A World Building Checklist
Things Worlds Have
Economy
The economy of Gaiaflow is supported and maintained by a mostly autonomous system of technology, industry, and agriculture that provides a surplus for everyone's basic needs. A corporate superstructure administers the system and seamlessly distributes goods and services where they are needed. Because of this material abundance without the need or work, money is unnecessary. When someone decides to build a home, they browse from a multitude of home designs freely available on a worldwide network, accessible equally to all. Then, they use their personal matter compiler to create the house using base elements available in the natural environment and extracted from the atmosphere. Some people do still feel the need to accumulate material wealth, and build large mansions and fleets of boats. But without wage labor, they cannot staff their luxury yachts or compel others to serve them, so there is little advantage in the accumulation of resources. These people are also generally accepted however they do not receive social status or political power as a result of their accumulation of “things.”
The main reason this system works is that everyone is part of a social collective called “Gaiaflow” that provides for everyone’s basic needs in exchange for a commitment to work fixing the environment or learn skills necessary to maintain the Gaiaflow infrastructure.
People do still compete for status and power – but this competition is for the new most precious resource: knowledge. Knowledge has replaced money as currency. This is because a person's options are now determined by what they know, not by how much money they have.
In Capitalism, money is freedom and power. When every object or experience must be purchased, your purchasing power defines what you can do, what you have, where you can go, etc.
In Gaiaflow, knowledge and social skills are the traits that gain access to freedom and power. With access to all material goods, your abilities and options depend on how well you can utilize those resources to get stuff done in the world. If you are a highly-trained scientist, you can work within the techno-industrial system that really runs the world. This usually involves working with other people who all have similar “omnipotent” access to knowledge and material goods, so social skills are also important.
This whole economic system has created a hidden Meritocracy, where the people most intimately familiar with the workings of the system are in charge, albeit in such a way that barely anyone knows they are in charge, or that they even exist. They have matriculated upwards using their talents and increasing access to the inner workings of the techno-industrial network, and are in a position where they can see the levers that control the society itself. These people are generally benevolent, because of the way they've been naturally self-selected by the system. (Character examples: Fiona, Naomi, Kalen)
There is a second hidden force that controls things from within the Gaiaflow system, which is the massively intelligent Gaiaflow AI. This AI is overseen by the Gaiaflow engineers, and is the source of much debate among those involved as to the extent to which this AI is omnipotent vs. being under the control of the engineers. In the books, this AI is directly personified as BERT (Bionic Entropic Reaction Technology), the holographic avatar that interacts with members of the Gaiaflow community, especially the humans in leadership roles within the corporation.
Government
Crime & Legal System: It should be said from the beginning that certain crimes we are familiar with are almost non-existent in Gaiaflow. Murder and theft are two of these crimes. Murder is impossible with the personal defense bubbles protecting everyone, and in the rare cases where trust permits this system to be circumvented, as in married couples for instance, the level, of surveillance makes this kind of thing basically impossible to get away with. The rare cases are dealt with by exiling the perpetrators from Gaiaflow, but offering them the choice to stay with drastically reduced freedoms. They can gradually earn their freedoms back over decades of good behavior, all moderated by the AI. Some choose exile, but most choose to stay. (Soren seems to have another approach about how to handle crime, all his own, as we’ll soon see.—H)
In Gaiaflow, not everyone agrees, all the time, about what’s right and wrong. There are some rules that govern all, but for things to work best, it is the simplest for everyone to agree. That is not possible with the diversity of minds that naturally arises within a group of people. There are always a few dissenters, and they have to be either tolerated or dispensed with. There are several ways the Gaiaflow system has evolved to manage this issue:
First, the democratic Realms are given some latitude to make their own rules — although not much — and as a result have slightly unique characters. This allows discontented for people to move to places that might suit them better, and even more importantly gives people the notion that there is an alternative, even if they never choose it.
Foreign Relations: In Gaiaflow, all groups of people are governed essentially by the tech corp, but there are still nations that are permitted to differentiate themselves by their rules and belief systems. These hold tolerance out of mutual desire for peace among themselves and one another, but keeping these foreign relations means careful diplomacy and a system of diplomats who interact almost exclusively among themselves. These diplomats hold a special place in society, both as exiles and as revered social servants. Their families live in separate quarters from the others, but receive (as all do) anything that they need. Their children receive special education including cultural studies, physical defense lessons, and they have access to constantly updated knowledge about all the goings on around the world. Really though, foreign relations are similar to those between states in the US today, governed by the powerful arch-structure of Gaiaflow as the states are ruled by the federal government today.
Politics: Politics are carefully separated from daily life by most Gaiaflowans, as they don’t want to be trifled with the matters of state. Life in peace demands a certain attention on the peace, which is detracted from when the daily life is filled with who’s who and what’s what. Politics are a matter of corporate interests and as such are handled by the corporations themselves, alongside the diplomats.
Realpolitik: For those who do practice politics (the diplomats, the Gaiaflow leaders, etc.) there are a few recognized assumptions/truisms by which people operate.
The defense bubbles have so tilted military power towards defense and individual freedom as to render the power of states and armies meaningless for controlling individual humans. Yes, the armies with their nuclear arsenals could destroy the whole world — yet they no longer have the power to compel the citizenry. This was proven during the Revolution of 2055 (see History of Gaiaflow), and has been widely accepted among those “in power” since then.
The single greatest existential threat to the human race — and therefore the Gaiaflow corporation — is the natural environment and climate change. Humanity must work together to confront this challenge or perish together. This is widely accepted, and almost never questioned openly within Gaiaflow. Those living on the Reservations have a different attitude — more fatalistic and often opposed to ANY human intervention in the environment, even if it’s being done to “fix” the problems humans have caused.
War: Armed conflict between nations as we know it does not exist in Gaiaflow. Since a single corporate entity controls the system of economics and production, there is no incentive for it to start a war that would interrupt the functioning of the system. Occasionally agitators in the Reservations agitate for armed conflict, but so far this has never happened, and is not viewed by Gaiaflow leadership as an existential threat or even a legitimate possibility.
The Land
Physical & Historical Features
Realms – As the nearest possible thing to a true Utopia, and one seeking to solve many of the contradictions and inherent impossibilities of such a place, Gaiaflow has various realms with different customs and rules. Thus, people are given a certain amount of freedom within the system to do as they please, which helps manage the discontent that is an inherent part of human nature. People are more “satisfied” when they know there is an alternative to their current situation, even if they never take this alternative. The thirteenth realm is one of legend, a place that exists for pilgrimages.
Arcadia – Where people can go if they seek to live a more old-fashioned lifestyle, outside the technological bubble of matter compilers, nano-farming, and virtual-reality immersion games. Here, people farm the land using livestock and simple tools, build log cabins and stone castles, hunt (carefully bred and managed) wildlife, and practice traditional arts, crafts, and culture generally. Similar to the Amish lifestyle, but without any religious or cultural restrictions on morality or sexuality, or specific code of dress or conduct. Has elements of the “hippie commune” in it's return-to-nature attitude and Gaia-worship. Arcadia is moderated and supported by Gaiaflow. Notably, personal defense bubbles are still present in Arcadia, meaning it does not fully represent a return to the former society on the socio-political level, only the technological and agricultural levels.
Shambhala — This realm is devoted to spirituality, and is home to various societies of monks, priests, and religious scholars. Rather than try to repress and destroy religion, as the Communist leaders attempted in the 20th century, the Gaiaflow leaders of the 22nd century have realized that spirituality is an intrinsic part of human nature. Religious tolerance is mandatory, and
The “Democracies” — There are a number of realms in Gaiaflow that we would recognize as representative democracies. Citizens can sponsor and vote on ballot initiatives to create or change the realm’s laws and rules. Notably, all important laws about economics, foreign policy, criminality, and the distribution of resources are still determined by the Gaiaflow corporation. Still, this system allows for there to be some notable differences in customs and regulations in each democratic realm. This system allows for people who are dissatisfied to move to a place with customs and rules that are a better fit, and minimizes discontent within the Gaiaflow system.
Climate & Geography: Having seen the effect people made on the planet generations earlier, Gaiaflowians strive to live sustainably and though the climate is constantly in flux, the changes are slower now than they had been - leading to a more reliable weather cycle and simpler management of crops and resources. The planet exists with rocky crags, sandy deserts, lakes, dense forests, and plains, just as it is today.
Natural Resources: Animals coexist with Gaiaflowans, except where hunting is concerned. Some animals are provided bubbles to protect species in need, but these can be revoked as necessary to control population. The nano tech is mainly used for management of plant, fungus, and bacterial life, but as needed is applied medicinally for animal life.
Management and Sustainability: Human life is finally in balance with natural life on Gaia. Gaiaflow culture adapted to become sustainable as part of shifting into Utopian living and technology eased the transition for its inhabitants. Nanotechnologies seamlessly integrate the agriculture and permaculture to ensure humans keep balance with the natural world.
Population
Rural Factors
Urban Factors
Society & Culture
Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation
Architecture
Calendar
Daily Life
Diet: Gaiaflowans eat lots like we do, but they have incorporated insect proteins seamlessly since everyone was leaning toward greater sustainability and insects far outweighed other lifeforms on the planet. Many fruits and vegetables are regularly consumed, including some that are newer crops, adaptations from a warmer planet after climate change slowed. Some Gaiaflowans have special diets, but food allergies have been eliminated from the population. People tend to eat differently along with different sorts of energy expenditures.
Dining Customs: Individuals eat whenever they like, but meals are often taken together, even with just two people from different households eating together. Children and adults have constant access to foods and drinks so there is not much stigma about how eating happens, just being aware of their needs and fulfilling those as they are called to do so is customary. When meals are taken together, they tend to start with tea made of flowers, leaves and stems from plants that the Gaiaflowans grow in the greenhouses and outdoor green spaces. There are cafeterias as well as home cooking spaces and occasionally people eat together in large groups, especially outdoors.
Education
Ethics & Values
Fashion & Dress: The corporation manufactures and provides generic clothing that is minimalist but highly effective and of a high quality. There are also strict rules about production of clothing and other goods outside the corporation production, so artisans occasionally may create their own styling for their personal wardrobes but these are rarely or never marketed. Individuals may be seen in modified Gaiaflow clothing - printed and dyed as they see fit since these sorts of materials are widely available. Generally speaking, differentiating through clothing is not very popular as Gaiaflowans are more likely to differentiate through their abilities, relationships and technological accomplishments.
History
Language
Gestures
Manners
Meeting & Greeting
Religion & Philosophy
Social Organization
Specific Countries
Visits
Magic & Science
Magic & Magicians
Magic & Technology
Rules of Magic
Wizards
Medicine
Science & Technology
General
Defense Bubbles
Nanotech
Internet
Space Travel
Genetic Engineering
Energy: Freely available wirelessly, a la the most Utopian visions of Nikola Tesla. Solar energy is cheap and efficient, but uses rare elements that must be carefully preserved and recycled. However, without Capitalist vested interests impeding the use of efficient and open-source technology, energy is vastly cheaper to create and distribute.
Matter Compilers
Transportation & Communication