Humans

Individuals are smart, reasonable and easy to manage. But when you pack individuals together, they become people, and I hate people. They're loud, annoying and they never listen.

— Anonymous, 87

Humans, or Homo Sapiens, are the dominant sapient species in Elysium. Masters of scientific progress and engineering marvels, humans have created the second sapient species in Elysium, the ASTIs, and have expanded their civilization throughout the star cluster in a matter of centuries. They are a highly social species and continue to form complex social structures , from simple communities to interstellar governments. Despite centuries of technological and societal improvements, however, humans remain an aggressive species that frequently fights over resources, as they are still only capable of living on worlds similar to their original planet, Earth.

Humanity is currently divided into three major nations: the Vestan Federation, the Enodian Ascendancy and the Elysian Security Organization, who control the entirety of Elysium's livable worlds. More than 97% of Elysium's population belongs to one of these major nations, but some still belong to a minor faction such as the Unity Concord, the Non-Aligned Nomad Fleets or even the Criminal Underworld. All in all, Humanity remains as fragmented as it was back on Earth, although the fears of total extinctions are nowhere near as pronounced as back in the days. At the same time, Humanity is also organized into the largest governments it has ever seen, with nations covering multiple planetary systems lasting for decades if not centuries without collapsing.

History

The first humans arrived in Elysium as a result of the Odyssey Initiative, an international colonization program whose initial goal was to establish a permanent colony in the Alpha Centauri system. Initially launched in 2147, the expedition's only ship, the UNS Ulysses, was forced to abandon its original mission after the outbreak of the Scarcity War. Instead, the lone ship drifted in the void for several thousand years, searching for a new home for mankind. This search would eventually bear fruit, as Auriga was discovered and colonized by the surviving settlers and explorers, eventually known as the Founders, and served as a new sprout for human civilization.

From this point on, Humanity continued to grow and expand its influence, first through its new homeworld of Vesta, then through Auriga, and finally, throughout Elysium as a whole. As humanity expanded, so did its understanding of science and its technologies. From genetics to engineering, all fields of science evolved to support the human expansion, making the average standard of living higher than ever before.

Character2 by Nana Dhebuadze

Scientific Name
Homo Sapiens
Origin/Ancestry
Earth
Lifespan
134-129 years
Average Height
1.6-1.8m
Average Weight
55-90kg

Habitat and population

sci-fi colony by Lenar Shakirov

Even to this day, human settlements still require access to fundamental resources such as liquid water and oxygen to remain functionnal. Nevertheless, humans are a cosmopolitan species found in almost all regions of the world, including tropical rainforest, arid desert, extremely cold arctic regions, and urbanized cities. While they are a highly adaptable species, however, human retain a preference for temperate regions and suitable atmospheric conditions.

Humans are unsuited for life in deep space and remain largely tied to large astronomical bodies such as planets and moons. Some exceptions exists, such as the Vagari who live in their own nomadic fleets, but gravity remains a constant requirement for long-term living conditions.

All in all, some one billion people currently live within Elysium, more than 97% of whom live on planets and moons of the three major human nations. The rest lives in the city of Unity or the nomad fleets, whose number is expected to fall due to their low fertility rates.

Biology

Genetics

The human genome has been thoroughly sequenced and analyzed over the decades following the Colonial War. Although much remains to be discovered, advanced predictive AI models and improved equipment and methods have enabled humanity to perfect its own flaws through genetic manipulations. While only minor enhancements were possible, both physically and legally, humans have grown more resilient to disease and cellular breakdown.

These genetic optimizations were initially a very controversial subject, but proved to be highly effective. These procedures are typically initiated by assisted reproductive technology, using cells from both parents. These techniques have also allowed homosexual and polygamous groups to bear children carrying the genome of all of their members. These procedures are entirely voluntary, but their high success and infinitely small error margin have eventually made them the main human reproduction method.

Life cycle

Thanks to both advanced medical knowledge and genetic optimization, human life expectancy has risen to 134 years for females and 129 years for males. These numbers are even higher in the Enodian Ascendancy due to the improved living conditions and medical infrastructure, with an average increase of 30 to 40 years over the Federation and the Concord's populations.

While the early stages of human life remain unchanged, the human body will slowly degrade after the age of 80, increasing the risks of cancer and weakening its immune system. Despite numerous simulations, no permanent solution has been found to completely stop cellular breakdown past this age. Most humans will continue to live on until their 130s, although dementia will take a significant toll on their last years.

Civilization and Culture

Language

English is the most commonly used language in human society. Other languages are also in use, such as French, German, Japanese or Chinese, but are significantly less popular than English. Throughout the few centuries that humans lived in Elysium, several local dialects have emerged, often planet-wide variations of English vocabulary or pronunciation. These are regularly investigated by both journalists and academic, as their origins could potentially lead to the creation of a new, universal language. Every attempts, however, failed to surpass localized English.

Tools and technologies

Humanity is considered to be the most technologically advanced civilization in the known universe, even surpassing the Archeans. While these claims remain debatable at most, since Archean ruins are so old that few remains can actually be studied, it is undeniable that humanity has greatly evolved since its days on Earth. After mastering nuclear fusion, interstellar travel and even sentient intelligence, many are left wondering what human ingenuity can create.

Unfortunately, while human innovation has never been as active, many engineering challenges remain unsolved, due to either a lack of industrial capacity or a lack of appropriate materials that remain to be created. As such, mankind has yet to fully harness the power of stars, nor has it mastered all realms of physics. Much has been discovered, but much more remains to be found.

Science and philosophy

While Earth is but a long lost memory for most, its cultural and technological legacy has carried on until the present day. Numerous Earth-born cultures still remain as active as ever, although somewhat changed through the centuries, and reflect on the names of many in Elysium. The most common are English, Chinese, Australian, German and Japanese. With almost four centuries, most cultures have influenced each other, resulting in what most people simply refer to an "Idyllic culture" that is common place in the Federation and the Concord. The Ascendancy, however, developed its own culture based on its three principles of strength, courage and wisdom, resulting in a rather unorthodox lifestyle of constant challenges and self-questioning, with the ultimate goal of surpassing one's self.

Government and politics

There currently are three major human nations in Elysium: the Vestan Federation, the Enodian Ascendancy and the Elysian Security Organization. In addition to these three nations, several independent colonies and migrant fleets have also been founded by small communities, although they are generally short-lived.

Corporations also had a significant influence on human society as a whole until the Interstellar War. Most of these have been dismantled since then, often forming many smaller, and less impactful, corporations. Some, however, have persisted through the ages since their inception, carrying with them a legacy and a reputation that few competitors can challenge.

Finally, while most humans in Elysium are atheist, religions still remain active in human communities. Most are Earth-born religions such as Buddhism or Christianity, but new religions have also taken root, such as Archeanism. Other religious groups have formed and disappeared through the centuries, most of them failing to be recognized as full-fledged religions.