Technology developed quite fast under the influence of the Roman-Chinese rivalry, reaching great heights just before the Nex. Since the reconstruction began technology has advanced and is now approximately as advanced as it was before the Nex, although cultural differences have affected developments in some areas.
Most of Tellus' energy is now supplied by cold fusion power plants, which are small and light enough that they can be used in vehicles, or even man-portable devices, although due to expense civilian vehicles more often use superconducting batteries for power. However, many buildings which date from before the re-development of fusion power still carry wind turbines, and orbital solar power satellites still beam energy down to Tellus from orbit. Several less well-developed nations still use wind turbines to provide much of their electrical power. Because of the lack of metals and power in the post-Nex world many building are constructed to be as energy-efficient as possible, and, especially in the poorer areas this has led to huge blocks of communal housing.
Some scientists have proposed research into anti-matter power technology, but this has been rejected on the grounds of cost and danger by most governments.
No means of generating grav-thrust has been developed, but highly efficient fusion rockets and jet engines have been developed which allow interplanetary travel and rapid supersonic flight in-atmosphere. These are small enough that they can be used even in suits of powered combat armour. Magnetic levitation railways are used quite widely in the more developed nations, both above and below ground.
Many nations use airships for both commercial and military aviation. These are fusion powered and rigid-framed. Commercial airships are used both for carrying cargo and luxury cruises, while military airships are often used as flying command posts and aircraft/combat armour carriers.
All military aircraft, and most civilian ones, land and take off vertically.
Communications is by radio, alses link or fibre-optic cable. The general form of broadcast signal is holovision.
Computer science and robotics are very advanced, but the range of products produced is limited by memories of the Nex. Although they could be built, there are no AI's anywhere in the world, and no mobile robots apart from remote-operated worker devices. All nations have very strict laws against the construction of any form of armed or military robot, and unlike many such laws it is actually obeyed.
The only place where robotics is really used is in the construction of the various types of military and civilian powered armour, but even then it is always totally under human control.
Technology is advanced enough that some form of cyberspace could be developed, but the general distrust of omnipresent computers has stopped the implementation of any such plan.
All forms of electromagnetic and electrical sensor are well developed. The only ones lacking are those which rely on gravity generation or psionics for their operation, as these are technolgies which do not exist on Tellus.
Medicine is advanced. Cloning and the regeneration of limbs and organs, including the central nervous system, is possible, giving the richer citizens of most developed nations a long, healthy, lifespan. Genetic engineering of almost any kind could be carried out, but as with robotics, memories of some of the things which happened during the Nex and the interregnum prevent its being used, and produce a general public distrust of these techniques.
Cybernetics is also fairly well advanced, and provides replacement limbs and organ for the less well-off. The technology is developed enough that replacements which improve on the original human flesh could be constructed, but this is not done for the same reasons as genetic engineering is avoided.
The means to exist in hostile environments are well developed. Several large settlements on Luna and in Tellus orbit are almost entirely self-sufficient, as are several undersea and polar settlements. The Inuit Confederation are a world leader in these technologies due to their having to exist in a hostile part of the world.
Although the Tellurian environment has been degraded somewhat by the Nex, with many land areas still being dotted by old craters and other signs of the war, the centuries since then have flushed most of the poisons out of the ecosystem, and the availability of fusion power and the lack of metal has limited the environmental damage done in the rebuilding of civilisation.
Most weaponry consists of some form of laser or missile, from handguns up to strategic weaponry. However, no nation in the world possesses any form of nuclear weapon (although most developed nations could produce them fairly quickly if necessary), and chemical weapons are also frowned upon. Airships act as military aircraft carriers and command centres, blocking incoming missile with laser fire and lasers with chaff (military airships use internal ducted fans for propulsion, for stealth reasons). Almost no military surface ships are used, but military submarines of various types are widely used. All military water vehicles are very well armoured and defended. Supersonic stealth 'cruise' missiles act as a strategic strike capability, as ICBM's are negated by orbital anti-missile laser (treaties exist which prohibit offensive weapons in orbit, but it is an open secret that many nations ignore these agreements). Powerful fixed laser emplacements defend strategic sites. Fusion-jet aircraft also act as a strike and air-defence capability, while flying (with wings) powered armour forces are used for reconnaissance and subtle strike missions (these armoured troops are considered the elite in many militaries, both by themselves and the public).
The Triple Alliance uses Iron Falcon flying combat armour.
Rome uses Death's Head armour.
China uses Sky Dragon combat armour.
Many areas of Tellurian technology, such as medicine and computers, are as advanced as those of the Overman 2336 world, although their principles of operation may differ. However, they may seem more primitive because of the social differnces which limit their use. In some areas, such as using fusion power plants as propulsion systems, Tellus is more advanced, if only because the Overman world never had to consider building such devices.
Go to the Tellus Timeline, Society or World pages.