The democratic voting was a massive undertaking that lasted an entire week. It was a historic milestone for Federation, the first system-wide vote since the Federation was established. The referendum had a single, stark theme: determining the standard of living for its citizens.
On the public network, the Federation fully disclosed the Noah's current supply crisis. Detailed data tables revealed that if current consumption rates were maintained, the stockpiles could only support a "lavish" lifestyle for roughly five years.
The first critical shortage would be organic compounds like methane, which were already severely depleted after the destruction of Mars. Without them, manufacturing everyday items like plastics would grind to a halt. At current rates, reserves would run dry in three to five years. Next would be agricultural fertilizers, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium along with freshwater, lasting perhaps ten years.
