Earth

Adjectives: Terran, Terrestrial, Tellurian, Gaian, Earthling (joke)

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Current State

Earth still holds nearly the entire host of humanity, with a total population holding steady at over fourteen billion. Nearly all of it is concentrated in massive arcologies, some more livable than others, leaving the rest of the world for tourism and wilderness, and those parts of humanity that have rejected technology.

The most visible notion that Earth is not what it once was is the Clarke Ring - a great white band that stretches from horizon to horizon, visible even during the day, from nearly anywhere on Earth. The various luddite groups call it the Scar of the Sky, as if it were some form of wound.

Earth is surrounded by several rings of other satellites and stations. All of them perform weather monitoring, and most of them serve as solar power generators for the arcologies below. Earth's Lagrange stations are massive affairs, hosting over ten thousand people each at any given point in time, though Kennedy Station II is still being rebuilt.

As a whole, Earth is slightly warmer and more humid, with sea levels nearly a meter higher than at the end of the 20th century. This is most noticable in the frequency of storms, rather than any instant observation from space. Arcologies are elegant, beautiful structures, looking rather utopian both inside and out.

Current Activity

While certainly not dystopic, closer inspections reveal various kinds of panic. Some turn to apathy, others seek to escape Earth and see the wonders of space (frequently joining the ever-growing Consortium armada), while the majority enjoys their lives on Earth in various modes of debauchery or excruciating boredom.

Humanity is not trapped - at least, not the majority of it. There is a large illicit trade involved in 'underground' construction, though this is becoming rarer as enforcement activities increase. A few people opt to cast civilization aside and join one of the 'human zoos' - or at least help police them. Underground networks and experimentation is rampant, of all kinds and at all levels.

Human settlements outside of the arcologies are actively prevented from developing bronze-age or agricultural technology. Most are actively hostile towards technology, a phenomenon ecouraged by the voluntary 'policing' of those who wish to leave the arcologies. Interbreeding is beginning to weed out the root strain of humans, however, a practice which concerns many. Angels and wraiths are beginning to gather tribes of followers, some for less noble ends than others.

People who express a Song here are hunted - the only respite for the new Striatvari is to leave the planet. Angels sometimes stay, of course, but their abilities are easier to hide over the long term.

Earth's own fleet is deceptively small - most of it is actually stationed at Luna instead.

Future Plans

The prime goal for Earth at the moment is the completion of the Terran Ring megastructure. Beyond that is the Stasis Directive, which, given its long-term nature, is only slightly more than no plans at all.