ME: This is a minor retcon for all my Hunger Games stories, in addition to a one-shot concerning Panem's scientific and technological progress.
*TRANSCRIPT OF SPEECH MADE BY DOCTOR SANJAY EGERIA, THE PANEM MINISTER OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, AT THE MINISTRY OF ENLIGHTENMENT AND INFORMATION*
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen of the Ministry of Enlightenment and Information. My name is Doctor Sanjay Egeria, and I'm the Minister of Science and Technology for our homeland, the Nation of Panem. In addition, I am the proud husband of my talented wife, Minister Sarita Egeria.
Any student of history will tell you of the many achievements that have occured while the National Banner flew over Panem, humanity's last and only hope for survival.
Biologically, we have surpassed any and all civilizations of the pasts without question. Via genetic engineering, Panemanian scientists have created both the beastly mutated creatures seen in the Hunger Games and vastly improved crops. For the latter, crop yields have increased, resistant against disease has improved, and they even taste better! Additionally, the medical sector has clearly benefited from the countless years of research and development both before and after the Dark Days. Cancer, for instance, has been largely eradicated by gene therapy and all modern cases can be dealt with via radiation therapy, medications, and surgery. Regenerative medicine, artificial organs, and prosthetics all have completely eliminated the dangers of transplant rejection, on top of enabling any of our brave Peacekeepers that have been injured or wounded to return to duty. Then there is veti-gel, a humble but invaluable invention that stops bleeding within seconds; Loyalist casualties during the Dark Days would've been much higher without this critical invention.
That is to say nothing of our transportation options. Our hovercraft are capable of VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) operations, enabling them to literally take off from a quality rooftop. This stands in contrast to the biplane contraptions of the North Americans that needed a runway, limiting versatility to an extreme extent. In addition, they produce very little pollution that is easy to safely dispose of without harming the environment, while the North American aircraft were monsters that poisoned the Earth with their smog.
While Panemanian trains require fixed infrastructure in the form of rails and are somewhat less advanced than our electrostatically levitated hovercraft, they are no joke. Unlike the North American models, they use maglev technology and never touch the ground, making them much faster even if they're slower than hovercraft. Anything thing from Peacekeeping Force troops to produce can be rapidly transported throughout the nation at 300 MPH.
Then there are the vast ways of generating energy for our needs. Coal mined in District Twelve is used for heating and cooking in the Production Districts. Dams harness the flow of water from our Nation's rivers, and the hydro-electrostatic generator (a device based off the Kelvin water dropper, invented by a scientist from a land known as Britain) can produce electricity without any moving parts whatsoever unlike conventional hydroelectric turbines. Thermocouples are capable of converting heat from fusion reactions and geothermal energy to electricity, far superior to the steam turbine toys used by the North Americans. Airborne wind turbines collect reap far more from the sky than any of the towers built before Panem, while solar panels are now capable of generating electricity even at midnight.
However, arguably the most important invention in Panemanian history is the hydrogen-electric hybrid transmission. Consistent of a water-to-hydrogen converter, hydrogen fuel cells, and electric batteries, this transmission was a key factor in the Dark Days.
There is no mechanical link between the power plant and the traction wheels, allowing for enhancing performance and safety on top on increased efficiency. This technology originated from the magnetic hubless wheel drive concept of pre-Panemian times.
The fact the vehicle more or less can run literally on water greatly simplifies logistics, since fuel convoys are unnecessary (unlike during the North American Era) and Peacekeepers can fight in the field for longer as a result. The batteries can be recharged by either the fuel cells or any other source of electricity. The fuel cells themselves have little moving parts compared to the internal combustion engines of the North Americans.
Such an ingenious design helped the Peacekeepers win a Loyalist victory.
ME: A/N: I credit ForFutureReference with the fuel cell idea; the water-to-hydrogen tech was inspired by a similar device in the Warthogs from the popular science-fiction franchise Halo.
Update: The tech used by at least wheeled vehicles is a maglev powertrain. Think GoGo's bike from Big Hero 6, a fantastic Disney movie that uses a lot of real life scientific and technological principles for an animated film.