Autonomous settlements
Autonomous settlements are settlements which do not have any formal contact with the outside world and exist without oversight. They have no single origin, but can be grouped into three "types": experimental, cut-off, and wildcats.
History[edit | edit source]
Preglacial settlements are the oldest. Large underground settlements were usually national projects, but it was obvious to all that these would only ever be able to hold a miniscule fraction of humanity. Efforts by smaller groups were carried out worldwide. Most of these were intended to be parts of the larger network of settlements, but even in this hectic time there were various social experiments in the works, which have enjoyed varying levels of success.
States invariably have a low opinion of autonomous communities. Besides the issue of communities with radically divergent - and sometimes antagonistic - cultures than their neighbors, these communities are de facto sovereign and threaten the state's integrity by calling into question its ability to govern throughout all of its territory. This is especially so for states which are poorly integrated, such as the Eurasian Union.
Several states have launched military campaigns against autonomous settlements. The United States has maintained a policy of striking at settlements it deems a threat. The most notorious example of this is Thurmond, which was destroyed in a nuclear assault in 2151. The Chinese Republic is perhaps the most bellicose; at any one time it will be at war with several communities, some of which may have banded together.
Outreach programs are popular in the West. After the destruction of Thurmond, local programs were started to bring these communities into mainstream American society by connecting them to the national network of rail tunnels. Brazil has initiated the quilombo program, which grants cultural and political autonomy in exchange for governmental oversight and regulation.
Experimental[edit | edit source]
Experimental settlements are those which were built with the intent to create novel societies. Many of these perished, but a few continue to exist today. Modern governments are particularly wary of them because they are probably the most secretive and likely to violate societal norms. Notable examples of these settlements in the United States are the Free Zone in Southwest, Riverbend in Mid-Atlantic, and Galt's Gulch and Europa, both in Rockies. Other examples are known to exist outside of the country, such as Steinerberg in Germany and Palmares in Brazil.
Cut-off[edit | edit source]
Cut-off settlements are settlements which were built to be a part of a national network, but have been sundered because of natural disasters or the collapse of the central government. These are quite rare for the simple fact that networked settlements were not designed to be materially autonomous, and those which lose contact with the rest of the nation tend to fizzle out. Volkstaat is the most prominent example, being the only settlement in Africa south of Nigeria which is still inhabited.
Wildcats[edit | edit source]
Wildcat settlements are those which were not built with the consent or participation of national governments. They are likely the most common type of settlement. The kind of wildcat settlement most known to ordinary citizens are those which are offshoots of sanctioned cities; Mexico City is famous for these. In many situations these settlements threaten the structural integrity of carefully planned settlements and overburden utilities, so they are frequently the target of aggression.
The other type of wildcat dates to the beginning of the glacial age. As with experimental settlements, people who were not going into sanctioned cities banded together to create their own habitats. However, these populations were not composed of people with a common vision or goal except for survival, and they often did not have the full range of skills needed for the efficient management of underground populations. Problems with inbreeding, nutritional deficits, and social disorder have frequently caused wildcats to fail, but states with humanitarian concerns have invaded some when they are discovered.
