sample text and (recruitment?)

Bohemian Muskrat

Here are some small samples from the text I am assembling for the plug in I am working on under the working title of "The Great Collapse". Comments are appreciated, so are expressions of interest. However, I'd like to warn all of you that I am not very open and patient when it comes to group projects. If you don't consistantly produce quality work (whatever it is that you do) you simply won't get your work into the plug or get into the credit. I have worked on a quite a few plug ins (Delta V, New Republic, among others) and I know how teams can destroy a project. I do have graphics by the way, though they are hardly final and I'm not sure when or how to share them.

347 P.H.E
Post Human Era

Cybernetics and semi-autonymous conscious networks (SCNs) led to the beginning of the post human era. SCNs take advantage of a complex set of mathematical theories which effect how the nodes and pathways of a neural net will behave. Quantum computing allows for these processes to be contained within a very small area, with a brain of average human intelligence taking up a 6 by 6 inch cube (with out a power supply or other parts) Cybernetics bridges the gaps between un-augmented humans (who must rely upon sensory input) and purely electronic beings. Electronic beings often have what is known as versatile consciousness. This means that the exact boundaries of a SCN can expand and contract. Furthermore, the level of involvement of various parts varies. At the center of a SCN there must be series of interlocking motivations, which are different than older AI because they follow a form of fuzzy logic. Around this core, which contains crucial memories and the important sense of I is a layer of further personality, often containing many competing ideas. The core and the peripheral ideas blend together almost seamlessly, and as the brain develops it brings some ideas in from the periphery while rejecting others or putting them aside. On the outer edges of the brains existence is external input, whether it is directly digital or from sensors on the outside world. SCNs are able to merge parts of their brain processes with other SCNs in order to communicate better, or even forcibly influence each other. A type of etiquette has developed , as well various laws, mostly created by SCNs themselves. The SCN and human world is highly intermixed, with each depending on each other and working with each other. Suspicion exists between the two communities, especially among members of the two groups who do not have the ability to understand and interact with each other. Murder and other crimes between the two groups is a constant problem. Some human planets have a form of apartheid, where SCNs must stay within certain roles and are denied various jobs.

SCNs can reproduce in two ways. They can create duplicates and variants of themselves at varying levels of complexity and similarity. Sometimes the duplicates are primitive copies, designed to act as representatives of the master and often designed to either die or merge back into the original. Certain directives have developed among SCNs about how much freedom primitive copies can be given and when they must be destroyed. Space on the Quantum network is governed strictly, with a whole range of rules on how much space an individual may take up. SCNs can also form new versions of themselves together, though unlike humans, they are not limited to any specific number of SCNs who can mate in order to produce the new copies. It is also possible for two SCNs to merge together to some degree. This can be moderate, as in working relationships, but unlike humans, SCNs can fully combine their identities and processes. Most SCNs have an individuality organization which ensures that they will not combine with another fully.

SCNs and the civil war. SCNs exist in a parallel political plane. They have many disputes which dont directly affect humans, as long as stability in the networks in maintained and SCNs involved with humans perform well. Humans seek SCNs to perform various tasks, including designing new technologies and working at jobs (including the military). SCNs have a prejudice against humans, due to their perception that humans consider them to be merely smarter artificial intelligences, which are used to some degree and greatly looked down upon by the SCN community. Humans are suspicious of SCNs as many SCNs believe themselves to be higher life forms. Most enlightened SCNs have chosen to stay out of the Civil War, and much of the average beings have followed their lead.

Cyborgs. A very old concept, cyborgs capitalize upon the similarity between SCNs and the human brains patterns. (After all, SCNs were originally designed based upon the human brain.) Looked down upon by members of both communities, cyborgs live in a gray area, associating with and acting as ambassadors between both groups, but also keeping to themselves. Occasionally a cyborg becomes entirely quantum in nature, though its structure retains many signs of having been human. (These transfers are looked down upon by some in all of the other groups.) Alternatively, cyborgs sometimes drop almost entirely out of the networks, becoming merely humans with good data retrieval. These humans can later rejoin the network, but their counterparts who have become fully in the network rarely find a human they can merge with.

Cyborgs have in some cases chosen not to get involved, sometimes due to influence from their SCN counterparts. However, their existence on a physical plane has forced them to chose sides more often than not, placing them in roughly the same position as most humans.

Both sides of the conflict have thus far avoided damaging the networks which have declared themselves neutral, which is a fair majority of them. However the significant minority which has chosen sides is fair game for physical and virtual attack. Physical attack is highly problematic because of the shifting nature of SCNs and the potential to injure or kill neutrals.

Alliance for Democracy.

Large and influential group of planets which have explicitly declared their intention as being to either reform the confederation or create a similar alliance of human systems to include much of the Confederations old territory. Many Alliance for Democracy worlds are very rich and influential, allowing them to take a leading role in organizing the other rebels and setting their agenda. Alliance members are split amongst themselves, with a whole range of goals and proposed systems, ranging from total independence to a reformed Confederation being considered. In general, alliance worlds tend to be more politically conservative and culturally conventional than the outer worlds. Recently the Alliance has had to deal with increased internal dissent as some members have suffered extraordinary damage from the war and others have reconsidered their positions. While on the one hand the AD maintains the cohesiveness of the rebels in terms of opposition and coordinated attacks. On the other hand, they have fought to avoid certain types of escalation and for the enforcement of certain humanitarian standards. The Confederation has tried to cause tension with in the AD but has shown a degree of restraint otherwise missing elsewhere in the war, if the AD is torn apart it might lead to a total break down of the remaining social order.

Rebels

Lacking an official title, the star systems directly associated with Robert Opinsos Alliance for Democracy movement refer to themselves and are referred to as rebels. During the final period in which widespread rebellion took place before the Confederate retreat, the various independence movements seemed as though they were about to crumble. However, when Opinso, who had formally preached patient non-violence heard about the massacre at Dar station he changed his stance and shifted the Alliances significant influence to the task of armed insurrection. Sympathetic Confederate officers slipped Opinso and his close followers out of the Unity system and helped them link up with the growing numbers of insurgents at the edge of organized space. While the merchant leagues officially counseled non-involvement with the conflict, large numbers of the rank and file broke with the central leadership in order to supply the rebels or join in the fighting. With such a seeming moderate persona as Opinso behind the uprising, hundreds of Confederate personnel switched sides or simply refused to fire at the rebels. The more that Confederate ships were engaged by the rebels, the more they tended to rebel, leaving the Confederate high command with the impression that their control was disintegrating. The Confederate High Command frantically pulled back those units still loyal, expecting to have to pull a fighting retreat all the way to the capital. However, the Rebels didnt seriously follow up their initial victories due to confusion about Confederation strength and disorganizeation. Heavy losses in several battles had seriously thinned the ranks of the insurgents. Meanwhile civil strife continued on many worlds where collapse of confederation rule had left a power vacuum. The hastily convened Rebel high council overestimated Confederate organization and cohesion, and legitimately worried about the lack of replacement ammo and parts needed to sustain a rapid and bitter campaign into the heart of enemy strength. Many within the council begged and pleaded for rapid and decisive action but were ultimately defeated by the more conservative leaders as well as those with specific interests in consolidating their own territories.

Peoples militia

Though by now almost entirely under the control of the military and the large corporations, the Confederation Senate still holds a degree of symbolic power which ensures continued lip service from those who hold real power. Rather than demand another budget increase immediately after the latest round of spending, the Confederation instead sought to create a force that could mostly support itself monetarily, while no sapping the strength of existing CSN units. In order to create such a group, both ships, weapons, and personnel had to be acquired with only minimal input from the CSN budget. The personnel were chosen from a mixture of convicts, ultra-patriots, and former CSN personnel. The groups ships include reactivated vessels, often from the Great War, ships assembled from scrap yards, and various captured pirate or rebel ships. The Peoples Militia has taken on a life of its own, largely with the silent consent of the CSN high command. The CSN maintains plausible deniability while the PM conducts assassinations, smuggles drugs, and even piracy outside of Confederation space. Officials and even senators who have attempted to raise the profile of the group have found themselves threatened, blackmailed, and even killed.

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-Bohemian Muskrat