Voor Technocracy

The Voor Technocracy is a major interstellar government organised as a technocratic dictatorship. Its capital is the arctic world of Hiverion, located in the Exedor System, where the humanoid Voor evolved. The population of the Voor Technocracy are notable for their cybernetics, love of technology and science, and lack of individual freedoms. The Voor Technocracy is ruled by a Chief Scientific Officer, who is appointed for life by the state's scientific elite. The Technocracy is organised along scientific lines, valuing efficiency and technological progress above all else. Due to Hiverion's recent transformation into an arctic world, the Technocracy practices environmentalist policies to mitigate the impacts of their ongoing ice age. The Voor Technocracy is the leader of the Galactic Advancement Coalition, a federation dedicated to scientific exchange and counteracting what they see as the influence of the more religious Divine Compact.

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Government

The Voor Technocracy is structured as a unitary technocratic republic. It is typically classified as an authoritarian command economy autocracy, with moderate levels of corruption.

The executive of the Voor government is the Chief Science Officer (CSO), who rules for life or until retirement. The CSO is elected by an assembly of the most prominent scientists in the Technocracy after a three-month period of deliberation. To become qualified for the assembly, a candidate must defend a thesis on what contributions they have made to Voor society, and how their selection will empower the assembly. There are a number of restrictions on candidacies for CSO, the most prominent of which is that the candidate must hold at least three degrees: one of which must be a PhD (the nearest UNE equivalent). The CSO has nearly unlimited power in enacting their political and economic plan across the Technocracy.

The CSO is supported by the Voor Science Council, a body of twenty of the top scientists in various fields. These include fields such as physics, engineering, computers, economics, and agriculture. The Science Council advises the CSO on the state of the Technocracy, and aids in drafting and reviewing plans for the nation. The economic system of the Technocracy is centrally planned by the Science Council based on the directives of the CSO. Each member of the Science Council is the head of their own department charged with determining, using the scientific method, the most efficient ways to run the state. These reports are collated and presented at daily meetings of the Council. Members of the Council are selected by the CSO at will, requiring several degrees in their field of expertise.

History

The Voor homeworld of Hiverion experiences a rare phenomena wherein it cyclically raises and lowers in temperature over approximately one million years. At its trough, the planet is cold enough that very little life can survive. The Voor evolved during an interglacial period far longer than average, and were biologically ill-suited for the temperature decline. As the Voor developed, temperatures slowly declined, but began rapidly declining in the 1900s CE. Nations ceased their conflicts, and instead began working together to try to find a way to reverse climate change, or if that failed, survive it. An international emergency coalition created the position of Chief Scientific Officer to oversee efforts to save the species, giving them extraordinary emergency powers.

As more harvests failed and polar regions of Hiverion became uninhabitable, the governments of the planet were forced into making difficult decisions. Individual freedoms were sacrificed and scientific institutions were given virtually unlimited power and resources. Massive domed cities were constructed to retain heat generated by geothermal and nuclear power, but there was not enough room for the entire population of the planet. Hundreds of millions were left to freeze or starve, actions the Voor Technocracy maintains were "regrettable, but necessary". Rudimentary cybernetic augmentations were developed in the early 2000s CE, which allowed for limited life on the exposed surface.

The 21st century CE saw a scientific renaissance within Voor society. Old nations had collapsed or been overtaken by scientists, and the planet's intellectuals collectively agreed that they were the sole reason the species had survived. The position of Chief Scientific Officer, which had long been the de facto ruler of Hiverion, was formally established as the leader of the newly-formed Voor Technocracy. The government was organised along scientific lines, with scientists being given prominent positions and broad authority to execute their orders.

The population of Hiverion returned to its pre-freezing levels by the mid-21st century CE. Most of the population lived in domed or underground cities, as the surface was inhospitable without cybernetic augmentation. Efforts to make the planet livable through geoengineering were undertaken, warming up the planet enough that, by the beginning of the 22nd century CE, cities were being re-established on the surface. In order to repopulate Hiverion's biosphere, environmental studies became a critical part of the geoengineering process. Seeds and animal embryos that had been stored in vaults prior to the extinction-level event were slowly reintroduced to the surface as it warmed up.

Although the geoengineering plan was partially successful, Hiverion remained an arctic world. However, by the late 22nd century CE, the Voor had adapted enough to their new environment that it was considered an acceptable outcome. The century also saw the reemergence of spaceflight, which had been difficult during the coldest years of the 21st century CE. Voor scientists developed the hyper drive in 2199 CE, allowing the species to finally leave the Exedor System.

Demographics

The primary species of the Voor Technocracy are the humanoid Voor, making up over 95% of the organic population (approximately one third of the total population is synthetic). There are also substantial numbers of Chinorr, Paridni, Sutharians, and Humans present in Technocracy space. Populations are concetrated in urban areas on planets, as significant regions of the natural environment are set aside, protected from future development.

Cybernetic augmentation is mandatory for long-term residents or citizens of the Voor Technocracy, provided via government clinics at no cost. Citizens are required to augment themselves with cybernetics packages that befit their profession, such as power drills for miners and enhanced processing power for academics. Those in leadership roles are typically granted improved cybernetics packages, including enhanced memory and learning capabilities. Overall, the citizens of the Voor Technocracy have a life expectancy more than 50 years past the average.

Economy

The Voor Technocracy is a large, post-industrial command economy. All critical economic decisions and long-term planning are done by the Directorate of Economic Planning (DEP) on Hiverion. While private corporations exist in specific sectors, they account for only a small portion of the overall Voor economy. Central economic planning is conducted with the aid of monitoring systems and artificial intelligence that attempt to provide near-real-time approximations of the economy, resource levels, and consumer interests. With this information, the DEP creates five-year plans to guide the economy in a scientific manner.

Rather than a traditional market economy, the Voor distribute resources according to what the central government deems necessary. Resources are prioritiesed for academia and research institutions, and generally more well-educated citizens can apply for more resources. This uneven distribution of resources has created a somewhat stratified society, where those with an education are more easily able to give their children an education, while working-class Voor are left with fewer resources. Employment and housing are handled by government agencies, which also assign jobs and housing based on what is deemed most efficient.

Although small, the private sector is extremely lucrative for those who manage to be employed in it. The majority of Voor corporations are in the entertainment and services sectors, though they are expected to comply with government regulations and planning. They compete against foreign corporations, the largest of which is the Chinorr Combine.

Society

Voor society places a heavy emphasis on education and qualification. As resources are centrally distributed based upon a combination of academic skill and need, better performance in examinations and tests results in a better lifestyle. Though not as hierarchical as some societies in the galaxy, the Voor Technocracy is still highly authoritarian. Individual freedoms are considered to be secondary in importance when compared to the overall goals of the Technocracy: efficiency, understanding, and security. Most media is provided by the state, and private or foreign media is heavily scrutinised by censors.

Academia is highly prized within Voor society. Education begins at an early age, with most Voor spending at least two decades in various stages of schooling. Many Voor, especially those that can be considered middle- and upper-class, attend equivalents of higher education for at least another decade. Voor that reach the highest levels of government have typically spent over half a century in various academic institutions.

While the Voor strive for ever increasing levels of efficiency in industry and science, they hold the natural world in respect. Much of the original biosphere of Hiverion was rendered extinct by its rapid cooling, and the species that survived only did so thanks to efforts by the Voor. The Technocracy has some of the largest nature preserves in the galaxy, which are nurtured and protected by rangers. Individuals are strongly encouraged to minimise waste and consumerism.

Military

The Voor Directorate of Military Operations is divided into two branches: the Aerospace Forces, and the Ground Forces. Both are volunteer forces, though civilians can be conscripted for defensive operations within Voor territory. Voor combat forces are highly automated, deploying vast numbers of autonomous robots and drones as the core of their ground forces. Aerospace Forces ships are also heavily automated, with smaller crew complements than most other ships. Both branches of the military directly answer to the Chief Scientific Officer, a civilian position.