The Infraflux
Supercountry

Culture

The history of the Infraflux world diverges from our own in the late 2000's and would still be somewhat familiar to us today, but 400 years of change have left their mark. Most significantly, the borders on what counts as a "person" have been blown wide open, with the loss of Earth Sense allowing even the strangest, most dissimilar partners the chance to produce children who represent a mix of their parents. Bigotry based on physical aspects alone became harder and harder as the population grew more and more diverse, with more and more unexpected mutations. The natural world also exploded in diversity and strangeness, creating dangers and challenges far exceeding anything civilization had to deal with in the past. A hostile and confusing world produces many cultural methods of coping with such pressures, but the supercountry of Infraflux chose the path of cooperation.

Although morality of course varies on an individual level, overall the country's infrastructure is geared towards supporting its citizens, resolving conflict, and local teamwork. The archetypal Infraflux citizen is a little entitled and oblivious to the struggles of those less fortunate, but respectful of sentience in all its forms and ultimately benevolent and prone to altruism. The cyberocratic control of the Seven over Infraflux also leads many Infraflux residents to simply let the details of their lives be taken care of, following recommendations complacently. A stark and noticable contrast to this attitude often shows itself in the rarer individuals who have experienced positions of danger or responsibility, who know how bad or how "real" things can get in less stable places.

To the average Infraflux citizen living in a large, affluent settlement, other countries are often regarded as dangerous "wrong side of the tracks" places that have brutal and incomprehensible customs. Usually this is an entirely hyperbolic and exaggerated viewpoint. The Wilds are considered places that only the insane or the extremely tough would ever dare venture, and most people in large settlements spend their entire lives in that settlement and never leave. Smaller settlements tend to have a much more experienced and nuanced view of the Wilds and of nature. Regardless of location, wild animals in general are considered stupider versions of people with a lesser but still present right to live their lives, and are not usually exploited as resources en masse (especially since eating any non-GMO or ArchiLab-approved organism is a roll of the die on whether it might contain something indigestible or even harmful).

Cultural Conflicts

Dissent and counter-culture are a natural part of life and still exist everywhere in Infraflux, despite the stability the supercountry provides. The price of Infraflux's comfort is constant monitoring and a significant lack of privacy, which understandably isn't to everyone's tastes. Within a settlement, weaponry is usually forbidden for civilians and violence is strongly persecuted, and many people do not enjoy such a loss of control and agency either. For a citizen, following the recommendations of the Seven and selflessly assisting society isn't mandatory, but failure to do so is often punished socially, leading to less motivated members of society being looked down on within the status quo and finding outlets for that discrimination through acts of social rebellion.

Although discrimination based on physicality is extremely rare in modern Infraflux, that isn't to say that baseless stereotyping and bigotry do not exist. In particular, a history of discrimination against Synth and heavily Semi-synth people has left painful echoes in places and in facets of Infraflux culture, with the slur "robot" still occasionally thrown around in the darkest places. Elder Synth folks may still remember those times and carry the scars of that social conflict. Although most people consider such baseless bigotry a thing of the past, the topic still remains somewhat fraught in Infraflux culture thanks to inconsistant definitions on whether an AI is a utility or its own individual creature with rights, along with the long-established ICNS-created "biomachines" and other government or private owned artificial organisms that also blur the line between tool and creature, or even come close to personhood. Especially the Seven is a common topic of debate, since it generates choices for every Infraflux citzen and displays intelligence, but technically has no agency of its own and was designed and built with a purpose in mind.

Stereotyping doesn't happen among the average mixed populace but tends to come out in force for any Darwinchild, Human, or any other individual whose origins can be given a name and a "species". Although the stereotyping is usually enthusiastic and benevolent, as such types of people exist in the public consciousness as things one learns about in school or as popular topics of conversation, it can still be a weary reality for those facing it every day of their lives.

Languages

Thanks to the early spread of the language in pre-Cataclysm times and the event of the global Teleost Broadcasts, English* has become the lingua franca of Infraflux, and by extension most of March Earth. Although regional dialects and slang terms have a wide variety across Infraflux, english spelling stays consistent thanks to the omnipresence of the internet and online interactions. The equivalent language for underwater speech is Phinny, which originated shortly post-Cataclysm with the rise of the Darwinchild dolphin people A'aii'k AKA Phinnies. The Phinny language originated in the very simple squeak and click signal language of the various pre-Cataclysm dolphin species and evolved on its own for around 200 years before starting to merge with land-dweller languages. Phinny today is peppered with rogue english grammar and approximate terms for land concepts, usually made by combining and abbreviating two descriptors (e.g.: The word "shoe" is made from the words "leg (crustacean)" and "husk" abbreviated to the equivalent of "le-hu").

Both Phinny and English are found everywhere across Infraflux and the world as a whole, but they are often supplemented by regional second languages, with people speaking two or more languages being a common default. The local language tends to be used for more social interactions between people who have lived in that location most of their lives, and usually has some connection to whatever pre-Cataclysm human culture used to exist in that area. Languages that achieved global reach through ancient invasion tactics such as French, Spanish, and Portugese are still some of the most common, though they have diversified and localised and occasionally hybridised with English or even older local human languages. Similarly, Phinny is global but regionally there appear variants, dialects, and hybrids that often originate in mixes between Phinny and the nearest land-based language and/or in the physical capabilities of the local populace to create the sounds necessary for either Phinny or human languages.

Signing / Non-verbal Languages

Non-verbal languages are much more common in Infraflux than in other countries and two are taught alongside English in school systems: Hand Sign is a more familiar signing system for anyone with a humanoid build, but requires specific human-like appendages that not everyone has. General Sign is a much, much simpler form of signing that includes full body movements and even pictogram symbols, designed to be usable to as many body types as possible. Although these are taught in school, many non-verbal people in large settlements have the luxury of advanced text-to-speech, brain signal readers, or simply high-speed texting to a projector, and many verbal people struggle to remember their signing when confronted by an actual conversation in sign. Like with verbal language, General and Hand Sign have slight regional variations, especially in underwater settlements where they are much more heavily utilised.

SAI and other electronic Synth people often communicate via high frequency electromagnetic signals such as microwaves, utilising local internet networks and one-to-one short range signals to have conversations consisting of high speed text data and file exchanges. In areas with a high Synth population density, such as London's Digital Quarter, an entire Synth subculture usually develops which isn't accessible to organic persons without extra effort and/or equipment.

*In a hypothetical scenario where the setting of March Earth and all of its worldbuilding is being used by a different group of people (such as a tabletop group), the main lingua franca of March Earth (and the language of the Teleost Broadcasts) will be whatever their main language is. There are a few logical reasons why english would become the dominant global language in 400 years, but the real reason is that I, the creator, speak english as my first language. There is no reason why the main language shouldn't be literally anything else, and in the very hypothetical scenario where the world is in the hands of parties with other first languages I actively encourage reinterpretation of this.

Gender and Pronouns

With such extreme variation in form and nature, most people of modern Infraflux have little adherence to the traditional gender binary or even the once-commonplace mostly-binary sex system that ruled biology. The many-faceted ideals of "woman" and "man" are still acknowledged and celebrated as cultural heritage, but in no way considered the norm.

In english, the standard pronoun for every being considered a person is "they", and many people use this pronoun for themselves as well. Referring to someone as "she", "he", and other personal pronouns is considered more familiar, similar to how some languages have a formal and informal form of "you". Knowing someone's preferred pronouns implies a level of informality that varies from region to region but usually just implies "we're on friendly terms". Asking if someone has preferred pronouns is a lighthearted informal question similar to asking someone where they grew up or if they have any siblings. Those who do have preferred pronouns have many varied personal connections to them, ranging from strict adherence to pre-Cataclysm ideals of gender norms, to simply liking the sound of them. The concept of "gender" is similarly abstract, and isn't a word very commonly used in conversation unless in a historical context.

Occasionally it comes into fashion to wear "pronoun indicators"; usually small pins or patches. A standardised symbology for some of the more common pronouns has developed, and patches and pins are sold in various decorative colours or in high contrast black and white that is visible to almost all types of light-based vision.

Politics

Citzenship

Being a citizen of the Infraflux supercountry comes with a number of excellent perks, and a number of potential downsides. Most influentially, Infraflux citizens recieve universal basic income, often called "Standard". Every person recieves an individually calculated amount of money and free assets that grant them a basic but comfortable way of life without needing to work. Standard also includes access to the free templates within public 3D printers for clothes, tools, furniture etc., as well as free healthcare for anything that has a legitimately negative impact on one's life. The funds for purchasing anything above Standard must be earned either via working for the government (more lucrative) or by commerce with other citizens (more varied and fulfilling). Any talent can be sold, and with such variety of form and personhood the market for custom items is enormous. The free items that Standard provides are immediately recognisable to everyone within their settlement, and most people prefer to customise themselves and flaunt their ability to purchase bespoke and/or luxury brand items.

Gaining Infraflux citizenship is location-based: If you live for a certain length of time in Infraflux settlements (and don't cause undue trouble) you will recieve an invitation for citizenship from the government. This also applies to anyone born there, though the invitation may go to the appropriate guardian in that case. A citizen of another country may apply to be an Infraflux citizen as long as their former country agrees to terminate their governance, as dual citizenship isn't allowed.

Things become a little more complicated when defining whether a settlement is part of Infraflux or not, and its members therefore entitled to citizenship and the benefits of Standard. New and/or small settlements struggle to be aknowledged, especially if they are in hostile or disputed territories, and must fulfill a number of requirements first. Infraflux's borders are defined by the reach of its settlements, so if another nation lays claim that the settlement is within their borders then Infraflux tends to relinquish it, regardless of the opinions of the settlers themselves.

Infraflux IDs

Infraflux citizens are required to have a personal ID, which is the most crucial piece of documentation they own. Individual details of their ancestry, physiology, lifestyle, finances, and even social habits are attached to this ID, allowing the Seven and any other government organisation a full (and some would argue invasive) profile of a person. The ID is digital and often connected to a person's favoured handheld media device, allowing easy interaction for payments or identification. IDs are heavily protected against unauthorised access but no encryption is foolproof, and a hostile entity gaining access to your ID is bad news indeed.

Possibly the most important information contained in a person's ID are their physical parameters. With nearly every person on March Earth being unique, extremely precise medical details and records are essential for keeping people alive and healthy. If you're collapsed in the street a doctor needs to immediately know that you have two hearts, copper-based blood, and an allergy to the colour pink or else it's game over. The ID also contains any information about Required Augments (RA's) of any kind, what we today might call "disability aids". This is a detailed list that includes things like clothes and shoes for more human-like people, translator boxes for Phinnies that associate with land folk a lot and vice versa, medications, mental health requirements, sensory augments, prosthetic limbs, etc.. The individual may not choose to utilise everything on their list, but it would be freely provided if they did, although as part of Standard they aren't of the most luxurious quality.

Pips

Non-citizen access to Infraflux settlements is granted via "Pips"; temporary IDs with various levels of trust and access to Infraflux resources. Pips vary from place to place but in their most basic form consist of a location tracker, very basic physical data/identity data, and the ability to load and deposit currency. Pips often take the form of little clips or pins, and being found without your Pip is often enough to get you thrown out of a settlement. Wilds that are under Infraflux governance can be traversed freely without a Pip, unless they are a more tightly controlled area such as farmland or transport routes, in which case there may be guards or other security that will require Pip access.

Government

The governmental system of Infraflux is in principle cyberocratic. A neural AI composed of every authorised computer within Infrafux with an active internet connection, including the ICNS network, provides the legislative branch of government. This AI is known as The Seven, due to the seven biomachines that augment the many smaller global connections and in a way function as organs to the whole. Two of these are located in London, the locations of the rest are not publicly known.

The Seven gathers its information passively from users browsing the internet, actively from new discoveries and technology uploaded to the ICNS, and actively through many thousands of sensors and data gathering points scattered across the globe of many different kinds. Using this information, it puts forth suggestions for laws and other new developments, including division and acquisition of resources. The executive branch is a body of sapient beings selected as candidates by The Seven, then put forth for determination by the general public, who are free to dissent to party members becoming part of Infraflux parliament. The candidate's applications are constructed unbiasedly and bluntly by The Seven based on a series of mentally and emotionally taxing tests, and contain no personal information about the individuals. Voting takes place over the internet. Executives must serve for a minimum of 2 years, and typically serve until they are either voted out, the Seven decides they are no longer suitable, or they voluntarily retire.

Many provinces and cities of Infraflux also employ figurehead authorities, such as the Mayor of London, who enjoy celebrity status and popularity with the inhabitants of the area, and serve mainly as announcers of new laws and projects as well as holders of symbolic authority. Methods of selecting these individuals vary from place to place. If the social or elected leaders of a settlement decide to ignore the recommendations of the Seven too often, they run the risk of being investigated or even, in worst case, having their settlement declared no longer part of Infraflux.

Law

The legal system of Infraflux has been established by The Seven and the parliament, and judicial duties are carried out by the impartial decision making of The Seven. Any accused may protest this, and have their case instead judged by a tribunal of three members of parliament. In cases of extreme indecision, a public vote may be cast, using the same faceless method as the candidate approval voting.

Police fall under the categories of local police, who are common citizens assigned to the role by the Seven's recommendation and their own personal choice, and government police or "GP's", who are selected the same way but recieve special training in resolving dangerous problems. Local police are trained in peaceful conflict resolution and basic subduing techniques, and will always first try to talk out any situation. GP's divide roughly into "enforcement" and "investigative" divisions. Most famous (and a little feared) of the second group are the Silver Wing investigators, who are competent individuals who cross the Wilds, following direct commands of the Seven and searching for corruption, crime, and identifying a settlement's woes. The enforcing branch of the GP is the closest thing Infraflux has to a military, and have the most presence as border guards around settlements.

In most cases, "punishment" either involves restitution or therapeutic rehab at a dedicated facility. The Seven will bend some processing power to trying to figure out "what went wrong" and accomodate the perpetrator's needs. In the case of actual confirmed malice or greed, rehab can be intensified and extended for years, becoming essentially a mild yet dreary prison sentence. Mainly only larger settlements can accomodate this type of rehab, so prisoners from smaller settlements are often transfered. In cases of extremely violent, dangerous, or incurably malicious individuals, punishment may be revocation of citizenship and removal of access rights to all settlements. This exile to the Wilds is functionally a death sentence unless the individual is equipped to survive on their own or can somehow reach and gain access to another country, and GP guards are authorised to use deadly force on any such person attempting to get back into a settlement.