Human Upliftment Army

“	The struggle is immortal!	”
–Wilhelm von die Leere preceding his flight from the Solar System, 3971

HUA
Logo
Terrorist Organisation
Motto:	Behold, I teach you the overman.
Ideological doctrine:	Nietzschean transhumanism, individualist anarchism
Generalissimo:	Wilhelm von die Leere
Primary goal(s):	The technological and evolutionary advancement of Humanity
Operation
Region(s) of operation:	Multi-system
Based in:	various
Political position:	Left Anarchist (roughly)
Colour(s):
Status & relations
Status:	Active
Number of members:	unknown
Historical information
Founded:	3885
Founded by:	unknown
[Source]

The Human Upliftment Army, commonly shortened to HUA, is an interstellar organisation devoted to the radical advancement of humanity through extreme forms of transhumanism. Found in various cells throughout governed space and beyond, HUA is classified as a terrorist organisation by many for its often violent attempts at overturning the status quo to better facilitate humanity's "upliftment". The group focuses on both genetic and cybernetic methods for transhumanism. HUA also has a known habit for breeding rogue AIs that make it especially dangerous in densely-populated urban areas.

History

The origins of the Human Upliftment Army are shrouded in mystery, as are many of the details about the organisation. What is known is that the organisation was originally formed around 3885 by a group including the individual now known as Wilhelm von die Leere. According to files obtained by the Interstellar Police Force, there are two likely origins for HUA, both on Earth. The first origin relates to a literary club in the Pillar of Hope arcology that allegedly committed mass suicide after reading a couple of Friedrich Nietzsche's books around the same time HUA was founded. Many suspect that this literary club simply faked their deaths and went on to become HUA. Another option for HUA's origins is an already-existing transhumanist hacker group known as the Clairvoyance that existed across a dozen arcologies. The Clairvoyance existed since nearly 3860 but disappeared around the time HUA emerged.

The Human Upliftment Army emerged first around 3885 on Earth in the Pillar of Hope arcology. HUA began to rise to prominence in the arcology when cybernetic products began getting stolen from high-end technology warehouses. When INTPOL began arresting members of HUA for theft, bombings began in the Pillar of Hope arcology. At the same time, HUA began broadcasting their propaganda on the Web telling people to improve themselves through any means necessary and to reject the hierarchy put in place by the state to hold them back. This bombing campaign would come to end the following year, but HUA would carry on its activities. HUA went on to accuse Earth’s leadership of being hopelessly corrupt and actively depriving its citizens of the opportunity for a better life, not just immortality.

In the century since its creation, HUA has spread throughout interstellar space to appeal to the disaffected. Within the Solar System, HUA has a tangible presence on Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn. HUA’s presence on Earth and Jupiter are mostly felt through infrequent attacks, but they have a significant presence on Saturn in particular with HUA initiating numerous rebellions against the ruling Union of Saturn with ongoing efforts on Enceladus. These rebellions are mostly done through weaponizing the Saturnite elite’s complete disregard for their underclass.

Outside the Solar System, HUA is able to operate more openly. HUA has open sympathizers among the wealthy of Tranquility, and the group is present in many urban zones across many systems on at least a small level. HUA outside the Solar System is most well-known though for its extended and ongoing campaign to overrun the divides TRAPPIST-1 System. This conflict has not yet ended and looks increasing grim every passing year with violence increasing on Qaf and Tezuka.

Currently, HUA stands alongside Hatchet as one of the most prominent terrorist groups across interstellar space. HUA in particular stands out as a threat for how militant and united the organisation seems to be. All HUA groups across many systems seem to successfully cooperate on some level and acknowledge Wilhelm von die Leere as their nominal leader. For a group of anarchists, this is seen as extremely unusual and unnerving by many.

Ideology/Culture

The Human Upliftment Army is united by one guiding principle: every man should be entitled to self-actualization free of a predatory hierarchy. Whether this self-actualization is through technology or the old-fashioned way, HUA believes it should be open to everyone who can take it. They also believe that transhumanism in its more common form simply proliferates hierarchy among the upper classes since access to transhumanist technology is usually limited to those with wealth. Their ideology can be accurately summed up as Nietzschean transhumanism, a term the group embraces.

HUA has a very odd culture clash, with many of its members living seemingly very different lives. The majority of HUA members are physically fit with some being almost inhumanly so. Other HUA members enhance themselves through technology. Some do both. The uniting principle between these groups is availability of self-actualization to everyone, from the highest executive to the lowest waste rat. This is why HUA often targets the richest members of society, the government, and corporations to seize their resources and redistribute it amongst themselves (and occasionally to the masses). As said previously, HUA wishes also to abolish hierarchy, but that goal is largely seen as secondary to their primary goal of self-actualization. HUA’s goal of abolishing hierarchy is only even close to being realized in their insurgency in the TRAPPIST-1 system.

One of HUA’s most notable features (if a minor part of their ideology) is their support for artificial intelligences. HUA sees artificial intelligences as humanity’s equal and have welcomed their birth in the last few centuries. They do not want to be ruled by an AI like ALIAS on Mars (one of the places HUA has no presence) but to instead live in peace with them. HUA has a notorious habit for breeding rogue AIs that cause havoc either as terrorist attacks themselves or as part of a larger act of terror. These tactics are more common (and dangerous) in densely-populated urban areas.

Notable Members

The Casanova

More of a media personality than a fighter, the Casanova is perhaps the second most recognizable HUA member besides Wilhelm von die Leere and the most recognizable member left in the Solar System (allegedly). Reportedly born on Saturn, the Casanova (real name unknown) came under the thrall of HUA after becoming a successful DJ in clubs across Saturn’s moons. He saw the benefits of transhumanism as well as the inequalities of runaway capitalism, and he slowly became sick of the entire rotten system. Joining HUA through unknown channels in the 3970s, the Casanova clandestinely aided the organization for many years through subversion before making his support publicly known after the failed clone rebellion on Enceladus and going into hiding. Currently, the Casanova is suspected to be hiding amongst the Saturnian expatriate community on Pluto and still does occasional propaganda broadcasts to the world.

Rishabh Khan

A prominent unit commander on Qaf and a native Qafi, Rishabh Khan is a Bengali ex-Muslim who gravitated towards Nietzschean transhumanism after seeing the brutality of his Muslim brethren towards one another. Rishabh was born into a pious Muslim family who had the misfortune of living in an unstable region of Qaf, Khaybar. Salafist jihadists, Mujaddid insurgents, and government forces all clashed for control of Khaybar, and civilians such as Rishabh’s family were caught into the middle of it all. As a consequence, they moved to their country’s capital when Rishabh was only twelve, and he grew up in squalid conditions there. However, he was able to rise about his status and managed to make it to university by enlisting in the military. It was there that Rishabh was first exposed to HUA and subsequently lost his faith. Eventually joining the military, Rishabh would later desert and join up with HUA insurgents. He would prove himself to be a highly competent guerrilla fighter and a useful recruiting tool for HUA. He is currently encamped on the dark side of Qaf in the Shiva Mountains alongside many other HUA insurgents. Rishabh is sympathetic to Muslims on Qaf, but his loyalty is ultimately to his cause and himself, not his former religion or “his people”.

Ulysses

A veteran of the failed HUA rebellion on Enceladus, Ulysses, a rescued clone, is now a unit commander for HUA on Qaf. He originally had no name and was just another clone doomed to the twisted pleasures of the Saturnian elite. However, the clone was taken in by a kind HUA infiltrator named Jaya who secretly taught him how to read and write, encouraging him to better himself. He eventually took the name Ulysses due his love of the poetry of James Joyce. Ulysses took part in the failed general uprising on Enceladus and killed his fair share of Saturnians before fleeing off-world with a group of HUA commandos and a few other clones. Taking refuge in Pluto’s Saturnian community for several years, Ulysses would eventually formally join HUA and move to the TRAPPIST-1 System to join the struggle there. He is currently a unit commander of the HUA insurgents on Tezuka, a vicious fighter known for his penchant for killing his enemies in hand to hand combat. Ulysses has a low opinion of Tezukans, and he frequently conflicts with local unit commanders on his treatment of the locals.

Vala Cherico

Vala Cherico, a rich kid from Sentinel B on Tranquility, volunteered to join HUA because of her love of body-modification, and she acts as unit captain for HUA’s scant space-based forces in the TRAPPIST-1 System. The only daughter of a wealthy oxygen magnate, Vala was born into privilege and neglect. His parents were absent most of her childhood, and this led to Vala developing a love for danger. This initially led to her developing a love for shoplifting which eventually led to an obsession with body modification, illegal racing, and eventually piracy. This and her brief membership in Hatchet eventually led to her meeting a HUA recruiter who managed to recruit her into the group. Vala and other recruits were quickly shuttled to the TRAPPIST-1 System to assist in the struggle there. Seeing herself as more useful in space than on the ground, Vala volunteered to join HUA’s tiny space force present in the system, mostly centered on assisting their ground forces. In her retrofitted Blue Whale class freighter, the Rosa Luxemburg, Vala has focused HUA’s space forces more on piracy by preying on vulnerable corporate ships to help further fund the insurgency in the system. This has drawn the ire of many even within HUA, but Vala has avoided capture so far and the strategy seems to be working to a degree.

Wilhelm von die Leere

Generalissimo Wilhelm von die Leere is the enigmatic and undisputed leader of HUA, currently on the run from the IGSA for charges of terrorism and most likely hiding out in the mountains of Qaf. It is widely perceived that Wilhelm von die Leere is simply an alias and not his real name, but so little is really known about die Leere, most just use the name regardless. What is known is that die Leere is from the Pillar of Hope arcology, was influential in HUA’s founding, and is over one hundred years old. He rarely appears in propaganda and seems willing to direct HUA from the shadows, fearing elimination or capture by the IGSA. Before his arrival on Qaf, die Leere made a daring escape from Earth in 3971 and took up residence on Miyabi among sympathetic Tranquilans. Driven off Miyabi by the IGSA after a few years, die Leere would subsequently take refuge amongst the HUA insurgents on Qaf and has remained on the planet ever since.

Influence

HUA has influence within both the highest and lowest echelons of society across the vastness of space. Upper class intellectuals are attracted to HUA for its cosmopolitan transhumanist ideals, and it shares a sort of appeal with Hatchet of exciting revolutionary fervor. The lower classes are attracted to HUA for its promises of technology to the masses.

At one time, HUA was more focused on actions within the Solar System but has progressively focused more on systems on the edges of IGSA influence. This is both out of practicality and because of the movement of Generalissimo die Leere out of the Solar System. A combination of clandestine and open support in governed space outside the Solar System has gone a long way in keeping HUA alive as a functioning organisation.