Eridani Federation
| Eridanian |
| H. Sapiens / Human |
 |
| Home System: Epsilon Eridani |
| Homeworld: Oran |
| Language(s): Sol Common / Tradeband |
| Political Entitie(s): Eridani Corporate Federation / Sol Alliance |
Eridani, or the Eridani Corporate Federation, is an oligarchic republic in the Epsilon Eridani system dominated entirely by a council of mega-corporations that seek profit and expansion at any cost. It has no official capital - government authority is exercised digitally. Its citizens are called Eridanians.
Government
Eridani’s government is largely represented by the Board of Five - five representatives from various megacorporations. Each seat in the Board is tied to a sector, which the chairman’s corporation has full control over. Presently, however, all of the five sectors only include one planet. The positions in the Board are simply purchased, but they also stay extremely consistent because it takes a 4 to 1 majority to dismiss a member, opening the position up for sale - the current arrangement of seats hasn’t changed since the 23rd century. Sector Alpha is considered the most valuable, and its seat is the most expensive, and sector Epsilon is the least valuable of the five.
Sector α (Oran) - Hephaestus Industries
Sector β (Akhet) - Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals
Sector γ (Amon) - Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals
Sector δ (Set) - Einstein Engines
Sector ε (Nebthet) - Einstein Engines
Eridani's status in the Sol Alliance is complex and esoteric, but that is by design. In favor of a constitution, Eridani holds the Alliance to a 303 page Terms and Conditions Treaty Regarding The Free Economic Zone of Epsilon Eridani. Very few politicians have actually read the entire text of the Terms and Conditions - not that it matters, as the Terms and Conditions may change at any time and for any reason.
Population and Planets
The total population of the Federation is around 854 million based on the 2460 Census (although the census has only counted people who have an official address), which is spread over five worlds - Akhet, Oran, Amon and the twin giants Set and Nebthet. Whatever landscape all of these planets had before has been successfully terraformed into an universal arid climate with flat terrain and Earth-like gravity - ideal for transforming them into sprawling “office worlds”, consisting of skyscrapers upon skyscrapers connected by bridges from various floors. These enormous buildings don’t only consist of offices, contrary to what the name might suggest - rather, they function like miniature slices of cities, complete with floors dedicated to apartments, stores and various services.
The beautiful image of tall cities, however, hides the ruthless exploitation of natural resources that happens on the ground level and below. Robots, constantly remotely controlled by organic operators, man the dirty mining, refining and manufacturing plants that exude clouds of black, yellow and purple smoke - ironically dubbed the “Eridanian Northern Lights”. While a beautiful sight, they render the local landscape uninhabitable, and no plant or animal life populates the surface of these planets.
Society
The skyscrapers in which Eridanians live are much more to them than simple apartments and workplaces. The higher the floor one lives or works on is, the more prestigious and well-off one is considered to be - and usually is, considering that the lower floors are very undesirable, if not outright hazardous to the resident’s health. Nonetheless, they are often the only lodging a lowly clerk or a student can afford for themselves. The harmful effects of the polluted atmosphere are remedied by various tracheal augments, which often serve as an entry point into further body modifications.
Each individual sector is practically under the free reign of its respective corporation. Unbound by law, megacorps can conduct any business - no matter how unethical, as they have to respond to nobody. This has a dramatic effect on an average Eridanian’s life - and not solely negative. Many research facilities are set up here, in the heart of corporate activity. Upcoming products are tested and enjoyed here first, and some of them don’t even leave Eridanian borders. Many Eridanians relish in this luxury and exclusivity.
Work is also extremely easy to find, and often it pays somewhat better than average, even when working for the same corporation, in other governments. This, however, is often compensated by absurd working hours.
Going up the corporate ladder, however, other difficulties start to arise in the life of a typical Eridanian. Corporations having absolute control over its citizens means that there is absolutely no privacy - everything that one does is collected as data, and then processed by advertisers, HR managers and law enforcement. Even a slightly odd Extranet search may earn one quite an unpleasant talk at work, which may often end in an employee’s dismissal. Because of this, common Eridanians avoid even slightly falling out of the norm, being lawful as well as visually and verbally inoffensive.
The ones that are fired, however, are immediately kicked out of their apartment and refused the right to any other services - as well as the right to be re-employed in the Federation at all. Without having the monetary means to travel elsewhere, they are stuck on the polluted surface of the planet, having to eke out a meager existence. On paper, these wretched folks do not exist at all, as they no longer bring profit to the corporations which dominate the skyscrapers - but their existence is no secret, and they are called Dregs by the ones living in skyscrapers - whom the Dregs call Corporates.
Of course, there are people who also choose to go to the surface also simply out of spite towards the large corporations. They usually become the leaders of various criminal communities found all across the Federation. These communities often form settlements underground, or if they are especially lucky, in abandoned buildings or manufacturing plants, and gladly welcome newcomers. A sense of antiestablishmentarianism is a common ideal in these territories, with many choosing or being convinced to express it with outrageous appearances, extreme body modifications, and even criminal activity.
Ethnicity
The average Eridanian look is:
Skin Tone: 120 - 200
Average Male Height: 5'5" - 6'2"
Average Female Height: 5'2" - 5'8"
For Corporates, black or dark brown hair. For Dregs, any color.
For Corporates, dark brown to black eyes. For Dregs, any color.
Eridani also has a notable alien population - around 5%. Any species except Dionaea can receive a citizenship here.
Augmentation
Corporates
Cybernetic modification is an integral part of Eridani’s cultural ideal. Simple tracheal augments are usually the first and the mildest step into augmentation, as they are needed for a lot of people to simply survive with Eridani’s thoroughly polluted air. Having other bionic enhancements is considered a symbol of wealth and prestige. Most electronics in the Federation is specifically designed to interact with augmented eyes - but they are also very functional on their own. A typical Eridanian eye implant can completely replace, or even surpass, a typical hand terminal in functionality - being used to browse the Extranet, communicate on chat relays, and more. As is typical for Eridanian technology, it is also swarmed with ads and is proven to constantly send data about the user’s activity to advertisers, making them somewhat unpopular outside the Federation.
Dregs
Dreg societies take the Eridanian fascination with augmentation technology to an extreme. While a typical Corporate may have no more than an augmented respiratory system, bionic eyes and a few neural implants, a Dreg may maim themselves to replace their flesh with superior, more durable metal - often at the expense of looking presentable. Sleek eye augmentations are removed from former workers by barely qualified surgeons to be replaced with crude prosthetics that do not aim to imitate the human form, but to simply provide functionality - often being, for example, completely filled with one color, or having colored scleras. The more brave may opt into removing their limbs for a metal replacement, which is often made “in the house”, and is of fairly low quality.
Life in the Federation
Languages
The official languages of the Federation are Sol Common and Tradeband. A lot of Dregs hold onto Freespeak as a piece of cultural identity.
Corporate Slang
Dreg Slang
Food
Soy products absolutely dominate Eridanian space - from cheap vendor snacks to high-class dishes alike. It is often bombarded with flavorings, giving Eridanian food a unique feel. It often has very strong salty and umami flavors, while the soy itself is cooked in a variety of ways to create all sorts of different textures. LiquiRations are sometimes called the Eridanian national dish.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that the food here is hazardous or low-quality, however. On the contrary, many Eridanians quickly accustom and begin to even take pride in this type of cuisine, calling it “the food of the future”. Many native Eridanians are also meat intolerant due to a mostly plant products-based diet, although this doesn’t spread to all of them.
History
First colonized in 2199 as part of early colonization efforts by the fledgling Sol Alliance, by 2255 settlements had been established on the five planets that now make up the Eridani Corporate Federation. These planets were in the process of being terraformed during the Great Depression, when funding from SolGov for the project was cut short. Rights to the area were sold to a group of corporations which provided the credits required to begin the transformation of the planets into the sprawling skyscraper-filled worlds seen today. By the start of the 23rd century, the Board of Five solidified into the distribution that it has held since. As a member of the Alliance of Sovereign Solarian Nations, the Eridani Corporate Federation has been represented diplomatically by SolGov representatives, though the Federation has a degree of autonomy due to its unique contract of governance signed in the 23rd century.
Potential Character Concepts
Characters from the Eridani Federation are likely to:
- Have a great like of NanoTrasen.
- Have a corporate background.
- Have an extreme air of corporate professionalism.
- Speak Sol Common and Tradeband.
Here is an example character from the Eridani Federation:
- Akem Obiteng, 23, is a Freelance Reporter currently on the NSS Aurora. She is naturally curious and a bit callous.
- Obiteng is 5’8” and has a thin, lanky build, likely 120 lbs. She has laid back posture and swinging movements. She has bright yellow, mechanic eyes and a bright red mohawk.
- Obiteng moved to Mendell City in hopes of an easier life. She lives with three roommates. Obiteng is an atheist. She is also a strong supporter of New Republicans.
- Obiteng is a passionate fan of Unathi culture, though the worse subjects are scrubbed out. However, she does hate Vaurca just as much as she loves Unathi.
- Obiteng speaks Tau Ceti Basic, Sol Common and Freespeak.
Here is a second example character from the Eridani Federation:
- Kenjo Nde, 36, is a psychologist working for Nanotrasen. He is pleasant and a stepford smiler.
- Nde is 5’9” and has a lithe frame, about 140 lbs. He has perfect posture and a professional gait. He has dark brown, mechanic eyes and curly, black hair kept in a professional cut.
- Nde is a contractor, having moved to Biesel for work. He lives with his robotic cat, Kumari. Nde is agnostic. He sways toward the more Democratic side of politics, though ultimately declares himself neutral.
- Nde is fairly neutral about non-humans, but has a distaste for Tajarans.
- Nde speaks Tau Ceti Basic, Sol Common and Sign Language.