The Technocratic State of Cortexis is a massive, safe nation, ruled by Archbrain Vorlis with an iron fist, and remarkable for its keen interest in outer space, ubiquitous missile silos, and devotion to social welfare. The hard-nosed, cynical population of 2.391 billion Cortexisians are ruled by a mostly-benevolent dictator, who grants the populace the freedom to live their own lives but watches carefully for anyone to slip up.

The medium-sized, corrupt, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Education, Administration, and Industry. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Cortexis Prime. The average income tax rate is 92.1%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Cortexisian economy, worth 462 trillion platins a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector, which is broadly diversified, is dominated by the Information Technology industry, with significant contributions from Arms Manufacturing, Uranium Mining, and Book Publishing. Average income is an impressive 193,458 platins, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.0 times as much as the poorest.

All government communication requires the imprimatur of the Truth Police, clowns are being rounded up and admitted to mental institutions, visitors often mistake the toiletplex at music festivals for the main stage, and every new building project has to undergo a five-year environmental impact study before it can go ahead. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Cortexis's national animal is the lab rat, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation.

Cortexis is ranked 3,657^th in the world and 75^th in Europe for Smartest Citizens, with 144.81 quips per hour.