The United Terran Federation

Above: One of the many anthems written in honor of the UTF.

Contrary the exceptions of cynics everywhere, the 21st century saw the last of Earth's larger wars and strife. After the first three decades of it, conflicts began to become increasingly rare. This was due to a combination of communications technology such as the internet bringing people closer together and farming, energy, and resource gathering improvements leading to a lack of the greatest cause of conflict; scarcity. As old hatreds eventually withered into dust and as nations began to turn towards their neighbors for the first time with accepting and not suspicious eyes, it seemed Earth was destined for a long era of peace and prosperity. Despite all odds, it did.

By the 22nd century, Earth had not only become united, but a utopia, with a population just over twelve billion, far below 21st century estimations put it as. Though the unity of Earth was opposed by many, it seemed the majority of people on Earth had grown beyond petty differences and old traditions that had kept humanity apart for so long. Only a few nations remained independent. However, the problem that had always faced mankind was soon to be back again; limited resources.

Though it had long switched to a combination of fusion and nuclear power to face its energy needs, the lack of raw materials for homes, farming, medical aid, and other things was estimated to become a problem by the 23rd century. The most important resource that was beginning to lack was water, despite vast improvements in distillation and enough water being pumped for everyone to drink, if the population continued growing as it was there would not be enough for everyone eventually. If these problems were not solved, it was believed the utopia that was a United Earth would be lost. However, many knew where to turn to fix this problem.

The solar system's vast resources, locked away by the vast distances of space, were just begging to be taken. Though Earth's space program was up to par with the rest of its technology, more money would need to be funneled into it in order to achieve the goal of expanding into the solar system as well as harvesting it. And so it was done, and by 2112 Earth had a viable solar fleet capable of achieving velocities of 25% the speed of light and able to harvest resources efficiently and cost-effectively.

Ambitions were high, and to prevent the problem of future over-population colonies were established on the moon, Mars, and most importantly; on Europa, a moon with a vast Ocean of fresh water underneath its icy crust. The biggest feat in space technology came in 2123 with the completion of the Sydney Space Elevator. By 2133, many believed the UTF had achieved a means of ensuring scarcity would never hinder the human species again.

By 2143, humanity was stretched across the Solar System. The great terraforming of Mars had begun in 2133 and was expecting to be done by 2196 and booming self-substantiated colonies with populations of tens of thousands were now all over the solar system. However, ever curious as the human species, many were not satisfied with the exploration and colonization of Sol, alone. The public wanted to expand beyond Sol, to find new and strange worlds. To boldly go where no man has gone before. Most of all, they wanted to answer one of the biggest modern questions of all time; are we alone in the universe? If not, how lonely of a place is it? The colony ship Constellation set out to find this answer.

Alpha Centauri had been explored by the United States' and Japan's first interstellar probes in the 21st century, where a habitable world was discovered that could support human life. More probes were sent when the UTF's space initiative began to nearby solar systems including Alpha Centauri for further details. The Centauri probe verified the United States' probes data and discovered even more details on the planet. A risk assessment with a 92% chance of success was determined for a colonization attempt, and so it began.

With a hull tough enough to repel any interstellar particles that could hit it and an engine capable of traversing an unprecedented 53% the speed of light, the Constellation arrived at Alpha Centauri in 2152. The first radio transmission from the colony arrived four years after their arrival to an eager Sol population, and in a triumph, the leader of this expedition reported they had landed safely and were well under way in constructing their first city. Earth and all of her colonies erupted into exuberance at the news, and the day was declared a UTF holiday. A planet in 61 Cygni was colonized soon after, and with that mankind had made its first footsteps into galaxy.

Unfortunately, contact with Alpha Centauri was lost only ten years later...

Government and Economy

The United Terran Federation can best be described as like the United States, with individual nations becoming like what states were to her. A president is elected every two years by a public vote. Colonies of Earth are also counted as states (except for the Centauri and 61 Cygni colony because of their distances) Earth one of these states has a number of representatives that is proportional to their populations. No senators are used. These representatives are responsible for creating all of the UTF's laws and bills, though the president is capable of vetoing these with a 35% congressional approval. Individual states are capable of making their own laws, though primary laws ('national') as they are called take precedent over them.

The UTF's economy is capitalistic in nature, though not as much as the United States'. Minimum wage is very high and salaries aren't as far apart as they used to be. The line between 'rich' and 'poor' is becoming blurred. However, honor is becoming a bigger part of Earth's culture. The more skillful or dangerous a role in society, the more people are appreciated by their community. Doctor and policemen are once again beloved by the people around them, and award ceremonies for the best among these people are becoming attended more heavily. Monopolies still exist, the biggest being Honshu International which controls many of Earth's interplanetary mining and expansion programs.

Technology

The UTF's technology is extremely advanced by 21st Earth standards. Most motor-vehicles are solar or battery powered, and this battery energy comes primarily from nuclear and fusion power, the latter of which is rare but has an output of twenty nuclear plants. Mankind has also improved its farming technology, with food being produced nearly 175% more efficiently than today. This is due to in large part to genetic engineering yielding a larger harvest with nearly no bad fruits. These frankencrops are capable of repelling but not killing insects and other pests, ensuring they do not harm to environment while still yielding a decent harvest.

Earth has improved in raw-materials gathering and miners are now capable of drilling for, extracting, and refining resources better than ever before. Mines miles deep now exist in some places on Earth. Earth's interplanetary mining equipment is quite advanced as well. Hovercrafts and Motherships scout out resources in space and on distant worlds to scout out and then mine resources with robotic probes. These can be quickly and cost-effectively be returned to Earth via use of the Sydney and Denver space elevators.

Robotics is one of Earth's leading sciences. Resource gathering in space required minds much more sophisticated then a human's to pull off, and thus the first artificial intelligence began showing up in 2132. These AIs are capable of thought-processes hundreds of time quicker than what a human can pull of, but use holograms, emotional programming, and distinctive personalities to give them an eerily human quality. These AIs are contained within supercomputers. Humanoid as well as other types of robots are also present, but most only have human-levels of intellect.

These types of robots were initially considered as second-level citizens and were primarily used for servants and workers. However, as technology improved and these machines became more lifelike, the argument that they may indeed have a consciousness was presented. Currently, they have still not been given the rights of humans, however large-scale protests and movements may soon change this. All robots and AIs are governed by Isaac Asimov's three laws as well as a fourth:

1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2. A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
4. A robot must never attempt to replicate itself or create anything with an intelligence beyond that of a human with an IQ of 70 without prior instruction from a human.

Rogue machines beyond this programming have been reported, though. These are quickly hunted down and destroyed.

Military

The UTF's military is composed of three main branches with many sub-branches; Outer Atmospheric Strategic Forces (OASF), which is sometimes nicknamed 'Navy', and Inter Atmospheric Strategic Forces (IASF), and the Marines, which serve on both fronts. Because of a lack of wars, this military force was really only used for peace-keeping missions and to ensure the last remaining independent nations on Earth never made a move against the whole. However, this changed in 2162 when the Jovian Uprisings began on Europa. There were many reasons for this, but the primary one was the belief that the Colony was being leeched for resources by Earth that they needed for themselves and that Earth was not giving them enough support.

A few bloody battles began on this colony as well as on Earth when Jovian sympathizers began to pop up on Earth. Thus, the military once again began to become important. However, the UTF military technology is still severely lacking, and for the first time in history civilian innovations are being turned into weapons instead of the other way around. Railguns, which use magnets (trollscience lol) to propel depleted uranium shells a high velocity, their bigger cousins, the Magnetic Accelerator Canon, which propel even larger slugs at a slower rate, nuclear weapons, standard missiles, and Phalanx like gattling guns are the primary weapons used on military starships. Shielding technology is non-existent, though all spacecraft have extremely tough hulls, particular military ships. Windows are not used on Earth-ships, instead, holograms are projected to simulate one.

Interatmospheric forces still use mostly what we use today. Tanks with cannons using gunpowder and troops with rifles.. using gunpowder. However, space-based weapons are quickly finding their way to land-usage. Though laser-tech has evolved some, it is still far from being used as a practical weapon.

OOC: If anyone has any criticism, questions, or additions to the UTF's lore please post below .