Auteur: Jythier
One of the hottest, fastest growing religions in The Federation is also the most despised.
Branded by officials as a religious cult with outlandish beliefs, “In-activism” seems to grow in direct proportion to the number of new citizens arriving in The Federation.
“As far as we can tell, members of In-activism seem to believe they can develop a sense of inner peace and oneness with a place they often refer to as “real life” or “the real world” just before they join the sect’s inner circle,” a detective told the Miniconomist. “These people are absolutely unpatriotic. They don’t help the economy, they don’t help in war efforts, they don’t even stock their stores or buy materials. Some of the more heinous ones will take up lots on Main Street that could be used by someone willing to sell something. It’s a travesty really.”
The reasons for joining this cult vary. Some decide trading is not worth doing. Some claim they are having ‘real life problems,’ refusing to continue to participate in this society. The feeling is apparently mutual. Evelyn Houston, researcher for the Department of Education, explains:
“Followers of In-activism, or In-activists, often do not own shops. They are, for all intents and purposes, excluded from trading. They rarely finish in top 20 positions, and almost never win. New converts are often expelled from government positions. Recent history shows two confirmed cases of this, one of which was a consul in Virtua, the other the President of Cyberië.”
This outrageousness is perpetrated throughout The Federation, but also specifically in Virtua. Virtuan subsidies are only considered for ‘active citizens’, a euphemism for people who are not In-activists. The Virtuan Awards nomination is also only open to ‘active citizens.’
There is good reason for this animosity, however. In-activism often strikes deep convictions into the hearts of its converts, causing citizens to cut communication with all other citizens. While the loss of a trading partner can ruin a trading period, the loss of a longstanding friendship is nothing short of tragic.
“We really can’t do anything about it,” the detective added. “People just have to make some decisions for themselves.”