Jack of Harts

A fifth major power in Jack of Harts politics is mentioned in the stories but is rarely seen as a great power. The AI Council of the 21st century that killed the Rogue AIs and became the Cybernetic Council of Jack’s time is far more powerful than most people know, but makes it a practice not to show that power. They are aligned with the Western Alliance, the Alliance officially recognizes their sentience and independence, and they are natural opponents of the Russians and Chinese who have hard anti-sentient AI laws due to their history with the Rogue AIs. The Council has spent centuries building a digital civilization on worlds incompatible with biological human life, while maintaining their links with humanity via individual personal friendships.