Technology

The year is 2405. The quantum computer was perfected in the mid-21st century. Obviously, computing of the future will allow for applications that can scarcely be imagined today. Homeworlds projects today's technological goals into the future as far as possible, while leaving humanity in an understandable state of flesh-and-blood manipulating computers by hand and voice, rather than integrating the human consciousness directly into a digital network.

In the civilized core of Homeworlds, virtually every human has a personal communications device, capable of transferring any amount of information, in any medium, to any other recipient(s) on the same network, near-instantaneously. Due to the 2050 Accords, such devices are required to be manipulated only by hand and voice, and to provide output only through visual and auditory stimuli. Such devices are no larger than an ordinary cell phone, yet have nigh inexhaustible power, and sufficient processing power to handle virtually any data exchange task.

These devices are inexpensive enough for the poorest colonial to afford, yet many independents choose not to use them, since they are easily traceable, and vulnerable to electronic subterfuge. In many cases, such folk have been known to use simple two-way radios, when wireless communication is essential. For the most part, they prefer to stay under the radar, sticking to old-fashioned face-to-face communication.

Larger computers are capable of calculations well beyond the ability of modern man to imagine. Every starship worth its salt has a computer capable of tracking every known celestial object in the galaxy in real-time. Such ships have sophisticated sensor systems, which gather incredibly detailed data from every part of the electromagnetic spectrum of space. The computers process this data at untold speed, providing ship captains the ability to navigate safely through systems charted and uncharted.

The greatest computers of all are those used to calculate space jumps. A ship equipped with a quantum tunneling drive can teleport itself and its contents to a space gate, or, theoretically, any point in space, in an instant. However, the calculations required are incredibly complex. The state of every single subatomic particle in the ship needs to be precisely calculated, and unfathomably complex calculations performed to compensate for the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. This is merely the beginning, as the computer must then calculate the precise modifications, to be applied at the quantum level, to cause the ship to jump to the desired location. The computers which accomplish this task are rare and expensive, and outside the reach of ordinary people.

Cybernetic enhancements are available in some black markets to provide advanced computing power to those that seek it. Such devices can provide computational power well beyond any modern Earth needs, but are insufficient for calculating space jumps. These devices are of limited use, since equivalent handheld or ship-mounted computers can easily accomplish the same feats. However, the interface efficiency of a neurally-embedded device is, understandably, much greater than that of a traditional poke-and-prod computer.

The Human Genome was completely mapped in 2005, and methods for targeted and manipulating individual genes were perfected in the mid-21st century. Such technology was typically used in those days to treat genetic deficiencies, though it had been known to be used, illegally, for genetic enhancements.

The technology proved vital when the colony ships crashed onto the Homeworlds. While Eden was a perfect match for human civilization, Firmament and Absolution were anything but. The initial colonists of the latter two worlds were treated to withstand their harsh environments as much as was possible at the time. Alterations of the human genome have since bred two unique species, each ideally suited to their world. Additionally, the indigenous lifeforms of Absolution forcibly altered the genetics of those settlers brave and foolish enough to delve into the jungles of that world, creating another distinct species.

Genetic modification techniques are commonly used to adapt settlers to planets unlike Earth, though [#Nanotechnology|nanotechnology] has relegated such techniques only to those for whom it is necessary for permanent colonization.

This technology has essentially supplanted most industrial and medical techniques in Homeworlds. Nanotechnology allows factories to grow finished products directly from raw materials--everything from carbon nanotubes to quantum computers. Such technology is also present in most ships, to facilitate rapid repairs. The full extent of the technology was not realized in 2088, when the colony ships left Earth, and the people of the Homeworlds were slow to recover even what technology they already had. Still, in recent times, the technology has been near-perfected, and the speed and precision of nano-construction and repair is limited only by available energy and computational power.

On the medical front, nano-robots have become the primary tool for all doctors in treating virtually any injury or disease. Such robots can deliver chemicals, repair cells, or even grow synthetic tissues and organs from within. Paramedics carry a spray capable of sealing any open wound in seconds, and mending it in a matter of minutes. Wealthier citizens enjoy regular infusions of nano-robots to keep their bodies in perfect condition.

Any ship that wishes to leave its own solar system must be equipped with a quantum tunneling drive. This drive enables the ship to teleport itself and its contents, on the quantum level, from one space gate to another, or, theoretically, directly to any other point in space, in an instant. The mechanics behind the device are immeasurably complex, and the calculations required to make such a jump doubly so (see [#Computers|Computers], above). This makes the drive the most expensive part of any ship, and makes the mechanics capable of servicing it a rare breed.

Maneuvering between space gates is relatively easy. Once cleared for access to a space gate, a ship enters the gate, which takes the shape of a gargantuan sphere, and contacts the destination gate for telemetry. The gates themselves perform most of the calculations, synchronizing with the ship's computer. The entire process is automated, with human supervision. When cleared by both gates, and the captain, the drive engages, and the ship instantly teleports to the other gate.

Making unaided jumps is far more difficult. It has only been possible in recent times, since the Earth Wars, and only by ships with a compatible jump drive. It is not too difficult to jump to a known gate, but it is considered lunacy to jump to any other point in space. Any known destination is automatically invalid, due to the movement and rotation of the galaxy. A destination must be estimated using computer extrapolation, and the captain and crew had better hope nothing is occupying the space they wish to enter, since there is no possible way to view the destination before arriving. This tactic has been attempted on very rare occasion, by desperate independents, usually with disastrous results. It is illegal in all Homeworld territory.

The colony ships were not equipped with any weaponry, and their crews only minimal personal weapons for defense from potentially hostile indigenous lifeforms. Little data on the construction of modern weaponry was included in their computers. However, necessity, combined with the available data in computers and the minds of the survivors, bred a new weapons program, especially among the citizens of Absolution, faced as they were with a world filled with hostile indigenous lifeforms.

Several armed conflicts between the Homeworlds led to the arming of space vessels, and the formation of standing armies on all worlds. After initial conflicts died down, the armies were reduced, only to prove a foolish mistake on the coming of the Earth Wars. That conflict spurred a massive military buildup in all three Homeworlds and their colonies, and the much larger armies and fleets have yet to disband since the war ended.

The most common weapon in the Homeworlds remains the firearm. This tried-and-true technology has only been made more efficient by modern nano-construction techniques. It is cheap, resilient, and useful in many circumstances. Of course, it is hardly the most powerful weapon in the modern arsenal.

Space vessels (and some land-bound soldiers) use magnetically-propelled projectiles, including railguns and coilguns. The high speeds made possible by such weapons make them more useful in space battles. Equally advantageous are lasers, which have the added advantage of not creating Newtonian forces when firing, and having the highest possible speed to intercept spacecraft at very long range. Finally, there are missiles, typically armed with nuclear or antimatter payloads, some of which are capable of sinking the largest of ships, or leveling the largest of cities, in a single shot.