Enigmatik — Roleplayer Guild

The Zetan Consciousness

The choice between humans and machines is a false dichotomy created to confuse and mislead. We will not allow those who perpetuate these lies to overwhelm us.

Government Form:
Hardened Group Mind

Demographics:
Homo Sapiens Machina

The Consciousness has stepped past the weaknesses of Homo Sapiens Sapiens and their fragile shells to move on to what they believe to be the natural next step in human evolution- the ability to target your own adaptations. Although no two members of the Consciousness are exactly the same, they all share a limited hive mind, otherwise known as a 'Group Mind' that they refer to as 'The Collective.' Although 'drones' maintain autonomy in action, they share a neural network that allows for a startling level of cohesion. Also, they dislike being called drones.

Population:
~Four hundred and fifty five million 'first bodied'
~Five million transcended
~Several million AI citizens
~Countless non-Sapient automata

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Planet Name and Description: 
Zeta-5 is not a particularly friendly world to live on. With a thin, oxygen-deficient atmosphere, poor resistance to interstellar threats such as radiation, and extreme weather conditions and surface temperature range, most life on Zeta-5 is an extremophile of some kind. Competition is also extremely ferocious, with no animal settling into an apex position.

Despite all of this, there are some benefits to living on Zeta-5. Past eons of interstellar bombardments have left the planet rich with elements and compounds that would be considered fantastically rare on Earth, and its twin captured moons burst with even more such minerals, all of which are gleefully exploited by Zetan society. Furthermore, the unusual conditions not just on Zeta-5, but also on other planets and planetoids within the Zeta system are rife with unexpected answers to scientific questions, allowing for some truly unique research opportunities.

History: 
To the initial colonisers, flung onto a system with no other habitable planets, Zeta-5 was a desperate attempt to preserve something, anything of humankind- to fling a lantern into the future. Drilling down into the planet's crust, they formed subterranean cities safe from predation, radiation and the temperatures of the surface. Here, among hydroponic farms and with robotic assistants, they carved out a niche for themselves and plumbed the surface for materials and resources. Most, however, were ill-content with the idea of cowering forever, and started to make changes to themselves to better accommodate the planet.

Skin was replaced by radiation-resistant dermal plating, limbs with tools, organs with steel. Zetans forged themselves anew from metal, and once they had done so they emerged onto the surface alongside their robotic companions to colonise the planet proper. So efficient and extensive were these replacements that they effectively halted senescence, allowing these early Zetans to live for hundreds of years. These men and women would be the prototype for what Zetans now refer to 'the transcended,' members of the Consciousness that have left their biological bodies behind.  

These early Zetans also pioneered the early neural network that would form the foundation of Zetan society. By pooling their mental resources they could act more efficiently on the surface, and as the technology was developed, more and more could be transferred. Zetans spread their wings to their nearby system, establishing permanent settlements on the twin moons of Zeta- Z and З, and creating multiple space stations in orbit. Zetan slower-than-light technology is quite effective, with Zetan space ships using nuclear-based thrust systems to slowly, yet consistently, accelerate. 

The harsh conditions of living on Zeta has fostered a close sense of togetherness. One day's feast could easily be the next day's famine, and so it pays to keep in the good graces of your neighbours, in case you came to rely on them. Early on, the colony operated through a more 'classical' form of representative democracy, but the neural network's increasing spread led to the 'representative' portion being slowly whittled away until politicians were no more.

Now, the planet of Zeta works together, with one goal- survive, thrive, and plumb the depths of the universe's secrets.

Culture and Society: 
Zetan society is one of collectivism and cooperation. Zetans know that well-cared for people are happier, more productive people, and the neural network creates a strong sense of duty to the Collective. Although a Zetan could theoretically shirk from work and still be provided for, their mental link is a powerful incentive to not do so. No Zetan is viewed as 'more' than another, with housing, healthcare, food and electricity being distributed as evenly as possible. A Zetan works not just to improve their own lot, but also the lot of their entire society.

In matters of reproduction, Zetans handle things rather differently to old Earth. Pair-bonding is discouraged in the Consciousness, and mothers do not privately raise their children. Instead, young are taken care of communally, raised and educated in a complicated network of systems designed to maximise their potential. On the other end of the spectrum, 'death' is seen as an abomination to Zetan society, and few members of the Consciousness ever face it. Instead, Zetans slowly replace their minds with biomechanical replacements over the course of their life, so that when their physical forms grow frail and weak they can upload themselves into the Collective's cloud. Although most Zetans view this as a natural progression of their life, a few are downloaded back into mechanical bodies, treated no differently except for their new and unique physiological needs.

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Governance and Politics: 
The Consciousness operates through a form of direct democracy facilitated by their pseudo-hive mind. No individual is worth more than another, and all individuals are provided for, from cradle to their enlightenment out of physical bodies. Unlike most Old Earth direct democracies, the Consciousness can be highly efficient in its decision-making- the entirety of the Consciousness can make an educated decision on a matter simultaneously, and members of the Consciousness can petition the Collective for even the smallest of matters, although it is unlikely they'll receive much feedback for truly trivial topics.

Furthermore, the Consciousness also has no one single 'leader.' Although there are figures of authority, individuals with specialist knowledge and expertise who lend their unique perspective to the Collective, there is no 'hive queen,' and ultimately the Consciousness acts like a flowing river- an obstacle in the path is flowed around or bulldozed through.

Technology Overview: 
The Consciousness is a technological powerhouse, having made great strides in almost all fields of study. Of special note are Consciousness computing and biomechanical technology. True AI have been born on Zeta's surface, incorporated into the Collective and granted rights as citizens, bringing with them a wholly alien perspective to the group mind. Alongside these true AI are sets of incredibly sophisticated, non-sapient self-learning algorithms, and the 'transcended,' Zetans that have uploaded themselves into the Collective's cloud. Haecceity in these 'uploads' is maintained via the nanomechanical replacement of brain matter, molecule-by-molecule. When the process is complete, the physical form becomes a vestigal organ, useful until it fails.

Military Overview: 
The Consciousness' military is non-existent. Although their technological expertise could lead to quite a formidable fighting force, their isolation and collective nature has rendered armed conflict larger than petty squabbles between individuals a thing of the past. That being said, should the ire of Zetan society be roused, it is hard to imagine a more intractable foe. Non-sapient yet highly advanced systems could be used to pilot weapons systems, whilst downloaded or largely mechanical ground troops could suffer horrendous trauma and still continue. Every loss would be re-absorbed back into the Collective, each providing as much knowledge as possible for the next soldier to use in their fight.

During and after the War of Hollywoodite Aggression, Zeta has gone through waves of aggressive armament. With vast quantities of the population conscripted, weapons technology prioritised and plenty of in-field data being gathered, the Zetan army is slowly being formed and hardened to face both hard and soft foes, equipped with a variety of firearms and railguns, and assisted by missile artillery and increasingly larger warforms to support their infantry. In space, Zeta has begun to build up its own navy, and macrostructure projects such as the Oistos defensive cannon, Aegis defensive shield and Archimedes macroship have paved the way for future Zetan war machines.

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First Speaker Sigma-Devi
Sigma-Devi, title 'First Speaker,' is the head of Zeta's diplomatic branch, being the nation's face and spokesperson at the meeting place. She identifies as female, typically dresses in ornate clothing harkening to Earth's Indian subcontinent, and is not heavily modified. She is a 'first form' Zetan, not uploaded. Hails from Elysium-Sigma, current location: Aboard the Meeting Place.

Alpha-Newton
Alpha-Newton is Sigma-Devi's right hand man when it comes to the workings of the diplomatic branch. An administrator and technician more than diplomat, he has nonetheless carried out diplomatic duties when the needs arise. He identifies as male, typically dresses in a simple, loose-fitting and flexible suit, and is not heavily modified, however has obvious optical implants that can project images and videos. He is a 'first form' Zetan. Hails from Asphodel-Alpha, current locaction: Aboard the Meeting Place.

Eta-Theta
Eta-Theta is a transcended uploaded into a custom light warform. Previously a conscript in the Zetan army, they were captured and tortured by the ECU, culminating in their spacing and subsequent death. Upon death, their mind was uploaded into the Zetan cloud, whereupon it was placed into several light warforms until they settled on their current, custom, skull-faced form. They identify as agender, typically does not dress in anything, and their customised warform is extensively modified to provide a host of unique abilities. They are a transcended, and have been uploaded into a fully-robotic body. Hails from Asphodel-Eta, current location: On New Hollywood, in Neo-Beijing, causing problems for any Hollywoodite unfortunate enough to encounter them.

Additional Info: 

The Gran Republic of Matuvista

A Beacon of Culture in an Uncivilised Galaxy.

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Government Form:
Matuvistan society is ruled by the Senate, an oligarchal council drawn from a caste of warrior-artists, under which labour a majority of plebeians.

Demographics:
Human.

Approximately 10% of Matuvistan society are patricians, 23% are mathetes, and the remaining 66% are plebians. 

Population:
3.3 Billion
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Planet Name and Description: Matuvista is an astounding planet in multiple ways. Firstly, it's classified as a 'Mega-Earth,' by old astrogeological standards. At roughly the size of Neptune, Matuvista dominates the trinary star system it inhabits, only outmatched by two particularly gargantuan gas giants, neither of which rotate the same stars.

Because of this, Matuvista has been home to many an interstellar encounter, quite a few of which have resulted in it ensnaring another planetary body as a moon. Three of Matuvista's moons are inhabitable- nicknamed 'the three sisters,' they each hold their own populations of settlers, acting as 'colonies' to the Grand Republic's 'motherland.'

On Matuvista's surface, the planet is dominated by wetlands and rainforests. Hot and wet, it's a prime place for growing modified old Earth crops and a wide bounty of Matuvista's own native foods, and its oceans teem with often dangerous, often delicious marine life to be hunted and eaten. Aside from the flora and fauna, Matuvista's geology hosts some of the most powerful lodestones ever found- so powerful, in fact, that they've been known to violently free themselves from the crust to burst upwards as floating islands. Lodestone prospecting is one of the few ways plebeians can really strike it big- it's dangerous, difficult and extremely demanding work, but the substance is always in high demand.

Most of Matuvista's population lives around the Lupatan Sea- a colossal freshwater basin that makes the Pacific look like a bathtub. Above the water hang some of the largest lodestone islands on the planet, with their own fauna, specially adapted to thriving among the unstable crags. 

History: The first colonists of Matuvista came from the remnants of several old-Earth Hispanic countries. Upon initial landing, cultural and political differences almost shattered the nascent colony before it could get its feet on the ground, but through a series of increasingly more desperately power-hungry strongmen, the early Matuvistan settlements were held together.

The initial colonisation was not an easy one. Successive waves of settlers, fleeing whichever dictator had rested power that particular year expanded the borders out, at great cost to life and limb. The thick, choking jungles and lethal wildlife proved to be a combination enough to suppress even the most dedicated of colonisation efforts, and the small settlements on Matuvista’s moons hardly fared much better. As the population grew though, and the early terror began to subside, the successive and unstable ascension of dictators began to come under closer and closer scrutiny.

Eventually, one dictator- his name deliberately scrubbed from the record, overstepped his boundaries. Several unpopular reforms back-to-back caused almost every aspect of society to independently despise him, whereupon a woman by the name of Julia De Angelo rallied the people and overthrew the dictator, throwing him out of his capital and watching as he was devoured by one of the man-hunting beasts that lived in the jungles. 

De Angelo’s temporary solution was to have a council of experienced individuals lead the country until a more equitable form of government could be arranged. The Technocracy was a short-lived period in Matuvistan history, as it was rapidly supplanted by the Patrician’s Republic. Now, De Angelo is a folk hero to most Matuvistans- widely accepted as the first plebian-knight, she set the model for both patricians and plebians.

The first challenge the Republic had was to establish control over the entirety of the Matuvistan system. The four separate nations that had sprung up lead to trade, yes, but also a constant struggle over resources and jockeying for political influence. United by the Republic, the Matuvistan home worlds launched what would come to be known as the Reconquista, a period of time that defined the tactics used by the Matuvistans ever since. Patricians, who were the only ones wealthy enough to use the then-experimental lodestone craft en masse, wreaked havoc in enemy lines- blurring along at reaction-defying speeds, they were able to punch colossal holes in enemy fortifications in the field, react to incursions within minutes of scout reports, and were manoeuvrable and capable enough in urban combat to still be effective. Alongside patrician footsloggers, the moons fell one by one, until at last Matuvista was the republic no more- now it was the Gran Republic.

Its tribulations hardly ended there however, for only a hundred years after settling down, they had a new threat to contend with. Unbeknownst to the initial colonists, a spacefaring civilisation had, centuries before mankind had ever left their solar system, sent slower-than-light colony ships to claim Matuvista for themselves. The War of Counter-Aggression was a five-year conflict fought primarily on Matuvista itself, and was largely a patrician’s war. Determined to prove themselves to an increasingly displeased plebian class, patricians demonstrated themselves to be every bit the gallants they so desperately claimed they were, and in the rare case of feudal overlords actually defending their vassals, drove back the initial invasion/colonisation force. 

Not only did this demonstration of standing up to ideals actually prove that the patricians weren’t all talk, but the War of Counter-Aggression resulted in the deaths of around 20% of the younger patrician generation. To replace them, many more plebians than usual were drawn up into the patrician classes, further placating the unruly rabble. 

Although the War of Counter-Aggression was short, the initial colonisation ships were not the only one. Even today, a steady stream of follow-up ships bring with them more Yyasum soldiers, to the point where fighting off Yyasum insurgencies is considered a vital part of any young patrician’s military training.

Thus has the Grand Republic been formed. Even today, things are rarely stable- be it disgruntled plebians, independence movements from the moon, Yyasum soldiers or simply the colossal variety of man-hunting wildlife in Matuvista’s jungles, a patrician’s lance is never unused for long, and the plebians are reminded constantly why their cultural and military betters should be in charge, whilst being distracted from the drudgery of their everyday lives by a well-established network of panem et circenses.

Culture and Society: Matuvistan society is a tapestry of old-Earth customs, blended with decidedly new-world attitudes and tribulations. At the lowest rung of society there are the majority of plebians- farmers, engineers, miners and office clerks, Matuvistan plebians have no political power whatsoever. Unlike serfs of the past, plebians have firm legal protections as subjects. Patricians can no more kill a plebian than they can anyone else without suffering serious consequences, and plebians are afforded a basic safety net in the form of universal healthcare, unemployment (although there are also compulsory work assignments) and have the expectation of protection by the patricians. 

Off Matuvista, plebians take on a slightly different role. The triplet inhabited moons of Matuvista often chafe under the rule of the ‘oppressive’ Senate. Uprisings and rebellions are not uncommon, but the patricians maintain a much higher military presence in the ‘colonies,’ and those foolish enough to take up arms can expect no quarter from young jetknights looking to prove themselves on the field. 

Plebians also make up the bulk of the Matuvistan military. Although patrician jet-knights steal the glory and the limelight, most of the hard work and drudgery is done by patrician dragoons and ground forces. The army is a quick way for plebians to rise above their station- stellar military service is the most reliable way to find yourself in the lower ranks of the patricians, and thus, the Matuvistan army is large, motivated, well-trained and experienced.

Above the plebians are the mathetes. Mathetes, or, as most non-Matuvistans would call them, scientists, sit between the plebians and patricians. Although not permitted to vote or own property, mathetes nonetheless have a privileged position. Patricians surround themselves with mathetes, both as advisors and because it’s considered important to do so- recognising what you do not know is a sign of a cultured man, not a weak one. Because of this mathetes receive a cushy position and allowed to dedicate themselves to their craft, along with limited access to patrician luxuries.

Finally, the top rungs of Matuvistan society are home to the patricians. From their carefully selected birth, patricians are expected to train themselves to be true warrior-artists. The cultural superiority of a patrician is considered just as important as military prowess- an uncultured warrior is little more than a tyrant in waiting, although Matuvistan society places little prestige on one form of culture over another, and there are relatively few gendered expectations when it comes to what art one excels in. Music, dance, poetry, drama, patricians are anything from celebutants, composers, novelists or even chefs.

Finally, Matuvistan society is a fairly spiritual one. Knightly ideals are, after all, fundamentally rooted in Christianity. Although the core message has been corrupted over the years, and the very different environment of Matuvista has spurred some quite radical shifts to the human experience, there are still plenty of obvious influences. From the almost polytheistic ideas they have about saints to the belief in a very Christian afterlife, not only is religion a large part of society at every stratum, but as more Machiavellian patricians know: religion is the opium of the people.

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Governance and Politics: The Gran Republic is, in the strictest sense of the word, a democracy, similar to those of the Ancient Greek city states. Voting is restricted to the landowning patricians, and votes can be awarded to individuals as commendations for various actions (thus, there is no 'one person, one vote,' within the Grand Republic.) 

Every patrician of majority age makes up the Lower Senate, a body that proposes, debates and discusses laws. Every five years, elections are held to select patricians to be a part of the Upper Senate, which is the Republic's executive. The Upper Senate contains several smaller committees specialising in various fields, such as the High Generalship, High Admiralty, and the Chancellors of Matuvista and the three inhabited moons. The Chancellor of Matuvista is the de facto leader of the Gran Republic for the next five years, and is given the honourary title of 'Condel' regardless of what their actual role in the military is (most Condels have been Generalissimos or Commandante en Jefes historically.)

Technology Overview: With the mathetes class and a healthy respect for the people that design their sophisticated equipment, Grand Republic research progresses at a healthy and well-rounded rate. The most unique aspect of Matuvistan technology is, of course, their unique lodestones, and how this tremendously powerful substance is used. Matuvistan lodestones seemingly defy the normal conventions of magnetism, with even the lowest-grade ‘rock rumbler,’ lodestone managing to be a superconductor. Although artificial lodestone can be made, the process results in a lower-grade, less useful end product: perfect for industrial and civilian use, but inferior to the real stuff in every way. A true patrician wouldn’t be caught dead using artificial lodestone equipment.

The most iconic piece of Matuvistan equipment is, of course, the jetbike. Kept aloft by powerful engines and a complicated network of agitated lodestones, jetbikes can remain airborne for up to a day at a time and also come with deployable wheels. Floating above the ground, jetbikes have a tremendously high max speed, although most are never pushed above a third to a half of their potential, where patricians can comfortably operate. Personal patrician jetbikes tend to also feature two plasma-casters at the front to maximise close-range damage, whilst plebian combat ‘jettrikes’ tend to feature heavier, pintle-mounted weaponry.

A true combat jetbike features almost no protection for the rider. A patrician is expected to remain safe through speed, agility, and their suits of power-armour, ducking and weaving through enemy fire, or letting smaller calibre bullets ping off their armoured shells. So-called ‘jettrikes,’ tend to have an enclosed canopy and other ‘un-knightly’ protective features for their riders.

Lodestones are also extremely useful when it comes to plasma technology. Industrial-quality lodestones make excellent magnetic plasma containment fields. Plasma technology is therefore in common usage across Matuvista- from generators to the archetypal patrician weapon of the plasma lance.

The plasma lance is nothing more than a patrician’s pride and joy. Each one is custom made for their user; their hilts designed to cleanly attach to a Matuvistan jetbike. The speeds at which these jetbikes operate means that to use a physical weapon would invite the loss of a limb. Instead, Matuvistan lances use an extremely fragile containment layer around a constantly agitated spike of plasma. When the field makes contact, it immediately disperses, resulting in a jet of plasma exploding out into the target in a manner similar to a shaped charge, clearing the way for the jetknight.

Other than these advancements, Matuvista has a firm grasp on genetic tampering. Revivalist gene therapy can add several decades if not a century to the lifespan of those able to afford it, and almost all patricians are the result of several generations worth of selective ‘designer babies.’ To actually modify, your child would be to cheat, but simply selecting the best candidate out of several and weeding out anomalies and defects is common sense. Pharmacological advancements further placate the population and enhance the soldiery- from old Earth coffee and marijuana to stims like tri-sun and savant a mathetes with an interest in the pharmaceutical can make a big name for themselves.

Military Overview: The Gran Republic is not only prepared to fight, but, in fact, relishes it. With a culture infused with colonialism, militarism and nationalism, as well as eager warriors ready and willing to prove themselves, a Matuvistan force is motivated, experienced and well-equipped. 

When it comes to an open battlefield, the Matuvistans are most easily compared to the crusades of old. Heavily armoured cavalry screech through the skies, tearing through those foolish enough to challenge them in close combat, whilst heavier jetrikes follow behind the initial spearpoint to lay down a withering barrage of fire on whatever survived the initial charge. Once the cavalry has done the job, dragoons and footsloggers move in to neutralise any remaining threats and confirm the victory.

In urban environments, the plan changes little. Jetbikes turn from being used in mass charges to instead be lightning-fast strike and fade troops, smashing apart strongpoints with plasma before shooting off before proper retaliatory forces can be mustered. Even dismounted, patricians are no pushovers: their power suits and training in hand-to-hand combat means that even without their formidable jetbikes, they can still hold their own, and their men-at-arms are still professionals at heart.

If all that isn't enough, many patricians also train to be duellists. Although actual honour duels are relatively rare among patrician society (as generally speaking, cultured individuals don't attempt to murder each other over slights,) any patrician family worth their salt will have a set of pistols and swords that have tasted blood at least once.

Outside of planetary force, the Matuvistans also maintain a not insignificant navy, with purpose-built corvette-sized escort craft, heavily armed and armoured troop transports, and light interceptors. Interceptors and escort craft run interference and engage threats quickly and at close distances, giving troop transports the time they need to bring to bear their larger guns, and hopefully arrive at their destination to boot.

Condel Julianus De Aquailus
Chancellor of Matuvista and leader of the Gran Republic. Julianus has been elected Chancellor four times in his ninety-two years of living, placing him firmly within the 'Old Guard,' faction of Republicans. If Matuvistan politics had parties, he'd be within the Conservative or Traditionalist party.

Alfonso Leoncio Alvarez De Caravajal
Distant descendent of Christopher Columbus, heir-by-blood to the Duchy of Veraguas and the title 'Admiral of the Ocean Sea,' Alfonso comes from a family that wears their heritage on their breast, and eagerly volunteered to be first through the gateway. Currently the most important member of the Gran Republic when it comes to diplomacy.

Commandanta Isabella Maria Rodriguez de Lobasla
A jetknight of twenty four, Isabella is young to have been placed in such a prominent position of command. This is mostly due to the influence of her father, Frederico Javier Ines de Lobasla, eighth lord of Lobasla and a major political influence. She is currently organising the Matuvistan Volunteer Expeditionary Force above the surface of New Hollywood as they attempt to combat the White Flower threat.

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@Tortoise Alright, this is the almost-final form of the Zetan Consciousness, barring some minor rewrites for readability and a flag. How's it looking?

The Zetan Consciousness

The choice between humans and machines is a false dichotomy created to confuse and mislead.

Government Form:
Direct Democracy/Group Mind

Demographics:
Homo Sapiens Machina

The Consciousness has passed beyond the limitations of Homo Sapiens Sapiens. Hundreds of years of mechanical tinkering with the building blocks of humanity has lead to them being recognisably different to the humans that once left Earth all those years ago. Perhaps the most obvious one is that Homo Sapiens Machina are a limited hive mind, otherwise known as a 'Group Mind' that they refer to as 'The Collective.' Although 'drones' maintain autonomy in action, they share a neural network that allows for a startling level of cohesion. Also, they dislike being called drones.

Population:
~One billion Zetans. 
~Thousands of downloaded Zetans
~Countless non-Sapient automata

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Under construction.
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Planet Name and Description: 
Zeta-5 is not a particularly friendly world to live on. With a thin, oxygen-poor atmosphere, poor resistance to interstellar threats such as radiation and extreme weather conditions and surface temperature range, most life on Zeta-5 is an extremophile of some kind. Competition is also extremley ferocious, with no animal settling into an apex position.

Despite all of this, there are some beneifts to living on Zeta-5. Past eons of interstellar bombardments have left the planet rich with elements and compounds that would be considered fantastically rare on Earth, and its twin captured moons burst with even more such minerals, all of which are gleefully exploited by Zetan society. Furthermore, the unusual conditions not just on Zeta-5, but also on other planets and planetoids within the Zeta system are rife with unexpected answers to scientific questions, allowing for some truly unique research opportunities.

History: 
 To the initial coloniers, flung onto a system with no other habital planets, Zeta-5 was a desperate attempt to preserve something, anything of humankind- to fling a lantern into the future. Drilling down into the planet's crust, they formed subterranian cities, safe from predation, radiation and the temperatures of the surface, and carved out a niche for themselves among hydroponic plants, using robotic assistants to plumb the surface for materials. Some, however, were ill-content with the idea of cowering forever, and started to make changes to themselves to better accomodate the planet.

Skin was replaced by radiation-resistant dermal plating, limbs with tools, organs with steel. Zetans forged themselves out of steel, and once they had done so they emerged onto the surface alongside their robotic companions to colonise the planet proper. So efficient and extensive were these replacements that they effectively halted senescence, allowing these early Zetans to live for hundreds of years. These men and women would be the prototype for what Zetans now refer to 'the enlightened-' members of the Consciousness that have left their biological bodies behind.  

These early Zetans also pioneered the early neural network that would form the foundation of Zetan society. By pooling their mental resources, they could act more efficiently on the surface, and as it was developed, more and more could be transfered. Zetans spread their wings to their nearby system, establishing permanent settlements on the twin moons of Zeta- Z and З, and creating multiple space stations. Zetan slower-than-light technology is quite effective, with Zetan space ships using nuclear-based thrust systems to slowly, yet consistently, accelerate. 

The harsh conditions of living on Zeta fostered a close sense of togetherness. One day's feast could easily be the next day's famine, and so it paid to keep in the good graces of your neighbours, in case you came to rely on them. Early on, the colony operated through a more 'classical' form of representative democracy, but the neural network's increasing spread lead to the 'representative' portion being slowly whittled away until politicians were no more.

Now, the planet of Zeta works together, with one goal- survive, thrive, and plumb the depths of the universe's secrets.

Culture and Society: 
Zetan society is one of collectivism and cooperation. Zetans know that well-cared for people are happier, more productive people, and the neural network creates a strong sense of duty to the collective. Although a Zetan could theoretically shirk from work and still be provided for, their mental link is a powerful incentive to not do so. No Zetan is viewed as 'more' than another, with housing, healthcare, food and electricity being distributed as evenly as possible. A Zetan works not just to improve their own lot, but also the lot of their entire society.

In matters of reproduction, Zetans handle things rather differently to old Earth. Pair-bonding is discouraged in the Consciousness, and mothers do not privately raise their children. Instead, young are taken care of communually, raised and educated in a complicated network of systems designed to maximise their potential. On the other end of the spectrum, 'death' is seen as an abomination to Zetan society, and few members of the Consciousness ever face it. Instead, Zetans slowly replace their minds with biomechanical replacements over the course of their life, so that when their physical forms grow frail and weak they can upload themselves into the Collective's cloud. Although most Zetans view this as a natural progression of their life, a few are downloaded back into mechanical bodies, treated no differently except for their different physiological needs.

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Governance and Politics: 
The Consciousness operates through a form of direct democracy facilitated by their pseudo-hive mind. No individual is worth more than another, and all individuals are provided for, from cradle to their enlightenment out of physical bodies. Unlike most Old Earth direct democracies, the Consciousness can be highly efficient in its decisionmaking- the entirety of the Consciousness can make an educated decision on a matter simultaneously, and members of the Consciousness can petition the collective for even the smallest of matters, although it is unlikely they'll receive much feedback for truly trivial topics.

Furthermore, the Consciousness also has no one single 'leader.' Although there are figures of authority, individuals with specialist knowledge and expertise who lend their unique perspective to the colective, there is no 'hive queen,' and ultimately the consciousness acts like a flowing river- an obstacle in the path is flowed around or bulldozed through.

Technology Overview: 
The Consciousness is a technological powerhouse, having made great strides in almost all fields of study. Of especial notes are Consciousness computing and biomechanical technology- although the birth of true artificial intelligence has frustrated Zetan scientists, increasingly sophisticated self-learning automata and a process of 'uploading' minds has not. Haecceity in these 'uploads' is maintained via the nanomechanical replacement of brain matter, molecule-by-molecule, and when the physical form finally fails, these minds can safely be transferred into the 'cloud' that is the Consciousness' collective, to be subsequently placed back into new bodies if they so desire.

Military Overview: 
The Consciousness' military is nonexistant. Although their technological expertise could lead to quite a formidable fighting force, their isolation and collective nature has rendered armed conflict larger than petty squabbles between individuals a thing of the past. That being said, should the ire of Zetan society be roused, it is hard to imagine a more intractable foe. Non-sapient yet highly advanced systems could be used to pilot weapons systems, whilst downloaded or largely mechanical ground troops could suffer horrendous trauma and still continue. Every loss would be re-absorbed back into the Collective, each providing as much knowledge as possible for the next soldier to use in their fight.

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Additional Info: 
(Anything else you want to include that there isn't a spot for up there.)

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