Part 13: Beyond the Flesh

Chapter 13: Beyond the Flesh





After a long and difficult political campaign, the people finally succeeded in imposing some controls on the powers of the surveillance AIs (though Master Control still managed to manipulate its work groups using its imitation programs). This resulted in a sharp increase in the effectiveness of foreign intelligence operations.


Our "intrigue level" in Freeland also increased, which means spies can undertake more powerful covert ops in the city, such as stealing techs. I've stationed an operative there to defend the city though, so this situation won't last long.

Another negative consequence was a slight chilling effect on robotics and intelligence research, but this likely would have happened anyway, as the technology of mechanical augmentation has reached dizzying heights. The great research Institutes of Polystralia have started holding regular competitions to see who can develop the most useful and least invasive augments.




The other choice, +5% City Science, is nice, but not so nice if you can use the free tech to get something that would have taken dozens of turns to research, like so:


Augmentation is on the outer ring of the tech web, making it one of the most advanced techs we can research.

Society has reached the point where people who do not have at least one implant are a tiny minority. And even the ones who don't have one can still access the public CEL Cradles and Holosuites, where they can experience the thoughts and emotions of those who do have them. Entire malls are devoted to selling augments for any price range.




Fruit juice and biscuit? Not in Polystralia buddy. A beer and a fresh pretzel, more like.

Though mostly unknown to the average citizen, the artificial beings they have created have not been idle. With the development of pure synthetic thought, they have initiated their own development projects. Interacting with humans primarily in specialized Neurolabs, they have advanced science's understanding of thought by leaps and bounds.








Yes, technically I had to research Cognition before I could build Neurolabs or Holosuites, but I couldn't think of a better place to put this screenshot.

As we reach new heights, the less-developed colonies around us continue to squabble.


The war between ARC and Franco-Iberia ended soon after this, but not before many casualties on both sides.

Seeing this chaos, the ascetic Disciples and Overseers of Freeland have trekked far to the north, where they are making a lonely stand to protect our trade partners and allies who wish to remain neutral. Many view this journey as a pilgrimage. The soldiers meditate and pray in the snow, and the Panopticon hears their prayers. The militaries of our fellow colonists do not dare cross these peacekeepers, at least not yet.




I'm in the process of establishing a similar perimeter around the Golden Bell Temple, also in the north, a bit to the east of this screen. I seriously did this just in time, too, as both stations were fighting off attacks when I arrived.

The people and government of Freeland have begun actively inviting foreign citizens to settle in their territory. The few people (so far) who have taken up this offer have been awed by many things they see, but most of all by the expensive but fertile expanses of Earth-like terrain the Master-Control-led terraforming crews have been able to create.



Thanks to the efforts of more pilgrim-soldiers in clearing the eastern reaches of dangerous wildlife, even a Great Worm, there is plenty of room for these newcomers to settle.







Many bodies were killed, but those are mere flesh. Their thoughts, their souls, live on in code. They will always be with us. One need only link up to the Network and speak to them oneself to see.

Great things are ahead for all of us. Things beyond the imagination and into the realm of dreams. Soon the Stupa of the Stars will be complete and all who are willing will be able to dance among heavenly light.


So, looking at this report... it seems the Panopticon has gone crazy, then. Hoo boy. This should be fun.


If the pace of our development in this game seems dizzyingly fast... you're right. Many things that benefit Supremacy also benefit Science (Firaxite tiles themselves produce Science, and even more of it once they're improved with mines and a Neurolab is nearby), and our loadsamoney means I can buy pretty much any new buildings we get, building them in a single turn.

Anyway, I actually built the Daedalus Ladder, a really good wonder that requires the Augmentation tech and thus is a really advanced achievement, during this update, but how I flavor it might depend on which Virtue we take. Do we continue rounding out Industry, or branch into something else?


The only orbital unit we currently have is a solar collector in Freeland, but we might get more as the game progresses. Also, here are the other possibilities:
Military-Industrial Complex (+15% Military Unit production), Survivalism (+25% Strength against aliens), Frugality (+10% Food retained after city growth), Foresight (+10% Science when Healthy), Scalable Infrastructure (+15% Wonder production), Social Investment (+2 Production from Manufactories)