FTL Newsfeed
Encyclopedia
FTL Newsfeeds, shown on the Sci-Fi Channel
, was the channel's first original program and was the first show seen on the channel before the movie Star Wars a New Hope was aired. The micro series format gave viewers 30 second snippets of fictitious news info that were supposed to have come from the year 2142. This future timeline was fraught with stories of genetic engineering issues, technology trends, space exploration, future entertainment, right to privacy issues and geopolitical intrigue. The series was created by F. Paul Wilson
and Matthew J. Costello
and was filmed in New York. The series ended in a cliffhanger
in late 1996.
The economy is controlled by a global banking entity called CenBank, short for Central Bank and was based in Geneva, Switzerland, and all transfers were electronic and highly monitored by the bank's AI
and President
Barton Poole. The "FTL Newsfeed" came from this future world's "Commlink" system which acted as an interactive global information network that merges the Internet
, television programming of all sorts and virtual reality
entertainment into one entertainment center. There was even a special voting message shown during the 1992 Presidential Elections that has all "Commlink" functions suspended until the following day as if to coincide with the elections of 2142.
Life on Earth is often interesting with Virtual Reality
simulations so real that worldwide addiction is very common. Holography
allows users to modify the appearance of their dwellings or selves into more appealing facades. Violent "future-sports" enable fast paced thrills with life and death consequences that keep the crowds coming back for more. Cloning
has brought the extinct back to life and enabled mankind to create a subclass of humans that not only fill the need for cheap labor and exotic entertainment, but have now become a social cause for clone rights groups. In addition to earthbound life there are The O'Neills—a network of space stations and microwave generators that orbit the Earth and Moon bases, representing the major economic combines. Lastly, there is the great, if economically devastating, experiment of terraforming
Mars
.
or if this is a real human that is visually augmented is not revealed. However, due to the fact that virtual reality and holograms play a big part of everyday life in 2142 the news anchor could indeed be a computer controlled construct.
: President
Madeleine Clarke
Capital: Chicago
Flag: the red & white stripes of USA with a white maple leaf of Canada
alone on the blue corner field.
The United States
and Canada
fused to form the gigantic North American Union (NAU). This Union has failed to compete successfully with either the Europe
an Community (EC) or the Hispanic
Commonwealth (HC) economically, but can cause massive devastation in terms of military
power. In a bold effort, the NAU committed itself to the terraforming
of Mars
, the Red Planet, an on-going project that drained, and continues to drain, billions of credits and resources from the Union.
If "Habitat
Mars
" succeeds, then the result will provide the NAU with a new world
to populate, mine, construct and exploit. But hidden from the citizens of the Union are the many setbacks, delays, disasters and the true cost.
The North American Union uses the democratic system of elections to fill the post of President. The only change is the removal of the archaic Electoral College. There are still senators
, congressmen and, in functioning cities, mayors.
Capital: Brussels
Flag: crossed gold swords in a circle of white stars centered on a field of Swiss blue.
The politically and economically unified Europe
an Community (EC) now stretches from Ireland to Russia.
Winner of the 21st Century's economic wars, the powerful EC glories in a revived medievalism
, reflected in the culture
, the sports, the architecture
, and in some cases, their attitude
toward the other Combines. However, they are suspectible to full-scale military attacks - the reason why the EC is heavily fortified to defend itself against NAU attacks.
The politically and economically unified EC uses a parliamentary system similar to that of the old UK. The former independent
countries of the EC have elected ministers and various parties which reflect concern over local trade issues, the size and power of the Hispanic Combine, and the need for a greater presence in space.
Sato Uchida
Capital: Singapore
Flag: the five gold stars of the present PRC
flag centered on the red circle of the Japanese flag
, on a white field surrounded by the I-Ching symbols from the present South Korean flag
Japan, in an effort to remain competitive with the EC, established the New Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere (which includes all the nations of the Pacific Rim and East Asia, save Australia). This resurrection of a Japanese hegemony in the Pacific quickly prompted other blocs to form combines.
Despite the size of the New Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere (NACPS), it has failed to compete against the EC. In reaction, the NACPS has turned inward, resorting to a new Closed Door policy like that faced by Commodore Perry in the 19th Century.
The NACPS is led by Japan
, which has fully revived the old Shinto
religion compete with ancestor worship and the rule of the royal family. Prince Uchida, therefore, functions as sole head of the vast empire
, advised by representatives from the various countries.
Mohammed Zaganada
Capital: Cairo
(HQ'd in a huge golden pyramid).
Flag: a crescent and three stars (borrowed from the flag of the Kingdom of Egypt
of 1922–1953) centered on the stripes of the current Ghana flag
.
The Mid-eastern
Islam
ic nations formed The Holy Islamic Federation (HIF) and, using oil as leverage, tried to become a major power. But the passing of the internal combustion engine (see POWER SOURCES) undercut their attempt.
The geographic region of the HIF includes all of Africa under HIF's very loose control. An increase in rain to the arid regions due to climactic changes and regional weather modification has led to a greening of the Sahara and a burgeoning agriculture in this region. HIF now supplies common and exotic fruits—including genetically altered fruit—to the world's wealthy.
The Holy Islamic Federation is a strict, fundamentalist theocracy
. The HIF trades freely with the other Combines, but regards them as infidel
s. Zaganada lets his Combine vacillate between cautious acceptance and a nearly war-like paranoia. The other combines give the HIF a wide berth.
Capital: Bogotá
(in buildings modeled on the Mayan
pyramids)
Flag: a sun face (borrowed from the current flags of either Uruguay
or Argentina
) centered on a field of green from the Brazil
flag.
The Hispanic
Commonwealth (HC) was built on the strength, money, and power of the Medellín Cartel which unified the Central and South American republics into a potent economic unit. But as drug use became decriminalized around the globe, the center of power shifted from Medellín. In what many consider an over-reaction, the HC is now the only combine with penalties for drug abuse.
One of the major tasks the HC has set for itself is the reforestation of the Amazon basin.
The Hispanic Commonwealth is a dictatorship
- in other words, the Commonwealth does as their Leader says, headed by General Rodriguez. Despite this fact, Rodriguez is loved and admired by the many members of the HC for the prosperity they currently enjoy. Such loyalty and financial success will embolden him to attempt to place a surcharge on all HC goods and services—even a 'tax
' for the air produced by the great jungles. Rodriguez's attempt at global extortion
will fail.
Yakov Kanter (played by actor Ethan Herschenfeld)
Capital: Jerusalem
Needless to say, Israel
was not invited into the HIF and it became increasingly isolated from the rest of the economic combines. After a number of skirmishes with its neighbors, Israel was referred to as 'Fortress Israel' (FI) -- small, yet determined, armed to the teeth with the latest laser-based Missile Defense
and armed Floater Stations guarding its borders. It is an extremely dangerous place to live - unless someone has been fighting here for a long time for the Isrealians.
Israel's government remains as it is today, with the parliamentary structure altered by the tremendous power reserved by the head of the military. There is a possibility that a dramatic gesture by the Israeli premier towards the HIF could lead to peace '
: Barton Poole
Home office: Geneva
(CenBank's HQ floats over Lake Geneva)
Each of the five major economic World Combines of the 22nd Century has its own currency
. Years ago they got together and set up CenBank - Central Bank - to act as a clearing-house for all economic transactions between the powers and as arbiter of economic disputes. CenBank sets all currency exchange rates.
Over the years, CenBank, also known as CB, has spread its tentacles and tried to insinuate them into the internal finances of each of the combines, bidding to take responsibility for the money supply, interest rates, credit records, etc. Through this gradual, insidious process, CenBank has accrued varying degrees of influence within each combine. CenBank aspires to be the sixth economic combine—and the most powerful. The tail yearns to wag the dog.
Although no one says so openly, all the world leaders are wary of CenBank and are keeping a close watch on it. Only the Privacy Party has declared itself anti-CenBank.
One of the ongoing projects of the CB is to completely centralize individual credit within each of the combines. It's been moderately successful in the NACPS and the HC, but has met with stiff resistance in the EC and NAU.
To attain this goal, CenBank introduced the Credit Chip. The Credit Chip
is a micro-processor implanted in the flesh of the left fifth digit. This is electronically linked to the individual's CenBank credit account. The individual's employer makes deposits directly to the account at CenBank. One purchases by inserting the pinky into a slot and the price of the purchase is withdrawn immediately from the linked account and transferred to the seller's account.
The Credit Chip has caught on, but it has serious consequences in regard to privacy since CenBank then has a record of every purchase an individual has made: every book purchased, every virtual reality program rented, every place traveled, every meal eaten out. This is analogous to having a corporation video-recording every move that is made. It is feared that the CenBank sells information from its individual data cache back to participating governments and their intelligence agencies. Naturally, wherever this system is in place, a thriving underground economy
based on barter and hard currency results.
In 2142, at CenBank's instigation, Identity Chips, considered to be the Credit Chip taken to its extreme, have become mandatory in the NAU.
CenBank's programs do not go unopposed. Aboveground there is the Privacy Party, but there is also an underground movement. The radical privatists want CenBank dismantled and do not hesitate to resort to violent means -- sabotage
and even terrorism
-- to make their point and draw attention to the potential abuses of CenBank's growing data cache.
But there is something else going on at CenBank. Its board of directors does not seem to be completely in control of the company. Decisions are made, plans are executed without their authorization. Some think there may be an artificial intelligence (AI) program nestled in the heart of the CB's huge mother boards. The actions of the CenBank bear close scrutiny.
of 2142 is in the area of 15 billion people. Technologically advanced combines have instituted rigid population control measures. Reproduction is limited to self-replacement, for example, one child per person. This has been named...The One Life/One Birth Law. Theoretically this will stabilize the population, but actually it reduces it through early death
of the child or premature death of an adult before he or she has reproduced. This will guarantee a gradual decline in the population. But it also requires mandatory sterilization immediately after the permitted off-spring is born. A citizen who goes beyond the One Life/One Birth limit will be forcibly sterilized and risks having all assets seized in order to support the extra child.
There is, of course, opposition to this. Some dissenters are the Papist
wing of the Catholic Church, various surviving Hasidic sects, and secular members of the Birthright movement.
The One Life/One Birth Law is likely the most controversial - and population-costing - in history.
One of the most practical solutions has been TFP—textured fungal protein—grown in huge underground vats (no light is needed) by the Yamagata method. TFP is a nutritionally balanced source of protein
and complex carbohydrates, enriched with essential amino acids, and can be shaped, textured, colored, and flavored into reasonable facsimiles of tomatoes, steaks, potatoes, linguine
, broccoli
, etc. (The meats are more real than the vegetables.) But most people agree it's just not the same thing.
People get by on TFP but never pass up an opportunity to grow their own veggies. That's why every rooftop is a garden, and outside every window with a sunny exposure hangs a window-box sprouting vegetables. During the growing seasons the southern flanks of most dwellings are festooned with window gardens, like the hanging gardens of Babylon. What isn't eaten can be bartered in the credit-free underground economy
.
Some bestsellers:
manipulation in 2142 is pretty much ubiquitous. Medical DNA purification techniques have allowed humanity to rid themselves of the once pesky and sometimes fatal hereditary illnesses like Marfan's Syndrome, Down's Syndrome and Muscular Dystrophy
creating areas of the world where these diseases are entirely extinct. DNA alteration of simple racial and physical features is also very common, allowing you to manipulate your skin tone, eye color, breast size and more all without surgery. Cloning
is an accepted practice for creating extinct animals and humans for a variety of desires from the subtle to the lavish. The newest alteration fad is NANO-BIOMORPHING (NBR) which can turn an individual into an entirely different looking lifeform or object if desired. NBR uses nano
-biochip circuits to alter the body's organ systems at the cellular
level, taking the existing flesh and sculpting it into new shapes like it was made out of clay
. The only real concern is maintaining a blood
supply to these newly shaped tissues
, other than that the user is only limited by their imagination.
Costello's daughter Nora Costello appeared in one episode as Keva Handley, a child delinquent, who is arrested for genetically mutating her little brother into a puff-rock lizard.
Syfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
, was the channel's first original program and was the first show seen on the channel before the movie Star Wars a New Hope was aired. The micro series format gave viewers 30 second snippets of fictitious news info that were supposed to have come from the year 2142. This future timeline was fraught with stories of genetic engineering issues, technology trends, space exploration, future entertainment, right to privacy issues and geopolitical intrigue. The series was created by F. Paul Wilson
F. Paul Wilson
Francis Paul Wilson is an American author, primarily in the science fiction and horror genres. His debut novel was Healer . Wilson is also a part-time practicing family physician. He made his first sales in 1970 to Analog while still in medical school , and continued to write science fiction...
and Matthew J. Costello
Matthew J. Costello
Matthew J. Costello is the author or coauthor of numerous novels and nonfiction works. His articles have appeared in publications including the Los Angeles Times and Sports Illustrated. He scripted Trilobyte's bestselling CD-ROM interactive dramas The 7th Guest and its sequel The 11th Hour, as...
and was filmed in New York. The series ended in a cliffhanger
Cliffhanger
A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma, or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction...
in late 1996.
The World of 2142
The World of 2142 is markedly different from our own. Europe has combined into the EC or European Community, which has given it enormous economic and political sway. The United States has combined with Canada to form the NAU or North American Union, still very bold and ambitious though not as economically powerful. Japan, the Pacific Rim and all other East Asian nations excluding Australia combined into the NACPS or New Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere, a new isolationist Combine centered on improving itself from within. The Holy Islamic Federation controls the Middle East and African regions. Mexico, Central America and South America have become the HC, or Hispanic Commonwealth. All five government leaders met regularly in the World Congress.The economy is controlled by a global banking entity called CenBank, short for Central Bank and was based in Geneva, Switzerland, and all transfers were electronic and highly monitored by the bank's AI
Ai
AI, A.I., Ai, or ai may refer to:- Computers :* Artificial intelligence, a branch of computer science* Ad impression, in online advertising* .ai, the ISO Internet 2-letter country code for Anguilla...
and President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
Barton Poole. The "FTL Newsfeed" came from this future world's "Commlink" system which acted as an interactive global information network that merges the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
, television programming of all sorts and virtual reality
Virtual reality
Virtual reality , also known as virtuality, is a term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world, as well as in imaginary worlds...
entertainment into one entertainment center. There was even a special voting message shown during the 1992 Presidential Elections that has all "Commlink" functions suspended until the following day as if to coincide with the elections of 2142.
Life on Earth is often interesting with Virtual Reality
Virtual reality
Virtual reality , also known as virtuality, is a term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world, as well as in imaginary worlds...
simulations so real that worldwide addiction is very common. Holography
Holography
Holography is a technique that allows the light scattered from an object to be recorded and later reconstructed so that when an imaging system is placed in the reconstructed beam, an image of the object will be seen even when the object is no longer present...
allows users to modify the appearance of their dwellings or selves into more appealing facades. Violent "future-sports" enable fast paced thrills with life and death consequences that keep the crowds coming back for more. Cloning
Cloning
Cloning in biology is the process of producing similar populations of genetically identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually. Cloning in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments , cells , or...
has brought the extinct back to life and enabled mankind to create a subclass of humans that not only fill the need for cheap labor and exotic entertainment, but have now become a social cause for clone rights groups. In addition to earthbound life there are The O'Neills—a network of space stations and microwave generators that orbit the Earth and Moon bases, representing the major economic combines. Lastly, there is the great, if economically devastating, experiment of terraforming
Terraforming
Terraforming of a planet, moon, or other body is the hypothetical process of deliberately modifying its atmosphere, temperature, surface topography or ecology to be similar to those of Earth, in order to make it habitable by terrestrial organisms.The term is sometimes used more generally as a...
Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
.
CommLink
CommLink is the information hub for Earth, The Moon bases, Mars and the O'Neills. Based in a solar powered space platform bound to Earth's orbit, Commlink operates 24 hours a day with all the information, entertainment, and communication needs required by citizens in the 22nd century. The newscast is also known as "FTL Newsfeed" and is delivered by a "virtual news anchor", a disembodied photorealistic human male head (played onscreen by actor Joseph McKenna) that has been processed with visual effects to accentuate the mood of the messages it conveys. Whether this news anchor is a tre virtual construct that is controlled by an Artificial IntelligenceArtificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
or if this is a real human that is visually augmented is not revealed. However, due to the fact that virtual reality and holograms play a big part of everyday life in 2142 the news anchor could indeed be a computer controlled construct.
World Combines
The 22nd century globe has undergone a geopolitical change. Various major nations have all undergone economic changes and united, allowing them greater financial stability and an increase in political cachet. They are as follows: (Taken from FTL Guide to the 22nd Century)North American Union (NAU)
LeaderLeader
A leader is one who influences or leads others.Leader may also refer to:- Newspapers :* Leading article, a piece of writing intended to promote an opinion, also called an editorial* The Leader , published 1909–1967...
: President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
Madeleine Clarke
Capital: Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
Flag: the red & white stripes of USA with a white maple leaf of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
alone on the blue corner field.
The United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
fused to form the gigantic North American Union (NAU). This Union has failed to compete successfully with either the Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an Community (EC) or the Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
Commonwealth (HC) economically, but can cause massive devastation in terms of military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
power. In a bold effort, the NAU committed itself to the terraforming
Terraforming
Terraforming of a planet, moon, or other body is the hypothetical process of deliberately modifying its atmosphere, temperature, surface topography or ecology to be similar to those of Earth, in order to make it habitable by terrestrial organisms.The term is sometimes used more generally as a...
of Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
, the Red Planet, an on-going project that drained, and continues to drain, billions of credits and resources from the Union.
If "Habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
" succeeds, then the result will provide the NAU with a new world
World
World is a common name for the whole of human civilization, specifically human experience, history, or the human condition in general, worldwide, i.e. anywhere on Earth....
to populate, mine, construct and exploit. But hidden from the citizens of the Union are the many setbacks, delays, disasters and the true cost.
The North American Union uses the democratic system of elections to fill the post of President. The only change is the removal of the archaic Electoral College. There are still senators
Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a legislature or parliament. There have been many such bodies in history, since senate means the assembly of the eldest and wiser members of the society and ruling class...
, congressmen and, in functioning cities, mayors.
European Community (EC)
Leader: Georges FavreauCapital: Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
Flag: crossed gold swords in a circle of white stars centered on a field of Swiss blue.
The politically and economically unified Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an Community (EC) now stretches from Ireland to Russia.
Winner of the 21st Century's economic wars, the powerful EC glories in a revived medievalism
Medievalism
Medievalism is the system of belief and practice characteristic of the Middle Ages, or devotion to elements of that period, which has been expressed in areas such as architecture, literature, music, art, philosophy, scholarship, and various vehicles of popular culture.Since the 18th century, a...
, reflected in the culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
, the sports, the architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
, and in some cases, their attitude
Attitude (psychology)
An attitude is a hypothetical construct that represents an individual's degree of like or dislike for something. Attitudes are generally positive or negative views of a person, place, thing, or event— this is often referred to as the attitude object...
toward the other Combines. However, they are suspectible to full-scale military attacks - the reason why the EC is heavily fortified to defend itself against NAU attacks.
The politically and economically unified EC uses a parliamentary system similar to that of the old UK. The former independent
Independence
Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory....
countries of the EC have elected ministers and various parties which reflect concern over local trade issues, the size and power of the Hispanic Combine, and the need for a greater presence in space.
New Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere (NACPS)
Leader: PrincePrince
Prince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...
Sato Uchida
Capital: Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
Flag: the five gold stars of the present PRC
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
flag centered on the red circle of the Japanese flag
Flag of Japan
The national flag of Japan is a white rectangular flag with a large red disk in the center. This flag is officially called in Japanese, but is more commonly known as ....
, on a white field surrounded by the I-Ching symbols from the present South Korean flag
Japan, in an effort to remain competitive with the EC, established the New Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere (which includes all the nations of the Pacific Rim and East Asia, save Australia). This resurrection of a Japanese hegemony in the Pacific quickly prompted other blocs to form combines.
Despite the size of the New Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere (NACPS), it has failed to compete against the EC. In reaction, the NACPS has turned inward, resorting to a new Closed Door policy like that faced by Commodore Perry in the 19th Century.
The NACPS is led by Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, which has fully revived the old Shinto
Shinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
religion compete with ancestor worship and the rule of the royal family. Prince Uchida, therefore, functions as sole head of the vast empire
Empire
The term empire derives from the Latin imperium . Politically, an empire is a geographically extensive group of states and peoples united and ruled either by a monarch or an oligarchy....
, advised by representatives from the various countries.
Holy Islamic Federation (HIF)
Leader: MullahMullah
Mullah is generally used to refer to a Muslim man, educated in Islamic theology and sacred law. The title, given to some Islamic clergy, is derived from the Arabic word مَوْلَى mawlā , meaning "vicar", "master" and "guardian"...
Mohammed Zaganada
Capital: Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
(HQ'd in a huge golden pyramid).
Flag: a crescent and three stars (borrowed from the flag of the Kingdom of Egypt
Kingdom of Egypt
The Kingdom of Egypt was the first modern Egyptian state, lasting from 1922 to 1953. The Kingdom was created in 1922 when the British government unilaterally ended its protectorate over Egypt, in place since 1914. Sultan Fuad I became the first king of the new state...
of 1922–1953) centered on the stripes of the current Ghana flag
Flag of Ghana
The flag of Ghana was designed to replace the flag of the United Kingdom upon attainment of independence in 1957. It was flown until 1959, and then reinstated in 1966. It consists of the Pan-African colours of red, yellow, and green, in horizontal stripes, with a black five-pointed star in the...
.
The Mid-eastern
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic nations formed The Holy Islamic Federation (HIF) and, using oil as leverage, tried to become a major power. But the passing of the internal combustion engine (see POWER SOURCES) undercut their attempt.
The geographic region of the HIF includes all of Africa under HIF's very loose control. An increase in rain to the arid regions due to climactic changes and regional weather modification has led to a greening of the Sahara and a burgeoning agriculture in this region. HIF now supplies common and exotic fruits—including genetically altered fruit—to the world's wealthy.
The Holy Islamic Federation is a strict, fundamentalist theocracy
Theocracy
Theocracy is a form of organization in which the official policy is to be governed by immediate divine guidance or by officials who are regarded as divinely guided, or simply pursuant to the doctrine of a particular religious sect or religion....
. The HIF trades freely with the other Combines, but regards them as infidel
Infidel
An infidel is one who has no religious beliefs, or who doubts or rejects the central tenets of a particular religion – especially in reference to Christianity or Islam....
s. Zaganada lets his Combine vacillate between cautious acceptance and a nearly war-like paranoia. The other combines give the HIF a wide berth.
Hispanic Commonwealth (HC)
Leader: General Antonio RodriguezCapital: Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
(in buildings modeled on the Mayan
Maya civilization
The Maya is a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as for its art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. Initially established during the Pre-Classic period The Maya is a Mesoamerican...
pyramids)
Flag: a sun face (borrowed from the current flags of either Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
or Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
) centered on a field of green from the Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
flag.
The Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
Commonwealth (HC) was built on the strength, money, and power of the Medellín Cartel which unified the Central and South American republics into a potent economic unit. But as drug use became decriminalized around the globe, the center of power shifted from Medellín. In what many consider an over-reaction, the HC is now the only combine with penalties for drug abuse.
One of the major tasks the HC has set for itself is the reforestation of the Amazon basin.
The Hispanic Commonwealth is a dictatorship
Dictatorship
A dictatorship is defined as an autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by an individual, the dictator. It has three possible meanings:...
- in other words, the Commonwealth does as their Leader says, headed by General Rodriguez. Despite this fact, Rodriguez is loved and admired by the many members of the HC for the prosperity they currently enjoy. Such loyalty and financial success will embolden him to attempt to place a surcharge on all HC goods and services—even a 'tax
Tax
To tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
' for the air produced by the great jungles. Rodriguez's attempt at global extortion
Extortion
Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...
will fail.
Fortress Israel (FI)
Leader: Prime MinisterPrime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Yakov Kanter (played by actor Ethan Herschenfeld)
Capital: Jerusalem
Needless to say, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
was not invited into the HIF and it became increasingly isolated from the rest of the economic combines. After a number of skirmishes with its neighbors, Israel was referred to as 'Fortress Israel' (FI) -- small, yet determined, armed to the teeth with the latest laser-based Missile Defense
Missile defense
Missile defense is a system, weapon, or technology involved in the detection, tracking, interception and destruction of attacking missiles. Originally conceived as a defence against nuclear-armed Intercontinental ballistic missiles , its application has broadened to include shorter-ranged...
and armed Floater Stations guarding its borders. It is an extremely dangerous place to live - unless someone has been fighting here for a long time for the Isrealians.
Israel's government remains as it is today, with the parliamentary structure altered by the tremendous power reserved by the head of the military. There is a possibility that a dramatic gesture by the Israeli premier towards the HIF could lead to peace '
India
The crowded, starving sub-continent of India also remains unaligned. No combine wants India to be part of it, and so it is isolated, helped sporadically by the Combines and idealists touched by the magnitude of its human misery.CenBank
DirectorBoard of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
: Barton Poole
Home office: Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
(CenBank's HQ floats over Lake Geneva)
Each of the five major economic World Combines of the 22nd Century has its own currency
Currency
In economics, currency refers to a generally accepted medium of exchange. These are usually the coins and banknotes of a particular government, which comprise the physical aspects of a nation's money supply...
. Years ago they got together and set up CenBank - Central Bank - to act as a clearing-house for all economic transactions between the powers and as arbiter of economic disputes. CenBank sets all currency exchange rates.
Over the years, CenBank, also known as CB, has spread its tentacles and tried to insinuate them into the internal finances of each of the combines, bidding to take responsibility for the money supply, interest rates, credit records, etc. Through this gradual, insidious process, CenBank has accrued varying degrees of influence within each combine. CenBank aspires to be the sixth economic combine—and the most powerful. The tail yearns to wag the dog.
Although no one says so openly, all the world leaders are wary of CenBank and are keeping a close watch on it. Only the Privacy Party has declared itself anti-CenBank.
One of the ongoing projects of the CB is to completely centralize individual credit within each of the combines. It's been moderately successful in the NACPS and the HC, but has met with stiff resistance in the EC and NAU.
To attain this goal, CenBank introduced the Credit Chip. The Credit Chip
Microprocessor
A microprocessor incorporates the functions of a computer's central processing unit on a single integrated circuit, or at most a few integrated circuits. It is a multipurpose, programmable device that accepts digital data as input, processes it according to instructions stored in its memory, and...
is a micro-processor implanted in the flesh of the left fifth digit. This is electronically linked to the individual's CenBank credit account. The individual's employer makes deposits directly to the account at CenBank. One purchases by inserting the pinky into a slot and the price of the purchase is withdrawn immediately from the linked account and transferred to the seller's account.
The Credit Chip has caught on, but it has serious consequences in regard to privacy since CenBank then has a record of every purchase an individual has made: every book purchased, every virtual reality program rented, every place traveled, every meal eaten out. This is analogous to having a corporation video-recording every move that is made. It is feared that the CenBank sells information from its individual data cache back to participating governments and their intelligence agencies. Naturally, wherever this system is in place, a thriving underground economy
Underground economy
A black market or underground economy is a market in goods or services which operates outside the formal one supported by established state power. Typically the totality of such activity is referred to with the definite article as a complement to the official economies, by market for such goods and...
based on barter and hard currency results.
In 2142, at CenBank's instigation, Identity Chips, considered to be the Credit Chip taken to its extreme, have become mandatory in the NAU.
CenBank's programs do not go unopposed. Aboveground there is the Privacy Party, but there is also an underground movement. The radical privatists want CenBank dismantled and do not hesitate to resort to violent means -- sabotage
Sabotage
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening another entity through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. In a workplace setting, sabotage is the conscious withdrawal of efficiency generally directed at causing some change in workplace conditions. One who engages in sabotage is...
and even terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
-- to make their point and draw attention to the potential abuses of CenBank's growing data cache.
But there is something else going on at CenBank. Its board of directors does not seem to be completely in control of the company. Decisions are made, plans are executed without their authorization. Some think there may be an artificial intelligence (AI) program nestled in the heart of the CB's huge mother boards. The actions of the CenBank bear close scrutiny.
Population control
The populationPopulation
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 2142 is in the area of 15 billion people. Technologically advanced combines have instituted rigid population control measures. Reproduction is limited to self-replacement, for example, one child per person. This has been named...The One Life/One Birth Law. Theoretically this will stabilize the population, but actually it reduces it through early death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
of the child or premature death of an adult before he or she has reproduced. This will guarantee a gradual decline in the population. But it also requires mandatory sterilization immediately after the permitted off-spring is born. A citizen who goes beyond the One Life/One Birth limit will be forcibly sterilized and risks having all assets seized in order to support the extra child.
There is, of course, opposition to this. Some dissenters are the Papist
Papist
Papist is a term or an anti-Catholic slur, referring to the Roman Catholic Church, its teachings, practices, or adherents. The term was coined during the English Reformation to denote a person whose loyalties were to the Pope, rather than to the Church of England...
wing of the Catholic Church, various surviving Hasidic sects, and secular members of the Birthright movement.
The One Life/One Birth Law is likely the most controversial - and population-costing - in history.
Food
In the world of 2142 the global population totals fifteen billion, arable land is scarce and there have been many shortages and a couple of severe famines. The HC and HIF have become the breadbaskets of the world, but they cannot supply nearly enough.One of the most practical solutions has been TFP—textured fungal protein—grown in huge underground vats (no light is needed) by the Yamagata method. TFP is a nutritionally balanced source of protein
Protein
Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
and complex carbohydrates, enriched with essential amino acids, and can be shaped, textured, colored, and flavored into reasonable facsimiles of tomatoes, steaks, potatoes, linguine
Linguine
Linguine is a form of pasta — flat like fettuccine and trenette. It is wider than spaghetti, about 1/4 to 3/8 inch, but not as wide as fettuccine. The name linguine means "little tongues" in Italian, where it is a plural of the feminine linguina. Linguine are also called trenette or bavette...
, broccoli
Broccoli
Broccoli is a plant in the cabbage family, whose large flower head is used as a vegetable.-General:The word broccoli, from the Italian plural of , refers to "the flowering top of a cabbage"....
, etc. (The meats are more real than the vegetables.) But most people agree it's just not the same thing.
People get by on TFP but never pass up an opportunity to grow their own veggies. That's why every rooftop is a garden, and outside every window with a sunny exposure hangs a window-box sprouting vegetables. During the growing seasons the southern flanks of most dwellings are festooned with window gardens, like the hanging gardens of Babylon. What isn't eaten can be bartered in the credit-free underground economy
Underground economy
A black market or underground economy is a market in goods or services which operates outside the formal one supported by established state power. Typically the totality of such activity is referred to with the definite article as a complement to the official economies, by market for such goods and...
.
Drugs
Since most anti-drug laws were abolished a century ago (except in the HC which still restricts their use), recreational drug use is now fairly common. Opiate use surged briefly after legalization, then dropped off precipitously. As the price dropped, so did production. No one was pushing it due to the low profit margin. Besides, new designer drugs with a much higher mark-up were evolving all the time. No one injects intravenously, as most drugs are administered nasally via vapors or sprays, or intradermally through patches.Some bestsellers:
- Osovirtuoso - One of the most popular perceptual enhancement drugs used during virtual reality trips.
- Ecstaphoria - the most popular endorphomimetic.
- HHELL - The infamous horror hallucinogenic. A dose of this is the 22nd Century equivalent of bridge chutingBASE jumpingBASE jumping, also sometimes written as B.A.S.E jumping, is an activity that employs an initially packed parachute to jump from fixed objects...
, thus the name HHELL.
Genetic Engineering
DNADNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
manipulation in 2142 is pretty much ubiquitous. Medical DNA purification techniques have allowed humanity to rid themselves of the once pesky and sometimes fatal hereditary illnesses like Marfan's Syndrome, Down's Syndrome and Muscular Dystrophy
Muscular dystrophy
Muscular dystrophy is a group of muscle diseases that weaken the musculoskeletal system and hamper locomotion. Muscular dystrophies are characterized by progressive skeletal muscle weakness, defects in muscle proteins, and the death of muscle cells and tissue.In the 1860s, descriptions of boys who...
creating areas of the world where these diseases are entirely extinct. DNA alteration of simple racial and physical features is also very common, allowing you to manipulate your skin tone, eye color, breast size and more all without surgery. Cloning
Cloning
Cloning in biology is the process of producing similar populations of genetically identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually. Cloning in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments , cells , or...
is an accepted practice for creating extinct animals and humans for a variety of desires from the subtle to the lavish. The newest alteration fad is NANO-BIOMORPHING (NBR) which can turn an individual into an entirely different looking lifeform or object if desired. NBR uses nano
Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is the study of manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally, nanotechnology deals with developing materials, devices, or other structures possessing at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometres...
-biochip circuits to alter the body's organ systems at the cellular
Cell (biology)
The cell is the basic structural and functional unit of all known living organisms. It is the smallest unit of life that is classified as a living thing, and is often called the building block of life. The Alberts text discusses how the "cellular building blocks" move to shape developing embryos....
level, taking the existing flesh and sculpting it into new shapes like it was made out of clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
. The only real concern is maintaining a blood
Blood
Blood is a specialized bodily fluid in animals that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells....
supply to these newly shaped tissues
Tissue (biology)
Tissue is a cellular organizational level intermediate between cells and a complete organism. A tissue is an ensemble of cells, not necessarily identical, but from the same origin, that together carry out a specific function. These are called tissues because of their identical functioning...
, other than that the user is only limited by their imagination.
Costello's daughter Nora Costello appeared in one episode as Keva Handley, a child delinquent, who is arrested for genetically mutating her little brother into a puff-rock lizard.