Super Earth

"It is the year 2084.
When mankind ventured into space, we were curious to see if anything loomed behind those stars; unfortunately, we were right. The initial contacts were peaceful, but soon the people of Super Earth realized the potential danger of communicating with alien species, and before we knew it, they started our first intergalactic war.
For 40 years, the war has raged on, a conflict whereby three hostile alien species are hell-bent on a single goal: the total annihilation of the human species. Luckily, the fighting spirit of man has not decayed since the last great war on Earth. We are now stronger than ever; man, woman and child alike are encouraged to try their strengths in the ultimate test - to have the courage to defend Super Earth." - Encyclopedia Description
== Geography ==
Super Earth, being the shining bastion of Prosperity, Liberty and Managed Democracy that it has always been, is possibly the only planet in the entire galaxy to feature multiple biomes. However, due to the last great war, its northern hemisphere would be rendered partially uninhabitable. Nevertheless, Super Earth managed to eventually optimize itself into 7 sectors.
===Sector 1===
Formerly known as "Oceania". This sector is comprised mostly by an arid desert continent formally known as Australia, alongside certain tropical islands, archipelagos and peninsulas that formed part of a continent once called "Asia". It is the home of Mega City 1. 
=== Sector 2 ===
Much of sector 2 is formerly known as "China" and "Asia", with territory stretching north into the ancient lands once known as "Mongolia" and "Siberia". The eastern and central parts of this sector is comprised mostly by ancient mountains and forests, with deserts and parts of an arid steppe where wild horsemen once roamed freely being found to the north and west, the spirit of Freedom burning ablaze in their hearts. It is home to the Great Wall of Democracy, as well as to Mega City 2.
=== Sector 3 ===
Formerly known as "Russia" by some, "Scandinavia" by others. This sector is mostly comprised of cold mountains, tundras, fjords and ice fields that will freeze the enemies of freedom. To its north and south lie wasteland zones that can not be inhabited, product of the Last Great War. It is home to Prosperity City, the illustrious capital of the Federation of Super Earth. This sector is also in ownership of the islands of Greenland and Iceland, as well as being home to the Emergency Seed Vault, formerly known as "Svalbard."
=== Sector 4 ===
Formerly known as "Europe", this sector is one of the most urbanized in Super Earth, having seen the lion's share of Super Earth's foundational history. To its north lies a now-uninhabitable set of isles that, at some point, could have been seen as "remarkable" in some capacity that, for the purposes of this article, has been deemed "unimportant" by the Ministry of Truth's Bureau of Galactic Wide Web forums. The landscape of Sector 4 consists of plains with mountains in some places. This sector is the home of Mega City 4. Its southern portion shares the ancient continent of "Africa" with Sector 5, covering much of the western Sahara Desert and the Atlas Mountains.
=== Sector 5 ===
Formerly known by the names of "India" and "Arabia", Sector 5 is comprised of the easternmost portion of the ancient continent of "Africa", as well as a couple other peninsulas, in which it is rumoured that the first humans were born. Much of the sector is dry and hot, with over half of the sector comprising of scorching. It possesses 2 of the last 3 remaining rain-forests and is home to the Pyramids of Super Earth and Mega City 5.
=== Sector 6 ===
Formerly known as "Latin America", Sector 6 is comprised of the Central and Southern portions of the ancient continent of "America", as well as taking the southern chunks of the north of said continent. This sector houses one of the last 3 remaining rainforests and is home to Mega City 6.
=== Sector 7 ===
Formerly known as "The United States of America", Sector 7 is comprised of the Northern portions of the ancient continent of "America". This sector is rumoured to having been the birthplace of Super Earth's core tenets of Freedom and Democracy, with its inhabitants having a reputation of high patriotism and love for their compatriots, values that would later be imprinted into all Super Earth citizens.
Sector 7 is home to Superstone Park, as well as to Mega City 7.
=== Oceans and Poles ===
Super Earth's mass is comprised of around 70% water, which required the division of its water masses into 3 sections:
* Liberty Ocean (formerly known as the "Pacific Ocean")
* Atlantic Ocean
* Pan-Asian Ocean (formerly known as the "Indian Ocean")
There used to be permafrost ice caps on both the north and south poles of Super Earth known as "Antartica" and "The Arctic", however they would melt away at some point prior to the First Galactic War, as their ice was incapable of sustaining all of mankind's prosperity.
Note: This section has been proof-read and authorized by the Bureau of Galactic Web Forums of the Ministry of Truth
==History==
Not much is known about Super Earth's history prior to the First Galactic War. But as the Ministry of Truth tells us, it was always a bastion of peace, liberty, prosperity and, most importantly, Managed Democracy. And it will ALWAYS continue to be.
According to the Super Earth Encyclopedia, Prior to the year 2044, there was one last great war on earth, which left many parts of its northern hemisphere, along with certain parts between its continents, uninhabitable. Ever since, the Federation of Super Earth has guaranteed the preservation of peace and prosperity for all of mankind.
In the year 2044, as humanity began to venture into space, partially thanks to the invention of the Alcubierre Drive a decade prior, they came into contact with hostile alien species. The Bugs, extraterrestrial insectoids whose only drive in life was to kill and reproduce unfettered, and the Illuminate, a race of intelligent squid-like beings. These contacts soon turned sour, and the sourness eventually left humanity with no choice but to engage in several wars against the 2 aforementioned species, and then later on adding Cyborg rebels to the roster. This war would last 40 years, with Super Earth effortlessly winning against all 3 species and establishing its unopposed dominance on the galaxy. This is nowadays known as the First Galactic War.
Ever since 2084, humanity has settled dozens of planets and secured entire sectors. Using technology acquired from the Illuminate through a peace treaty, they would invent Faster-Than-Light capable ships that could traverse the vast emptiness between planets within seconds, ushering a new era of prosperity for Humanity. The Bugs would be discovered to produce E-710 upon their death. E-710 would prove to be a fuel vastly more efficient than any other substance that could be found, which prompted humanity to breed and farm the Terminids as a means to produce the necessary amounts of fuel to support their growing federation.
The Cyborgs, absolutely defeated, would be sent to Cyberstan in order to rehabilitate themselves back to the ways of Managed Democracy.
For 100 years, the Federation of Super Earth rejoiced and thrived, settling planets and spreading the unquestionable rule of freedom. Until new enemies began to emerge.
By 2184, the Bugs had rapidly evolved into the Terminids and, as is baked into their genes, broke out of their farms and began to spread terror and fascism once again. And worse of all, a new but slightly familiar foe soon joined the fray in the form of the Automatons, killer robots made with the sole purpose of spreading tyranny, driven by socialism and innate hatred for the ways of Managed Democracy.
For 100 years, Super Earth laid in peace. Now, it was time to call upon its mightiest defenders once more. The Helldiver Corps would once again begin to recruit citizens.
The Second Galactic War has begun.
Note: This section has been proof-read and authorized by the Bureau of Galactic Web Forums of the Ministry of Truth
==Politics==
"Mankind has improved upon the old concept of Democracy. Utilizing computer aided voting software, citizens are asked to answer several questions, and the outcome of their vote is decided upon by the computer. This removes the uncertainty that existed in the old systems where voters didn't understand fully what they were voting for, giving us Managed Democracy." - Encyclopedia Description
Citizens of the federation of Super Earth use automated voting software; they answer a few questions on the Galactic Wide Web (GWW) and the computer votes for them based on that outcome. The GWW is a network of interlinked communication devices that transmit data using quantum communication, "very elementary stuff" according to the ship's C.O.
===Government Branches===
Super Earth is the galaxy's oldest known unitary, sovereign state, governed by the core values of prosperity, liberty, and democracy. All headquartered in Prosperity City. Super Earth's government is composed of many administrative-level branches of government. Each ministry dedicates itself to the continued sovereignty and progress of Super Earth in their own unique ways.
*The Ministry of Truth - "Everything you need to know."
*The Ministry of Defence - "We Defend Democracy's Future."
*The Ministry of Unity - "Loyalty is rewarded. Report any dissident activity."
*The Ministry of Science
*The Ministry of Intelligence
*The Ministry of Expansion - "Billions of stars. One Federation."
*The Ministry of Humanity
*The Ministry of Prosperity - The Ministry of Prosperity ensures every colony has access to the latest beverages, extending libationary ingenuity to all Super Earth's citizens (Vending Machine interaction)
*The Ministry of Integrity - "Join today to protect Super Earth tomorrow."
The President of Super Earth is duly elected periodically and leads the government of Super Earth.
===Political Climate===
It is made very clear at several points in the game itself and in some of its DLC's descriptions that the government of Super Earth has a history of brutally suppressing dissidents: 
*The Super Earth broadcast screen states that: "Questions regarding the Federation or Government of Super Earth shall be sent to the appropriate quadrant. It is illegal to express oneself openly about the Federation or Government of Super Earth in a negative manner and serious cases may result in arrest or termination. Brought to you by Super Earth Pt Ltd. Sponsored by Super Earth."
*One of the Privates on the ship's bridge mentioned that their neighbor apparently pressed charges on their son for not honoring the Super Earth flag, implying that is considered a crime serious enough to warrant turning in one's own close family members.
*The ship's C.O. states that all communications over the Galactic Wide Web (GWW) are continuously monitored by Super Earth in search of "alien sympathizers".
*Citizens who doubt whether the terrorist bombings Super Earth uses as a justification to attack the Cyborgs are actually caused by anyone affiliated with the Cyborg Nation are decried as "Cyborg sympathizers". Those who wish for peace talks with the Cyborgs are painted as "hippies" and Senator John W. Killjoy says that he thinks they should be jailed or even executed.
* Entire units of Helldivers, arguably among the most loyal citizens of Super Earth, have been known to be summarily executed for supposedly being alien sympathizers.
*The first use of the iconic Hellpods was when the socialist government of Northman's Creek tried to secede from the federation of Super Earth. After fifty Helldivers dropped into the Parliament, they were quickly executed and the planet brought into compliance. These days, Northman's Creek is the region capital of the Struve Region on the Bug front.
*The MP-98 Knight SMG is "often used by the Ministry of Defense to rapidly incapacitate groups of wrong-thinkers".
*The Defenders' signature weapon is the aptly-nicknamed CR-9 Suppressor, a semi/full auto rifle firing small fragmentation grenades that can devastate large masses of enemies. Their AD-334 Guard Dog drones are most effective against unarmored targets, firing indiscriminately at anything deemed hostile.
*The Ranger Pack DLC description mentions that "Ranger training was standard procedure for all Helldivers in the early years of Super Earth, but has now become rarer". From the Defender Pack DLC description, we know that "Helldiver Defenders used to double as riot police before humanity unified properly".
The above means it's likely that (a portion of) early Super Earth riot police were fully-trained military assassination and reconnaissance specialists before Super Earth unified -- and that the Ministry of Defense also either acted as a police force or supplemented it.
Fun fact: the TOX-13 Avenger was "developed by Dr. Junko under the 2079 act of self-defense research and has been tested extensively on live targets". The DLC description for the Hazard Ops Pack also notes the following: "Sometimes shunned by fellow Helldivers for their use of inhumane warfare, many a Helldiver is happy to have them on the mission when it comes down to life or death. It's not like the enemy is Human after all."
== Armed Forces ==
The Super Earth Armed Forces, collectively referred to as S.E.A.F, they are the defenders of Super Earth and her colonies. Split into several branches, the S.E.A.F. work tirelessly across the known universe to uphold liberty, prosperity justice and assure every star knows the sweet liberation of Managed Democracy. The Super Earth Armed Forces are commanded by the Ministry of Defence, who provide them the critical information and funds required to protect and serve across the known universe.
SEAF HIGH COMMAND
The S.E.A.F. High Command stands as the tip of the spear for all Super Earth Armed Forces. Working in conjunction with the various ministries within the government, primarily the Ministry of Defense, High Command's purpose is to direct the Super Earth Armed Forces to assure they meet the demands of Super Earth across the galaxy. During times of war, High Command distributes Major Orders to all forces within the S.E.A.F. The Helldivers particularly are given the most critical orders and are demanded to accomplish these tasks no matter the odds.
SEAF Branches
The S.E.A.F. is divided into several branches and special forces organizations, each required to help successfully bring defend Super Earth and spread Managed Democracy.
*The Super Earth Army
*The Super Earth Navy
*The Colonial Defense Forces 
*The Helldivers Corps
==Diplomacy==
"Our galaxy, the Milky Way, is inhabited by more species than was previously believed, and it turns out, most of them are, in one way or another--hostile.
The Super Earth military is fighting to keep back the tide of enemies that besiege us from all fronts. The elite Helldivers go both beyond the front and behind our own lines to support you and our troops." - Encyclopedia Description
The game consists of an endless series of wars against three factions: the Bugs, Cyborgs and The Illuminate. As soon as one war is won (or lost), another one immediately starts. The admiral on the ship's bridge pretty much admits to this, stating: "[...] of course, when we have won this war, there will be another to fight, and after that - another! After that? Another! I could go on, but you get my point - let us focus on this war."
===Cyborg Secessionists===
"A couple of years ago, Cyborg terrorists detonated a massive bomb in one of the city-planets killing thousands of civilians – now is our time to get back at them!" - Ship's C.O.
Super Earth's usual "case for war" against the Cyborg Nation is: a cybernetically augmented human, in an act of terrorism, detonates explosives in the center of District 48 of Super Earth, killing 8 citizens. Those who doubt the official story run the risk of being labeled "cyborg sympathizers". Note that the initial explosion may have killed thousands, but that every war with the Cyborgs in the game's Galactic Campaign is caused by a much, much smaller-scale terrorist attack.
Cyberstan, the Cyborg Nation's homeworld, is a barren snow-covered wasteland on the galactic fringe. Whenever it is conquered by Super Earth, the Cyborgs are then "democratized" by force, coerced into the voting booths by the threat of losing their civil rights. Super Earth's Army Tactical Command invariably stations troops on the planet for a period of 5 years to "keep the peace and run government positions", after which period the Cyborgs' culture is supposed to have transitioned to a "fully democratic" one (by Super Earth standards). Meanwhile, the Super Earth Construction Company (SECC), a government contractor, takes over the massive forges and industrial complexes of Cyberstan. Eventually, inevitably, another bombing starts this whole cycle anew.
Cyborgs are often depicted by the Super Earth government as socialists; they're not helping their case with their choice of logo: a red star. Constantly shouting battle cries and muttering to themselves in a variety of languages, Cyborg troops gleefully deride the Helldivers and Super Earth as (among other things) "plutarch scum".
Rumors about the Cyborgs circulate among the ship's crew members; some (or all) of these rumors could be the result of Super Earth propaganda. According to one of the Privates, "a crazy scientist started replacing body parts on people she had kidnapped." The threat of being taken away by Cyborgs for these "perverse modifications" is apparently used as a boogeyman.
===Bugs: Problem or Solution?===
"The federation has decided that the Bug threat is becoming too great. Senator John W. Killjoy declared "The Bugs have been a plague in this galaxy for far too long, they must now be eradicated before they spread to other worlds"." - Bug War Announcement
The Bugs are a sentient extraterrestrial species, their form reminiscent of very large Earth insects, arachnids or crustaceans. As far as the scientists of Super Earth know, their homeworld is Kepler Prime, a desert planet on the eastern fringe of the galaxy.
Bugs are known to generate "vast quantities" of oil during decomposition, similar to how Earth's pre-human lifeforms provide us with fossil fuel sources. During the announcement of each new war against the Bugs, mention is made of "lost oil pumps" that the Helldiver Corps is to reactivate. These oil pumps (which, as shown in the game's intro, prominently feature a Helldiver skull emblem over an oil drop) are also found on Kepler Prime. The implications of this are that the Helldiver Corps is responsible for at least part of the resource-gathering process, and that they have been to Kepler Prime before – possibly triggering the Bugs to attack Super Earth.
Super Earth propaganda depicts the Bugs as a threat that will infest the entire galaxy if not suppressed. However, when the war against the Bugs is won, the tune is quickly changed; suddenly, the Bugs are a rare, valuable species that is a potentially unlimited supply of fossil fuel resources for Super Earth and eliminating them "just wouldn't be right from a moral perspective". Following this, a certain scientist called Dr. Henk Ploeg then works on a way to safely breed the Bugs in a controlled manner.
As there is always a new war after the current one, and a new one after that, and so on, we can infer that this "safe breeding" of Bugs tends not to work out too well.
===Illuminate Weapons of Mass Destruction===
"We have solid evidence that the Illuminate have an extremely powerful nano-fusion device that can destroy an entire planet. Could you imagine the cry of millions if even one of these devices are used?" - Ship's C.O.
The Illuminate, or Sq'uith as they call themselves, are an advanced extragalactic race which for millennia has had settlements in the south quadrant of the galaxy. If Super Earth propaganda is to be believed, the aliens consider themselves enlightened beings (hence the name – but why would they call themselves the Sq'uith then?). Originating from the ocean, the Illuminate species makes use of bio-electronics and nano-powered devices. According to the ship's science officer, they still sting slightly when touched because of their vestigial electrolyte glands: "[The Illuminate] went down the path of electricity in the same way we did from rocks to bullets".
The blue-skinned species was first encountered in the late 21st century, when Illuminate recon craft were frequently sighted. These sightings were dismissed as folklore back then, but after a time, the Illuminate came forward with a peace offering. This was declined by the government of Super Earth when it was found out that the mollusk-like aliens had "large quantities of world-destroying devices", nicknamed "obliterator bombs" by Super Earth. This was deemed sufficient cause for a pre-emptive strike, aimed at removing their presence from the galaxy and obtaining their highly-advanced technology. To quote senator John W. Killjoy: "The statement sends a clear message to all would-be threats to Super Earth; if they have more advanced technology than us, be prepared to pay the price".
After successfully defending against a region capital assault from the Illuminate, the ship's admiral reminds the player that there is solid evidence that the Illuminate were planning to use a planet-destroying device. However, lost region capitals can be recaptured from the Illuminate. Considering that Super Earth is destroyed and then moved to a new planet whenever the war is lost, the capitals could indeed have been destroyed and a new one with the same name set up; it could also simply mean that the Illuminate are not as willing to use their weapons of planetary destruction as the citizens of Super Earth are led to believe.
Super Earth deals with those who take a more tolerant stance towards the Sq'uith (describing the aliens as "ancient and wise") by means of public executions. The Helldivers are sent in to disarm or preferably capture any WMDs and other potentially useful technologies that eclipse what Super Earth has at its disposal.
Upon their defeat, Super Earth forces the Illuminate to sign a treaty which disallows them from creating an armed forces branch and requires them to turn over all of their weapons technology to Super Earth. According to Dr. Henk Ploeg, PhD, "the amount of technology we are going to receive will accelerate our technology tenfold and allow us to create peacekeeping devices that have the power to destroy entire planets!
==Culture & Society== 
*Liberty Day is celebrated by the citizens of Super Earth on the 26th of October. The HELLDIVERS community also celebrates Liberty Day. Arrowhead Studios has released free DLC, available to everyone, on this date consistently (as of 2018).
**In universe, citizens light scarecrows shaped after Super Earth's enemies and place presents beneath them for children. It is possible that Liberty Day serves as a Christmas-like festivity for Super Earth.
*Every citizen of Super Earth is issued a M2016 Constitution bolt-action rifle (which is also used by the Super Earth Armed Forces as a ceremonial rifle) when they turn 16 to encourage military service. The government is giving out free weapons to get its young citizens used to handling a firearm, which implies a highly militaristic society. 
**This notion is further reinforced by the introduction cinematic, which sees capeless Helldivers (possibly a type of unnamed police/gendarmerie force) patrolling the streets with AR-23 Liberators in hand.
*Helldivers are considered celebrities in civil society, as the Service Technician will often remark their disbelief (and that of their civilian loved ones/relatives/etc.) at getting to work so close to Helldivers, having Helldiver posters in their bedroom as a kid and with many promotional ads showing children wearing Helldiver helmets and costumes.
* Private businesses are allowed to operate with varying degrees of freedom. An example could be the Morguson company, responsible for the production of military exosuits, which owned an arsenal in Tien Kwan. Another example would be Permacura, the company in charge of producing Stims. 
**It is possible, however, that certain businesses are operated by ministries of Super Earth.
*Colonial Overseers will often be ordered to stay behind to defend the planets they are in. This can be noted by checking SEAF Communication Devices that are spread throughout the map whenever one drops into a planet.
*The minimum age to work and enlist in the Super Earth Armed Forces is the 7 years of age (human age).
*A festivity often brought up by the Service Technician is All Heroes' Eve, which is possibly an adaptation of ancient Halloween.
** When I was a kid, I always loved All Heroes' Eve. The adults would all dress up as Bugs, and ring out doorbells and we'd have to fire 3 shots in the air and say "No Fascism here, insects!" At the end of the night, they'd re-enact the Battle of Liberty Peak and we'd all get cake." - Service Technician
*Daylight saving time is called freedom saving time. Clocks are set back and hour to compensate, even on super destroyers.
** Note: It is possible that, by 2184, this is no longer the case, as the Ship Master will remark that Super Destroyers don't have a day cycle, which would make Freedom Saving Time obsolete.
*Democracy Officers may engage in celibacy, as the Democracy Officer will admit to having no significant other if they speak with the Helldiver 
**"A true servant of freedom keeps no companion, save for lady Democracy herself" - Democracy Officer 
*Super Earth's official time is "Super Earth Standard Time", with it remaining almost uniform across all planets under its control. One can notice this by looking attentively at the clock overlayed over any planet that the Helldiver may feel like diving into.
* Every morning, all citizens must swear a pledge of allegiance to Super Earth. Crews assigned to Super Destroyers, colonies or otherwise found away from the safe embrace of Super Earth have to orient themselves towards the exact position of Super Earth. The Service Technician will remark that they always feel like they can tell where Super Earth is, meaning that getting Super Earth's location in relation to one-self is imperative when taking the pledge.
*The C-01 PERM (pronounced "cee-one-perm") child permit form is required for citizens of Super Earth to legally reproduce. According to the NPC Privates on the ship's bridge, these forms are not that easy to fill out. Interestingly, the female Private also mentions having a wife (in text, but not in the spoken dialogue). If this is not an oversight (considering that the Privates mostly have the same lines), it can be inferred that same-sex relationships are not considered a taboo in Super Earth culture. Procreation applications typically require a 180-day review process.
*After the final liberation of Malevelon Creek, the President of Super Earth officially recognized April 3rd, the first full day of peace on the planet, as Malevelon Creek Memorial Day. Every year on this day, Super Earth citizens will unite for a full 3 minutes of their lunch break in solemn remembrance of those who gave their lives to free Malevelon Creek. In addition, all Helldivers have been issued a special commemorative cape, so they may carry the memory of their fallen companions into battle.
==Technology== 
*"[The GWW] can receive information at any time: during warp, deep space exploration and even during battle. It works by an array of quantum devices with interlinked particles, which can instantly transfer voice communication, text messaging, important information from Super Earth, and so forth! The only delay is from the surveillance patriots on Super Earth who search all communication for signs of alien sympathizers." - Ship's C.O.
*"Fun fact: Did you know that this ship can get to any position in the galaxy in mere seconds? This is due to the Alcubierre drive invented in the early 2030s. The drive works by creating a wave in the time-space to actually make time and, well, space flow around the ship!" - Ship's C.O.
*"Originally worn by lunar terraformers, this suit can withstand rapid changes in pressure, heat, and personal velocity." - CE-07 Demolition Specialist armor.
*"This suit's plutonium-238 nuclear battery enables environmental scanning long after the user has ceased operation." - SC-34 Infiltrator Body Armor
*"This armor is the Super Earth Standard Issue, made from the same titanium alloy as the Destroyer's hull." - B-01 Tactical Body Armor
*SEAF Communications Device - A pad device used to communicate between the Department of Expansion and Colonial Overseers. Can be found scattered around various colonial instillation.
*Greenhouse Type 203 - A type of greenhouse seen in use across all colonies of super earth. Used to grow a variety of fruits, vegetables, flowers, and any other plants that a burgeoning colony might require in any condition, whether it be the freezing cold of Maia or the burning heat of Hellmire. Frantic final harvests are often attempted by colonists during evacuation.
*Forklift - A powered industrial truck used to lift and transport ore, modular dwellings, and dissident holding pens. Earning a forklift certification is considered to be notable achievement worthy of high praise.
==Gallery==
SE.PNG|Super Earth... our home
Superearth1.PNG|The skyways of Super Earth
SE6.PNG|The jewel of the milky way
SE5.PNG|Proud citizens of Super Earth
SE8c.PNG|Citizens pledging allegiance to Super Earth
SE7.PNG|Helldivers engaging in public relations
Category:Planets
Category:Helldivers Lore
Category:Sol System