A Glossary of the 23rd Century
- Archipelago, The
- Those star systems containing human settlements.
- Autonomous Region
- An area administered by a corporation as a quasination. The AR does not
claim ownership of its citizens.
- Avatar
- Physical remote unit operated by AI; representation of person in virtual
space.
- Beanstalk
- Diamondoid tower stretching from planetary surface to synchronous orbit,
allowing low-cost interface transportation.
- Belt, The
- Collective term for the polities and habitats of Sol's main asteroid belt
(by contrast the belt refers to the asteroids themselves).
- CEMEA
- The CirclE for Martian External
Affairs. The virtual, distributed Martian government. Pronuounced
"see-me".
- Cis-Luna
- Region consisting of Earth, Cis-Lunar Space and Luna.
- Cis-Lunar Space
- The region of space including Earth orbit and Luna.
- Cluster
- Collection of habitats and support systems making up a Belt city.
- Deme
- A habitation cylinder, or sub-division thereof; one of the sub-elements of a
Cluster.
- Disgovernance
- Removal of coercive governmental apparatus. The Disgovernance refers to the
disgovernance of Eurasia following the War of Martian Independence.
- Ecclesia
- The directly democratic pseudo-government of Terra.
- Gaianism
- Philosophy based on non-exploitation of nature, and humanism.
- IDC
- Intercorporate Development Commission. Foremost
political power on pre-Revolution Mars.
- Judicature
- Commercially operated legal system.
- Metanat
- Metanational Corporation. Corporation comparable in power to any of the old
nation-states.
- Monobloc, The
- The Eurasian Federation.
- Orbital; Orbital Republic
- Any of the nation states or free habitats in Earth orbit.
- Polis
- Belt polity intermediate in size between deme and Cluster. Typically a
single habitat cylinder or torus.
- Polity
- An organized society; a state or quasistate; any form of politico-social
organization.
- PraeSec
- Praesidial Security. Security service operated by Praesidium on behalf of
Earth.
- Praesidium
- Economic consortium supporting Ecclecial decisions.
- Quasinational
- Of a polity possessing many features of a nation, but excluding explicit or
implicit ownership of sentients.
- Transhumanism
- Philosophy concerned with enhancement of human body and mind by
technological means.
- Trans-Lunar
- Of the region of space in Sol System beyond Luna and the Earth-Luna Lagrange
points. Referring to space beyond the Earth-Luna system.
- Transnat
- Transnational Corporation. Corporation comparable in power to one of the
smaller of the old nation-states.
- Uplift
- Genetic or cybernetic modification of species, leading to improved
intelligence, sentience or physical capabilities.
- Viriditas
- The greening force that impells life to expand across space. A central
concept in many Martian philosophies.
- Zaibatsu
- Family-administered corporation; often
corporation owned by clone-dynasty.
The future of Ad Astra
