, so grtting scientists on board is not really an issue.

 

[Ailedhoo]

I already mentioned China but the BRICS will be a excellent consideration for the international aspect of the mission, to show their power by funding. The EU too of course to consider. Then there is going to be question of the Martian funders; are there Martian born forces (corporations, colonies, etch) that may emerge to aid in the funding effort?

 

[CivOasis]

So, just a couple notes:

1) In general, people have looked over a reason for the extra-solar colony. Is it there for purely scientific purposes? To evaluate the potential of resources on new world? A stepping stone for further explorations?

2) Perhaps I made this less clear; when I say "who sends the mission," it's not about specific countries so much as it is countries vs international vs corporate, or blends of the above, or perhaps something altogether different.

My apologies if these weren't clear before

 

[Ailedhoo]

A blend of all be best for the sake of character creation.

 

[Tyo]

For the mission, I think it'll have to be a coalition of corporations and national space agencies that will all chip into the effort because of the huge cost. Furthermore, I think its main focus should be scientific - There is no sense in it being anything else, to be frank.

We can have different corporations and national agencies have different jobs. The scientists can be a pooled effort, but the Engineering division for example can be the duty of one specific entity that might specialize in that field. Same thing for construction, comms systems, etc. perhaps it would also be a good idea to send along people and machines that are suited to resource harvesting to make the colony more self-sufficient. Thoughts?

 

[Ailedhoo]

I concur Tyo. For exploration this could also link to both national and private entities. Food production will need to be decided, along with defence. Any rate this is going to be awesome!