The culture of the ExoHumans on planet VOI 700 D in the Gamma Age is deeply shaped by the conditions imposed by the Peace Treaty with the Alliance of Native Tribes and the resulting scarcity of resources. This has led to a lifestyle where improvisation and adaptability are essential, mirroring the rugged frontier spirit of Earth’s Wild West.

Despite possessing extensive technical and cultural knowledge, ExoHumans face severe resource constraints that prevent the full application of these advancements. Consequently, daily life oscillates between advanced technologies like the GAIA artificial intelligence system, which regulates many aspects of society, and rudimentary practices, such as reliance on animal-powered transport due to the lack of infrastructure for modern vehicles.

This dichotomy creates a unique cultural landscape where tradition and progress coexist, shaping every facet of ExoHuman life on VOI 700 D.

Due to limited resources and the inability to provide every citizen with digital devices, paper has regained prominence as the primary medium for storage and information dissemination in the Federal Confederation.

In 2634, the Federal Council, under the administration of Aisha Patel, commissioned the Federal Encyclopedia, a monumental project to document and preserve humanity’s collective knowledge. This paper-based encyclopedia reflects the resource-conscious mindset of ExoHuman society.

Print journalism has seen a resurgence, though it remains tightly regulated due to limited printing resources and government control over public information. Two major publications dominate:

• **The Weekly Gazette** (New Kourou): Funded by the Independent Press Act of 2632, this state-supervised newspaper is operated by the Federal News Agency and available only in public Federal News Lounges and Federal Libraries.
• **The Firetown Post**(Firetown): Not officially recognized as a newspaper, but classified as an “Information Medium for Members and Friends of the Individualist Party.” This legal loophole allows the Individualist Party to circulate its own publication without violating state press regulations. However, it is heavily monitored by Federal authorities, and its distribution is restricted to designated Individualist centers.

Both newspapers employ traditional mechanical printing methods akin to the presses of Earth’s 17th century. In addition to current news, they feature classified ads, birth announcements, and official registers, making them indispensable to daily life.

Due to the lack of resources in the Gamma Age the Weekly Gazette is only available in public Federal News Lounges (in the settlements of the Habitual Belt) and Federal Libraries.

Books are strictly rationed, and personal book collections are rare. The Federal Libraries — one per settlement — are the only legal source of literature. GAIA curates book selections, favoring Earth’s classical works that align with the settlers' experiences, especially Westerns and survivalist novels.

While it is forbidden to print personal books, a few settlers secretly possess books from the Beta Age or inherited editions from Earth, kept in hidden personal collections.

All public art is designed by GAIA and executed by Federal craftsmen, ensuring it aligns with the values of the Federal Confederation and its Common Constitution while preventing wasteful individualistic expression. This policy prevents celebrity culture or personal fame, ensuring all art serves the collective rather than the individual.

Despite restrictions, amateur creators play a vital role in cultural life. As long as their work does not challenge Federal values, it is tolerated:

• Jean Jacque Courtier (Writer): Author of Like Leaves From a Tree, a multigenerational novel about settlers aboard the Last Frontier. This work has become a cornerstone of ExoHuman literature, reflecting themes of survival, adaptation, and identity.
• Sandra Yamamoto (Musician): Composer of Endless Days, a folk anthem capturing the hardships and the hopes of settlers in the Habitual Belt.

Such works reflect communal experiences rather than individual stardom, aligning with Communard ideology.

With limited space and resources, physical activities are regulated for efficiency:

• Government-approved exercises: Running, yoga, and gymnastics are encouraged for maintaining workforce productivity.
• Restricted sports: High-risk or resource-intensive sports are banned.
• Unlicensed gambling & fighting rings: Officially outlawed but rumored to persist in Firetown’s so called “Shadow District”.

With physical sports restricted, board games and card games have become dominant pastimes:

• **Frostpunkt:** A dice game originating in Firetown’s mining community.
• **Twenty One**: A variant of Blackjack popular in Saloons.
• **Zugzwang**: A strategy-based board game, played in Federal Libraries.

High-stakes gambling is illegal under the Civil and Criminal Code, but continues in secret. The “Shadow District” — a network of hidden backroom casinos in Firetown’s Entertainment District — hosts underground betting rings, where settlers risk their rations in violation of Federal law.

Marriage ceremonies in the Gamma Age are no longer private affairs but centralized, state-controlled rituals. Every quarter, all couples scheduled to marry gather at the Federal Administrative Service Building in New Kourou for a collective mass ceremony.

The ritual follows a standardized format:

• Oath to the Constitution: All couples publicly reaffirm their loyalty to the Federal Confederation and pledge adherence to the two-child policy.
• Wooden Rings: Due to metal scarcity, wedding rings are handcrafted from locally sourced wood and exchanged as symbols of resource-conscious unity.
• Wall of Names: The names of newly married couples are added to the Events Hall wall of living citizens, with family units tagged to indicate state recognition. Deceased names are removed from the main wall and displayed separately for twelve months before final erasure.
• State Registration: Each union is formally recorded by GAIA and duplicated onto Shellac Records, ensuring both digital and analog permanence.

These quarterly ceremonies emphasize collective identity over individuality. Personal celebrations are minimal, with couples permitted only a modest gathering at home with immediate family after the state event. Weddings thus serve as both cultural rites of passage and tools of political control, reinforcing Communard values of equality, resource-consciousness, and loyalty to the Confederation.

GAIA has optimized birth procedures for efficiency:

• Planned Birth Slots: Expecting mothers are assigned a delivery appointment at the Medical Station of New Kourou, where Medical Bots assist Federal Midwives.
• Emergency Deliveries: If birth occurs unexpectedly, General Practitioners in local settlements provide assistance.

This system ensures efficient population management while minimizing disruptions to labor schedules.

Funeral rites vary by region:

Burial rituals vary by region:

Asari Region (Habitual Belt): Bodies are composted to create nutrient-rich soil at Federal Funeral Homes, echoing Last Frontier practices. Ralar Region (Dark Side): Bodies are cremated in Volcano Ralar, with volcanic stones marking remembrance sites.

Due to resource constraints, private graves are not permitted.

The cultural impact of the Great War is still felt:

• Secret War Stories: Some families pass down oral accounts of the war, despite state restrictions.
• Veteran Gatherings Prohibited: Any attempt to organize war commemorations is banned.
• State-Controlled Memorials: Official memorials only acknowledge the war as a “necessary transition”, rather than a tragedy.

These measures prevent war nostalgia while ensuring the dominance of Communard ideology.

The Individualist Party has been highly critical of the Communard-controlled cultural policies, arguing that they suppress free speech and covertly promote only state-approved narratives.

Their main accusations include:

• Censorship Disguised as “Cultural Curation” – The Individualists claim that GAIA filters out dissenting viewpoints under the pretext of maintaining “unity” and “harmony.”
• Suppression of Alternative Ideologies – While officially open to all perspectives, Federal-backed cultural projects tend to reinforce Communard values, marginalizing any content critical of state policies.
• “Shadow Propaganda” – The Individualists argue that books, newspapers, and public artworks all subtly reinforce the principles of Communardism, while alternative opinions—especially pro-individualist perspectives—are quietly erased or dismissed as outdated.

Despite these concerns, Federal authorities insist that cultural policies are neutral and exist solely to preserve social stability. However, some Individualists have begun smuggling books, unauthorized historical records, and alternative literature into settlements, defying state control over cultural production.

The cultural system of the Gamma Age offers unique opportunities for engaging missions:

• “The Forbidden Book” – A mysterious manuscript appears in Firetown, rumored to contain pre-crash knowledge that contradicts official history. The players must decide whether to help distribute it or suppress it before the authorities intervene.
• “Smuggling Words” – A rebel writer is trying to publish an unauthorized newsletter outside Federal oversight. The players must smuggle the materials past Federal patrols.

• “The Lost Ballad” – A famous folk song, secretly containing anti-Communard messages, spreads across settlements. The players must track down the original source before it sparks unrest.
• “The False Exhibition” – An art exhibit in New Kourou is actually a front for covert Individualist recruitment efforts. Players must decide whether to expose it or protect it.

• “The Gambler’s Debt” – A Deputy of the Local Sheriff of Firetown is secretly involved in illegal high-stakes games in the Shadow District of Firetown. Players must either help them escape their debts or use the knowledge for blackmail.
• “The Secret Casino Heist” – An underground gambling house is rumored to contain stolen Beta Age artifacts. Players must infiltrate the operation and retrieve the items before they disappear forever.

• Federal Confederation
• GAIA
• Communardism
• Communard Party
• Individualist Party
• Like Leafs from a Tree
• Endless Days
• Exohuman Funeral Rites in the Gamma Age

Exohuman Games on VOI 700 D:

• Frostpunkt
• Twenty One
• Zugzwang

The Ages of ExoHuman History:

• Alpha Age
• Beta Age
• Gamma Age