Nation Description and Tech Level

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The Sulian Socialist Republic of Khalite (full title) is a socialist cyber-democracy with an advanced economy. Politically the nation is organized into Sulian councils, with the citizens electing leaders through cyber-democratic consensus. Sulians are elected at low and high levels of society. The highest Sulian is the Duoshu Dang de Khalite, or DDK, which means the Majority Party of Khalite. AI and machine intelligence is used to administrate a planned economy and continuously go through recurrent cycles of optimizing society based on an ordered scientific pursuit of realizing fully automated communism inextricably combined with transhuman cybernetic ascensionism.

The chief human ethnicity contained within this nation-state is a Pan-Asian mongreloid mixture of basically every Asian ethnic group. The actual population of which is reproduced through an infrastructure of growing people artificially in vats. The structure of Khalite's human genome has largely been modified and synthetically arranged by the enigmatic state syndicates. It is a massive and totalizing system of nationwide eugenics to create better workers and scientists to lead the SSRK into the future of communism.

Robots and androids exist within society. Human life and machine life each serve according to their abilities. Gargantuan super-computers containing general artificial intelligence have risen to become the primary controllers and directors of most economic affairs in Khalite.

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Core Technologies List

Khalite is a society at Tech Level 10: The Robotic Age

Artificial intelligence becomes smarter and cheaper, and the first volitional AIs – machines that can think like people – appear. Inexpensive sapient machines are commonplace. Swarms of tiny microbots can be built, and biomechanical nanomachines can perform prodigious feats of medicine and genetic engineering.

People who can afford to take full advantage of TL10 medicine may live for centuries or more. As science gains a greater understanding of the human mind, more complex neuro-tech and cybernetics become available . . . it’s possible to cybernetically possess bodies, control minds, and record sensory information.

Molecular nanotechnology is routinely used in manufacturing. Many products can be self-assembled “from the bottom up” using methods analogous to the way biological organisms grow. The tools used are biomechanical in nature, combining proteins and engineered viruses with metals and other inorganic materials. Bio-nanomachines construct most biotech products and are used in medicine and genetic engineering, but molecular manufacturing is still limited to making specialized components and products that can be assembled in “wet” environments. Macro-scale products using metals, semiconductors, diamond-hard materials, and ceramics still rely on “top down” manufacturing techniques. One example of the new bio-nanotech products is pseudoalive polymers that are capable of self-repair. These “living bio-plastics” make a range of tough, lightweight, and self-maintaining equipment possible.

Material and power generation technology continues to improve. Super-strong composite materials are relatively inexpensive. Weapons technology takes a quantum leap with the development of power cells that can power effective man-portable electromagnetic guns and high-energy lasers, although conventional weapons remain in use with smarter ammunition. Nuclear fusion reactors are small enough to power battle tanks and fighter sized spacecraft.

POWER CELLS
Equipment, robots, and vehicles often use standardized power supplies, known as power cells. All power cells are usually compact and relatively inexpensive. They may be advanced electrical batteries, micro fuel cells, superconductor loops, or even more exotic power supplies.

Fuel cells combine hydrogen or methanol with oxygen (often in the form of
water, which contains oxygen) in an electrochemical reaction. Fuel cells are more complex than batteries, incorporating a fuel tank and microelectronics to control fuel flow.

Superconductor loops are made of materials that are electrical superconductors, storing electricity without any losses due to resistance. Most superconductors at TL7-8 require bulky cooling systems to keep them at cryogenic temperatures; ultra-tech superconductor loops can operate at or near room temperature.

All power cells are assumed to store power without running down when not in use; they have an indefinite shelf life.

Sizes of Power Cells

There are several sizes of power cells, designated by letter from AA (the smallest) to F (the largest). Power cells increase in power exponentially. An A cell is 10 times as powerful as a modern AA cell, a B cell has 10 times the power of an A cell, and so on.

AA cell: These tiny cells operate devices with minimal power requirements, like very small robots or brain implants. $1, 0.0005 lbs. (2,000 AA cells weigh 1 lb.)

A cell: These small cells are often used in clothing or consumer goods that require low power outputs. They’re about the size of a watch battery, or postage stamp-sized for flexible cells. $2, 0.005 lbs. (200 A cells weigh 1 lb.)

B cell: These power wearable computers, tiny radios, small tools, and other devices with modest power requirements, including some low-powered weapons. A typical B cell is the same size as a pistol cartridge or an AA chemical battery. $3, 0.05 lbs.

C cell: These are the most common energy source for personal beam weapons, tools and high-power electronics. Equipment designed for larger or smaller cells often has an adapter for C-cell operation. An ultra-tech battlefield may be littered with expended C cells. Each cell is about the same size as a pistol magazine. $10, 0.5 lbs.

D cell: These power military beam weapons and heavy equipment. They are often worn as a separate power pack. They’re about the size of a thick paperback book. $100, 5 lbs. Legality Class 4.

E cell: These power small vehicles, battlesuits, support weapons and other power-intensive systems. They’re about the size of a backpack. $2,000, 20 lbs. Legality Class 4.

F cell: These power medium or large vehicles and cannon-sized beam weapons. They’re about the size of a compact car engine. $20,000, 200 lbs. Legality Class 4.

Flexible Power Cells:These flat polymer power cells are used for powering clothes, printed computers, and similar devices. They are attached like stamps and peeled off when exhausted. Gadgets noted as using flexible cells use them instead of normal power cells; they’re also embedded into smart labels, smart paper, and similar disposable items. AA and A flexible cells are the usual cost; others are 4 times the normal cost.

Non-Rechargeable Power Cells: Normal power cells are assumed to be rechargeable.
Non-rechargeable cells are also available. They last twice as long, or provide twice as many shots, but may not be refueled or recharged. They are otherwise identical to normal or flexible power cells.

External Power
Many large items of equipment are described as using external power. This means they’re designed to be plugged into a building or vehicle’s power system, or into a generator (see below) rather than using a power cell. They operate as long as the power is available. In addition, any device can have a power adapter (same cost and weight as its usual power cell) which lets them run off the external power supply.

GENERATORS
A generator can be used to provide external power to equipment. Explorers, military units, and other expeditions use them for base camps, and they may be the only power supplies available for isolated habitations or anyone living “off the grid” (e.g., in a abandoned building). They’re also used as emergency power supplies.

Fission Generators (TL9)
Fission reactors produce power by splitting the nucleus of heavy fissionable elements such as uranium. The reactor and electric generator designs available at TL9 are much
more compact and far less expensive than TL7-8 reactors. (They are still heavy, due to the shielding required.) A typical semi-portable system fits in a truck bed, and provides
external power for five years before maintenance and refueling (50% of cost). $100,000, 1,000 lbs. Legality Class 2.

Fusion Generators (TL10)
When fusion reactors first appear at TL9, they are gigantic installations that require heavy radiation shielding and frequent maintenance. At TL10+ fusion reactors produce
less radiation (due to the use of harder-to-ignite but more efficient aneutronic fusion reactions) and are significantly lighter.
Semi-Portable Fusion Reactor (TL10): A small nuclear fusion reactor. It fuses hydrogen into helium, liberating energy in the process. $200,000, 100 lbs. Its internal fuel supply operates it for up to 20 years; refueling and maintenance is $20,000. Legality Class 3.

ENERGY COLLECTION
Energy collectors gather energy from natural sources. Major installations may use hydroelectric, solar, or geothermal power sources, but solar power is the most common means of energy collection.

Solar Panels
Solar panels convert light into electricity. They work in any environment where strong light (such as sunlight) is available. The primary development at ultra-tech TLs is in inexpensive production of thin-film solar cells.

Solar Power Array (TL9)
This semi-portable array of solar panels is a generator that provides external power. It takes a minute to deploy, and covers about 400 square feet. $10,000, 500 lbs. The size assumes an earthlike level of sunlight; multiply cost and weight by relative light levels for other environments. Legality Class 4.

BEAMED AND BROADCAST POWER
Devices may operate on power “beamed” or “broadcast” from a central station, as long as they remain within line of sight. Buildings may have receivers on the roof to turn beamed power into “wall power.” There may be many beam stations on a civilized ultra-tech planet; a colony may have only a few, or just one. A satellite or spaceship can beam power to ground units in line of sight below it. This means that nobody has to worry
about powering vehicles or devices . . . until something happens to the power station.
A power company may send its customers a monthly bill. A customer’s bill is typically 1% of the cost of his power receivers.

Beamed Power (TL9)
These use microwave beams to carry the power. The receiver for beamed power weighs the same as the normal power cell it is replacing, but operates indefinitely as long as it is in line of sight of the transmitter, plus 1/10th as long as the power cell when outside line of sight (it has a stored-power backup system). Cost is the same. Usually, only D cells and larger are designed to receive beamed power. Beamed power transmitters are usually 10 times the cost and double the weight of an equivalent power cell per mile or fraction of a mile of range; they power one system at a time.

Solar Power Satellites (TL9): Large solar panels are sometimes placed in geostationary orbit, to capture sunlight before it has been filtered by the atmosphere. They beam power down to receivers on the ground or to other space stations.

Broadcast Power (TL10^)
Broadcast power works like beamed power, but does not require line of sight transmission. Broadcast power receivers are 10 times as expensive as normal power cells, and are available in any size, not just D and up. Broadcast power transmitters are generally double the cost and weight of an equivalent power cell per meter of radius.