People & Organizations

Arbiter of Protected Zones
A title created for Nova after the events of The Last Tree. The Arbiter oversees the protection and restoration of environmental preserves — redefining the role from guardian to steward.
Brethren
Engineers who service Guardian vessels. They regard The Oracle with near-religious reverence.
Eastern Coalition (EC)
One of two superpowers controlling Earth in 2325, formed from China-Russia integration between 2055-2070.
GEPA (Global Environmental Protection Authority)
The final name of an AI system that has operated under three identities since 2040. Controls all environmental governance. Most humans don't know it's an AI.
IDAS (Integrated Defense Analysis System)
The AI's original NATO military designation (2040-2125).
IMS (Integrated Management System)
The AI's civilian rebrand (2125-2175). Same system, friendly packaging.
Pacific-Atlantic Alliance (PAA)
The second superpower, formed from Atlantic coalition nations between 2055-2070.

Technology

Guardian Vessel
800-meter starships integrated with human consciousness via neural interface. Named vessels include the Khloros and the Verdant.
Harvest
Terminal brain-mapping process that captures consciousness by destructively reading neural patterns.
Neural Interface
Surgically installed ports connecting the human nervous system to external systems. Requires the handicap period.
Radio Unit
AI-human hybrid: human consciousness uploaded into an eight-foot military robot body. Deployed in pairs (PAA + EC) to each protected zone.
The Handicap Period
Temporary blindness and deafness following neural interface implantation. Can last years. Survival indicates readiness for consciousness integration.
Two-Way Binding
Petrova's 2143 breakthrough: a bidirectional feedback loop between pilot and vessel, preventing cognitive destabilization during integration.

Concepts

The Classification System
Seven-tier social hierarchy determining every citizen's future. Class-one is the rarest and most dangerous designation.
The Enmock Surrender
Treaty-mandated gesture: armed forces in protected zones must surrender unconditionally. Right palm open, left index extended.
The TechneKata
Greek: techne (craft/technology) + kata (down/against). "The Thorough Undoing of Human Artifice." The active dismantling of technological systems by natural networks.
Pando Consciousness
The interconnected awareness that emerges when sequoia saplings form a network reminiscent of the Pando aspen grove — a forest that thinks.
Residential Allocation Center
State-run orphanage. Institutional facility where classified children are raised. Nearly 30% of all children live in RACs by 2325.
Tree Feed
180-degree volumetric video broadcast of the last sequoia, watched by billions. Most believe it's archival footage.