BARD PAPER: OPAL8672 | Home | Traveller | BARD | OPAL |
BARD PAPER: OPAL8672 | Home | Traveller | BARD | OPAL |
Vincennes has already been heavily detailed in MegaTraveller Journal 3. But there have been major changes in its mindset and economic geography since the Collapse.
The Collapse, and to a more critical extent the Rape of Trin severely impacted Vincennes. One of the most advanced worlds in the former Third Imperium, and one of its most storied, suddenly faced the fact that its raison d'etre, technological advancement, could possibly doom it and the rest of the Regency. In the massive backlash against automated technologies in the wake of the Rape, Vincennes went from being most favored to being most ambivalent, and in some quarters of Regency society, most reviled.
Once the unthinkable happens, nothing is unthinkable anymore. Its position in the spotlight now made it an easy target for both Virus and the disdain of technophobes after the embers of Trin began to cool. For Vincennes that meant having to reexamine virtually every aspect of its society and its attitudes towards the remainder of the Regency. What once was the Emerald City, with its homebody, luxury loving population, now had to turn itself inside out to educate, elevate and emancipate its fellow citizens across the Regency. This wasn't purely altruism; the new bureaucratic government installed in the 1140s recognised that the only means of their world's survival was to create reciprocal relationships with more downtrodden worlds. With technological development impeded by the "cap" imposed by the First Regent, helping improve local living conditions and technology of as many worlds as possible would mean the cap would eventually be lifted, and the synergistic benefits of cooperation with these offworld parties would make it even easier for Vincennes to remain competitive.
The world constructed five of the largest and most prestigious universities as a result, the "Golden Ring" schools, which attract the best and brightest from across the Regency to learn cutting edge science and technology, economics and public service, psionics and interstellar relations. Two of these, Golden Gate and Golden Horn, are placed in orbit near Vincennes two highports, and are given over mostly to offworld students. The other three, Golden Harvest, Golden Sun and Golden Dragon are all built near the worlds three major metroplexes. The Regence University of Vincennes is also a major supporter of educational dissemination as well. With the aid of these universities, Vincennes was quickly able to repair the damage done to its technological abilities by the Viral threat, and spur continuing innovation that will allow a rapid transition to TL-17 when that day comes.
Vincennes demographic geography has been heavily altered since the Rape of Trin. Most of its grav cities are now primarily industrial or support facilities that produce vital goods year round for export offworld. Its ocean metroplexes, located in the region known simply as the Shoal, now contain a greater percentage of the population than they did in the past. The Kehmed and Willis metroplexes are the largest population centers, but Markel, Burke and the new Moses metroplexes are just as vital and important. New smaller metroplexes are being constructed on the continental shelves on the Shoal's eastern margin, as new deepwater technologies open up previously unexploited areas of the seafloor.
Vincennes' reliance upon Paven for imported foodstuffs has diminished as the population has grown. The vulnerability of these shipments compelled the local communities to develop alternative agriculture, in many cases either grown on gravitic platforms, or in orbit on massive space stations. The possibilities offered by genetic engineering and biorganic constructs has also influenced local life support system design: Hydroponics and specially engineered aquatic plants are used by many surface and underwater installations as backup life support systems, and are the basis of several new research ventures into biorganic machinery and systems.
Vincennes decentralised government has diminished in the face of Virus and the Representational Reforms. The hated Vincennes Trade and Commerce Commision (VTCC) has had its influence overshadowed by a new civil service bureaucratic government instituted by the Duke of Vincennes in 1141. A new popular assembly was created during the Representational Reforms, led by several new political parties formed by an increasingly mobile middle and working classes.