Part 1: 2700-Earth United

Earth United

The State of the United Republic, 2700




Earth is finally united under a single democratic government that ensures personal, intellectual, and economic freedom for the entire population of the planet.



The population of Earth stands at eight billion, with two hundred million persons directly involved in agriculture, one hundred million employed in the heavy industry which had fueled the last war of unification, one hundred million in various corporate and governmental R&D departments, thirty million under arms in the surface military, and the remainder too young to work, retired, or employed in services, administration, light industry, distribution, finance, and so on. A military orbital station was established in the last war, helping to support ground forces from orbit with precision strikes.



Human technology has progressed far enough that sustainable sealed colonies on Mars or Mercury may be viable, although keeping the colonies supplied with food sufficient to their needs would involve developing the technology and infrastructure for large-scale interplanetary transport.



Beyond the limits of the Solar System, the galaxy waits, mysterious and unknown. But it is not yet our concern. Fifty billion credits are available as free investment capital on Earth, and the ruling Conservative party which spearheaded the United Republic's final victory is facing its opposition from the other two parties in the 2700 elections for the Great Senate in Philadelphia (although the ancient United States of America fell in the early 2200s, the United Republic was re-established after a century of interregnum in 2317).

As the electorate of the United Republic, we must vote.



The Conservatives promise to fund the industrial infrastructure and technological development to create and support a colony on Mars, exploiting the resources of Mars and the asteroids to strengthen the Republic and to finally make the historic step to bring permanent settlement beyond Earth.

The Conservatives have a strong historic link to the military, to various large industrial conglomerates, and to a broad mass of voters who are concerned with opposing tyranny and oppression and securing freedom for people beyond Republican borders.



The Social Democrats wish to establish a subsidy for new children in families worldwide, ensure that the last issues with disease remaining from the poorer regions that were in the fallen autocracies, and develop high-density planned city techniques to increase the sustainable carrying capacity of the Earth.

The Social Democrats are historically linked with various medical and pharmaceutical corporations, humanitarian foundations, and with voters who benefit from the social spending the Social Democrats advocate.



The Liberals wish to cut taxes and simplify regulations, especially for advanced computing firms. The theoretical size and speed limit of electronic computers is near, and with this improved technology, the various R&D departments in the Republic may be able to enjoy a great burst of innovation in all sectors.

The general Liberal position has historically been that of minimising interference by the government of the Republic in any aspect of the lives of its citizens, and has been supportive of trade and economic development.