EXOHUMAN SOCIETY AND SOCIAL SUBCULTURES IN THE BETA AGE

The society of the ExoHumans on planet VOI 700 D in the Beta Age was shaped by two defining elements: the trauma of the crash landing of the Last Frontier and the unbroken human belief in progress and dominance. Unlike the Gamma Age, ExoHuman society in this period was relatively unified, with no major ideological factions dividing the population. Instead, the Beta Age was characterized by a shared struggle for survival, a collective ambition to rebuild civilization, and an adherence to principles of individual freedom, free markets, and human supremacy.

The Beta Age was an era of personal initiative, where settlements operated with minimal regulation and individuals pursued prosperity in a minorly regulated free market. This period saw the emergence of various entrepreneurial pioneers, technological rebuilders, and frontier settlers, all of whom contributed to shaping the economic and social foundation of the Free State of Settlers.

Despite this sense of unity, social stratification and cultural subgroups began to emerge, particularly as some individuals found themselves outside the economic boom or resisted the dominant cultural and ideological norms.

Three core beliefs unified ExoHuman society in the Beta Age:

• Human Superiority – Having never been challenged by an external civilization before, exohumans viewed themselves as the dominant and most advanced species in the universe. This assumption remained unshaken despite the difficult circumstances on VOI 700 D.

• Freedom of Enterprise – The market economy flourished, driven by personal ambition and technological ingenuity. Regulation was kept to a minimum, as it was believed that competition and individual effort would be the fastest path toward rebuilding civilization.

• Personal Liberty and Free Speech – Settlers valued their newfound independence and saw minimal governance as essential for maintaining human potential and progress. Communities were self-organized, and any attempts at centralized control were met with resistance.

While these beliefs created a largely homogenous ideological landscape, economic disparities, criminal enterprises, and alternative lifestyles still developed in the Beta Age.

Despite the unifying vision of progress and reconstruction, various subcultures emerged, each adapting differently to the challenges of early ExoHuman settlement.

• The majority of the population identified as Free Settlers, pioneering entrepreneurs and self-sufficient laborers working to restore technological and societal structures.
• They founded businesses, farms, and industrial workshops, believing that the market economy and human ingenuity would lead to a brighter future.
• Their social structure was based on personal merit, business success, and technological expertise, with wealth and innovation being the primary measures of status.

• Scientists, engineers, and former Last Frontier researchers who dedicated themselves to recovering lost technology and developing new solutions for planetary survival.
• Many Technologists worked within the self-organized labs of New Kourou, collaborating to reverse-engineer devices salvaged from the crash.
• While respected, some Technologists became socially detached, obsessed with knowledge over economic or political matters.

• Merchant coalitions and economic alliances like the Trade Guild of New Kourou formed to regulate commerce, manage trade routes, and maintain stability in supply chains.
• Though not a formal government, the Trade Guilds exerted considerable influence over settlements, ensuring fair business practices and protecting economic interests.
• Members of Trade Guilds were often seen as the de facto leadership of the Free State, as settlers trusted them over politicians or former government officials.

• Criminals, black-market traders, and corporate remnants who sought to profit from the lack of governance.
• They engaged in smuggling, fraud, and price manipulation, taking advantage of the Free Market’s absence of strict oversight.
• Unlike in the Gamma Age, there was no Outlaw-movement but criminal elements thrived in the shadows of legitimate businesses.

• Survivors who lost faith in humanity’s ability to rebuild.
• Some fell into deep nihilism, believing that civilization would inevitably collapse again, leading them to become detached wanderers or fatalistic philosophers.
• Others embraced escapism, immersing themselves in what little entertainment and luxury remained from the pre-crash era, caring little for the broader struggles of society.

Unlike the Gamma Age, where religion was restricted and practiced in secrecy, the Beta Age allowed complete religious freedom. However, few settlers actively practiced faith, as most had been raised in a secular environment aboard the Last Frontier. Nonetheless, small religious communities did exist:

• The Covenant of the New Dawn – A Christian movement that viewed the crash as a divine test for humanity.
• The Last Pilgrims – A group of Buddhist and Hindu followers who sought spiritual enlightenment in the harsh landscapes of VOI 700 D.
• The Rationalists – A faction that rejected all forms of faith, advocating that only science and logic could ensure human survival.

At the start of the Great War in 2629, most ExoHumans saw it as a natural and necessary conflict — an extension of their right to establish settlements and use the land’s resources as they saw fit. The Human Settlement Plan had never accounted for the possibility that the Native Tribes were organized or capable of sustained resistance. The early battles reinforced human beliefs in their superiority, but as the war dragged on, it became clear that the Native Tribes were far stronger, better adapted, and deeply connected to the planet’s environment in ways ExoHumans could not match.

The prolonged conflict revealed internal fractures in ExoHuman society:

• The War Hawks and Expansionists – Many settlers, particularly those with military backgrounds, continued to believe in the Free State’s right to expand. They argued that human ingenuity, organization, and technology should prevail, even if it required extreme measures such as total war or biological warfare.
• The Anti-War Movement – A growing number of settlers, particularly those in administrative, intellectual, and scientific circles, began questioning the war. They rejected the Human Settlement Plan, arguing that humans had vastly underestimated the Native Tribes and that continued warfare would only lead to destruction. Many in this group became early proponents of peace and began working against the war effort from within.

By 2631, after over a decade of war, the situation became untenable. The Anti-War Movement took radical action, sabotaging weapons factories, disrupting supply chains, and even leaking intelligence to the Native Tribes. Their coordinated efforts ultimately forced the leadership of the Free State to surrender, leading to the negotiation of the Peace Treaty of 2626.

However, this surrender fractured ExoHuman society permanently:

• The Anti-War Movement, having successfully ended the war, became the foundation of the future Communard Party. They believed that human civilization needed to be restructured to prevent another war and that survival depended on resource conservation, peaceful coexistence with the Natives, and a regulated economy.

• The War Hawks and Expansionists, furious at what they saw as a betrayal, refused to accept the treaty. Many of them went into hiding, forming the early resistance movements that would later unite as the Individualist Party in the Gamma Age.

The ideological rift caused by the war persisted into the Gamma Age, when the Communard Party rose to power and established the Federal Confederation in 2631. The Individualists, though weakened, remained a constant source of resistance, challenging the Confederation's authority whenever possible.

Meanwhile, some ExoHumans who had fought in the war chose a third path, abandoning human society altogether to integrate with the Native Tribes, leading to the rise of the ExoHuman Natives—a new subculture that had never existed before the war.

Thus, the Great War was not only a military defeat but also the first true fracture in ExoHuman society, proving that humanity was no longer united in its vision for the future.

The Beta Age’s more open and dynamic society allows for diverse storytelling:

• Corporate Espionage – Rival trade guilds attempt to monopolize resources, leading to economic warfare and sabotage.
• Technology Rush – Players must locate and salvage lost pre-crash technology before it falls into the wrong hands.
• The Lost Colony – A settlement has gone silent, and the players must investigate whether it was abandoned, attacked, or taken over by extremists.
• The Faithful’s Last Stand – A religious group refuses to integrate into the growing settlements, forcing a confrontation between faith and progress.

• Exohumans
• The Free State of Settlers
• The Great War
• The Peace Treaty

The Ages of the Exohuman history:

• Alpha Age
• Beta Age
• Gamma Age