In the far future science-fiction world of
Peter F. Hamilton's
Night's Dawn trilogy,
mankind is divided into two distinct
cultural factions, the
Adamists and the
Edenists.
The Basics
The larger and more conservative of the two factions, the Adamists
reject Edenist bitek, mostly on religious grounds. They
make up for this deficiency with an advanced knowledge of particle
physics and nanotechnology. Though most Adamists retain 100% human
DNA, they often modify themselves with nanotech implants. The
Adamist faction incorporates many thousands of nations and
sub-cultures, united by little more than their rejection of the bitek
lifestyle. Adamist
culture is very similar to the culture of present-day Earth.
How They Get Around
Adamist starships are direct descendants of the rockets and
orbiters of today, consisting of zero-G crew areas, life support
systems, cargo
bays, and propulsion drives. They are built around a central fusion
reactor which generates power for all ships' systems, as well as
providing thrust. The bridge contains acceleration couches which
protect the crew during high-G maneuvers, along with a sophisticated
computer system that downloads flight data directly into the
captain's
mind. The ships are perfectly spherical, as the
space-folding ZTT jump
technology that allows interstellar travel can only form a spherical
event horizon.
Where They Live
Adamists live in Bernal Sphere-style colonies, hollowed-out
asteroid
space stations, and on the surfaces of earthlike planets. There is
one
Adamist bitek habitat, called Tranquility. Adamists colonize far more
aggressively than the Edenists do, and control far more natural
resources. Earth itself is still inhabited, but since the destruction
of its atmosphere, everyone there has lived in arcologies.
Though the frontier worlds are primitive and there are some very
conservative worlds, most Adamists live in high-tech versions of
today's nations.
Nanotechnology
The pinnacle of Adamist science is nanotechnology, which influences
nearly every facet of their society. Nanotech band-aids heal broken
bones in hours, and, for those with enough money, nanotech implants
can
increase their physical abilities far beyond those of unmodified
humans. However, the most revolutionary use of nanotechnology is the
neural nanotech suite. Any Adamist of reasonable means can have a
microscopic but powerful computer installed in their brain, which
can
serve a limitless number of functions. Adamists use them to play
video
on their retinas, to control vehicles and complex tools, and to store
large amounts of information which they could not remember on their
own. Starship captains control their ships with commands from their
neural nanos. Soldiers use them to trigger artificial adrenaline
highs
and to block pain. Software modules allow them, Matrix-like, to
learn
kung fu instantly. They can access worldwide systems of wireless
broadband communication. Finally, in an approximation of Edenist
affinity, Adamists with neural nanotech installed can send "mental
ICQs" to one another. Though these messages are transmitted almost
instantly, they are received consciously as a form of language,
rather
than unconsciously in the manner of affinity. Thus, Adamists can
neither live beyond physical death nor form a Consensus - they are
restricted to a kind of cell phone in their head.
Weapons Systems
Without the Edenist ability to form a Consensus, Adamists are still
subject to constant wars and infighting. As a result, Adamist
research
has a tendency to focus on new and efficient ways of killing
people.
Three examples stand out.
The combat wasp is an automated drone missile launched from
spacecraft, capable of accelerating at up to 20 gees. Most
ship-to-ship combat is performed by these heavily-armed drones, which
duel according to their programming between the ships. They are so
effective that a single drone escaping the melee spells doom for any
but the most resourceful of ships.
Antimatter is just like it is in real life - expensive and
difficult to produce, but fantastically destructive. It is universally
banned by treaty. Secret black market antimatter stations produce
it in
small quantities for the unscrupulous, who use it with
extreme caution.
A drop of anti-hydrogen can destroy continents.
The Alchemist is a top-secret weapon of mass destruction
invented
by Dr. Alkad Mzu, who was captured before its deployment and is kept
under tight surveillance at all times. Though its exact capabilities
are unknown, it's rumored to be able to destroy entire star systems.
Attitude toward Edenists
Adamists find Edenists to be blunt, frivolous, and
immoral.
Because Edenists are almost inhumanly well-adjusted, they make little
allowance for the feelings of those who cannot
communicate as well as
they. Adamists often find this superior attitude grating. Though there
has never been actual war between the Adamists and the Edenists,
relations are perpetually strained.
Adamists of note include womanizing starship captain Joshua "LaGrange"
Calvert and the aristocratic Lord of Ruin, Ione Saldana.