Kenya

From Gothpoodle

• Population: 45 million
• Aspects: Very Stable, Free, Fourth Wave

For most of the 21st century, Kenya has managed to remain a stable country, developing slowly but steadily with help from South Africa and (to a lesser degree) the European Union. Local society is strongly Preservationist, and has concentrated on developing Kenya’s natural resources while keeping most of the country in as wild a state as possible. Bioroid manufacture and the development of radical new human genetics have been almost unheard of here. Most of Kenya’s people are the result of very conservative genetic therapies, and are close matches for the original human stock.

Kenya is one of the most prosperous nations in sub- Saharan Africa. It is moderately developed, having fully absorbed Fourth Wave biotechnology, and is roughly comparable to China in technology and standard of living. Since 2093 Kenya has been the focus for the Olympus Project, the first attempt at constructing a “beanstalk” ground-to-orbit system for Earth. When completed, the beanstalk will bridge the distance between the summit of Mount Kenya and geosynchronous orbit, cutting the cost of interface transport dramatically. Primary investors include South Africa, the European Union, Australia, and Japan.

The Olympus Project has brought a great deal of investment to Kenya, boosting the local economy. Unfortunately, it has also brought some unwanted outside attention. The American launch facilities in Ecuador, for decades the busiest spaceport on the planet, now face obsolescence almost overnight once the beanstalk is completed. Meanwhile, the Transpacific Socialist Alliance also opposes the beanstalk project, fearing the economic advantage it would give to the capitalist nations. These rivals have been pursuing a number of strategies for stopping or subverting the Olympus Project, making Kenya the site for considerable scheming.