First Prince of Jupiter

The First Prince of Jupiter was a brief, yet arguably prominent figure who managed to claim power during the Golden Millenium. Backed by a dramatic and emotional campaign, he was able to replace the standing democracy on Jupiter’s colony with a monarchy (that he led, of course). To ensure the favor of the people, he humbled himself as a mere Prince when setting aside his former status as Robert Goodbern the politician. Thus, the First Prince had the colonies of Jupiter in his hands.

Technically, the colony on Jupiter (Jupiter Central) stands as a hub for the numerous moons the planet possesses, functionally making it the capital of that region. Fittingly, Jupiter Central itself is an expansive city located under the planet’s surface that holds more than enough room for its 350,000 inhabitant limit. Here, major political decisions are determined for Jupiter Central and the moons surrounding the planet, and it was this government that Goodbern managed to control.

With an aggressive, constant campaign to each and every moon, Robert’s face was known to almost every citizen in that sector. Both physical and digital ads were littered everywhere with his message: “Jup de woop”. One could ask any citizen about what that phrase meant, and no one would provide a confident answer. It enraptured the people who tuned in to the promises that Goodbern made. He advocated for innovation, for change, for improvement of quality of life. These ideas came with vibrant details and plans that would have the people cheer “Jup de woop” at his online rallies. The other candidate running for the presidency was forgotten; Goodbern won by a landslide.

From here, President Goodbern would cite the underlying problems that plagued Jupiter, without anyone having addressed such issues prior to his term. He raised funds for infrastructure on all moons indiscriminately, which did not close any divide in advancement. He advocated for atmospheric purification, despite colonies being built under specialized domes with their own air supply. He continued to cite many issues and contributed questionable solutions, but the results were still there. In spite of it all, the people of the colonies could list his achievements. Any opposition was strangely quiet. Besides, if there were still problems to be solved, it might as well be Goodbern to solve them. So he was reelected for his second term, then his third, then introduced a famous speech that won over the people enough to switch to a monarchy. As such, the First Prince of Jupiter was established.

Following the decision, the First Prince heavily allocated funds to technological advancements, namely ones relating to Jupiter Central. He announced the creation of Jupiter Labs: a research program that conducted various forms of hard science and engineering that produced phenomenal results. This was the same program that developed the renown Jupiter Brain, which led to much faith in the facility. It was the pride of Jupiter, thanks to the First Prince.

Yet, it soon became apparent what the goals of the First Prince were after his many years in power. Soon, Jupiter Labs secretly deviated from pure machines to bio-machinery under the supervision of the Prince. They collaborated with the Darwinists, and the First Prince was able to acquire a bioesoteric module for himself. After gaining the trust of his people via intentional manipulation tactics, his will deteriorated into a paranoia that caused him to focus taxpayer funds into self-serving research (all evidenced by his personal journals). The result was death by spaghettification.

To save face, the government for Jupiter’s sector renounced the monarchy and the Prince, opting to return to democracy and never bring him up again. There was a public media outburst about the topic, but there was little the people could do following the incident. Even his grave held no remains to trample over. Surprisingly, Jupiter Labs continued to function (despite a heavy budget cut) thanks to their own merit. And because of this mercy, the lab was able to bring LUNA into the world.

An article in Context for Jupiter’s Innovations, authored by V. Proslou