GURPS: TREK - THE UNAUTHORIZED SOURCEBOOK SECOND EDITION - SECOND PRINTING --------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------- SECTION ONE D - GENERAL - PART FOUR - CULTURE - PART ONE --------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------- This section, another totally new one, was contributed by Chris Beiting . Other than some small editorial changes it is completely his work. I would like to thank him here for his contributions to this sourcebook. Any comments about this section should be sent to: tmp_harkins@dirac.physics.jmu.edu "Mr. B." GURPS: Trek - Section One D - General - Part Four - Culture - Part One is Copyright (c) May 1996. See GURPS: Trek - Section One B - General - Part Two - Overview for more info. --------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents ----------------- Federation Stellar Nomenclature Stellar Mapping Conventions The United Federation of Planets Starfleet Romulan Star Empire =============================================================== FEDERATION STELLAR NOMENCLATURE ------------------------------- A GURPS: Trek campaign will most likely be set in the Trek universe, which is centered around the Milky Way galaxy. The Federation has quartered the Galaxy into quadrants, arranged and divided as follows: | | | GAMMA | DELTA | | | -------------|------------ | | oxo ALPHA ooo|o BETA oo|ooo | | The galactic core is where the two lines intersect, and is densely populated with stars. Much of the actual quadrants are empty space, as the stars are stretched out in spiral arms which curve from quadrant to quadrant. In this nomenclature the Galaxy rotates in a clockwise fashion, making that direction "spinward". Earth is located approximately where the "x" is, and the Federation boundaries are approximately where the "o"'s are. Any directions given in the following descriptions will refer to "north", "south", "east", and "west" on this map - terms which are meaningless in space, but which should help the reader. STELLAR MAPPING CONVENTIONS --------------------------- The Federation maps space in "sectors" - arbitrary cubes of space twenty light-years across. This system is used partially because twenty light-years is the distance between two subspace relay stations. Federation space is composed of hundreds of thousands of these sectors, each one numbered, beginning with Sector 001 - the Sun and its immediate stellar neighborhood. Each sector contains about six to ten stars - more closer to the Galactic Core - and, in Federation space, a subspace relay station. Gamemasters with an interest in being extremely faithful to the genre may wish to eschew the GURPS: Space system of mapping by parsecs, and opt for twenty light-year cubes instead. Note that the Federation has only explored some 19% of the Milky Way galaxy, leaving a great deal out there for the players to discover. --------------------------------------------------------------- THE UNITED FEDERATION OF PLANETS -------------------------------- The UFP, or "Federation" as it is more commonly known, is the pre-eminent power of known space. On the map above it stretches "south", "west", and "east" of the x, straddling both the Alpha and Beta quadrants, although not stretching as far "south" as the galactic rim. It was founded in 2161 in the wake of the Earth-Romulan wars by five races - Terrans, Alpha Centaurians, Vulcans, Tellarites, and Andorians - for their mutual benefit and protection. Individual rights and civil liberties are guaranteed by the Constitution of the United Federation of Planets, signed in 2161. The Federation has expanded rapidly since, and today is composed of some 150 planets, bound together in a voluntary union for trade, exploration, diplomacy, and mutual protection. The Federation is governed by the Federation Council, which is made up of representatives from each member planet. It is headquartered at San Francisco, Terra. Presiding over the Federation Council is an elected Federation Council President, who makes his office at Paris, Terra. Each member world is entitled to retain its own form of government, its own military, and its own intelligence agencies. The planet Vulcan, for example, is governed by a the Vulcan Council and a group of titled ministers, possesses a small interstellar navy, and has an internal intelligence agency known as the V'Shar. Law within in the Federation is regulated by the Uniform Code of Justice. The main military power of the Federation as a whole is Starfleet, which is described in more detail below. The Federation uses a non-monetary economic system of "credits" to govern trade. Interstellar trade is largely free and unregulated, apart from certain contraband things such as slaves, drugs, and weapons of mass destruction. Because of its freedom and diversity, the Federation is wealthy and prosperous. Within the interstellar borders of the Federation there are _many_ non-member worlds. Most of these are less-developed worlds, declared off-limits by the tenants of the Prime Directive. These planets are being left to develop as they will under the protection of a Federation whose existence they are unaware of. When a world has reached the appropriate phase of cultural development, it is contacted and strongly encouraged to join the Federation. Other non-member worlds are neutral or are allied to the Federation. An example of the latter is Kaferia, a highly advanced non-Federation world located well within Federation space, which nevertheless has maintained strong ties with the Federation for centuries. The Federation is an enlightened entity, an oasis in a sea of autocracies. It is peaceful, but expansionistic. --------------------------------------------------------------- STARFLEET ---------- Starfleet is the exploratory, diplomatic, scientific, and above all military body of the Federation, founded, like the UFP, in 2161. Starfleet is controlled by Starfleet Command. Its main body, Starfleet Headquarters, is located in San Francisco, Terra, as is the main campus of Starfleet Academy, its training center. Starfleet Command has other centers in the network of Starbases throughout UFP space. Although there is a very strict chain of command, in practice individual Starfleet officers are allowed a great deal of autonomy, since the large size of the UFP makes effective communications difficult. Starfleet administers the thousands of subspace relay stations throughout Federation space, but even with this network, communications from Starfleet Command to a ship on the frontier can take months. Legal cases within Starfleet and its personnel are handled by a Judge Advocate General. Internal matters within Starfleet are handled by Starfleet Security. Starfleet also maintains an agency called Starfleet Intelligence, which operates as the external counterpart to Starfleet Security. It is responsible for interstellar intelligence and espionage. Starfleet is unusually progressive in that it allows citizens from non-Federation worlds to serve in its ranks. In many cases this is done with the idea that these individuals, when they muster out, will serve as strong voices on their homeworlds for union with the Federation. This policy does not extend to citizens of overtly hostile worlds, of course. --------------------------------------------------------------- ROMULAN STAR EMPIRE ------------------- The Romulan Star Empire is the second major power in known space. It covers an area about a quarter of the size of the Federation, located "east/southeast" of the Federation, in the Beta Quadrant. The "Romulan Neutral Zone", a no-man's-land about a light-year across, separates the two powers. The Federation maintains a string of twenty-three Starbases on its side of the Neutral Zone; it is unknown how many the Romulans themselves maintain. The Romulan Star Empire had its beginnings nearly two millennia ago, when the remnants of an exploratory fleet of Vulcan starships settled the twin planets the Federation later named "Romulus" and "Remus", both worlds of great natural beauty. These transposed Vulcans predated the revolution in logic invented by Surak, and as such were violent and warlike. The Romulan Star Empire began a program of slow and steady expansion that continues to this day. Romulan member worlds are ruled with an iron fist, and have their indigenous governments replaced by Romulan ruling parties. Romulans give neither quarter nor compassion to their subject worlds. The Romulan Star Empire fought a war with Earth from 2156 to 2160. Their forces were greatly inferior to Terra's, but they vastly outnumbered the Terran vessels. After a humiliating defeat at the Battle of Cheron, they sued for peace via subspace radio. No human ever saw a Romulan face- to-face until 2266. Two years later the Romulan Star Empire established a formal alliance with the Klingon empire. They traded their cloaking technology in return for improved starship designs. The Romulans, however, regarded the Klingons as too barbaric to be trusted, and this alliance collapsed in a racial acrimony which endures to this day. In 2311 they entered a phase of extreme isolationism - possibly due to internal civil war - from which they have only recently emerged, in 2366. This was due to the unprecedented destruction of Romulan outposts along the Neutral Zone, which has since been proven to be the work of the Borg. They have devoted considerable efforts to weakening the Federation/Klingon alliance since the 2340's, and are pleased at the recent hostilities between those two powers. The Romulan seat of power is centered on Romulus. It is a totalitarian government ruled by an individual called the Praetor, who is advised by an Imperial Senate. The government relies heavily upon its military, an efficient body organized in a fashion similar to that of the ancient Terran Roman military, with ranks such as centurion, decurions, etc. Internal order in the Empire is maintained by the Tal Shiar, an elite Romulan Imperial Intelligence Service somewhat analogous to the 20th century Terran KGB. The Tal Shiar is a secretive and brutal extragovernmental agency with the power to investigate both Romulan civilians and military officials. It can arrest civilians without trial, overrule local military commanders, and make people "disappear". It is not popular, but its rule is not questioned. The Imperial Senate is "elected", and is controlled by a Proconsul. It is not known how much these elections may be secretly controlled by the Romulan government. Technologically, the Romulan Star Empire is slightly less advanced than the Federation. They have always lagged behind in ship design, however, their new D'deridex-class Warbird has more than closed the gap. Their cloaking technology has always given them a certain edge. Furthermore, Romulans excel in war "by other means". They place a high premium on espionage, and the sneak attack. They have been known to send agents into areas to engage in the destabilization of governments. They frequently operate small interstellar scout ships used for spy missions. Their mind control and torture methods are frighteningly advanced. Romulan citizens are a paranoid and dominated lot, but most are extremely loyal to their Empire. Some dissidents exist; a few of these seek asylum in the Federation, although this is often a cover for spies. Despite the patriotism of the average citizen, there is a great Romulan fondness for things Vulcan, and there was recently a popular movement for reunification with Vulcan, which was sadly coopted by the military. This movement has gone underground and is popular with many young Romulans, who are interested in learning about logic and the teachings of Surak. There are rumors that this movement is being lead by Federation hero Ambassador Spock. This movement is more prevalent on Remus, the sister planet to Romulus. Romulans carefully regulate their shipping, and so are not as affluent as the Federation. However their blue Romulan Ale, though illegal, has become a very popular beverage in the Federation, and a great deal of wealth can be made by smuggling it. ===============================================================