The Society of Conscious Thought

Like the Sisters of Eve, the Society of Conscious Thought (SoCT) began as a spiritual organization.  It was founded by the Jove Ior Labron in 23044 to as a means to discover the meaning of life by exploring humanity’s spirit and psyche.  This small cult appears to have gradually matured into a powerful institution for research and education with a firm interest in the advancement of human condition through the use of technology.  As their numbers grew and their operations expanded, the SoCT established firm communities in isolated pockets of deep space.  These sequestered semi-autonomous enclaves, known as kitzes, served as epicenters for the Society’s research and education initiatives.  Schools within the kitzes became renowned for their quality and it appears that many of the most powerful Jove families attempted to gain admission; sometimes by donating large sums of money to the Society and its projects.

Over time, the SoCT and its membership became an influential and omnipresent aspect of Jove politics and there are indications that their members were operating as a sort of conspiratorial collective; a “shadow government”.  Little information is available on how the other Jove political factions cooperated with the SoCT, but it is clear that many resisted the spread of their influence.  That resistance, however, does not appear to have enjoyed adequate momentum until it was discovered that the SoCT was engaging in some rather questionable activities.  Revelations of human experiments, associations a particularly nefarious movement (which we will address next), and the general secrecy surrounding their activities led to a near collapse of the SoCT and their operations.  Their funding was curtailed, their power stripped, and the kitzes were forced underground.

But the Society endured.  A core of moderate members appears to have assumed control of the Society and tempered its more radical elements.  They began by re-opening their educational institutions and, in a radical step, opened those doors to non-Jove denizens of New Eden.  The selection process, however, was still highly cryptic with no single race, gender, social status, etc. appearing to have the upper hand.  Despite the exclusivity, this new Society did its best to maintain transparency and Jove inspectors appear to have been placated by the Society’s shift in focus.  The kitzes reformed and became an invaluable social institution once again; this time with more of a focus on the humanities rather than the hard sciences…at least overtly.

That brings us to the Society today.  On the outside, it remains a highly-sought after source of education in the Cluster along with an important source of research in the fields of sociology, education, theology and psychology…but as with the Sisters, still waters run deep.

This series continues with Part 4 – The Society and Sansha’s Nation