[img]https://txt-dynamic.static.1001fonts.net/txt/dHRmLjQ4LmY0ZjFmMS5WR2hsSUZOdmJHRnlJRk41YzNSbGJRLCwuMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA/designer-block.regular.png[/img][hr] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/mot6omZ.jpeg[/img][/center] [center][i]"This is the beginning of a new era for mankind, the era of man's cosmic existence."[/i][/center] [hider=Sputnik, Public Service Broadcasting][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=It42TsD7_sI[/youtube][/hider] [hr] Welcome to the Solar System, circa 2230. Since the halycon days of Earthly existence, humanity has spread throughout the stars, moons, and asteroids of the solar system, building colonies and extracting resources as they go. With the advantage of advanced resources from the asteroid belt, humans have built incredibly technology, including antimatter-based propulsion, ion cannons, supercapacitors, robotics, quantum computing, and other great advanced to material science. Society exists in a weird place right now, where Earth is beginning to fade in prevalence as space beckons forwards. Many nations that exist currently are still influential however, controlling territories and commanding armadas of spaceships. [hr] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/DKhiafB.jpeg[/img][/center] [hr] [img]https://txt-dynamic.static.1001fonts.net/txt/dHRmLjM2LmY0ZjFmMS5WR2hsSUVocGMzUnZjbmtnYjJZZ1JXRnlkR2d0SURJd01qRXRNakl6TUEsLC4wAAAAAAAAAAA,/designer-block.regular.png[/img] [hider=Timeline for Earth Civilization][indent]2021— Current Year. 2021— Mitch McConnell is hit by a bus. This isn’t plot-relevant but it makes me feel good. 2024— Artemis II lands Americans on the lunar south pole. This is the first time humans have been on the Moon in 52 years and prompts increased interest in space exploration and colonization. 2027— Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) lands unmanned probes on Ceres. 2030— The Tesla company lands the first man on Mars. Meanwhile, China’s Chang’e program lands the first non-American on the Moon. 2031— Amid tensions over control of the global market and espionage, World War III breaks out, pitting the United States and the EU against China and its African satellite nations. 2035— African satellite nations of China unify to create the Pan-African Nations. World War III effectively ends. 2038— The first ion-propelled spacecraft is used by NASA to reach Mars, cutting a trip time of 7 months down to 40 days. In the same year, JAXA launches Doriru I, with the goal of assessing the viability of asteroid belt mining. 2040— Artemis IX begins constructing Amphitrite, the first semi-permanent moon base shared by several space agencies. The Houyi Project, an alliance between JAXA, Korean Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), and the Chinese National Space Administration (CNSA), plans to create a second moon base by 2045. 2047— Houyi Base is formed on the Moon. 2048— As the Antarctic Treaty is dissolved, the Antarctic Conflict begins between the USA and Russia. This is the first war to use Photonic Propulsion, primarily in the form of laser weapons. This is also the first war to use spaceflight as a major tactic. 2055— The first ethically genetically-modified baby is born in Nigeria, having been saved from sickle cell anemia by CRISPR-cas9 gene editing. This begins the era of g-mod medicine, and many genetic diseases are decreased in prevalence. Concerns to arise, however, about the usage of CRISPR for eugenic purposes. 2060— The Doriru Project is in full swing, and asteroid mining begins to enrich the technology and economies of Earth nations. After a mission to 16 Psyche brings back its first payload of platinum, Japan becomes the wealthiest nation on Earth. Materials such as platinum, aluminum, iron, nickel, titanium, holmium, neodymium, and gold become incredibly cheap. Technology is rapidly pushed forwards. 2064— The first full-scale quantum supercomputer, called Ozymandias, is developed by IBM. This rapidly increases the speed of computer programming. 2070— With an international coalition working together and advanced resources from the Doriru Program, the Space Elevator is built, connecting the ISS-4 to Earth by way of central India. This makes constructing large craft in space much easier, further paving the way for advanced spaceflight. 2075— Ceres becomes the first permanent settlement not on the Earth or Moon. The Japanese city of New Kyoto is built there, mostly populated by engineers and miners working in the Doriru Project. 2085— the United Arab Emirates develops a colony on Jupiter’s moon Europa, known as Sakhrat-Allah. 2086— The Pan-African Nations form their first lunar base of Yemoja. 2100— The Martian colony of Harmonia becomes the first permanent Martian settlement and is ratified as a US territory. 2080-2120— The Great Melt. Due to polar ice cap melting from climate change, many cities around the world become uninhabitable as flooding destroys them. Within the course of forty years, New York, Hong Kong, Jakarta, London, Tokyo, Singapore, and hundreds of other major Earth cities become nigh-uninhabitable. Melting of polar ice caps alters salinity levels in the sea, causing ocean current disruptions and worldwide weather catastrophe the likes of which have never been seen. During this time, Amphirite, Harmonia, Houyi, New Kyoto, and Yemoja all rise in population as people flee Earth. 2130— Amidst a lack of response from the US to a Martian famine and plague, Harmonia and its satellite colonies band together to become the Martian Federation and secede from the United States. A brief war follows, which the Federation wins. 2133— The Horus I Antimatter rocket is developed. The first of its kind, this rocket allows incredible propulsion speeds, making travel between Earth and Mars about two days. 2190— The Horus IV Antimatter rocket is developed. With this, space travel is cut down to its current speed, give or take a few minutes travel time. 2200— A Martian Federation research team makes a breakthrough in artificial intelligence, leading to the “birth” of the first true artificial mind, named Erdoch. 2200— Doriru II is developed to begin mining of the Kuiper Belt and surrounding celestial bodies. Suijin Station on Pluto’s moon Charon is developed. 2228— The Horus V Antimatter rocket is developed. This rocket has the potential to shorten space travel time even more, capable of traveling 76 million mph, but access is heavily restricted, mostly to military cruisers.[/indent][/hider] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/LrcGE7E.jpeg[/img][/center] [hr] [img]https://txt-dynamic.static.1001fonts.net/txt/dHRmLjM2LmY0ZjFmMS5VRzkwWlc1MGFXRnNJRkJzYjNRZ1NHOXZhM00sLjAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA,,/designer-block.regular.png[/img] These are ideas for things that go on within the solar system that your character could be involved in. You don't have to use any of these, but they're just ideas to give you context for the universe and potential things to inform your characters. [hider=Plot Hooks][indent][b]Alien Life:[/b] Sentient aliens don’t exist in the Earthshine universe (at least, not yet), but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t alien life. Many places in the solar system boast the capability to sustain simple life, from the soils of mars to the subterranean oceans of Europa, and many scientists have explored these places among others to find life outside of Earth. [b]Body Modification:[/b] In an age where robotics is cheap and genetic engineering is advanced, body modification has become fairly common amongst humans. Germline modification has led to the birth of genetically-modified babies with everything from disease resistance to night vision and superhuman strength. Meanwhile, people who lose limbs or develop degenerative diseases often end up with bionic limbs or body parts that can in many ways outcompete the original organic material. Some of these methods are highly ethically-challenged, but in a Solar System with rogue asteroid states and tons of distance separating nefarious deeds from governments wanting to stop them, enforcement of ethics is difficult to say in the least. [b]Conservation:[/b] In the wake of The Great Melt, many colonies were founded in the Solar System for the purpose of wildlife rehabilitation. These colonies are especially prevalent on the Moon and Mars, and often are controlled and funded by large, stable nations. Despite this, poaching and other threats to conservation of biodiversity exist, and a conservationist has to be part scientist, part ranger. [b]Homesteading:[/b] Sometimes, the pressures and tribulations of city life just doesn’t do it for a space explorer. Some people want to live on their own, working from the sweat of their brow and settling down far from civilization. These homesteaders are uncommon in the solar system, but can be found, often living on Mars, where they run small mineral mines or farm perchlorate-resistant crops. Living on the edge of society can be dangerous and difficult, but for many folk farming potatoes on Mars is just as rewarding as flying a spaceship around an asteroid field. [b]Instability:[/b] The cheapening of space travel had the unfortunate side effect of making it much easier for anyone with enough money to go and make their own country, primarily in the form of Asteroid States. These asteroid states are infamously unstable, waffling from religious cults to authoritarian regimes, and conflict is rife both in and between them. Many people find themselves as mercenaries or diplomats for these asteroid states, caught in the crossfire of people rich enough to buy a spaceship but unfit to rule a nation. [b]Organized Crime:[/b] Drug trafficking flourishes in this age of space exploration, run often by large dark corporations or governments such as the government of the asteroid state Bacchus. Some of the swiftest pilots in the Solar System make their money running drugs from place to place, and some others act as agents of various federal governments, trying to intercept drug runners before they enter federal space. The families who run these crime syndicates can be incredibly influential and powerful, especially over small colonies. [b]Piracy:[/b] In an age where shipping large amounts of expensive materials across open space is necessary to keep space colonies thriving, pirates thrive. Pirate gangs often hang out in the asteroid belt or between the gaps in planets, ambushing cargo ships and stealing their wares. Because of this, many large nations employ escort ships designed to deter pirates, leading to tense space battles. [b]Prospecting:[/b] There is a lot of stuff in space, and finding where usable resources are is an important job to keep human civilization running. This is where prospectors come in. Prospectors are explorers tasked with identifying asteroids and other space material that could be mined for human consumption. Often, prospecting takes people to the furthest reaches of space, from the far side of the asteroid belt to the Oort cloud out past Pluto. The job can be difficult and isolating, but it pays very well. [b]Shipping:[/b] Hundreds of thousands of pilots are employed in the field of space shipping, driving large cargo ships to colonies to deliver vital resources such as water, food, oxygen, and raw materials. Space trucking can be one of the best ways to see the Solar System.[/indent][/hider] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/m58xTcT.jpeg[/img][/center] [hr] [img]https://txt-dynamic.static.1001fonts.net/txt/dHRmLjM2LmY0ZjFmMS5URzlqWVhScGIyNXouMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA/designer-block.regular.png[/img] The Earthshine system isn’t just going to be built by me, but by the players as they flesh out locations around the Solar System. As more locations are fleshed out, this section will expand. [hider=Locations][indent][b]Amphitrite:[/b] The oldest city off of Earth, Amphirite is sprawling and antique. The buildings here are old, renovated to match the original 2000s style. The place is incredibly bright, with buildings covered in enamel facades with black windows. Amphirite essentially operates as a city-state overseen by the EU, but is mostly independent, with its own laws, citizenship, and government. A lot of universities are based in Amphitrite, and it is a big center for biomedical research. [b]Bacchus:[/b] One of the safer asteroid states, Bacchus is a land of vices and pleasure, Las Vegas times a hundred thousand. There are casinos, sure, but there are also hyper-realistic VR chambers, drug clubs overflowing with cocaine and ecstacy, brothels with robotic lovers so good you’ll never be satisfied with humans again and so realistic you wouldn’t know the difference. Their motto is literally “Vinum et Mulieres”, “Wine and Women.” Bacchus is also, unsurprisingly, the center of the Solar System drug trade. [b]Harmonia:[/b] Harmonia is the capital of the Martian Federation and the largest city off of Earth, with a population of around 30 million people. In addition to having such a large population, Harmonia is a center for technology and industrial production. Most of the computers in the Solar System are made in Harmonia. Harmonia feels very industrial, with buildings composed of Martian concrete, which is a dull greyish-red color. [b]Houyi:[/b] The smallest Lunar city, Houyi is a beautiful place that attracts many tourists. It is incredibly colorful and vibrant, contrasting with the often futuristic and esoteric design of space colonies, and is also a major center for industry. Most of the aluminum and titanium mined on the moon is processed in Houyi, and many electronic components are built there. [b]New Kyoto:[/b] On the dwarf planet Ceres in the asteroid belt, New Kyoto is the center for asteroid mining. It has a very cyber-punk vibe, with lots of concrete, steel, and neon lights. The headquarters of the Doriru Project, almost all of the platinum mined in the asteroid belt is processed in New Kyoto, making the place incredibly important since human society basically runs on platinum. [b]Sakhrat-Allah:[/b] Founded by the United Arab Emirates on Jupiter’s moon Europa, Sakhrat-Allah is a beautiful and rich city with stunning architecture and a distinctly Arabian feel. Many of the richest people in the Solar System live in Sakhrat-Allah, and much of the Solar System’s banking is run out of this place. As such, it also has just about the strongest security of any off-Earth colony, and crime is punished brutally. As Europa contains alien life, a lot of research is also done on Sakhrat-Allah, funded by the multi-billionaires who live there. [b]Suijin:[/b] All the way out of Pluto’s moon Charon, Suijin Station is the center of the newly-developing Doriru II project, designed to harvest useful resources from the Kuiper Belt. Suijin is very small, with only a couple hundred regular inhabitants. Most of the city is run by autonomous machines, mostly mining and utility drones. Suijin is cold and grey, with an aesthetic reminiscent of an Antarctic research base. [b]Yemoja:[/b] Yemoja is the largest of the Lunar cities, with a population of over 10 million people. Founded over a century ago by the Pan-African Nations, Yemoja is a highly-profitable and beloved spaceport and drydock, where many commercial spaceships are built. Built up after precious metals were made more abundant by the Doriru Project, Yemoja’s skyline is literally covered in gold. It is a bustling place, with people passing through constantly on their way to or from Earth.[/indent][/hider] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/tTArnmU.jpeg[/img][/center] [hr] [img]https://txt-dynamic.static.1001fonts.net/txt/dHRmLjM2LmY0ZjFmMS5WR1ZqYUc1dmJHOW5lUSwsLjAAAAAA/designer-block.regular.png[/img] Most technology in Earthshine is based on current advancements in the fields of materials science, physics, and biology as of 2021 so as to make it somewhat more realistic. Thanks to the mining of asteroids, many materials that are advantageous to technology, such as Platinum, Lanthanum, Neodymium, Plutonium, Xenon, and Osmium are in very high supply, and this has made developing technology beyond our wildest dreams much more attainable. Advancements in carbon fiber development have made even more crazy technology available. Now, I’m not expecting anyone here to have an in-depth understanding of quantum computing or inorganic chemistry, but having a little bit of understanding of science will be very helpful to make this world more realistic, and can definitely help to inform your own ideas for technologies and characters. [hider=Technology] [img]https://txt-dynamic.static.1001fonts.net/txt/dHRmLjM2LmY0ZjFmMS5RbWx2Ykc5bmVRLCwuMAAAAAA,/designer-block.regular.png[/img] Biology has come a long way in two centuries, especially the sciences of genetics and medicine. Thanks to advanced computing techniques, most of the genes in most relevant organisms have been categorized and understood, meaning that genetic manipulation is much easier to control. Thanks to this, many genetic illnesses like Parkinsons and Sickle Cell Anemia have been entirely wiped out. Additionally, advanced understanding of genetics has led to the development of the gene chip, a computer chip that contains all relevant information about a person’s genetics, making it much easier for doctors to prescribe medications that will work well with an individual person’s health. Through developmental biology and materials sciences, most hospitals in the Solar System now contain cloning wings, where scientists construct artificial organs and body structures to replace damaged ones. Where nowadays getting a transplant can take months or years, now a new organ can be obtained within a few days, and patients no longer need to worry about organ rejection. Advancements in robotics have also made minimally-invasive surgeries common and easy, reducing recovery times for patients. Invasive surgeries still exist for extreme injuries, but are much less common. Diseases still exist in the Solar System, especially in asteroid colonies and other places far from hospitals. Antibiotics are almost never used now, as the bacteria that prey on humans resist all of them. Nowadays, most medicines used to cure bacterial diseases use genetic engineering to render bacteria sterile or make them right-out die. Certain fungal diseases also prosper in space, especially ones resistant to radiation and that can grow at the low temperatures present in human settlements. Usually, though, these illnesses can be cured, and people seldom die of diseases. A big problem in space is radiation. Without the Earth’s atmosphere, many space colonists find themselves exposed to deadly radiation doses all the time. Some colonists deal with this by taking pills that contain anti-radiation compounds, while others have been genetically-modified to have resistance to radiation. Cancer is still common in the human race, but many cheap and powerful therapies exist, meaning that much less people die of it if they are diagnosed properly. In most cultures in space, screening oneself for cancers is as common and accepted as washing your hands. This, combined with many other factors, has reduced human aging. A fifty-year-old in 2230 is about as healthy as a thirty-year-old in 2021 is, and people regularly live to the age of a hundred and forty. On the other hand, advances in biology have led to some less-savory outcomes in the form of genetic modification of humans and animals. Many animals such as cows and chickens have been modified to produce more meat, leading to the “box cow” phenomenon, though eating meat is actually pretty rare in space since animals are so much work. Human genetic modification has been used both to cure diseases and to create what can only be referred to as chimeras, humans with genetic modifications from other animals. Most large states ban this sort of modding, but it is still popular in some societies, where people modify themselves for aesthetic or utilitarian purposes. Soldiers of an asteroid state may have increased muscle mass or more durable skin and tendons. Some have modifications to their eyes that allow them advanced night vision or distance judging. There is also a subculture of folk who will use genetic modification to create bizarre aesthetic appearances, such as modding their eyes to change shape or their skin to produce scales instead of hair. This is morally-grey at best and is usually looked down upon. Biology has also revolutionized food production. Vertical farming and bacterial genetic modification allows for lots of food to be made in a very small area. In the Outer Colonies (a term used for colonies farther from Earth than Ceres, excluding Sakhrat-Allah), cyanobacteria are a major food source, while lab-grown meat and gmod plants are used closer to Earth to provide protein in diets. Seaweed is also a major food source now, as it can be grown easily in small spaces, as are insects. [img]https://txt-dynamic.static.1001fonts.net/txt/dHRmLjM2LmY0ZjFmMS5RMjl0Y0hWMGFXNW5JR0Z1WkNCU2IySnZkR2xqY3csLC4wAAAAAAA,/designer-block.regular.png[/img] Computers of the future are vastly different from computers of today. The cracking of quantum computing and the advanced materials of the asteroid mining age has led to breakthroughs in tech that make computers faster and more powerful. With the speed of quantum computing and new materials, terabytes of data can be transferred in the blink of an eye, and massive calculations can be performed that make AI much more effective. Technologies like voice recognition and image recognition are effectively solved. AI can also perform much more complex tasks requiring thought and creative thinking, though humans still perform many high-paying jobs. Jobs such as manufacturing, construction, mining, and agriculture are performed almost exclusively robotically, with a single mine or factory requiring only one or two on-staff humans. Meanwhile, architects, businessmen, chefs, doctors, engineers, lawyers, pilots, researchers, and many other kinds of workers have much of their job done for them by machines and computers which they supervise. Things are even crazier on Earth, where driving and shipping are entirely autonomous and it’s actually illegal to drive a car on a road manually. Computer modeling has been drastically improved as well. With the invention of extremely powerful computers came the ability to model humans really well, so that virtual spaces can be used to mimic real spaces. Computers can model how human demographics will react to a product, how human emotions will change in response to a stimulus, how drugs will affect a certain organism, and how humans will interact with 3D objects, allowing for improved safety of architecture. The speed of computers combined with the advanced modeling has also made a breakthrough humanity has been waiting for since before our current time— personality. Human brains can now be modeled in such a way that they can create a person with emotions, memories, and free thoughts. The first of these was Erdoch, an AI built by a Martian company in the year 2200. Erdoch did not live very long due to a technical glitch, but while alive it was essentially a person, capable of feeling emotions and creating new ideas. This has, perhaps unfortunately, been run with by many people, and has made entirely AI people exist around the Solar System, though they are very rare. Making a realistic human body has been possible since the 2060s at least, and this means that artificial humans can be made by those with the proper resources. This has been used in everything from warfare to psychology to prostitution. Sentient AI can also be put into computers, however, and can be made to run spaceships or do other human jobs. At the current time, though, sentient AI is so expensive to make that humans are still needed for many tasks. In robotics, materials science and engineering combined with advanced computer programming has led to incredibly sophisticated robots, capable of doing all sorts of autonomous tasks. Battery technology is such that robots can hold a charge for weeks or months without producing their own power. Self-sufficient robots capable of repairing damage and responding to new environments made space mining possible. Construction, search and rescue, prospecting, drilling, surgery, mechanics, and many other jobs are performed by robots capable of performing tasks and noticing issues that humans never would. Robotic soldiers outnumber human soldiers 100 to 1, taking all sorts of shapes. Prosthetics have come a long way too. Due to brain-computer interfaces, humans can now use the internet with their brains, see images in their visual feed, and perform all of the functions of a smartphone in their mind. Prosthetic limbs are common in the Solar System, and are better than biological limbs in basically every way, even being able to use metabolic energy as power. Cyborgs live normally and comfortably amongst humans, though some conservative humans are prejudiced against them. Humans of 2230 think of cyborgs the way we think of gay or transgender people, just as another possible form of human. [img]https://txt-dynamic.static.1001fonts.net/txt/dHRmLjM2LmY0ZjFmMS5VM0JoWTJWbWJHbG5hSFEsLjAAAAAAAAAA/designer-block.regular.png[/img] From the days of rockets and shuttles, spaceflight has become something almost unrecognizable from its original form. While nowadays we construct ships on Earth, where air resistance and drag are important to consider, spaceships of 2230 are built in space, allowing them to be much more advanced and operate totally differently. In space, there’s no air resistance or drag, so aerodynamics isn’t a factor when considering ship design. All of the power that a space cruiser can muster has to come from its thrusters or from a source of power available in space such as sunlight. Generally, the former is more accepted, as space travel engines can be made very efficient. Some ships still use chemical engines, but these are normally landers and shuttles that need to travel planetside to pick up supplies or the like. Generally, when you’re considering space travel, there are three kinds of engines you can use: ion thrusters, photonic propulsion, and antimatter propulsion. The physics that makes these work are [i]nuts[/i], so I’m gonna simplify and you can look it up yourself if you want more. Ion thrusters work by firing a stream of xenon gas and electrifying it, causing it to repel a magnet and pushing the ship forwards. This technology already exists in 2021, and is used to power satellites and other small objects in Earth’s orbit, but in the future they become much more efficient and can be used to thrust large craft. Ion thrusters are generally used by small, nimble ships such as fighters, satellites, or yachts. It’s possible to travel long distances with them, but it takes [i]forever[/i], as the top speed of an ion thruster is about 220,000 mph and space is big. For a while, though, this was humanity’s only option, and traveling between Earth and Mars took about four months. Ion thrusters are commonly used also as weapons in the form of ion cannons, which concentrate the xenon and superheat it into a plasma, blasting and burning whatever it hits. Ion thrusters and cannons do not work on planets, as the other ions in air cause them to fail. Photonic propulsion is faster than ion thrusting but is more energy-intensive, requiring tons of electrical power. This works by firing a super-powerful laser into a solar sail, a light, thin, and flexible material that can absorb the momentum from light and convert it into thrust. This used to be used a lot in space travel, as it can get you from Earth to Mars in only 4 days at a speed of 670,000 mph, but nowadays it is so costly and cumbersome that it is almost never used. Laser grids do get used as weapons, though. Finally, antimatter propulsion is the fastest and most efficient way to travel through space. This works by essentially making a huge explosion to thrust a ship forwards. When matter and antimatter collide, they explode and release a shitload of energy, and through advanced materials science this has been harnessed to be used for thrust. Antimatter propulsion is extremely fast, with the average ship moving at 4.5 million mph and the top-of-the-line military cruisers moving at up to 70 million mph, blowing the other two forms out of the water. Antimatter propulsion is crazy expensive, though, so it’s used for large cruisers and cargo ships. Antimatter thrusters do not work planetside, and even trying to use one planetside would cause an explosion that would likely destroy whatever planet you’re on. Basically every ship out there has a nuclear reactor onboard that makes the power needed for thrust, though many ships also employ solar panels to power other things on the ship and take the burden off the reactor. Most ships have advanced auto-pilots that can run most onboard processes, as well as maintenance bots that can make repairs, so not a lot of people are needed to run a space cruiser when compared to, say, a modern-day naval ship. Cargo crews are usually only two or three people, while military ships can be a few dozen. [img]https://txt-dynamic.static.1001fonts.net/txt/dHRmLjM2LmY0ZjFmMS5WMlZoY0c5dWNuaywuMAAAAAAAAAA,/designer-block.regular.png[/img] Guns, guns, guns. Is there anything humans like more than blowing shit up or killing each other? Apparently not, because from 2021 to 2230 humans have improved the art of blowing each other to smithereens like it’s their only job. The gun is an efficient and deadly weapon, but humans have made tons of improvements upon it, making more deadly weapons using more advanced technology. Some of these weapons are in their prototype stages today, such as railguns, but others came about only as a result of centuries of work into the art of making each other miserable. Most weapons of the future require massive amounts of electricity and as such require supercharged lanthanum batteries. You can think of these like a second ammo source that needs to be reloaded less-frequently. When it comes to projectile weapons, future soldiers have two primary options: railguns and laser weapons. Railguns work by using magnetic coils to accelerate an object to terminal velocity. The projectile hits with an incredible amount of force, exploding in the process. A laser weapon, meanwhile, concentrates a super-powerful beam of light until it can burn through basically anything you point it at. Railguns have better range, while laser weapons tend to be more accurate but lose power the longer they’re fired. Laser weapons also heat up more rapidly than a railgun, meaning they can overheat if fire is sustained. Due to a variety of advances, both weapons tend to come at about the same size as current guns and are just as lightweight. Traditional firearms are still occasionally used in combat, but only in cases when a railgun or laser weapon is too destructive. Other weapons exist as well. EMP grenades can disable enemy electronics, while microwave weapons use a satellite dish to concentrate microwaves on a target, causing them pain without killing them. Have an enemy hiding behind cover? Use a handheld guided missile. Have an enemy in close proximity? Use a lanth-TASER, a suped-up taser with enough electrical energy to kill someone on contact. Want to blow someone up for cheap? Use a battery-powered grenade that superheats a lanthanum battery and creates an explosion twice as big as a modern-day fragmentation grenade and four times as hot. But why shoot people with a gun when you can kill them with your bare hands? Advances in robotics have led to exoskeletons being lightweight and highly-efficient, making a soldier much stronger than they would be alone. 2230 exoskeletons can be worn under clothing and are cheap to make, nearly quintupling the strength of their wearer when used correctly. With armored gloves and a powered exoskeleton, a soldier can punch holes in brick walls, lift trucks, and beat opponents to a pulp without needing a gun at all. When connected to armor, a soldier with an exoskeleton becomes a force to be reckoned with. When it comes to armor, there are a few options. Your general armor is composed of hyperlite plastic, a lightweight plastic based on starlite that is shock resistant and heat-resistant, as well as several other materials like graphene, carbon fiber, and aerogel. While a railgun would turn even the most advanced modern-day armor into shrapnel, starlite-graphene-aerogel armor can take the hit about as well as a plate carrier can take a modern-day rifle round. In a pinch, hyperlite can withstand temperatures of up to 10,000 degrees Celsius. For lighter armor, Non-Newtonian Fabric (NNF) can be used, a material that becomes harder when hit by a projectile. These materials are light enough to be used for a pilot’s jumpsuit or a politician’s shirt, and can provide about as much protection as a plate carrier. A direct hit from a railgun will still turn the target into goo, but they can withstand near-misses and hits from normal bullets very well. In space, ion cannons get used, weapons that propel a stream of electrically-charged xenon concentrated into a beam. Railguns and lasers also get usage, as well as missiles of all kinds. Since there’s no atmosphere in space, nuclear weapons have less of the stigma that they do on Earth, and they get used from time to time in space battles alongside other missiles. Then there’s the grand-daddy of them all, the most powerful weapon ever devised by humans— the antimatter bomb. Antimatter bombs are nuts. By causing matter and antimatter to collide, they convert mass into energy (this is what E=mc^2 means by the way). To put this into perspective, the strongest nuclear bomb ever detonated, Tsar Bomba, had a blast force of 50 megatons of TNT and weighed 60,000 pounds. To replicate the same explosion with antimatter, you would need two and a half pounds. An antimatter bomb dropped on DC would turn the Mid-Atlantic United States into a bay. One dropped on London would make most of Western Europe disappear. An antimatter bomb wouldn’t just blow up a country— it would most likely end life on Earth. As such, the antimatter bomb is heavily-guarded, and they are not allowed within Earth’s orbit. [/hider] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/3bCEj0x.jpeg[/img][/center] [hr]