Civilization: Beyond Earth.Supremacy Affinity.

Buildings.Feedsite Hub (Supremacy Level 2).A number of colonial administrations sought to insure a common culture prevailed throughout their settlement, and so built communication hubs, later termed “feedsite bubs” by satirists and adopted by the human populace planetwide. Using quantum computer networks, each feedsite disseminated news, art and entertainment across a large but bounded region. Unlike the “World Wide Web” on Old Earth, it was neither global nor intended as a reference grid; rather it promoted the arts with an eye towards propagating colony-sanctioned attitudes and beliefs through entertainment. Although most governors gave lip-service to the feedsites being egalitarian and embracing freedom of expression, the reality varied greatly from colony to colony. With the development of cochlear and retinal implants and other neuroprosthetics, citizens increasingly had direct access to the feedsite hub; eventually, biochips provided brain-computer interface unimaginable just a few decades before. Users could download literary works to their memories, engage in neurogaming and holo-theatricals, wander virtual galleries, and even utilize synthetic telepathy for public discourse and debate. While some colonial philosophers and social scientists decry the perceived enforced cultural assimilation of resistant subcultures and commercial marginalization of certain artistic movements, the feedsite hubs have indeed brought more people together than most other social structures on this planet.

CEL Cradle (Supremacy Level 4).One step towards true surrogacy was the evolution of the CEL cradle, a prototype distributed brain-computer interface that allows multiple individuals to share sensory input and interpretation. In a CEL (“Collective Emotional Link”), a quantum computer links individuals in a form of Durkheimian shared consciousness, whereby each can experience the emotions of others while viewing or hearing the same piece of work (art, music, media, literature, etc.). Unlike memes bringing groupthink, the CEL experience brings an appreciation of the aesthetics and epiphanies others feel upon engaging a cultural artifact while the individual retains their own. In a number of colonial settlements, CEL cradles became popular – first among creative artists working on collaborative projects (CEL has been termed the ultimate collaboration by reviewers), later by the general public seeking to engage artworks on a level never before available to them. In terms of creativity, these institutions were termed “cradles” for their propagation of new art forms and aesthetics. The process of a CEL is straightforward: each individual is linked to a server via a brain-interface implant; all then experience a piece of work simultaneously through their own senses. The emotive responses are downloaded to the quantum computer, where sophisticated software converts and merges these to be returned to all the members of the group. While the first CEL cradles were capable of handling small groups only, research in the process continues to increase this number.

Neurolab (Supremacy Level 4).The neuro-laboratories offer networked brain-interfaces to scientists in all disciplines, freeing them from most of the more tedious and time-consuming chores of academic research. The networks – generally centered on a quantum supercomputer, outfitted with the latest communications equipment, able to access the planet’s data networks – rely on direct brain-computer interfaces of various types to promote interdisciplinary collaboration and innovative

theorizing. The internal artificial deep feedforward neural networks of these facilities have subroutines capable of pattern recognition, computational learning, and non-parametric statistics; thus the neurolabs can filter previous research, determine time series predictions, autonomously analyze potential practical applications, and even suggest new paths and applications for research projects. In some neurolabs, the brain-computer interface is established by non-invasive means, usually magnetoencephalography or functional magnetic resonance. However, these do not operate as efficiently as invasive interfaces such as cortical or neurochip implants; these devices can often be implanted on the neurolab’s premises by robotic surgeons. Most of the neurolabs have been created by institutions of higher education or research foundations, although some are the result of corporate or colonial investment. Each new lab represents a geometric increase in research on this planet, and many of the latest scientific advances can be attributed to work begun and/or completed in neurolabs.

Optical Surgery (Supremacy Level 5).A visual prosthetic – a bionic eye – is no longer implanted just to correct defects or injuries, although that remains a significant aspect; it now can serve many other purposes, from heightened sight to neural interface. On Old Earth, artificial retinal and sub-retinal implants offered sight to the visually impaired, and some research had progressed on microphotodiode arrays to allow vision into ranges of light not normally available to humans, colonial scientists followed a number of more radical paths in optical enhancement. One of the first advances was the development if implantable miniature telescopes and microscopes, common now among the colonial scientific community. Next came cortical and intracortical implants that allowed for direct visual access to data from computers and computer networks, a step in the progress towards direct brain-computer interface. Such augmentation has become common in some colonial settlements; just as has the transplanting of “alien eyes” has in others. Transgenetic and genetic engineering of sight organs better suited to this planet’s conditions was a controversial step, condemned by Purists but welcomed by those promoting Harmony. Finally, there are those among the newer generations who have opted for cosmetic optical implants, with a seemingly limitless range of colors and styles; currently “copepod eyes” with multiple lenses and nictitating membranes are popular. Optical surgeries offer all of these types, whether enhanced or merely fashionable, in settlements across the planet.

Augmentery (Supremacy Level 7).Cybernetic enhancement or organ upgrade frequently necessitates complicated and intensive surgery, which in turn leads to extended recovery times for the individuals. An augmentery is a facility designed to install, upgrade, or repair organs or cybernetics with an absolute minimum of downtime for the individual involved. Almost any cybernetic procedure can be conducted as an outpatient procedure with same-day recovery, from prefrontal cortex supplementation to in-situ limb upgrade.

While many augmenteries are entirely computer-operated (such as the Tech’n’Out franchise), the best ones have mix of human medical staff and surgical robots. A patient is gently anesthetized, placed in the surgical bed, and then the operation takes place using the best available microsurgery tools and techniques. A short time later, the patient awakes, is given the traditional cup of fruit juice and biscuit, and sent on their way.

Bioglass Furnace (Supremacy Level 8).Bioglass – or bioactive glass – is composed of silica, sodium, calcium and phosphorous in various proportions; the high ratio of calcium to phosphorous promotes formation of apatite crystals, with the silica ions serving as the crystallization nuclei. Depending on the

proportions, some bioglasses bond with soft tissue and bone, others only to bone, and still others temporarily bond with non-fibrous tissues. Their biocompatibility with animal tissue and bone makes bioglasses ideal for orthopaedic implants and as bone engineering scaffolds. Initially, these were used by colonial surgeons for remineralization and repair of bone damaged by injury or illness. But as some colonists sought to remake their bodies, research in bioglass technology led inevitably towards augmentation in the form of prostheses that could bond to bone or replace it entirely. For example, Bioglass 45S5, in limited use on Old Earth, was adapted for the replacement of ossicles in the middle ear (leading to heightened hearing) and to modify and strengthen teeth (allowing, among other intents, the lengthening of the canines). New bioglass formulae using firaxite allow for such “improvements” as extremely dense bone formation (stronger than normal bone and able to support far heavier weight), armored skulls and ribcages, the bonding of metal parts to bones and skeletal striated muscles, and other structural steps in creating cyborgs. Bioglass furnaces not only serve as specialized production centers, but now as laboratories for further research.

Organ Printer (Supremacy Level 8).The use of 3D printers to create living biological tissue had become commonplace on Old Earth before the Seeding among the developed nations, although it was an expensive and delicate process. In organ printers, special cartridges are filled with a suspension of cellular material of the proper type in a “smart gel”; a lattice of cells and gel is produced by nozzles. Once the cells have fused together to form tissue and cell fission has begun, the heat-sensitive gel is cooled and washed away. While the technology was known at the time of planetfall, as with many Old Earth technologies it was some decades until colonial settlements had the resources to devote to utilize organ printing. Hastening the process, however, was the discovery that the undifferentiated eukaryotic myxogastria of xenomass could replace the gel. Also, colonial scientists found that replacing the organ cells with stem cells in the process gave more flexibility to the production of tissue, provided that proper DNA sequences were injected beforehand. While some of the production of colonial organ printing complexes was devoted to replacing diseased ad damaged human and animal tissues, an increasing amount was given over to tissue engineering of organs for augmenting or modifying human beings. Once a biological construct was found to be beneficial or advantageous, a step towards transhumanity or posthumanity, organ printers could produce it in quantity for transplanting or implanting in the general populace of the colony.

Hypercore (Supremacy Level 10).The development of computer processors using non-Turing functions was made possible by the engineering of the hypercore, a multi-core quantum CPU capable of handling super-recursive algorithms using “fuzzy logic.” The incorporation of cache coherency circuitry allows it to operate at near-light (theoretically translight) speed for data acquisition and problem solving, permitting simultaneous multithreading. To circumvent the Meissner effect the hypercore required the development of hyperconductors, utilizing one of the peculiarities of firaxite. There are several known models of quantum hypercomputing operation that have been developed by colonial programmers over the three decades since the first functional hypercore was constructed: analog recurrent neural networks; Malament-Hogarth spacetime network based on hyper-arithmetical theories; and increasing function oracle that is iterated limiting (k times). Whatever the model followed, the advantages of a hypercore over traditional ones are its processing speed, decision points, directed autonomy, and non-linear analysis. Hypercore computers built thus far by settlements have been variously involved with a number of ultra-complex problems, such as solving any of the “supertasks” related to superluminal travel (Benardete’s paradox or Laraudogoitia’s Newtonian indeteminism

problem), deciphering the “Signal,” or resolving Aristotle’s actual versus potential infinity distinction. But most of these hypercomputers have been devoted to more mundane research challenges undertaken by colonial scientists in less esoteric disciplines.

Units.CNDR (Supremacy Level 4).One of the axioms of military operations is that it takes a far smaller force to defend than to attack. The defender understands the position over which she is fighting and is better able to deploy her resources efficiently. Indeed, even the simplest military AI system can usually prepare an efficient defense given only minimal time or information. But when the defensive are is well understood, and a robust military AI is given direct control of battlefield units, that defense can be very efficient indeed.

Thus, the Cognitive Neuroelectronic Defense Registry was created to be a system of networked combat frames and controlling AI arrays. Hugely redundant and built with a considerable degree of modularity (such as the AI nodules and the combat frame kinesthetic cortices using the same black boxes), CNDR was foremost a defensive unit that could observe, report, adapt to and counter a military threat. Since home territory could be surveyed at leisure, the AI system had ample opportunity to wargame and simulate incoming threats. Keeping CNDR as a reserve and protective force meant faster repair and turnaround on damaged combat frames. But best of all, this freed up human forces for offensive, out-of-territory operations where human ingenuity and tactical flexibility was still more effective than drone combat systems.

The ubiquity of CNDR hardware meant that it eventually became a de facto standard for robotic applications long after CNDR was discontinued. If you have ever wondered why Category 2 bipedal robot frames have only 34 channels for locomotor-haptic feedback, it is because that is a holdover from the old CNDR combat frame standard.

CARVR (Supremacy Level 7).The CNDR system demonstrated the combat capability of a network of combat frames and controlling AI, but it was limited by having remote controller AI and operating only on well-understood battlespaces. Despite being ideal for defensive operations, it was politically unsatisfying in that it still exposed valuable humans to riskier offensive operations.

The Coordinated Assault and Reconnaissance Vanguard Robots (CARVR) were created to overcome the shortcomings of the CNDR system. CARVR’s combat frames carried larger and more powerful AI control nodes, which seamlessly integrated into networks when the frames operated in proximity to each other. CARVR frames’ data sharing and battlespace mapping functions meant that many of the combat routines developed for CNDR could easily be adapted for this new, offensive operational role. Furthermore, CARVR could be a resource for human commanders, with each land combat frame acting as a combination of battlefield intelligence source and directable action unit.

Flexible, autonomous, dangerous, and massively interlinked, CARVR represents a nodal synthesis of the core ideas of Human Supremacy applied to the most risky of human endeavors.

SABR (Supremacy Level 9).A military unit applies force to a particular target. To optimize the military unit, the designers can either provide the unit with more force, or soften the target. The latter point seems largely hard to control, but every military target has weak points. A weapon system that always strikes weak points can be disproportionally effective beyond the force it outputs. This resonates with certain strains of the Supremacy ideology as well.

The Strategic Artillery Battery Robot (SABR) was created to give traditionally inefficient artillery rapier-like precision against a variety of targets. SABR is unique not because it has a particularly large gun (it does not) but because it can put the right round in the right target as just the right time to maximize damage. The drawback to SABR is that it is highly dependent on its sensor network to be online and working to be effective. This network gathers and interprets volumes of data about the targets SABR is facing. It uses meteorological sensors to correct for weather patterns and fire its rounds farther. It also uses strike damage assessment systems to update the firing protocols for successive rounds (and feedback these systems takes some time to collect and integrate). Finally, there is a dynamic catalog of target intelligence and powerful target discrimination systems, which let SABR identify what it is facing, where the targets are hiding, and which system is best for destroying them. The end result is a weapon which fires slowly, but strikes at the very limit of physical prediction and with an efficiency that leaves even trained observers stunned.

The combat history of SABR is one of superlatives. With a target hit/target kill ratio approaching one, simply surviving a SABR bombardment is often attributed to divine intervention. At the Planet Academy for Integrative Warfare and Weaponry there is a mangled tungsten SABR slug fired during the Battle of Wuenschell Keg. The plaque underneath it simply says: “SABR Battalion 56 fired this round. It missed.”