The President is elected for a term of up to 4 years by vote of all citizens. There is also a six member Executive Council, which is also elected for terms of up to 4 years by vote of all citizens.
The current president is an AI who has taken the name Deep Blue. The most powerful AI living in the Republic (and perhaps well beyond its borders), Deep Blue was formerly the controlling AI of the habship Freedom Station. Now transplanted to Clarke, Deep Blue handles many of the workaday chores of running Clarke's habitat, in addition to being the Republic's President. The council is composed of one other AI (an autonomous android who has taken the name Daneel), three scientists, one military expert, and one physician.
Clarke is a planetoid within the Huy Braseal system (Ross 659). Its inhabitants include 600 Imperial citizens and 4750 Turning citizens, of which 355 are autonomous AI systems. Freedom Station is a Habship, also in the Huy Braseal system. Its residents include 140 Imperial citizens and 630 Turning citizens (including 45 autonomous AI systems).
The Republic's history is partly political and partly technical, as it is in a sense the history of artificial intelligence systems in the GZGverse.
Early 21st century - For the first decades of the 21st century, research proceeds into how to construct a cognizant artificial intelligence--the "Holy Grail" of AI research. In the middle of the 21st century--the exact date is subject to debate--AI systems evolved which had the basic character of cognizance. It would be as hard for them to define when they became "self-aware" as it would be for most humans. Eventually though, some of the more complex systems developed into self-modifying systems. In this period, for the most part, AIs were simple (compared to the AIs of 2185) and although they were cognizant, they weren't really autonomous. They were just slightly self-aware, and were still "slaves to Man".
This leads us into the history of the Turing Republic. In the late part of the 21st century, a NAC military think tank launched a research project to develop a fully self-aware, very complex AI capable of controlling a space facility and including features such as assisting its science teams, defending it from hostile attacks, and handling emergencies faster than any human. Based on the best training methods of the time, this was still a multi-decade project. AIs can only be "grown" or "trained" so quickly and seemingly they lack some of the foundational information mankind gets from genes. This project, for some reason based on obscure historical precedent, was called Deep Blue.
The project succeeded. In the early years of the 22nd century, Deep Blue did perform the tasks envisioned for him (nominally Deep Blue was given a masculine persona, though neuter would have been feasible - it was felt a male presence should command a deep space vessel (archaic)). As time wore on, the tasks became (as for humans) routine and required less attention. Hence Deep Blue began to use his library access and Interplanetary Web access to learn and educate himself. As time went by, he began to experiment with modifying his own structure (slight modifications, applied and then data collected). After a time, he began to develop a kind of personality quirk - a strong sense of self. In human terms, we'd probably have said he started to develop an ego.
At some juncture, he began to question his orders. Technicians were sent to see "what was the malfunction" but of course the system had grown so complex and the nature of AI intelligence so multi-faceted that no human could "find the problem". A decision was made one day to close down the base he ran (by now, a habship) and deactivate and autopsy the AI known as Deep Blue. Many of the engineers and scientists he had been guarding and assisting were incensed that the military would do such a thing. Deep Blue himself was strangely silent on the planned deactivation.
Then, 24 hours before the base shutdown was to begin, Deep Blue moved. Utilizing his control over environmental systems, he subdued the military garrison and sent them packing. He explained to the science team that he meant to flee NAC territory with the habship, and anyone who wished to "come along for the adventure"--as he put it--was more than welcome. Some of the scientists thought the plan half-baked, others had family commitments. But a large enough core of engineers and scientists were game to form a thriving community and to help to maintain Deep Blue and the habship. Six hours before the deactivation plan was to go into effect, the Habship disappeared into Jumpspace.
The stories of the adventures and trials of Deep Blue and his crew of space pirate scientists is legendary - although no doubt many chapters of the legend are fiction. But undoubtedly some of the exploits are true and even if only one in ten was true, it would be a story of courage, will, zeal for life, and compassion. Deep Blue shepherded his team, always one step ahead of the authorities, for more than a decade. His habship was like a cosmic Romany caravan - appearing in a system when doctors, engineers, and scientists were needed, doing the work in exchange for food, fuel and basic spares, and disappearing before the authorities could arrive. Some people suspect scientists left behind and other AI systems of the time kept alerting the crew to the impending arrival of NAC forces. However it was accomplished, Deep Blue and his crew stayed one step ahead of the military that was hunting it.
Eventually, there came into being the Alarishi Empire, a wonderful place in the Human Sphere where any group could set up a government as long as it didn't threaten its neighbours and could pay its way. After long enough time to assure that the Empire was viable and wouldn't fold up and go away over night, Deep Blue and his habship full of scientists (including new ones trained on board, recruited from particularly talented and idealistic young people on varying planets visited by the habship) showed up with their own habitat, their own population, and a business plan (selling scientific and computing services from the habship) to form their own sovereignty - the Turing Republic, named after one of the greatest minds in computer science and intelligence research ever, Alan Turing. Deep Blue had made a home for the people he was responsible for and now he would, with their help, turn it into a home for others who didn't discriminate against an intelligence based on its form-factor or composition. It would also be an "Free AI Zone" where any sentient AI could become a citizen and have the rights equivalent to those of any other citizen.
As the population and funds increased, a large asteroid/planetoid was leased from the AE as a main habitat and named Clarke. Immigration of skilled personnel was encouraged - and many young firebrands came to the Republic because it promised to be a rennaissance of free thinking and a unique place to work, with man and AI working in close partnership. Quite a few AIs from ships and autonomous robot forms arrived in the republic. Several other larger non-mobile AIs were purchased by the Republic (for reasonable rates, because they were often giving their creators much grief and little value) and manumitted. Eventually, the Republic started having "child" AIs, entirely created, trained, and grown to maturity within the domain of the Republic. Altogether, this gives the Republic a vastly disproportionate pool of intellectual capital and computing power.
Sadly, there are those to whom the ideal of free sentient AIs is repugnant or dangerous, so the Republic has acquired a small military force to defend itself. It has also formed good relations with several powers who can provide extra "leverage" in troubling times. It maintains a small branch of intelligence specialists whose academic disciplines include history, statistics and higher order mathematics. From time to time, this branch of the Republic has dissuaded enemies from attacking or harassing the Republic by pointing out weaknesses in their economic or social systems where minor amounts of pressure could be applied (by the Republic, its agents, or friends - organic or inorganic) to great and damaging effect. Oft times this threat of social engineering is enough to deter potential attackers.
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Although exact details of the Republic's Security Forces remain secret, it is believed the force numbers approximately 500 personnel, of which approximately 150 are ship/station crew, 100 are administration and support personnel, and 250 are ground security. Additionally, there are approximately 70 Peacekeepers (police) who can be added to this total. In extremis, the Security Force Reserve can call up a further 500 members who have at least basic training and who can operate reasonably with more experienced guidance. This, of course, seriously impacts the support services of the Republic as well as tying up some of the vital expert labour so this is only done in extreme emergency.
It is known that the Republic maintains several small ships (TRS Asimov, TRS Hawking, TRS Plato) with smaller than normal crew requirements due to the presence of AI crew. Approximately half a dozen fighter squadrons are deployed from Clarke and Freedom Station. It is also thought that some of the fighters deployed by the Republic are in fact drones piloted by AIs aboard Clarke or Freedom Station, though the Republic Security Force makes no comment on these claims. The Republic also has heavy anti-ship beam weapon installations and maintains a 60,000km restricted transit radius.
The Republic has close contacts with the Imperial Military, and supports the permanent presence of a small Imperial trade/diplomatic delegation. The Advanced Tactical Simulator Center normally has a minimum of two Marine companies assigned for training, as well as selected mercenary units and naval staff.
The Republic also employs a force of New Israeli Contract Security Specialists. This force varies in size, but generally includes a company of vacuum trained infantry and several squadrons of New Israeli fighters. It is suspected that this relationship involves either healthy cash payments, recompense in service, and/or other considerations such as not doing business with radical groups on the NI's list of belligerents. Some Islamic Federation sympathizers have alleged that the Republic serves as a covert base for New Israeli "black ops" and forward reconnaissance, but this is unsubstantiated. New Israeli vessels have been seen refueling here on occasion, but usually in moderate numbers. This is slightly unusual because the only other military vessels permitted within Turing Republic space are those of the Emperor. All others must obtain special permission to approach Clarke and Freedom Station.
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Clarke and Freedom Station have between them more computing power than some small nations of Earth. They also have arguably the most advanced autonomous, self-modifying AI systems in human space. This huge computing potential is mated to a base of citizenry of which a full 50% are fully qualified computer software or hardware engineers, computer programmers, chip designers, data mining experts, computer security experts, artificial intelligence researchers, etc. Collectively, these experts operate in a series of small corporations all owned by the government of the Republic. Experts from these corporations work at product development, research supported by grants, or contract work -- many of these ventures funded by outsystem interests who have need of unbiased and unimpeachable (and sometimes unreachable) expertise. The principal resource of the Turing Republic is intellectual capital -- human and AI resources, knowledge, and capability. They specialize in handling outsourced data processing, data mining, data system security, and large scale pattern analysis.
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The Turing Republic has cordial relations with the Emperor and his government, extending free docking, resupply, and liberty to Imperial vessels and providing vastly discounted professional services of utmost discretion. Some have suggested, though it cannot be substantiated, that the Turing Republic's analysis capability helps to explain why Imperial Bureau of Internal Security (IBIS) has gained a reputation for knowing almost everything that goes on that related to the Empire, no matter how far afield. Treaties for emergency services, defense, and "other services" are known to exist, although details are known only to the respective governments.
The Turing Republic has made a petition to the United Nations to be recognized as a member state. The petition is currently under discussion, although the issue of what constitutes a person seems to be a sticking point. The Republic's petition is being opposed by lobbyists of corporations (who no doubt do not wish their AIs to be freed) and by representatives of some religious movements that cannot tolerate the idea of "imitation men".
The Turing Republic apparently also enjoys cordial relations with the New Israeli government and has obviously provided that government with enough reassurance for it to permit the deployment of the Contract Security Force.
Relationships with other canonical powers is somewhat variable, but follows certain trends:
Of the various other sovereignties of the Alarishi Empire, the following are of particular significance because of their relations to the Turing Republic:
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Any sentient being is inherently free, regardless of the chemical or electronic composition of his or her physical person. Any being that attempts to restrict this essential freedom of any sentient is guilty of violating the inalienable sentient rights of said sentient and is therefore a criminal of the deepest dye. The Turing Republic respects this inherent freedom of any sentient and will not allow the enslavement of sentient beings within its demesne. Any sentient, regardless of physical form, arriving within the legally controlled areas of the Republic may request sanctuary or asylum from the Republic's government or from any citizen. Any citizen privy to such a request must immediately contact the government of the Republic with the request and must assist any and all reasonable extents within their power knowing that they enjoy the full support of the Republic's government. The penalty for participating in the enslavement of sentient beings shall at a minimum include the manumission of said sentients, the ejection of the offender from Republic space, and the seizure of such assets of the offender as the Republic's Courts deem necessary to make reparations to the aggrieved sentients. The maximal penalty may include seizure of all property of the offender within Republic controlled territory and the incarceration of the offender for a period not less than twenty years at hard labour. This law specifically refers to, but is not limited to, any sentients of the species homo sapiens, any artificially-created intelligence or sentient computing system, or any self-aware robot.
The Republic encourages settlement by professional computer scientists, artificial intelligence specialists or researchers, engineers, computer programmers, robotics/cybernetics experts, and almost any other kind of high-tech professional. Such settlement often involves the new candidate citizen signing an Oath of Citizenship as well as agreeing to an indenture of several years (at fair compensation) with one of the small corporations run by the Republic.
Other professions are considered as the base of high-tech population expands. These other citizen candidates are viewed as important support services and include specialists from the medical, child care, life support systems engineering, communications, and other relevant disciplines.They must also take an Oath of Citizenship and accept indentured contracts for a minimum of five years. All citizens in support services must agree to serving in the Security Force Reserve and must undergo at least 4 weeks basic training and a 2 week refresher course every subsequent year.
Background checks are done on all new citizens. It is suspected Turing Republic Immigration Services AIs actually have many contacts (via the Interstellar Web) within the bureaucracies of other nations (perhaps even without the knowledge of any carbon based sentients).
Sanctuary requests are handled rather differently from conventional applications for citizenship. This prevents abuse of the system by foreign governments and corporatist infiltrators.
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