Name: S.I.U.S. / Seraphim Industries United Systems
Government Structure: Monarchy/Democratic Republic. The descendants of the Seraphim family hold absolute authority, but the day-to-day politics of the nations are controlled by publically elected officials.
Leader: CEO and President Aradel Seraphim
Head Elected Official: Prime Minister Lorean Healevore
Currency: Seraphim Credit
Number of systems controlled: 15 solar systems
Number of planets controlled: 37 fully populated worlds, over 150 small colonies spread throughout surrounding space, and 1 Ring World hidden deep within SIUS Territory.
Rough Population Estimate: 395 billion sentient organic citizens, 15.3 billion sentient synthetic citizens.
Seraphim Industries is currently more of a sovereign, inter-galactic nation than a corporate industry, these days, having more than thirty worlds in fifteen systems, and hundreds of smaller colony worlds spread through-out known space, which is not to mention numerous research outposts and mining stations. While the large majority of its revenue comes from selling ships, designs and components, almost all of its most advanced technology is kept exclusively for its own military forces, which are quite expansive.
Seraphim Industries originated as a weapons manufacturer and military contractor on 21st Century Earth, founded by one Allen J. Seraphim, and was hailed as visionary. Within fifty years, Seraphim Industries controlled more than sixty percent of Earth's weapons manufacture and design, and with the advent of colonisation and space flight, it was decided the Seraphim Industries needed to spread to the stars.
Their ships were, for a time, little better than average. Cheap and affordable, yes, but certainly not top of the line, as the weaponisation of space had already begun in earnest before Seraphim Industries took its first tentative steps into the arena. However, the company did profitably enough for then CEO Alais Seraphim to colonise a moderately sized planet in an uncharted system, and set up a permanent base of operations, there.
That world, Eltara VI, or as it's known as now "Seraphi Prime", however, proved to be the most profitable purchase that Seraphim Industries ever made. Some few centuries after colonisation, SI scientists discovered the derelict vessel of an advanced alien species beneath the crust of the terraformed planet. This species, known only as the "Chora", from the records salvaged from the ship's archives, had incredible technology, and it appeared as though they had left the Milky Way Galaxy many millennia ago.
The technology was incredibly complex and radically different from any they had worked with until then, but over the course of more than a hundred years, Seraphim Industries reverse engineered bits and pieces of the alien vessel, selling their outdated technology to others for a handy profit, and keeping all their most advanced tech for themselves. By the time of CEO Aradel Seraphim, Seraphim Industries had grown into a full fledged Star Nation, with more than thirty fully populated worlds. The Alien Derelict is now a Museum of Seraphi Prime, all its advanced technology stripped bare and kept locked away. Already, Seraphim Industries has surpassed its technology, but they still improve at an alarming rate...
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Business Practices:
Seraphim Industries still serves largely as a military contractor, mass producing large fleets of ships, to sell to the highest bidder. Other than their Mass Produced Fleets, one can also send ship specifications to them for construction, which will be reviewed by a SIUS official, to determine whether they can and will build it. Naturally, of course, the price is high, but no where else in the Galaxy can you obtain such powerful equipment. Their newest Mass Production Fleet has just recently been released onto the market.
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Orbital Industries:
Orbital Industries is a subsidiary of the S.I.U.S., and handles all the most sensitive aspects of Seraphim Industries Research and Military Operations. The Orbital Industries' Fleets are terrible and fearsome to behold, and their technology is on a whole other level to what most other advanced races in the galaxy possess. Their main base of operations is on the Top Secret Ringworld in the Lorenzo System, near the edge of the Milky Way Galaxy.
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Alliances:
Prosperous Trade and Economic Relations with the IVL.
Trade and Economic Relations with the Movement to Restore the Alliance
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Medicine, Cybernetics and Viral Warfare:
Along with advanced weapons and materials science, the Chora left behind a great wealth of other information, in their ship's database, all of which SIUS Scientists of all fields have siezed upon and researched thoroughly. Heavy gene-modification is standard for all citizens of the SIUS, and it is taken on gladly, offering them increased lifespans, better health, and sturdier, more efficient bodies. Many organs were completely reconstructed from the ground up, and citizens of planets with high gravity have been heavily modified to allow them to survive in such harsh environments.
Suffice to say, SIUS Citizens can only loosely be classified as humans, these days. Atop this, cybernetic implants are quite routine, particularly in the military, where mere genetic enhancement fails to provide enough of an edge. The SIUS is unique among many Star Nations, in that Sentient Artificial Intelligences -- commonly refered to as "Synthetic Lifeforms" -- are given equal rights under the law as all organic citizens. Many of these Synthetic Lifeforms serve as the ships computers, on SIUS military vessels, and are free to retire from service in the same way a human soldier would be.
Naturally, however, the SIUS also has non-sentient AI and Robots, for situations where a life - even a synthetic one - would be put in unnecessary danger, and also for menial labour.
Lastly, in the realm of medicines and viral warfare, the SIUS performs... secretively. Carefully constructed and tamper-proof synthetic viruses are used to regulate the health and wellbeing of every citizen in the United Systems, and when the SIUS feels the need to use biological warfare, there is usually only one that is ever deployed; the Ouroboros-134 retrovirus. In depth details of the Ouroboros will be uploaded in the future.
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Faster than Light Travel:
The SIUS have two means of FTL Travel, both of which were salvaged from the Chora derelict, as Seraphim Industries felt that the standard Terran FTL that they had been reliant upon was too unpredictable and untrustworthy to continue usage.
The first method is generally refered to as Hyperjumping, which is heavily reliant on a rare form of exotic matter called 'hypermatter'. Hypermatter can be collected quite easily with the right tools, but without them, it is almost impossible to maintain. By colliding a pair of Hypermatter particles together at near light speeds, a sudden rift is formed in the space-time continuum, resulting in the creation of a uni-directional wormhole that can take a ship several dozen lightyears in the blink of an eye. However, Hyperjumping is notoriously inaccurate, despite its high speed, and longer jumps result in a higher degree of inaccuracy. On more than one occasion, a poorly calculated Hyperjump resulted in a ship getting lost in a looping wormhole, for months and sometimes years. Hyperjumping can, however, be used over short distances with little risk, leading to tactical Hyperjumping sometimes being used in battle.
The second method of FTL travel is through Warpgates. Warpgates, despite the name, are not stationary "gates". A Warpgate can be opened anywhere in clear space, by any ship with a warpgate generator. It works on a similar principle to the Hyperjump, but uses another form of exotic matter usually refered to casually as "Warpspace Particles". A warpgate lacks the near instantaenous speed of a Hyperjump, but it far more accurate and stable, though a properly calibrated warpgate is required at both ends of the destination. Warpgates, depending on their size, can remain open for weeks or even months, unless closed by force. Typically, a warpgate ship uses a Hyperjump to reach the desired destination point (Point B), and opens the "Exit Point", then a warpgate ship at another point (Point A) opens a Warpgate of the same calibration. The link between the two gates is established instaneously, and then groups of ships can travel through it.
Warpgates are usually used to coordinate large fleet transits, as large groups of ships all using Hyperjumps within the same region frequently result in several ships getting thrown wildly off course, or even destroyed. In worst-case scenarios, several Hyperspace tunnels in close proximity to each other can result in all Hyperspace tunnels in that area collapsing, destroying the ships inside, and releasing large amounts of highly unstable Hypermatter particles into realspace.
Long story short: Hyperjumping is very fast, quite inaccurate, and sometmes dangerous, particularly in high numbers. Warpgates are much more reliable, but they're slower and require the coordination of two ships opening compatible Warpgates at the start and end locations. Warpgates are omnidirectional, and traffic can move in either direction.
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The Chora:
Based on all details that Seraphim Industries Researchers were able to gather on the Chora from the derelict ship's ancient and barely functional database, the Chora were a vaguely humanoid species, carbon-based, with DNA and RNA not entirely unsimilar to those of Earth-based lifeforms. By most accounts, their society seemed to be highly liberated, respecting the personal freedoms of all sentient lifeforms, although there is some indication that they may have been a highly destructive and xenophobic society, believing themselves to perfect beings and perhaps even divine beings. However, the cultural records on the ship were slim and had suffered severe degredation over the thousands of years of inactivity.
On the other hand, records detailing Chora physiology and genetics were remarkably well maintained, and have been thoroughly researched and investigated. The Chora averaged around six feet tall, although many barely reached half that height and it wasn't a particularly rare occurance. Their legs accounted for more than two thirds of their over-all height, being long, powerful limbs with three joints and ending with equally large and clawed feet, with the whole limb bearing some resemblance to a cross between a cat's hind legs and chicken legs. Their torso is similar to that of humans, with their arms and brains being their most distinctive features.
Chora arms, based on all physiological records, appear to be highly adaptable, with numerous folding joints and hollow bones, allowing the limbs to be compressed to be as short as two feet long, without any substantial change in width, or up to seven feet long, with eight digits on each hand, two of which were opposable. Their brains are another matter, and are unlike any creature, earth-based or xeno, that Seraphim Industries scientists have ever seen. Less than a third of the Chora brain's functions have been determined, and one forth of them cannot even be speculated at. There is strong evidence that the Chora may have had some form of telepathy, though researchers insist it required the aid of special technology which they've had some success in replicating.
Their facial structures aren't particulary unique, possessing a pair of lower jaws that split wide apart to consume food and also to inhale, as the Chora's olfactory systems are in the mouth. They had a single long, prehensile tongue, a large and incredibly thick cranium, and a pair of eyes capable of viewing into the high ultraviolet spectrum and even lower than the infrared spectrum. Based on fossils found beneath the terraformed crust of Seraphi's surface, it's accepted that the Chora couldn't possibly have naturally evolved into this form, and were probably heavily enhanced through genetic modification.
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Chimeras:
Chimeras are the product of even more thorough research than most of Seraphim Industries most advanced weapons and battleships, a combination of extensive cybernetics, genetics and psychotherapy in the attempt to create the most ideal and survivable lifeform they can. Their genetic structures are insanely complex in comparison to most other forms of life, consisting of genes taken from dozens of Earth-based lifeforms, and most considerably, bits and pieces from the Chora genetic code which SI scientists believed would be the most compatible and beneficial with a primarily human genetic code.
The results of Chimera research were far from the ideal, but still quite impressive in their own right. Seventy five of the original two hundred test subjects reached maturity, and only six of those who survived suffered from severe and dangerous personality disorders. The characteristics of each Chimera are fairly unique, as each one is a specifically designed and unique DNA strand, however there are some commonalities between them all.
All of them have incredibly fragile bone structure and below-average muscle development, due to the attempt to try and enhance both with Chora DNA apparently being completely incompatible with earth-based genetics. Chimeras also age quite rapidly, with twenty-one years and four months being the longest one of them can live, though they're at their prime from ages 7-16 and mentallly they develop quite rapidly. Their hair and skin are white and metalic silver, respectively, although some Chimeras possessed the chameleonic ability to blend in with their surrounding environments.
Of particular note is Specimen-033, who was given the name "Nyx" by researchers. She's the cornerstone of Chimera research and the primary reason why research into the field is ongoing, due to her surprising and completely unpredicted development of high-level telekinetic abilities. "Nyx-09", the ninth exact clone of the original Nyx, is presently a high ranking member serving in the SIUS Military.
Unfortunately, SI Researchers have yet to determine the exact genetic cause of subject Nyx's incredibly unique powers, and most Chimera research revolves heavily or almost exclusively around her.
To date, she has been cloned thirty-two times.
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Society:
Societies within the SIUS vary largely from planet to planet, but many things remain the same. The rights of sentient species - even artificial ones - are regarded quite highly, and unemployment is almost unheard of. All citizens recieve free, quality education, paid for entirely by the government. Once reaching the age of maturity (21 for humans, varies for other species), citizens are required to serve at least five years working for the SIUS in some form, whether it be military service, government, as an engineer or a medical professional, depending on their skills. Once they've served those five years, they're free to move on to any other job of their choice, stay with their current job, or apply for higher levels of education, should the desire a job that they currently lack the training to do.
All official citizens recieve free healthcare, regardless of their job or income, and those that cannot work due to injury or illness (either physical or mental), are provided for by the government, until they can work again. This is thanks in large parts to the SIUS's booming economy and its trade relations with other nations. Unnecessary cybernetic or genetic enhancements, however, must be paid for and aren't cheap at all.
The SIUS has several tiers of Government. There are regional Senates, for each large part of a planet. They report directly to the Planetary Senate, who serve as the Federal Authority over a planet. After that, there's the Sector Senate, which holds domain over all of SIUS space, and who concern themselves primarily with dealing with external influences, such as other Star Nations. All forms of Government are subject to public elections every five years, and there are many different political parties, making it difficult for one to sieze complete control. Almost anyone can run in a public election, as long as their criminal record is clean.
All these forms of Government, however, may be overruled by the head of the Seraphim Family, who wields great political power and complete control over SIUS space. There are measures in place, however, to deal with a President who uses these power recklessly or irresponsibly.
Although it may sound like a veritable paradise, many of the leaders in the SIUS view it as a Company first and a Star Nation second, and are naturally quite a bit more interested in looking out for their own best interests, rather than those of the people. The government regularly circumvents and even ignores its own laws, when necessary, such as with project Chimera, where more than three-hundred separate laws regarding Sentient Rights have been broken, without notice or protest. Naturally, all these are kept hidden from the public, with the media almost completely controlled by the government.
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Military:
The SIUS Military is without a doubt, one of the most powerful forces in the Galaxy. Their ships are usually decades ahead of their competition, and their weapons technology and their soldiers are fearsome to behold in the midst of battle. The SIUS Military is split into two seperate and yet interwoved forces; The Navy and Army, respectively. The Army is usually beholden to the Navy, however, as they rarely have ships of their own and requiral Naval transport to reach their battlezones.
The SIUS Navy uniform.
The officer ranks in the SIUS Navy are as follows:
Ensign
2nd Lieutenant
1st Lieutenant
Lieutenant Commander
Commander
Captain
Vice-Admiral
Admiral
Fleet Admiral
High Admiral
Standard issue infantry powered armor.
Officer ranks in the SIUS Army are largely unchanged from those used by the US Army in the 20th Century of Earth and onwards, however. Their ground forces all use powered armor or heavy vehicles. Standard troops recieve the standard issue armor, but more elite soldiers recieve specialised armors that are largely unique to their intended role.
[Post will be updated regularly]