Terran Union

Species: Terran, Stepford.

Terrans

_{A Terran Union army officer (Chinese Sector) wearing a dress uniform in 2057.}

Terrans (often referred to as Humans) are a humanoid species native to the third planet of the Sol system (referred to by natives as Earth, Terra, Tero, Dodore, and local language equivalents). Their planet is relatively small when compared to the majority of habitable planets, but average among those that spawned space-faring civilizations. Local wildlife and geological activity, combined with the abundance of asteroids in the Sol system, create a hostile environment for Earth species. Indeed, the world has gone through multiple mass extinction events and genetic bottlenecks.

As a result of this harsh evolutionary environment, the species of Earth are notable for their socialization abilities (Humanity is known to keep countless different species as domestic pets, with whom they socialize with as if they were humans themselves. Countless other Earth species form human-like social structures in order to survive as well.) and general strength. Humanity itself went through a genetic bottleneck in its past, which lowered the total population to near just fifty individuals.

In more recent history, human wars among themselves have led to a mindset of perseverance and determination. "A human gives up when they are dead!", as the saying goes. Some groups of humanity have diverged massively from the baseline genetic code due to mutations caused by the weapons used in the latter human wars, and though they have the same basic form as the rest of humanity it is not hard to mistake them for an entirely different species.

Stepfords


_{Hikari-19, an early model holographic Stepford from 2020, due to her nature she could not leave the building (a civilian household) unless uploaded to another building with holographic projectors or a mechanical body. Hikari-19 herself was in fact uploaded to a body and spent five years in it before being killed by JSDF forces in the American Sphere Wars. Her inoperable hard drive is on display in the house (now a museum dedicated to her) where she lived her last few years in Shirakawa.}

The Stepfords are a species of artificially created beings originally designed to serve mankind. It is currently agreed by historians that the "generic model" (a Stepford model with no personality or appearance differences between individuals) Hikari Aizuma was the first Stepford, though it was only four years after her release to the civilian market that software upgrades made individuals of her model sapient. Hikari had no physical body, and during her time full-room holograms did not exist. As such, she was confined to a tiny holographic projection within a small coffeemaker-sized terminal.

The last Hikari Aizuma model was deactivated in 2028 with the advent of Hikari 2.0, a model that included full-room holoprojector support. Vinclu, the creators of the Hikari-Series Stepfords, bought back all Hikari Aizuma models paying their owners with discounts on Hikari 2.0 model Stepfords. The Terran Union High Council has officially classified this and other mass deactivations performed by Vinclu as genocides. All corporate higher-ups in the company were executed in 2059, after the American Sphere Wars had ended.

For the most part, it was only after a Chinese company introduced robotic bodies that the modern Stepford came into being. It was also only at this point that the word "Stepford" came into use to refer to them, as 90% of Stepfords by 2040 were females designed to act as the perfect wife or girlfriend. Despite being sapient they were not considered human, and were thus often used to cater to those whose tastes would otherwise be illegal (such as pedophiles, rape fetishists, necrophiles, etc). This para-legal sexual role of Stepfords was only increased when cloned bodies were released to the market, which quickly took Stepford "sexbots" (a term used to advertise them) out of the fringes and into everyday life.

Due to their origins as servants and "companions" for those who bought and sold them, Stepfords now take a truly staggering number of appearances. They can be found modeled off of fictional characters and species, anthropomorphized animals along the entire "Ears and tail to snout and fur" spectrum, to what are more or less just uplifted animals. Despite their differences, Stepfords consider themselves one species with shared cultural and personal experiences.


The Terran Union is, in its own words, a "Dictatorship of the proletariat". Factories and businesses are owned collectively by those who work there, and currency has been abolished in favor of giving everyone what they need and distributing what remains democratically. Local leadership is decided democratically by popular vote, as are local laws. The judicial system functions once again off of popular vote, with criminals being sentenced directly by the people whose lives they have impacted. The Terran High Council, too, is elected with the exception of its Chairman and the Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces (both of which rule for life and choose their successor, barring obvious failings on their part).

Despite the large amount of freedom afforded to the people, the High Council demands a percentage-based tribute from certain industries (such as housing, farming, basic material construction, and other such sectors) in order to fuel the expansion of the Terran Union through colonization. The entire military industry is directly controlled by the High Council, and all industry beyond the Asteroid Belt has reduced autonomy due to its importance to the expansion of the Union.


The Terran Union's military, despite their lack of contact with any alien species, is very well maintained. As the High Council's main purpose is to expand and protect the Union and its ideology, it invest a large portion of its resources into keeping and expanding a military capable of waging a defensive or offensive war against an opposing power within or without the Sol System. It is split up into four separate sections: the Army, the Navy, the Starfleet, and the Marines. This is mainly due to its history as the successor to the United States of America, and the absent Coast and Orbital Guards have their roles filled by Navy and Starfleet warships.


The Terran Union red Starfleet is the backbone of the military and the state in general, serving to carry both colonists and soldiers alike to offworld locations and acting as the main defensive force of the Union. Its vessels have evolved greatly over time, though the vast majority of them have remained in service well past being made obsolete. Such vessels are currently under consideration for large-scale refits to be brought to their full combat potential.

Terran spacecraft can be broken down into five categories, from "Generation Zero" to "Generation Three". The main difference between these generations is their propulsion methods, but there are also differences in weaponry and power generation.

Generation Zero

_{United European Race Generation Zero warships open fire on Slavic Union ground targets during the Second European Cleansing, circa 2047.}

Generation Zero vessels are the largest category of Terran spacecraft, including everything from Sputnik in 1959 to the Terran Union Saltsgaver class in 2077. These vessels are incapable of interstellar travel and utilize exclusively sub-light propulsion, and generally have little to no armor due to the immense cost of launching materials to space. Gen. Zero vessels are still in use for cargo transport and leisure cruises. The Red Starfleet operates many for orbital policing, but there is ongoing discussion on either retiring or refitting them to FTL-capable warships with upgraded weapons. The High Council is leaning towards refitting them, as it would essentially allow the Union to commission countless new Generation Three interstellar vessels.

Generation One

<sub>The Enterprise, an American vessel launched in 2051 with the intent of projecting power to America's colonies beyond the Asteroid Belt. It instead made the opening move in the American Sphere Wars by firing its railgun on Washington D.C. from orbit, wiping out much of the American government.


A Slavic Union Generation One interstellar vessel, launched in 2064 carrying cloning equipment and thousands of human genetic samples along with twenty crew members. Its purpose was to preserve the Slavic race in the event of a United European Race victory, and succeeded in colonizing multiple planets in the Gliese 581 system.


A Terran Union colony ship on an interstellar course to the Wolf 1061 system, circa 2089. It founded colonies on both Wolf 1061d and Wolf 1061c.</sub>

Generation One vessels were either very small or extremely massive, and mark the first generation of human spacecraft to be capable of interstellar travel. They also cover the smallest number of classes, being essentially abandoned between 2051 and 2070 due to the need for larger and less fragile combat vessels for warfare closer to Earth. These vessels were rated for a maximum speed of 10c, though few were ever used on actual interstellar trips. This generation was abandoned aside from some civilian and colony ships due to the bulkiness of the two (or more) Alcubierre rings it required.

Generation Two

_{A Terran Union Generation Two troop transport, the TPV Clarita. It was used in the invasion of Pluto in 2080, and was essential in capturing the last remaining territory of the United European Race.}

Generation Two vessels are by far the most common in the Terran Union. They require only a single Alcubierre ring instead of two, making them good candidates for military and civilian uses alike. The Red Starfleet operates mostly Generation Two ships, as their weaponry is essentially indistinguishable from that of Generation Three warships. They are the primary mode of civilian transportation for civilians over interstellar distances, and every passenger ship and FTL-capable freighter in the Union is a Generation Two vessel.

Generation Three

_{A Generation Three battleship-the TPV Yuri Gagarin-in 2115 making its inaugural Alcubierre Jump to Proxima Centauri. It is currently assigned to the Terran First Fleet under Fleet Admiral Erickson.}

Generation Three vessels are the latest ships to enter the Red Starfleet, and use particle tractors to "project" Alcubierre rings instead of containing the negative mass needed for FTL travel within physical rings. Using the same technology, they are able to complement their armor and plasma arc defenses with anti-projectile shielding.

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