The Confederation

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### Headquarters

Lhasa, Tibet

The Confederation is an intergovernmental organization between the nations of Earth. The initial purpose of the organization was to protect advanced technology from being used for warfare, however now the Confederation's stated purpose is more broad, vowing to "end the era of violence by fostering the universal human drive of discovery."[¹] The Confederation "aims to unite humanity through common goals, abolishing oppressive hierarchies and encouraging the development of every individual's skills to advance humanity and sustain the planet that provides for us."

The Confederation is Earth's largest and most known organization with nearly 146 member nations. The most notable nations are India, China, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the Republic of Texas, and France. Each nation's historically strong presence in space has earned them a strong position as the leading members of the Confederation, the most notable being India, as it was the first nation to develop FTL, or *faster than light*, travel. Currently, the Confederation Headquarters is located in Bangalore, India.

## TL;DR

In the 1960s, the USSR was the first nation to successfully land on the Moon, prompting a global acceleration of space research. India's space program, the Indian Space Research Organization, began the Earth Mars Shuttle (EMS) project in 1969, which resulted in the accidental discovery of faster-than-light (FTL) travel. This discovery made India a large geopolitical target as both US and Russian strategists theorized that a super weapon could be made with FTL technology. In the United States, a growing anti-Russian right-wing movement lead to the election of Ronald Reagan in 1975. America began to escalate its campaign of antagonizing other nations both on Earth and in space. Tensions between the USA and Soviet Union continued to escalate, and to deter potential war, in 1982 the geopolitically vulnerable nations of India, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Norway and Sweden voted to form the Confederation: an affiliation of sovereign states with the goal of self-defense, technological acceleration, and the promotion of stability.

By the 1990's, Texas was the industrial powerhouse of the United States. NASA was one of the prime government agencies and, due to a widespread discontent with working conditions, a vote was held by the state of Texas to begin talks of joining the Confederation as a sovereign republic. The Confederation, now having 53 member nations, agreed to negotiate. The United States military quickly surrounded the Texan border, however the Confederation, for the first time in history, utilized its now 53 nations' worth of military to enforce democratic proceedings. The Republic of Texas joined the Confederation in 1992, adding NASA to the global array of technological administrations.

## History

### Space Race

In the 1960's, the United States and the USSR set a strong example of what adequate investment in space technology could accomplish. Russia's landmark LK IV lunar mission in June 1967 saw the first human set foot on the Moon, setting in motion not the end of the so-called Space Race, but the acceleration of it. Richard Nixon in July 1967 said in his famous address that "the Russians have begun their conquest of the skies, but the history of the American people does not know defeat. While the Russians have once again claimed to have triumphed in the realm of space, they must know that America does not back down, that we are ready to rise up and surpass, that a foot on the Moon is no match for the endeavors that the United States is prepared to begin in order to show the world our will as a people." The following year NASA announced that they would establish a permanent habitat on the Moon, as well as the preliminary stages of establishing a manned mission to Mars.

### Development of Faster Than Light Travel

The acceleration of space research from the United States and Soviets began a global trend. The newly founded Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) was formed in 1969, marking a significant milestone in the eastern hemisphere. The ISRO Director of Operations \_\_\_\_ successfully received federal funding to conduct the Earth Mars Shuttle (EMS). Focusing heavily on life-support systems and revolutionary propulsion systems, India's EMS rivaled even the most advanced technology coming out of NASA and Roskosmos. ISRO worked quietly as all eyes were on American and Soviet lunar programs and was notorious for keeping their progress behind closed doors.

In August 1970, the India National Congress formally inquired about where the funding had gone for the EMS initiative. Updates had gone from scarce to non-existent from ISRO, sparking a growing national movement to force transparency by ISRO. After weeks of subpoenas and several no-shows, Director of Operations \_\_ herself testified before the INC, stating:

> The Indian Space Research Organization serves no other purpose than the betterment of humanity, and administration has taken all measures to ensure that that purpose is preserved and executed fully. We want to assure the Indian public that their tax dollars have indeed contributed toward the advancement of their country's presence in space. Not only this, we can assure you that your money has gone toward the greater purpose of the advancement of humanity. Lack of transparency is the last thing ISRO wanted to resort to. Technology and innovation should not be held behind closed doors and used for intimidation and violence as it has in the age of war. India represents something better than that. We must preserve peace, deter violence, and continue to establish ourselves as rational members of the human world. It has been made clear, however, that the demand of the people we serve is strong enough in which we can no longer in good faith shield them from our work. Six months ago, the Indian Space Research Organization successfully detected negative mass, and shortly after a theoretical technology was drafted that would allow for faster-than-light travel. Three weeks ago we tested this technology with success. India has become the first nation to travel faster than light.
>
> M. G. K. Menon, testifying before the India National Congress

Following this revolutionary announcement, the European Council and India signed into existence the Indian-European Guardian Agreement, sharing a similar threat of aggression from the major powers of the Soviet Union and the United States.

### The 1975 Election of Ronald Reagan

Following the assassination of President Gerald Ford in Sacramento, California, Vice President Nelson Rockefeller was sworn in as President. Rockefeller was widely unpopular to the growing anti-Russian right wing voters, earning the nickname "Redfeller". California Governor Ronald Reagan challenged the President in 1975, appealing to the right wing by slamming his lack of aggression toward Russia. Reagan won the vote by an exceptionally thin margin over Democratic nominee Jimmy Carter and became the 40th President of the United States.

### The American National Space Station

As the IEGA continued to revolutionize space travel and establish month long shuttle missions in Earth and Moon orbit, President Reagan called for NASA to established a permanent space station above the Earth. In this address, he claimed this action was "so we can strengthen peace, build prosperity, and expand freedom for all members of the free world." Reagan broke international precedent by prohibiting members of other nations from boarding the space station, and shortly thereafter directed that it be named the American National Space Station (ANSS). Despite NASA projecting a five-year completion date, the Reagan administration demanded that it be completed within just one.

The United States began escalate their hostility toward the IEGA, severely sanctioning them as well as performing military and naval exercises. The Soviet Union utilized this aggression to fuel a successful anti-West propaganda campaign, increasing morale toward the Communist Party. Meanwhile, India continued to develop FTL technology, refusing to share plans with either Soviets or Americans. Reagan criticized this approach, stating that "the holding hostage of advanced technology is a worrying prospect" and that "the United States will continue to strive toward liberating the information that belongs to the world." In 1981, the United States tested a ballistic missile over the waters of the Indian Ocean.

### The Confederation

In the early 1980s, India and Europe discussed a cohesive political structure to prevent military escalation. Fearing that they could potentially become the battlefield of a third World War, the two regions sought to unite in order to promote stability and deter conflict. The prospect would only be realized on the terms that 60% of nations under the IEGA voted to opt into such an agreement. A vote in September 1982 proved this idea to be widely popular, with 72.8% of voters voting to establish a new political entity. On November 18, 1982, the Confederation was signed into existence by India, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Norway and Sweden.

> Humanity is in a time of crisis. It appears at times that we are our own worst enemy, pitted against each other in meaningless skirmishes and wars. The World Wars showed us what horrors may occur if power is in the wrong hands. The soul of the human being is to create, to envision, and to discover. The Confederation is a testament to human cooperation, a bastion of light in a word of darkness. A new era is beginning on this planet; one of peace and innovation. Let us work together, not against. Let us work as one species, not of different factions. Let us celebrate our differences, not divide by them. The Confederation greets the world kindly, and may it bring peace upon the Earth.
>
> Sven Inge, First Speaker of the Confederation, in his address to the world in 1982

### Texas Joins the Confederation

By the 1990's, Texas was the industrial powerhouse of the United States. NASA was one of the prime government agencies and, due to a widespread discontent with an overreaching government, a vote was held by the state of Texas to begin talks of joining the Confederation as a sovereign republic. The Confederation, now having 53 member nations, agreed to negotiate. The United States military quickly surrounded the Texan border, however the Confederation, for the first time in history, utilized its massive military to enforce democratic proceedings. The Republic of Texas joined the Confederation in 1992, adding NASA to the global array of technological administrations.

### The Decline of the United States

A massive economic recession followed Texas' departure from the Union. Politicians of the era turned to far-right campaigns targeting minority groups as the source of decline, leading to an influx of self-described Christian nationalists into all branches of the government. The United States continued to operate a relatively small aerospace program crippled by an unwillingness to cooperate internationally. By the 2010's, the American National Space Station was directed to collide with the Pacific ocean.

By the 2020's, the Confederation had 184 member nations. Discontent U.S. States California, Colorado, Maine, Vermont, and New York would contemplate and eventually decide to leave the Union,

warranting a missile strike from the United States on Californian soil. The Confederation declared a crisis, cutting off the United States' access to critical resources and intercepting the little satellites it had in orbit. The international Earth Research Alliance of Technology Station (EARTH Station) would also cease communications with the nation, prompting severe poverty and famine within the United States. In 2023, the Allied States of North America (ASNA) were admitted into the Confederation, leaving the United States an underdeveloped country ruled by a Christian nationalist regime. Two failed coups were attempted, and all conspirators were publicly hanged.

### 2025-2200

In 2038, a solar sailor was developed that could, in theory, achieve FTL travel. The sailor was slingshot around the Sun and achieved 80% the speed of light before losing all communications with Bangalore mission control. After extensive research and multiple repeated missions, it was determined that the sailors could no longer communicate with Earth as they had surpassed the speed of light, making it impossible for any transmission to occur. In 2056, signal was intercepted, determined to be from Alpha Centauri - the first probe sent had successfully decelerated into orbit around Alpha Centauri B, returning photos and surface data of the star.

After receiving data from both Alpha Centauri A and Bernard's Star, India began to recruit volunteers to engage in an FTL mission to Proxima Centauri B. ISRO emphasized that such a mission would be one-way and that colonists would be expected to sustain an outpost and host a society 4.24 light years away. The colony ship was equipped with the means of artificially develop human beings, as well as encouraging colonists to repopulate for the long-term survival of such a colony. Two colony ships departed Earth in 2096. 14 years passed the expected time of communication with Earth. Human missions utilizing FTL travel were banned in 2114.

### Modern Day

Since the admission of the ASNA, 94% of nations on Earth are members of the Confederation. While most Earth nations participate in this structure, it remains a technological and human rights affiliation that respects the sovereignty of member nations. Many previously divided regions, such as the United Nations of Africa, have unified under more or less federated associations. Today the UNA has one of the largest presences in space of any body under the Confederation, with the African Aerospace Research Administration in Abuja being the location of countless launches.

Although FTL travel has not been stabilized enough for human missions, India has established a sprawling network of spacecraft across the Solar System. Multiple Indian bases exist on the Moon and Mars, with the latter being managed by automated machines. ISRO continues to have profound impact on the Confederation and the Earth as a whole.

EARTH Station champions the title of the largest structure built by humanity, measuring 2 by 1.5 km (1.24 by 0.93 miles). It can host smaller spacecraft and often serves as a maintenance and refueling station for spacecraft operating within the Earth-Moon system. On the Moon, New Austin and Menon are the two largest cities, operated under Texas and India respectively.