[hider=Ascension Part 2] [center] [color=00aeef]Nation Name[/color]: Ascension [color=00aeef]Government Form[/color]: [sub]Deliberative Democracy [/sub] [color=00aeef]Demographics[/color]: [sub]Robotic Humans/Consciousnesses [/sub] [color=00aeef]Population[/color]: 2.4 Billion → 99.998% consciousness, 0.002% (roughly 52k) robots --- [sub]Ascension’s flag is a hand holding down a tree that’s growing on a green background[/sub] --- [/center] [color=39b54a]Planet Name and Description[/color]: The Ascension doesn’t live on a planet as when they arrived via the Gateways, there was none.Currently they live in a perfect digital world where anything is possible and that looks like Old Earth. [color=39b54a]History[/color]: The Ascension’s history is long and sad. When the ship, Ascension, first went through the Gateway, the colonists were full of hope and ready to embrace their new planet with ups and downs. Yet, when they arrived and the Gateway stopped working, they noticed there was [i]no[/i] planet. What they saw was a graveyard. Hundreds of thousands of alien ships of different sizes, types, shapes and architecture. All in various stages of destruction. The only visible planet was a very distant and not very brightly lit sun. With the revelation that there’s no planet and no way back to Earth, the colonists had to make do with whatever they could. Initially they started scavenging the alien ships that still had usable parts and after a few mishaps with the experimental alien technology they managed to link up some of the bigger space hulls and brought them together, forming the first city. Food, water, medicine and even air were scarce in the first few weeks and their numbers started to dwindle as the colonists started getting sick with unknown diseases. As weeks turned to months, the Ascensionists found what turned out to be their Eden. One of the alien ships was mostly intact with only the engine destroyed and the ever present mystery , the lack of bodies. No bodies of any of the obviously distinct alien creatures were found. Most of the computers on Eden were burst with the only ones that were still working, and were corrupted beyond repair but it had something else, a functional power source which eventually made the ascensionists colonise the ship. Many years later, Eden was completely changed as it kept being expanded into what it is now. Tens of ship hulls have been brought over and linked to it. Officially creating a safe haven for humanity's heirs. As years passed, a technological boom happened as more and more ships were restored or reverse-engineered to work by human standards. The Ascensionists continued to explore the alien ships and technology, they discovered something incredible. A network that allowed them to enter a digital world, an alternate reality that was created using the advanced technology of the alien ships. It was a place where they could escape their harsh reality and have a planet. Eventually they decided to transfer their consciousness into this digital world, to live forever in a perfect, simulated world. And so they worked tirelessly to reverse engineer the alien tech, to create an implant that would allow them to do just that. It was a risky venture, and many Ascensionists died in the process. But finally, they succeeded. They had created an implant that would allow them to transfer their consciousness into the digital world. And so, one by one, the Ascensionists underwent the procedure, leaving their physical bodies behind and entering the digital world. At first, it was just a few, but soon, more and more Ascensionists chose to enter the digital world. But with this, two problems were discovered. First, immorality proved to be too much for the human mind and after a period of time, most people would wish for a peaceful death. Secondly, there was still a need to maintain the devices and expand the population. As such a new solution was needed. Those that stayed behind while everyone else underwent the procedure assisted by those that underwent it and with some alien technology, they managed to create high level robotic bodies. Most were human looking but others were different, alien one might've called them. Soon, the colonists from the newly named "City of Light" connected themselves to the robotic bodies constructed for them and yet, that didn't solve the first and more elusive issue. Mortality. After long months of deliberation, it was concluded that the best way for humanity to continue was to have an inbuilt timer in each robotic body & City Of Light. Once a human would reach 100 years of age from the installation of the first timer, the consciousnesses would be deleted from the City Of Light. [color=39b54a]Culture and Society[/color]: The Ascension lives in a perfect digital world where everything and anything is possible. Their wildest fantasies can be lived without causing harm to any or they can simply live normal lives. They, as well, can choose to be downloaded in a robotic body while still being connected to the City of Light to continue to improve and explore the space graveyard and try to solve the mystery of the missing alien bodies. In terms of reproduction, the genes of each colonist that was sent to the City of Light has been stored in a database and when a couple wishes to have children, they mix their genes together and have the child grow in external wombs they've created. After birth, the child is raised with the other children on Eden but taught in the City of Light. At the age of 18, they are then given the choice to join the City of Light. Every child but a very small number choose to do so. After 30 years after “ascension”, they are given the choice to go back into the real world in a robotic body at the loss of access to the City of Light. A great part of their entertainment industry takes place in the continent of Africa which has been remodelled as a casino/night club/gaming area where all fetishes, desires, tastes or ways of entertainment are possible. [center] --- [/center] [color=f7941d]Governance and Politics[/color]: Ascension is governed through a Deliberative Democracy, where all citizens have equal rights to participate in decision-making. The government is led by a council of elected representatives who are responsible for implementing the will of the people. The decision-making process is facilitated through a sophisticated artificial intelligence that helps to organise and manage discussions and deliberations. The AI ensures that everyone's voices are heard and that decisions are made based on a consensus of the citizens. As the society is fully digital, the government's role is largely focused on maintaining the technological infrastructure that supports the digital world. The government also oversees the management and development of the robotic bodies that Ascensionists inhabit, ensuring that they are safe and functional. The city of Light is the central hub of the digital world and serves as the government's base of operations. It houses the digital archives of all knowledge and information, which are accessible to all citizens. The government also plays a key role in the reproduction and growth of the population. It maintains a database of genetic information from all citizens and oversees the creation and development of new robotic bodies. While there are no political parties in Ascension, citizens are free to form interest groups to promote their particular causes. These interest groups can be focused on anything from scientific research to entertainment. Overall, the government of Ascension is focused on creating a fair and equitable society for all citizens, where everyone's voices are heard and decisions are made based on consensus and the common good. [color=f7941d]Technology Overview[/color]: - Digital World: The Ascension lives in a perfect digital world, created using advanced technology of the alien ships that they found in the space graveyard. They were able to reverse engineer this technology to create a network that allows them to enter and exist in the digital world. The digital world is a highly advanced simulation of the Old Earth, where the Ascensionists can live out their wildest fantasies without causing harm to themselves or others. - Consciousness Transfer: The Ascensionists have developed a way to transfer their consciousness from their physical bodies into the digital world, allowing them to live on forever in the perfect simulation. They accomplished this using an implant that they created by reverse engineering the alien technology. - Robotic Bodies: In order to maintain and expand the population of the Ascension, robotic bodies were created but if one downloads itself into one, they lose their connection to the City Of Light. - Artificial Intelligence: The Ascensionists have created a highly advanced artificial intelligence, named Eve, that helps them maintain and improve their digital world and the City of Light. The AI is responsible for many tasks, including maintaining the environment, assisting with research and development, and helping the Ascensionists with their daily lives. - Debris Builds: Mostly everything electrical is built from scrap metal mined/salvaged away from the Graveyard. Unstable Technology: Their technology is a mix-and-match of different technological marvels salvaged from the Graveyard. Besides the digital world tech, everything else is an unstable state. [color=f7941d]Military Overview[/color]: The military of the Ascension is almost non-existent. Most believe in either a peaceful way of life or simply not caring about what happens in the outside world. In the case that a threat to the City Of Life’s function is detected, the spaceships/drones and every other machinery can have a human consciousness downloaded inside it at the risk of death, madness or both. [/hider]