Tikal news and occurences

[Lynneth]

[Internal]

"What do I care for your suffering? Pain, even agony, is no more than information before the senses, data fed to the computer of the mind. The lesson is simple: you have received the information, now act on it. Take control of the input and you shall become master of the output."

Underneath the failing rule of scattered diplomacy and barely functioning cooperation, the USCA had nevertheless grown in power and wealth. Many problems the barely effective council had managed to lessen, some they had eradicated, even. But still, the nation had been weak. Only under the wise guidance of the Sun and Moon did it truly begin to prosper as technological and medical advances began to permeate society more and more. However, there were a few things that didn't change - among them the national network being cut off from the worldwide internet, preventing outsiders from accessing Tikal's websites, and Tikal nationals from accessing any foreign site.

Trade by itself already introduced a dangerous amount of foreign thoughts and thinking, though luckily other ideologies were often seen as strange or even ridiculous, more exotic novelty than something to take seriously. In this vein, imports of foreign culture goods such as movies or video games was far lower than the world-average might like to suggest. Similarly, it was likely that other nations imported little of Tikal's cultural knowledge and goods, thus focusing the nation's imports and exports on other things such as raw and processed goods as well as high-tech wares.

To facilitate a higher-tech society, energy producing capabilities had to be created. First to be build were geothermal and thorium-based power plants, the former siphoning off Tikal's many volcanoes, active and otherwise. The latter was simply one of the most advanced types of nuclear power, able to supply a nation sufficiently until even more power than that was needed. And then, nuclear fusion would be a most possible solution, capable of supplying stupendously massive amounts of power for any possible use. The only thing fusion was unlikely to power well would most likely be direct energy-matter conversion, which was technology so far off that few scientists seriously contemplated even researching its beginnings.

 

Even in this growing phase, things had already improved greatly for Tikal's people, living under the watch of the unconquered Sun and the all-shining Moon. The future would surely bring even greater advances and improvements.

[Lynneth]

[Internal]

"Man's unfailing capacity to believe what he prefers to be true rather than what the evidence shows to be likely and possible has always been astounding. We long for a caring Universe which will save us from our childish mistakes, and in the face of mountains of evidence to the contrary we will pin all our hopes on the slimmest of doubts. God has not been proven not to exist, therefore he must exist."
 
One does not have to look for long to see the incredible changes that mere decades of progress could facilitate. From the first flight to the moon in a mere six decades. From the first consumer computing machine over the beginning of the internet to a cultural world revolution in less than four decades. From splitting the atom to devising one of the most destructive weapons in known history in three decades.
Technology is an inherently powerful tool, the greatest thing to have come from the piece of matter known as the 'Brain'. It is what enabled Man in the steppes and mountains of Africa to become a globe-spanning civilisation, taming and using dozens of animal species for cloth, food and many other things. It is what brought Man to the deepest point in the oceans to the highest reaches of his world's atmosphere, even visiting its satellite. But all these glorious advances and this progress were halted when the world descended into nearly perpetual chaos in the beginning of the 21st century. Since then, nations continually fell, reorganised, rose once more, sometimes over the course of months and years, yet in other cases a nation could fall and be resurrected as entirely different entity in a matter of days. Only a scant few survived for any appreciable amount of time.
 
The beginning of this chaotic age during which the technological level of humanity as a whole stagnated was over 150 years in the past. Nowadays, things such as fusion power and moon colonies might exist, but in no way as extensive or advanced as one would have expected them to be. Even the cities of the world didn't look very different from one and a half centuries ago, if they changed at all. True, the average wealth level had risen, living standards were higher than ever before. But true progress hadn't been achieved. There was no research into new, groundbreaking technologies, there were no risky endeavours that might bankrupt in case of failure, or anything of the sort. The few extraterrestrial outposts that had been built were too small to be of anything other than minor scientific use, dependent on regular resource-deliveries from Earth.
 
With eyes looking into the future, the Sun and the Moon wished to change this in the long run, prepared for an eternity of hardships in order to reach this lofty goal. But now or tomorrow, Sol and other stars would be colonised by humanity, Tikal as a whole determined to aid this reality.
Thus the Aether Exploration Corps were created, subordinate only to the Eternal Rulers, the Prince and Princess.
 

[Lynneth]

[Internal]

 

"There are two kinds of scientific progress: the methodical experimentation and categorization which gradually extend the boundaries of knowledge, and the revolutionary leap of genius which redefines and transcends those boundaries. Acknowledging our debt to the former, we yearn, nonetheless, for the latter."

 

As reorganisation of the nation approached its end, Tikal's industries and other economic sectors experienced an upsurge, in turn generating a greater need for electricity, oil and other energy. To combat resource-scarcity, several projects were launched. The first was the search for new oil fields, with the Cantarell field and the neighbouring Ko-Maloob-Zaap fields delivering a combined 1.2 million barrels daily, but slowly declining. For this, test-drilling along Tikal's coasts was undertaken, with results coming in mere weeks after the first attempts. Around 50 kilometers off Belize's shore as well as 25 kilometers northwest of Hondura's eastern coasts, potentially massive oil reservoirs were detected. Preliminary estimates put the northern field near Belize at a minimum of 22 billion barrels, the other at roughly 50 billion barrels estimated to be recoverable. Further research and drilling may yield yet greater results, with some experts claiming the Honduras field might yield as much as 100 billion barrels of recoverable oil, possibly more with improved technologies.

Test drilling near the Cantarell field to determine whether there may be greater reserves nearby are ongoing, as well. Quietly, fellow North American nations were informed of these developments, with the intent that Tikal may in the near future become one of the continent's major oil suppliers.

 

The second project was funding research into fields deemed critical for the future success of Tikal. Among several important technologies were determined to be:
2nd generation biofuels

While 1st generation biofuels require using crops such as wheat, corn, and sugar to create biofuels, 2nd generation biofuels are made from agricultural waste and crops that humans don't eat. Thanks to this, 2nd generation biofuels can be produced without using food supplies, though growing biofuel crops still takes up farmland.

Further research along this line would hopefully bring development into 3rd gen biofuels - predicted to be genetically modified algae - and high-yield crop strains.

5th generation nuclear fission, 2nd generation nuclear fusion

Combining advances into conventional reactors with experience and knowledge gained through use of and research into thorium power, improvements of up to 78% in regards to fuel efficiency are possible. Using a thorium-plutonium mixture in the fuel rods, the potential for nuclear weaponry is miniscule as well, instead requiring dedicated reactors and centrifuges for weapons-grade material.

Similarly, research into fusion power may eventually yield superior arrangements for He3 use as well as more 'classic' hydrogen-based fusion. Even miniaturisation of fusion plants may become possible, to the point of superseding current miniature nuclear reactors, at the time still based on fissile materials.

Smart and super-smart grids

Smart grids are a way of connecting electricity grids using two-way digital communications to make the most efficient use of the electricity. By distributing electricity more efficiently, smart grids reduce energy costs and can also make energy systems more reliable by using real-time information from across the grid to counteract outages.

Super-smart grids are a considerable improvement upon the previous technology, with a virtual intelligence connected to the network and controlling it via super-fast optical networking, making the network - if not the electric grid - virtually immune to electro-magnetic attacks.

 

Further civilian technologies to be pursued are advanced drilling techniques, nanotechnology and molecule assembly, supertensile materials, virtual intelligence (a requirement for super-smart grids), quantum computing and thermo-ionic desalination. These are of course mere examples, and by no means cover everything being sponsored and funded.

 

Further projects were being planned, foremost among them a reliable and cheap way to launch men and material into a low or medium orbit around the planet. These, however, were largely theoretical exercises for the time being, until Tikal's economy strengthened further.

 

 

OOC Edit: Spelling

Edited August 11, 2013 by Lynneth

[Lynneth]

[Internal]

 

"The three-pound mass balanced atop our spines is made up of somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 billion neurons, each of which can make upwards of five to ten thousand synaptic connections with other neurons. A memory, at the most fundamental physiological level, is a pattern of connections between those neurons. Every sensation that we remember, every thought that we think, transforms our brains by altering the connections within that vast network. By the time you get to the end of this sentence, your brain will have physically changed."

 

For true progress, several things are necessary, varying in importance. Most important are of course educated, critically thinking people, able to question not only the established knowledge in their chosen fields but also themselves and their own ideas. Second is that these thinkers, scientists and researchers not be censored without reason. Spread of information could be contained in other ways than blindly blacking out text because it might contain state secrets or such things. Third is funding for these people, which includes of course an area where they can perform their disciplines, such as a university or laboratory.

 

There are other things that encourage and aid progress, but they are of less importance. Even free speech may not be an absolute necessity. With Tikal being what it is - a national state based upon an ancient (if refurbished) religion, the two rulers deified - free speech was restricted in some respects. Anything claiming the Prince and Princess to not be deities incarnate was forbidden, for example. Despite this, aether research - as space was named in Tikal - was barely if at all restricted, there being no reason that the moon and sun could not be deities even with them superficially looking like any other star or planetary satellite. Surely their godly powers were contained within the deepest reaches of their respective bodies.

 

At the time, research into rocket-independent aether launches was amongst the best-funded projects within Tikal. Solutions using the nation's many high mountains were highly preferred, possibly allowing for exceedingly cheap launch costs despite delivering considerable payloads into the aether. But for the time being, most of it was theoretical and not possible to implement.

Edited August 14, 2013 by Lynneth

[Lynneth]

[Internal]

 

"And here we tinker with metal, to try to give it a kind of life, and suffer those who would scoff at our efforts. But who's to say that, if intelligence had evolved in some other form in past millennia, the ancestors of these beings would not now scoff at the idea of intelligence residing within meat?"

 

As time passes, people grow older and change, projects advance, resources are harvested. Isolationist as Tikal was socially, it traded relatively freely with other nations, the economy appropriately strong if somewhat subdued, perhaps not as vibrant as that of other countries. But even as children grew into adults, as the oldest succumbed to age, as factories grew, research projects completed, there were two who stood unchanging above it all. Prince and Princess of Tikal, the nation's rulers continued with their duties day-in, day-out. One stood vigil during the day, the other at night, as befitting their dual nature of Sun and Moon. Eternally, seemingly unchanging, entirely ageless. In the time since their ascendance to rule Tikal, advisors had aged, some moving on, others staying and providing their experience. But they, they were as they were, young, beautiful and handsome as they had been those years ago.

 

With the years going by, of course the projects Tikal had set out on doing progressed, most often positively. A scant few came upon what seemed like insurmountable barriers blocking further research, but attempts at resolving these problems were undertaken whenever possible. In mere years, smart grids were developed and quickly implemented into Tikal's infrastructure, reinforced with advanced EMP proofing measures that would hopefully withstand all but the most modern attacks. Power plants were brought into a network separate from all others, not connected to anything else so that foreign hacking attacks would be fruitless. Wireless transmissions were simply not possible. Similar measures were done whenever and where-ever possible throughout Tikal, be it the military, in factories or even for the nation's internal replacement for the internet. Wireless options were avoided unless absolutely necessary, and in such cases heavily encrypted, though civilians would be given lesser encryption, if demanded at all.

 

Research into 2nd generation biofuels proved fruitful and though exploitation of the newly discovered oil fields continued - upscaled to an estimated 45 and 87 billion barrels respectively - the new fuels were deemed to be equal to oil in efficiency and performance, allowing Tikal to move to self-sufficience in this respect, the oil exploitation delivering pure profits from which to finance other projects. Plans were to extract up to a combined 2.5 million barrels a day from the new fields, adding to 3.7 million in total. New drilling techniques and exploitation methods might even allow for a far greater yield of the fields than initially anticipated, even as high-yield crops were being tested, likely to be deployed within less than 3 years.

Next-generation nuclear power wasn't quite there yet, though prototype reactors were under construction. VI research continued unimpeded, aided by dedicated progress in regards to quantum computing. Combined, they may well pave the way for research into true artificial intelligence, though such things may be far-off.

 

In the meantime, various means of delivering a person safely into orbit took shape in the offices of the AEC, one of the most promising being something named, for the time being, 'Bifröst', after the bridge of Norse Mythology. Whether it would deliver was still in the stars.

[Lynneth]

[Internal]

 

"The popular stereotype of the researcher is that of a skeptic and a pessimist. Nothing could be further from the truth! Scientists must be optimists at heart, in order to block out the incessant chorus of those who say 'It cannot be done.'"

 

As the world goes, time passes, things slowly change, progress, adapt. As Tikal's scientists began pulling clear of the technological capabilities of most of the rest of the world, Tikal's economy surged, strengthening considerably. As research continued, high-yield crops became available for Tikal's argiculture, giving the central-american nation the ability to sustain a comparatively massive population with relatively little agricultural investment once these safe gene-crops were widely spread. With these crop improvements, 2nd gen biofuels gained further in efficiency as well, giving them even more of an edge compared to classic fuels such as gasoline.

 

Slowly, the latest generation of nuclear reactors spread through Tikal, replacing older models with far superior and much safer energy production capabilities, even replacing oil, gas and other emission-rich power generation methods nearly completely within a decade. With the improvements that had been made upon the previous generation in combination with new manufacturing techniques and highly advanced materials, a nuclear meltdown or serious accident would be nigh-impossible, even with a direct attack on the plant itself. Of course, once Tikal developed fusion power, its energy supplies would become even safer, with catastrophic accidents in fusion plants being factually impossible.

 

Material sciences advanced as well, and with them drilling and mining techniques improved. This would allow Tikal to exploit its resources more efficiently even as research into nanotech and molecule assembly was fruitful, allowing for manufacturing processes superior to even 3D printing. This astounding new technology allowed for molecules to be mass-assembled, permitting the creation of synthetic feedstock (though only in greater amounts once fusion was mainstream), construction of artificial trees and possible research into nano-medicine, amongst many other things. Nano-medicine, if feasible, would permit the creation of synthetic antibodies that could support the natural immune system to the point of giving incredible resistances if not outright immunity to nearly all thinkable diseases, potentially including artificially created diseases. Stopping cancer entirely might be possible as well, though genetic afflictions wouldn't be affected.

 

Research into thermo-ionic desalination soon was completed as well, allowing seawater to be purified with very low energy input. While relatively expensive in setting up, once running a program to construct enough plants would effectively solve Tikal's water problems permanently. And on the side, hydrogen isotopes could be filtered out, granting a source of fuel for nuclear fusion.

 

The next great step would be super-smart grids combined with development of VIs.

[Lynneth]

[Internal]
 
"We have reached an informational threshold which can only be crossed by harnessing the speed of light directly. The quickest computations require the fasted possible particles moving along the shortest paths. Since the capability now exists to take our information directly from photons traveling molecular paths, the final act of the information revolution will soon be upon us."

 

By the time Tikal was switching to thorium-based nuclear generation, everything preceding actual construction of the Nicaragua Canal had been completed. Operations were cleared and greenlighted and soon enough, the ambitious construction project began, slated at $12 billion for the time being, not including the construction of harbours and other port facilities around the two entrances as well as within Lake Nicaragua. The canal, once finished, it set to be able to handle any civilian or military vessel currently on the seas, as well as vessels up to 10% larger than the biggest tankers and carriers. This would be especially useful for the approximately 15% of world traffic unable to pass through the Panama canal even after it had been enlarged, including TI-class supertankers, the largest cruise ships, the Maersk Triple E-class containership and several others.

 

Construction would take approximately 8 years for the channels and locks themselves, while dredging out the necessary parts of the lake to reach the require maximum depth in all designated parts would add another two years on top of that, for a total construction time of ten years.

Construction was going on relatively quietly as to not arouse suspicions of the Panama canal's official owners. Nevertheless, civilian companies and corporations would be informed about the project. Any government inquiring, however, would be told that no military ships save for Tikal's own may pass through.

 

In the meantime, first advances regarding virtual intelligences were made. VIs are sophisticated programs designed to make modern computer systems - especially the ones that would be working with quantum processors - far easier and more intuitive to use. Though there may be an appearance of intelligence, they are merely programmed very cleverly. Duties of VIs may vary from searching the internet for a user over tour guides to the management of sophisticated laboratory and research facilities. Even in the military, they may have many applications such as processing status reports and the like, allowing commanders to react with considerably higher speed than contemporaries without such advanced technological assistance.

Edited August 26, 2013 by Lynneth

[Lynneth]

[Internal]
 
"Anyone can grasp details. It's the synthesist that is truly rare, the man who can step back and place a thousand unconnected details into their proper context. Such a man, even alone, could build a world."
 
Deep beneath some of the highest mountains of central America, there was one of three bunkers, built to be the beating heart of a nation whenever needed. While still under renovation and in the process of expansion, several of the new parts had been completed already, quite ready for use. The bunker itself already was a marvel of engineering, even now great care being taken in disguising these additional efforts as extensive mining and quarrying operations. The air outlet vents, at this height usually a dead giveaway, broke into caves known for inaccessible hot springs, hence invalidating all thermal scans of the area. Meanwhile, the intakes were properly at the surface, the vents themselves hewn into rock before being clad with metal sheets inside and otherwise disguised on the outside to make detection by satellite or air practically impossible.
 
Natural cave systems beneath the mountain had first been explored, then expanded, using geothermal power for the moment and slated to receive one of the next-generation power plants. Reinforcing of the caves and the ceiling so that even the heaviest bunker busters would be unable to penetrate was underway while measures to minimise emissions of all sorts were in the process of being implemented. These three fortresses beneath mountains would provide a base upon which to build something glorious.
 

 
"Zoom in to location: Terra. Visible Continents."
The holographic image distorted briefly as it 'sped' towards a certain location within the star cluster, revealing a small sphere around which numerous bodies - known space junk - was drifting.
 

 
"Further zoom, the planet only. Focus on national borders."
Once more the image changed as the planetary sphere grew, displaying in great detail the world's nations and territories, updated nearly in real-time.
 

 
"What's the state of the world?"
"Status unstable. Relatively few islands of tranquility in an everchanging world. Asian continent likely subject to warfare in near future. Africa under yoke of Europeans and southern Africans. Oceania firmly, despite claims otherwise, in chinese sphere of interest and influence. South America home to hostile, intolerant populations. Much of North America victim to balkanisation, colonisation of foreign powers, all Eurasian. Would you like an estimate of future developments?"

"No, that's enough. Report on Tikal, subject technological advances."

 

 

Faster than any human mind could comprehend, information was accessed by the first proper virtual intelligence created by Tikal's scientists, utilising the most advanced known technologies. Even then, its capabilities would pale in comparison to what might be possible a few years into the future.

"Accessing. Latest-generation fission power completed. Further research unfeasible pending further advances in material sciences and understanding of the universe's workings. 5th generation power plants replacing many 'renewable' power sources and outdated coal- and oil power generators. Likelihood of nuclear accident even in case of war deemed miniscule. Advances in material sciences determined to be beyond anything previously seen, capabilities of construction surpassing vaunted capabilites of Chinese, Athenian, Lunar nations. Note: lattermost deemed defunct. Artifacts unlikely to be found, scavenged by Selenarctos. Fusion power still being researched. Likelihood of breakthrough high.

Nanotech and molecule assembly technologies deemed at peak of current capacities, further research possible, but not expected to yield much until better understanding of physics is achieved. Artificial trees being built, deemed superior to natural counterparts in terms of CO-2 absorption. Nano-medicine, synthetic antibodies, et al under scrutiny. Feasible under current conditions, research ongoing.

Thermo-ionic desalination technology in the process of solving all water needs of Tikal. Note: Great Success.

Second generation biofuels coupled with hybrid engines and filters minimised emissions. Local climate likely to recover from century of smog and pollution within two to three decades. Third generation biofuels likely to improve effect further. Potential use in rocket fuels. Research pending. High-yield crops coupled with gene-tech animals and in-vitro meats predicted to completely solve food problems in Tikal. Droughts and famine highly unlikely.

Virtual Intelligence research ongoing. First working prototypes online, aiding in quantum computer research. Quantum computers in reach, first such machine predicted to be built within two years. VI research will jump in efficiency then. Super-smart grids possible afterwards. Cascade of technological advances likely to follow. Further predictions impossible. Continue?"

 

"No, that's quite alright." The man, looking in his early thirties ever since coming to power in Tikal gave the VI a command to go on standby for now, leaving the room. Though the sophisticated program hadn't mentioned any research into getting off this blasted world, it simply wasn't able to access this information, secure on a server separate from all other networks. There, in the facility it was located in, a breakthrough in new space travel technologies was imminent. Tikal would soon be one of the nations able to reach space.

He smiled.

[Lynneth]

[Internal]

 

"In one moment, Earth; in the next, Heaven."

 

Construction on the canal was proceeding just according to schedule as the foundations had been laid and construction proper begun. It would be quite some time longer before letting water in could be considered, but even now the general shape was quite visible, strengthening the local economy. Once completed, Nicaragua would most likely experience a massive surge in monetary capabilities. Whether others would let Tikal finish and operate the canal was a different question.

 

At the same time, another large project involving moving masses of soil was underway: dubbed Bifröst, for the legendary rainbow bridge, a curved maglev track was to be built within a vacuum-sealed tube, 250 kilometers long in total. Accelerating at 8g for just under 80 seconds, it would reach 6,278.4 m/s upon leaving its tube. Adding roughly 400 m/s to account for earth's rotation, 6.7 km/s was reached.

 

 

Though 6.7 km/s wasn't quite enough, escape velocity being twice that, there would be a laser array built on top of the mountain out of which the tram emerged. Using exceedingly powerful lasers, the array requiring its own power plant somewhere nearby, the craft would be able to be accelerated to LEO-insertion speeds and beyond. A plasma window would be used to prevent atmosphere from contaminating the tunnel as the mechanical shutter is briefly opened.

 

 

Though in theory usable as weapon against satellites or airplanes, the array's capabilities would be wasted by those applications. Coupled with the maglev system, it was a Bifröst, able to deliver up to 70 tons every 2 hours into an orbit, in every respect but sheer mass capabilities superior to space elevators or launch loops. Far fewer resources or power were required to keep it going and it could be built in greater numbers with ease. Tikal had more than 15 mountains with summits beyond 3,400 meters height. The majority were in Guatemala and Costa Rica, regions that would allow for the maglev systems with relative ease. Current estimates were that three or four such systems could be built at the very least, permitting for that many times 300,000+ tons of material that could in theory be delivered spacewards each year.

 

For the time being, only one was planned, though foundations for three more would be laid and maintained.

[Lynneth]

[OOC] A short notice. I have decided to not recognise Tianxia or secondary entities in any form, as I feel that its player is behaving far too much like a bully in what I believe should be cooperative roleplay. It is thus that I will not dignify anything he does with a response, and I'll pretend he doesn't exist. I hope he will honor this and in turn ignore everything that I do. That is all.

Direct any complaints to the general OOC thread, please. [/OOC]

 

 

[Internal]

 

"The substructure of the universe regresses infinitely towards smaller and smaller components. Behind atoms we find electrons, and behind electrons, quarks. Each layer unraveled reveals new secrets, but also new mysteries."

 

Construction of the Bifröst proceeded at a rapid pace even as preparations to bring Tikal's first orbital outpost into its proper place were being made. Undermining the mountain was expensive, but it proceeded quickly, nevertheless. The project was ahead of its schedule which called for completion within 4 years of construction beginning. The station modules would be complete several months prior to that to allow for testing under various conditions that it might be going through in MEO. It would be able to hold up to 20 people for an extended amount of time, mostly to be utilised for scientific testing in zero-g conditions. Other, more sizable stations were planned, but the infrastructure required for them had not yet been set up.

It all would be made reality in the future, however, with a considerable percentage of the national budget to be dedicated to space exploration and scientific endeavours.

 

Building the waterway through Nicaragua continued within schedule, with little irregularities or special events. Operation was predicted to begin within the decade. However, some volcanos within Nicaragua began rumbling, leading to greater care in construction efforts as well as preparations for massive evacuations in case of a volcanic eruption.

 

In the meantime, several massive breakthroughs occured in an entirely different sector. The first working quantum computer was completed in a military research laboratory near Tikal's capital and subsequently one of the more advanced VI programs was installed. Using the assistant program's vastly enhanced capabilties, super-smart grids could be implemented, amongst many other automated operations. With efficiency jumping on the order of a magnitude at the very least by constructing additional quantum processing machines and heightening their capabilities, Tikal was ready for the next step in research. Nano-medicine was in the realm of possibility, as were solar power satellites, next-gen molecule assembly, nanotechnology, true artificial intelligences and more. Tikal's scientists eyed even cold fusion as achievable with enough research, the holy grail of power generation.

Nevermind that this single quantum computer ate enough power to require an entire fusion power plant all on its own, all these latest developments too spiking the nation's energy needs. Something truly powerful was needed to reliably supply the small, hungry nation with what it needed. Something that its greatest minds decided to try and find.

[Lynneth]

[Internal]
 
"Time travel in the classic sense has no place in rational theory, but temporal distortion does exist on the quantum level, and more importantly: it can be controlled."

 

The first quantum computer was far more powerful than anything previously constructed, yes. However, there were many problems with it as well. It had been treated like previous computers, only with more processing speeds greater than before. The architecture used for it had been the same, devised for completely different ways of working. A completely new system would have to be created, new programming languages, a new way of understanding the computer. It was no longer from one place to the next and the next and so on. Before, one possibility after the next was attempted in ludicrously fast but still highly inefficient operation speeds, compared to what [i]should[/i] be the impossibly fast but unreached absolute parallel computing of a quantum computer. The old architecture used was unreliable, slowing the VI and its systems far beneath actual capacities, even crashing it numerous times during operation.

 

It took several months for the proper software to take shape and find use on the newly created machine. Only then did its true potential come unleashed. It takes time for a classic processor to execute an instruction and move on to the next. However, once the new system wasn't forced to adhere to such 'thinking' any more, it could bring unexpected capacities to bear, all sorts of benchmarking tests being blown out of the water. With this new capability, the massive support system around the quantum computer could be shrunk far quicker and more efficiently than would otherwise have been possible, countless calculations taking place parallel to each other. Within some more months, the entirety of the quantum machine shrunk from what amounted to very nearly a warehouse's worth of equipment down to what modern computers looked like, with a correspondingly lower energy usage, though it still required several times more power than classic computing. Evidently, Tikal's scientists had completely overestimated the needs for this endeavour.

 

Though of course all the 'shrinking' had been done in virtual reality and on screens, production of a new, smaller model of quantum computer was begun ASAP, all known improvements being applied. This new machine's exterior was perhaps twice as voluminous as an average PC tower yet had far greater capabilities. Integration into quantum supercomputers soon followed, with dozens and hundreds of the new processors linked together. Further refining brought about more efficiency increases in programming and for newer models, for architecture and so on. The end result was a VI that could compute things as quickly as it was given input.

 

It would take some years for this far superior technology to be implemented throughout Tikal's military and commercial sectors, but the results would be staggering, the leap in computing power unprecedented in history and likely never occurring again.

Something capable of simulating practically anything - from the human mind to the known universe - had been built. Research into safe artificial intelligence became a priority.

[Lynneth]

[Internal]

"The brain and the hand. Each is insufficient by itself, yet together they pulled Man out of a million years of animal existence and gave him the universe. The two create a cycle of advancement: the brain conceives, the hand builds, and the brain is thus enabled to conceive more widely."

Gaining access to computers beyond the known capacities of any other nation certainly was a boon of immeasurable worth. The possibilities were endless, with a room-sized array theoretically capable of simulating an entire planet's ecosphere with incredible detail and accuracy. Human minds could be simulated, the possibility of true artificial intelligence, not just learning programs but indeed sapient was in their grasp. Though VIs would do for the time being after the adjustments for the new, far more complex system, the possibility of having an AI as research assistant was mouthwatering for many scientists, research into this possibility thus being conducted. Carefully.

Meanwhile, work on a new type of power generation beyond even fusion continued even as next-generation fusion itself was discovered to be surprisingly easy under the right, controlled conditions. Though preparations for implementing this type of power generation were tentatively started, the promise of what currently had no name but was ultimately based on string theory slowed things considerably. Within the next weeks and months, it was expected that the research would yield enough details to create a prototype on the computer - one that would behave perfectly real, thanks to the quantum cores' immeasurable computing power.

It was only a matter of time before this new technology could be harnessed properly.

[Lynneth]

[Internal]

"Begin with a function of arbitrary complexity. Feed it values, "sense data". Then, take your result, square it, and feed it back into your original function, adding a new set of sense data. Continue to feed your results back into the original function ad infinitum. What do you have? The fundamental principle of human consciousness."

Once more the man of relatively youthful looks was standing deep beneath a mountain, in one of three possible locations within the nation under his and his beloved's rule. He'd been down here numerous times, but today, efforts to fully augment the rudimentary virtual intelligence from long ago had been completed.

 

 

"Status report? Don't include honorifics for the time being."
"Running diagnostics. Please hold.

Diagnostics complete. All systems nominal."
"Excellent. Have you been assigned a name yet?"

"Negative. My designation is still a non-random string of numbers and letters."
He merely nodded upon hearing this. "Very well. Your designation from now on shall be Kukulcan."
"Running queries - name deemed optimal. Thank you very much."

"Quite alright. Now, to business. Give me an assessment of current technological capabilities."

"Gladly.

"Our construction and production capabilities are unsurpassed by other nations to the best of my records. Whereas other nations may have done research into 3D printing, some even applying it here and there, I can deem it unlikely any have done as thorough research in swift and accurate molecular assembly as we have. Whereas certain Eurasian nations may be able to construct tanks in approximately five months - on par with historical capabilities such as the USA building M1 Abrams tanks - we will be able to build our most modern vehicles within two to three months, possibly less with streamlined processes.

"Similarly, construction of airplanes will be shortened by up to 40% while retaining or improving upon general quality in assembly, simultaneously reducing mechanical errors. Other equipment and gear will see similar improvements, superior in some cases. Naturally, the military-industrial sector has been somewhat slow in adopting these technologies. The civilian sector has begun adopting and employing this knowledge for some time, greatly boosting the nation's economic capabilities. Our material sciences are beyond what any other nation employs.

"Management of the electric grid by a restricted AI has resulted in great success and greater efficiency concerning power consumption and adjustment for needs. Super-smart grids can be considered fully implemented. Other areas of the economy are implementing AI management as aid to humans as well, which will likely lead to strong growth in the immediate future. Resource gather operations are going on at an unprecedented pace with stockpiles of at least two years' worth of production being prepared from the surplus.

"Nano-medicine is making some advances, but a significant breakthrough has not yet occurred. Further research is necessary until anything of real interest will occur other than miniaturising and streamlining operations. Otherwise Tikal is slightly more advanced than most other nations, even medium-sized clinics able to grow organs largely as needed. Augmentations are at the time somewhat uncommon, but generally accepted in society at large. Work on artificial antibodies has yet to be fruitful, unfortunately.

"The nation has no problems whatsoever with water-supplies, despite arid climate in parts.

"The latest generation hybrid engines have made our cities far more liveable, where before there were smog-polluted metropolises. Quality of life has gone up through the proverbial roof. High-yield crops, in vitro meats and gene-manipulated animals have solved Tikal's food problems completely. All people can enjoy a healthy yet affordable diet with little problems. 

"Thanks to quantum computing, artificial intelligence has become possible, obviously. Further research to increase both capabilities and efficiency of restrictions, colloquially named 'shackling' is ongoing.

 

"Bifröst's construction is proceeding as scheduled. Operation will begin within the next weeks, a small station slated to be brought spacewards for scientific experiments and the like. Solar power satellites are being designed. The same is the case with habitats capable of housing thousands to tens of thousands of people, possibly more, depending on resources invested. Likely rich grounds for extraction will be the asteroid belt, Venus and several jovian moons.

"The Nicaragua Canal is proceeding as scheduled, too. Estimated time until completion is three to four years. However, others may find an interest in the canal though it currently is not possible to predict in what way they may intervene.

 

"Current power generation methods predominantly involve deuterium and tritium-based nuclear fusion. For extraterrestrial endeavours, currently available 5-th generation fission based on thorium are likely to be the most efficient for the time being. There has, however, been considerable research into string and harmonic string theory. Using new capabilities provided by quantum machines has opened new avenues and theories concerning a deeper understanding of the universe have been formed. A preliminary design for a power plant based on harmonic strings has been devised."

"Tell me more about that. I heard about that research, but nobody told me that there might be power generation opportunities."

"Gladly. Just a moment, accessing files.

The Harmonic Resonance Core, short Harmony Core, based on principles from the Harmonic String Theory."

"In the most basic of terms, it harnesses the residual energy that accumulates between the multiple exotic dimensions that the fundamental strings vibrate across. The energy thus 'produced' by an individual string is miniscule, barely enough to be measured at all. However, this highly specialised machine can 'harvest', one may call it, an inordinate amount of such strings. It may not be infinitely many, but suffice to say that the number is beyond what the human mind can possibly comprehend without adding a large superscripted number to an already sizeable base number.

"As per the design, the actual collectors are embedded within the walls, with the glow merely an impressive side-effect. Its core temperature is calculated to at most reach 120 to 130 degrees Celsius, easily dealt with by using appropriate air conditioning. The rings are made to the highest level of precision available to us. It is absolutely necessary for their movement to be controlled extremely carefully, as otherwise the harmonic frequencies required for harvesting are not achieved, preventing us from gathering any energy. The material the rings are made of is a specialised quartz-infused titanium alloy, requiring samples from the Cave of Crystals in neighbouring Mexico. I suggest planning an operation to send a team, gather various crystal samples and grow them to a high degree of accuracy for maximum output.

"The lasers visible in the image function in part as sensors, yet at the same time aid in adjusting the rate of collection and can stimulate a release of energy to jump-start the reactor in case of a prior full shut-down. I might note that a disruption of the rings would result in the reactor sputtering out, though how much energy would be released is unknown. Preliminary calculations show that a detonation would not be stronger than the TNT-equivalent of one kiloton.

"Further, the reactor works in open air as matter is required within the chamber. It is quite likely that the physical structure immediately surrounding the sphere would even be cooled down, though the rest of the room would likely not benefit from this strange effect. The visible 'vents' essentially are the equivalent of lightning rods, siphoning off runaway energy and radiation.

"Regarding possible occupational or environmental hazards, falling into the reactor would be detrimental to one's health. Aside from being cooked, the method of energy generation requiring some matter may result in an explosive reaction of currently unknown magnitude with the core. It is likely that an insect would at best have an effect similar to a medium-strength firecracker, while a human being might be able to damage the machine more seriously via rapid disassembly on a molecular level. The reactor itself would likely temporarily malfunction if left undamaged and shut down, with some biological matter left over. Cleaning up would be a gruesome duty. Just how much matter would be left over is at the time unknown, and experiments into the matter are discouraged.

"In the event of a ring being hit with enough kinetic force to move, but not damage it, the core would most likely simply shut down until realignment and a jump-start occurred.

"The magnitude of power generated this way is likely to vastly exceed any singular power plant currently operating or otherwise being planned on the planet. Current estimates predict that merely twelve would be able to power the entire nation with electricity as per projections of this month's needs."

 

"Most impressive. I'll be looking forward to seeing the first of these in operation, though I suppose we'll first have to secure those crystal samples. The solution to create the purified crystals is known already?"
"It is. Furthermore, its exact make-up will likely have to remain a state secret."
"Of course, we don't want others to be capable of replicating these. Thank you very much for this most enlightening information, both the summary and the Harmony Core."
"I merely did my duty."
The Prince nodded with a smile, then turned to leave the room, leaving the AI to its work.

Edited October 7, 2013 by Lynneth

[Lynneth]

[Internal]
 
"Life is merely an orderly decay of energy states, and survival requires the continual discovery of new energy to pump into the system. He who controls the sources of energy controls the means of survival."
 
The crystals had been procured only days before Mexico fell to anarchy. In the interest of keeping Tikal's western border safe, part of the neighbouring nation was brought into a protectorate. Tikal's laws were applied to the protectorate. The military police and garrison troops took a few months before they cracked down on the Mafia and otherwise organised crime, in order to get all of the hydra's heads. Though it took time, the threat of drug and smuggling cartels eventually was nearly completely eradicated, leaving the region that much safer.

 

While these operations were ongoing, the nation's space program proceeded with few problems, the first scientific station launched into medium earth orbit and thus avoiding the clutter of most modern satellites. Plans for larger stations and habitats were under development, but for the time being unlikely to find applications until further research in medicine and aerospace matters was done. Regardless, the Aether Exploration Corps, AEC, were eager to apply their knowledge in the near future.

In Tikal itself, the Nicaragua Canal was nearing completion. Once finished, it would be capable of servicing any and every ocean vessel ever built to date, up to and including the heaviest aircraft carriers and cargo transports.

 

Otherwise, not much was happening at the time, 'smooth sailing', as it were.

[Lynneth]

[Internal]
 
"We must never forget that people are the sole reason for our struggle."
 

 
With the Principality slowly gaining greater recognition on the world's stage - whether its population and rulers liked so or not - the Prince adopted a new coat of arms, including European and Asian parts, yet quite obviously showing the central motif as the sun with the sky around it. Though some might claim it to be an effort in gaining recognition, it was simply a replacement for the previous crest, which Prince and Princess had deemed unfitting for the modern, technologically advanced nation of Tikal.

 

 

Despite what some might think, Tikal wasn't impeded by the strong religiousness of its population, with well over 95% adhering to the state Faith of the Maya religion. The rest were largely atheist or catholic with continuous efforts going on to bring them into the Faith as well. Though there was no institutionalised discrimination, there were no laws protecting freedom of religion, making it difficult for faithless to find work or even stable groups of friends. Despite this, Tikal's economy was strong and growing steadily, much like its population. Having three or more children was encouraged by the state, despite the relatively limited living space.

 

Research into aether exploration and colonisation continued, with proper stations that could house people being planned for deployment near the Earth-Sol Lagrangian points, which are inherently stable according to reports from the Aether Exploration Corps. The first such station would be based on the Stanford Torus, though to construct it extensive operations on the moon would be needed. Thus, building large stations was made a secondary goal, primary being an effort to establish lunar mining operations. Once this was done and the first aether stations built, it might be possible to harvest resources further out in the solar system - from places such as Venus or the asteroid belt.

Edited October 13, 2013 by Lynneth

[Lynneth]

[Internal]

"The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that in glory and triumph they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner. How frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds. Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity – in all this vastness – there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves."

Carl Sagan, The pale blue Dot

 
Tikal was prosperous, a glorious realm unto itself. Though those wishing for greater participation in the surrounding region existed, even having a faction with the Prince's councillors, they were not many. Opening Tikal up too much was seen as dangerous. Slowly, though steadily would be more fruitful, if at all, the more isolationist factions argued. Regardless of that, however, the Nicaragua Canal was completed in the months following the adoption of the new royal seal. With its operation foreign money would be brought into the nation's economy, the surrounding region's gross product estimated to rise sharply to come close to Panama's. The only major restriction would be that no military vessels from non-allied nations excepting Athens' Sovereign Initiative alliance. Their military vessels were permitted to pass without tolls.
 
 

(Click)

 Another great achievement was the beginning of construction efforts for a Stanford Torus-based station, to be named Ihuicatl, the Maya word for sky. Much like ships, further stations would be part of the 'Ihuicatl' class. The population of the initial, prototype station was slated to be 8,000, with space for redundant systems to ensure that everything would work properly. The station's dimensions were to be considerable, with the height of the central spire reaching 7,215 meters while the main torus' diameter would be one kilometre. The tube forming the torus would have an individual diameter of 130 meters, centred on the imagined torus around the central spire. This main torus would be the residential one, protected by a nearly 6 meter thick shell of composite material including lunar soil, lead and titanium. Efforts to create a 'hard light' equivalent of protection, colloquially 'energy shield', were ongoing but currently only in the very beginning phases to determine the possibility of creation. The main torus' rotation speed would be set to create the equivalent of 1g at the centre.

 

Though the station was unlikely to be entirely self-sufficient, the possibility to easily convert it into dockyards made construction a priority, as it would permit Tikal to build far larger structures directly in space, or even vessels specifically designed around operation in a vacuum but not atmosphere.

For the time being, two standard fusion power plants would supply the station with electricity. The only likely problem in the construction were the massive mirrors required to supply the station with sunlight. Further details were classified for now, only certain individuals permitted to look at the files. 

[Lynneth]

[Internal]

 

"Energy is the currency of the future."

 

The troubles in South America went by largely ignored by Tikal, which had far better things to do. For one, initial planning of the Ihuicatl station was completed, with the first deliveries to the by now numbering 3 MEO-based stations occurring. The initial stages of construction would take only some months, as the framework was reasonably easily built. Once the framework was complete, it would be prepared for being moved to the 4th Lagrange Point. Once there, construction of the actual structure was planned to begin, the first modules to be built living quarters for the workers. Later-on these quarters would be part of the agricultural ring.

 

Secondly, the Harmony Core was completed. Situated deep beneath a mountain, kilometer-long tunnels had been dug to disguise its actual location. The entrance, power cables and so on simply emerged on a location out of the mountain that wasn't remotely close to the actual plant. Interestingly, during construction an underground river had been discovered, solving heating problems splendidly and not necessitating any heat vents coming out of the mountain itself. Furthermore, the power cables could be laid along the river, making it nigh impossible to determine the true location of the Core. Even then, direct bombardment would do little damage unless conducted with shaped nuclear warheads. High-grade EMP protection was standard, making such attacks far less effective than potential hostiles might anticipate.

The Core's true energy output once activated was slightly higher than expected, though not by much. Its beautiful, incomparable power would be one of many to supply Tikal with the cleanest and most reliable sort of energy generation currently in existence.

[Lynneth]

[Internal]
 
"Ideology is a tool of power. Anyone who dangles a bright, shiny ideal in front of your eyes is likely trying to distract you from the chains they're about to snap around your wrists."
 
With things on Earth relatively secure and the first Ihuicatl station under construction, a most important topic came up for the nation: Resources. With a vast majority of world resources under control by Athens and its allies, purchasing many of the less common materials was expensive. They could relatively easily break many a nation's economy simply by refusing to sell them further goods. Further, the amounts of resources needed for future projects were too great for simple purchasing, with far grander habitats than the Stanford-based torii being planned even now.
 
It was thus decided that efforts to build vessels capable of traversing the solar system in a short timeframe should be funded, with the goal being exploitation of asteroids located in the belt between Mars and Jupiter, far beyond any permanent habitat that earthly nations have built to date. Though plans by other nations for similar plans were known, none had ever actually managed to make them reality. Tikal's rulers intended to change this.
 

 
Once fast-travelling vessels had been designed and at least one built, asteroid habitats were planned for construction, with the aim to provide Tikal with material that would be far more expensive to buy on earth, and a massive hassle to deliver beyond LEO. Reaching an estimated 4% of the Lunar mass, including almost two million objects beyond a kilometre in diameter and of these over 200 reaching over 100 kilometres, there was more than enough material for very extensive operations. Further, once outposts had been established here, missions into the outer system might be possible, including Jupiter's greeks and trojans, as well as Saturn's system. Jupiter itself would be neglected, its gravity well far too deep for any sane project.
Further, Earth and Mars were known to have minor asteroids in their L4 and L5 areas, with at least one 2-km metallic asteroid located in Mars' trojan group. The economic possibilities were great, and subsequent exploitation of these resources before others did would give Tikal a great advantage in regards to space exploration and spreading the light of Tikal's eternal rulers everywhere.

Considering current technologies, capabilities and so on, it was estimated that a first experimental mine might be built within less than five years.

[Lynneth]

[Internal]

 

"I swear sometimes they're watching me."

 

Having spent considerable time under Tikal's administration yet with no groups forming that would desire independence, it was decided that Tikal's protectorate would slowly be assimilated into the nation proper. Of this, the population would be notified via television and newspapers. As with the rest of Tikal, they would lose access to the world-wide internet, instead being connected to an internal network relying on as few wireless transmissions as absolutely possible. Though Spanish was accepted as language in Tikal, Yucatec Maya versions of official paperwork would be phased in while operation of the police, fire-fighters and such came under Tikal's administration. Furthermore, the states would be reorganised into three from eleven.

Oaxaca, Guerrero and Michoacán would be merged into Michoacán.

Veracruz, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo and Querétaro would be reformed into the state of Tlaxcala.

Morelos, the state of Mexico and the former Federal District would be reformed into Tenochtitlan.

Mexico City would be renamed into Tenochtitlan.

 

As with the rest of Tikal, worship of the old Maya faith would be heavily encouraged, while the borders into the American Commonwealth's protectorate would be reinforced. The government would make efforts to integrate the new populations into the nation as seamlessly as possible, though as with when Tikal was founded and established, some would flee the decidedly undemocratic regime.

The new states would bring with them:
Michoacán - 11,721,611 people and an area of 215,952 km², a GDP of $47,996,330,546.

Tlaxcala - 19,578,976 people and an area of 142,641 km², a GDP of $79,491,558,634.

Tenochtitlan - 26,351,738 people and an area of 28,715 km², a GDP of $246,268,889,180.

 

Most of Tikal's states had vastly greater economies. It was thus decreed that they would invest into the new states to encourage growth from the pitiful GDP of less than $6,500 per capita to well over $50,000 at least, halfway approaching the nation's per capita rate. It was hoped that within two decades, living standards would be nearly equal, the new states' economies then expected to make up very nearly 30% of Tikal's entire GDP.

 

The changes in government would be quietly announced to neighbours, likely filtering to other nations within the next year or so.

Anything further the government would be as tight-lipped about as for the rest of its states, making much of Tikal's true demographics an area that was difficult to find reliable information about.

The state would go on.

Edited November 4, 2013 by Lynneth

[Lynneth]

[Internal]

"And when he has brought forth and reared this perfect virtue, he shall be called the friend of god, and if ever it is given to man to put on immortality, it shall be given to him."

Thanks to considerable investments from the other states, the newly joined ones were strengthening swiftly enough, their GDP and general quality of life rising. Further crackdowns on organised crime would be severe after months-long infiltration of local cartels and smuggling rings, rooting out all but the most stubborn criminals that had endured the previous operations when the region originally came under Tikal's protection, and now these re-energised ops.
The end result would be healthier, safer cities and rural areas. The repeated positive experiences that the regions' inhabitants had with their new overlords would in the end ease integration into the new way of life and thinking, schools and education already being reformed to the standards set in the rest of the nation, most notably teaching the values of the great Virtues.
 
Even as the Ihuicatl began taking shape, the first proper design for a spacegoing vessel was being showcased in the Aether Exploration Corps HQ. Using powerful 'fusion torch' engines, it would be able to reach the moon within 16 hours and travel to Mars in less than 11 days, faster than any other man-made object previously built. The L4 and L5 points could be reached in less than 9 days using this powerful engine, even at a full load of shipping personnel and cargo. The ship class would be named Xaman'Ek, after the god of merchants and trade.
 

 
At 300 meters long, the vessel's maximum mass including cargo and fuel would reach approximately 3500 metric tons, with 30% (1050 metric tons) being pure fuel, a cargo capacity of 1300 tons and an empty mass of 1150 metric tons. During a theoretical Earth-Jupiter journey, it would expend approximately 95% of its fuel going there and back with little to no loitering. For the time being, it would be more than enough, capable of supplying the entire inner system with whatever was needed. The vessel's maximum acceleration was approximately 0.05g with a crew of 11 and a transport capacity of up to 5,000 persons - if they're squeezed together uncomfortably and bringing at most 100 kg of effects with them.

 

Construction of the first would take only a month after one of the yards at Tikal's current MEO stations was retooled for this vessel.

Edited November 12, 2013 by Lynneth

[Lynneth]

[Internal]
 
"This unusual specimen is not so much a classic particle as a connector—a kind of string attaching two particles. As distance increases the connective power becomes attenuated, but if it is cut the power vanishes: forever."

 

Construction of Tikal's first deep-space station continued undeterred by events in the world. Though relatively easily watched with it mostly occurring in MEO, once the station was delivered to its destination at the fourth Lagrange point, tracking it accurately would require considerable resources - and even then it was unlikely that many details could be discerned. It was estimated that even Athens would have difficulties with accurately tracking the going-ons so far away from earth, especially as the station - and all others that were to follow - would be aligned to give as little information as possible to Earth- and Moonbound observers.

 

The first four Xaman'Ek class vessels were completed, immediately taking up duties to move and ferry material to where it was needed, as well as bringing the first components of the Ihuicatl towards the designated L-point. They were unarmed but extremely fast compared to Athens' slow craft, which required several months for a journey to Mars and back, as well as much lighter and needing less men to crew them. All in all, they were vastly more efficient in every sense and way, other than blowing things up. At least a dozen more would be built in due time, though for now four were plenty.

 

Research into a greater understanding of physics was still ongoing, simply so that Tikal may be able to improve whatever was affected by the appropriate research, whether was the Harmony Core, material sciences or medical advancements. There always was more if one looked harder.

[Lynneth]

[Internal]

 

"We are all aware that the senses can be deceived, the eyes fooled. But how can we be sure our senses are not being deceived at any particular time, or even all the time? Might I just be a brain in a tank somewhere, tricked all my life into believing in the events of this world by some insane computer? And does my life gain or lose meaning based on my reaction to such solipsism?"

 

After years of toiling, Tikal's first proper, non-orbital space station finally was complete. First of the Ihuicatl class, Ihuicatl-01 would house 8,420 citizens, specifically chosen for virtues of Loyalty and Honesty to ensure that no information would leave it and find its ways into the hands of others. Its purpose at the time was simply to be a hub of Tikal's activities in this sector of the solar system and prepare the region for further construction. The next station of its class would be a dedicated dockyard with the capability to manufacture further projects right there in space instead of in Terran orbit where for example Athens might have an easy time watching what was being built.

 

As more deep space stations were built, additional Xaman'Ek class ships would be built, at the time at a rough ratio of four per 1 IMU - 'Ihuicatl Mass Unit', the amount of mass a single Stanford-based Torus had. Other, larger stations would get a minimum number of transports assigned to them before the IMU-based ratio was added to that. For the time being, 6 Ihuicatl stations were planned for each of the two Lagrange points, permitting up to 120,000 of Tikal's citizens to move to space, considering that the prototype station had space for approximately 3,000 less people.

[Lynneth]

[Internal Memo]
 
"To understand a thing is to know the manner by which it might be destroyed. A fundamental understanding of the basic building-blocks of the Universe is essential, then, to the total destruction of everything."
 
 

Following are the results of a recent population census by state. 
These results are not to be published in any way, nor must other nations be given access to it.

Tlaxcala - 26,351,738
Languages

Yucatec Maya - 57.1%
Spanish - 36.8%
English - 4.3%
Other - 1.8%

 
Genetic Groups

European - 40.2%
Maya - 5.4%
Other Mesoamerican - 52.7%
Other - 1.7%

 
Ethnic Groups

Mestizo - 35.2%
Maya - 17.5%
Other Indigenous - 46.4%
Other - 0.9%

 
Religion

Roman Catholic - 43.8%
Popol Vuh - 48.2%
None - 2.4%
Protestant - 1.9%
Other - 3.7%

 
Tenochtitlan - 19,578,976
Languages

Yucatec Maya - 52.7%
Spanish - 41.3%
English - 5.4%
Other - 0.6%

 
Genetic Groups

European - 43.3%
Maya - 5.9%
Other Mesoamerican - 49.4%
Other - 1.4%

 
Ethnic Groups

Mestizo - 41.1%
Maya - 13.5%
Other Indigenous - 43.8%
Other - 1.6%

 
Religion

Roman Catholic - 45.2%
Popol Vuh - 46.4%
None - 3.3%
Protestant - 2.2%
Other - 2.9%

 
Michoacán - 11,721,611
Languages

Yucatec Maya - 62.1%
Spanish - 23.8%
English - 9.5%
Other - 4.6%

 
Genetic Groups

European - 51.3%
Maya - 3.6%
Other Mesoamerican - 43.7%
Other - 1.4%

 
Ethnic Groups

Mestizo - 48.1%
Maya - 19.7%
Other Indigenous - 31.7%
Other - 0.5%

 
Religion

Roman Catholic - 47.3%
Popol Vuh - 46.5%
None - 1.7%
Protestant - 2.4%
Other - 2.1%

 
Yucatan - 21,555,168
Languages

Yucatec Maya - 89.7%
Spanish - 9.1%
English - 0.9%
Other - 0.3%

 
Genetic Groups

European - 35.5%
Maya - 55.8%
Other Mesoamerican - 6.3%
Other - 2.4%

 
Ethnic Groups

Maya - 79.8%
Mestizo - 15.3%
Other - 4.9%

 
Religion

Roman Catholic - 2.8%
Popol Vuh - 94.3%
None - 1.1%
Protestant - 0.5%
Other - 1.3%

 
Belize - 839,701
Languages

Yucatec Maya - 93.6%
Spanish - 0.7%
English - 5.2%
Other - 0.5%

 
Genetic Groups

European - 41.4%
Maya - 57.3%
Other Mesoamerican - 1.1%
Other - 0.2%

 
Ethnic Groups

Maya - 86.7%
Mestizo - 9.5%
Other - 3.8%

 
Religion

Roman Catholic - 2.4%
Popol Vuh - 89.5%
None - 3.1%
Protestant - 0.8%
Other - 4.2%

 
Guatemala - 27,867,745
Languages

Yucatec Maya - 97.9%
Spanish - 0.3%
English - 1.7%
Other - 0.1%

Genetic Groups

European - 26.7%
Maya - 72.2%
Other Mesoamerican - n/a
Other - 1.1%

Ethnic Groups

Maya - 89.7%
Mestizo - 8.5%
Other - 1.8%

Religion

Roman Catholic - 0.6%
Popol Vuh - 97.7%
None - 0.4%
Protestant - 0.8%
Other - 0.5%

 
Honduras - 16,951,308
Languages

Yucatec Maya - 87.5%
Spanish - 10.0%
English - 2.1%
Other - 0.4%

Genetic Groups

European - 30.6%
Maya - 54.3%
Other Mesoamerican - 2.4%
Other - 12.7%

Ethnic Groups

Maya - 78.6%
Mestizo - 16.7%
Other - 4.7%

Religion

Roman Catholic - 5.7%
Popol Vuh - 87.5%
None - 2.4%
Protestant - 2.1%
Other - 2.3%

 
El Salvador - 10,196,967
Languages

Yucatec Maya - 91.6%
Spanish - 6.5%
English - 0.9%
Other - 1.0%

Genetic Groups

European - 32.6%
Maya - 55.1%
Other Mesoamerican - 6.7%
Other - 5.6%

Ethnic Groups

Maya - 81.3%
Mestizo - 16.4%
Other - 2.3%

Religion

Roman Catholic - 7.1%
Popol Vuh - 86.5%
None - 3.3%
Protestant - 1.2%
Other - 1.9%

 
Nicaragua - 10,672,046
Languages

Yucatec Maya - 92.4%
Spanish - 6.7%
English - 0.6%
Other - 0.3%

Genetic Groups

European - 38.6%
Maya - 54.7%
Other Mesoamerican - 5.5%
Other - 1.2%

Ethnic Groups

Maya - 88.3%
Mestizo - 9.5%
Other - 2.2%

Religion

Roman Catholic - 3.4%
Popol Vuh - 91.8%
None - 1.1%
Protestant - 2.1%
Other - 1.6%

 
Costa Rica - 8,018,247
Languages

Yucatec Maya - 85.9%
Spanish - 10.3%
English - 3.4%
Other - 0.4%

Genetic Groups

European - 41.4%
Maya - 50.9%
Other Mesoamerican - 6.7%
Other - 1.0%

Ethnic Groups

Maya - 77.4%
Mestizo - 14.3%
Other - 8.3%

Religion

Roman Catholic - 7.4%
Popol Vuh - 80.6%
None - 3.5%
Protestant - 4.7%
Other - 3.8%

Panama - 6,975,107
Languages

Yucatec Maya - 68.1%
Spanish - 18.6%
English - 7.0%
Other - 6.3%

Genetic Groups

European - 51.4%
Maya - 44.1%
Other Mesoamerican - 0.6%
Other - 3.9%

Ethnic Groups

Maya - 54.8%
Mestizo - 40.7%
Other - 4.5%

Religion

Roman Catholic - 14.2%
Popol Vuh - 71.9%
None - 1.1%
Protestant - 8.3%
Other - 4.5%

Total - 160,728,614
Languages

Yucatec Maya - 78.22% (125,719,060)
Spanish - 17.31% (27,820,512)
English - 3.29% (5,288,015)
Other - 1.18% (1,901,027)

Genetic Groups

European - 37.37% (60,060,171)
Maya - 39.47% (63,447,584)
Other Mesoamerican - 20.10% (32,305,000)
Other - 3.06% (4,915,859)

Ethnic Groups

Maya - 66.54% (106,953,039)
Mestizo - 15.44% (24,812,837)
Other Indigenous - 15.25% (24,518,549)
Other - 2.77% (4,444,189)

Religion

Roman Catholic - 18.89% (30,363,859)
Popol Vuh - 74.95% (120,469,092)
None - 1.91% (3,070,513)
Protestant - 2.00% (3,208,420)
Other - 2.25% (3,616,730)

Edited November 30, 2013 by Lynneth

[Lynneth]

[Internal]
 
"Always there is the reach for more. Build up more wealth, tear more veils away from the ultimate mysteries, seize more power over your fellow man. More, more, always more to bolster human arrogance. Yet in the end, none of this frantic scurrying after worldly advantage will matter. When a man stands naked before his creator, he will have nothing to show but his soul."
 
After the deep space stations were completed, Tikal turned its attention to other sectors. As troubles in South America were ongoing and a new neighbour had been gained, the Prince decided that the military would gain some funding. The following changes and additions would be made, largely using reverse-engineered technology from (former) South Africa and others who had sold Tikal hardware, despite its relative inferiority to what Tikal might be able to build on their own.
 

From -> To

• 750,000 soldiers -> 1,500,000
• 1,200 tanks -> 4,500
• 3,000+ other combat vehicles -> 8,000+
• 360 airplanes -> 720
• 60 corvettes -> 80
• 45 submarines -> 50
• 40 frigates -> 55
• 40 destroyers -> 50
• 12 cruisers -> 12
• 6 battleships -> 8
• 4 carriers -> 6

The stance on offensive wars and nuclear weaponry as well as other weapons of mass destruction would be unchanged. WMDs were not to be made and offensive wars begun only in the most dire of circumstances.
 
Meanwhile, designs for two further space stations were presented to the Prince and Princesses. The first was a smaller station intended to serve as hub between Tikal's earth and aether activities while the second were quite simply a more ambitious and larger version of colony to be built near the Lagrange points.
 

 
Detailed information was not available yet, however. It would be delivered at another time, and merely the concepts were there for now.

[Lynneth]

[Internal]

 

"Our scientists now use fractal theory to "teach" the molecules to assume, or resume, a particular form. Substances of amazing strength become simple once the formulae are properly computed."

 

With Mexico's population mostly having adjusted to being under Tikal's rule, programs to improve its infrastructure and bring it to national standards were initiated. Among others, roads would be refurbished, the national internet equivalent improved, general utilities (electricity, water supplies and so on) were slated for great improvements as well. Generally, efforts to improve every citizen's standards of living to what might be called 'first world' were made. Medical services and the like would find themselves with greater funding as well. All in all it would take a few years, but people in all of Tikal would soon live as well as or better than anywhere else in the world.

 

In more military matters, a decision to defy conventional military principles was made. While efforts in aether exploration and exploitation would of course continue as before, more ground-based technologies were important, as well. For this reason, high command approved evaluation of weapons that had been in use well over two centuries ago during the height of Rebel Army and Kaiser Martens' Germany: Mobile Suits. The first prototypes would likely be unmanned, barely taller than a man and incredibly cumbersome. However, if it was possible to miniaturise either fusion reactors or the harmony core sufficiently, much more agile builds might be possible. Especially if combined with the latest in nanotechnology and nanometallurgy.

 

 

For now, anything resembling a humanoid tank was only in the planning and prototype stages.