It really depends on the time frame. At the moment (sometime in 2015) Fenspace most likely isn't self sufficient, but are working on getting there. Hermes Universal Deliveries makes a lot of their money hauling goods up from the well[0]. And as for nanotech and magic replicators, well, they exist in some forms, the Juilan Frieze machine for example. They appear to be somewhat rare though, depending on the author. Fenspace seems to have a very variable tech level[1]. You've got people who are making do with stuff that's little better than hardtech (although very few of them) and some who are carry around personal force fields and grenades that summon the underwear off of every female within a certain radius.
I think that at the moment we should say Fenspace is rather dependent on Earth, particularly Australia, for a lot of things, but that they're working on getting away from that. Organizations such as Hephastus, the VVS and Starfleet, among others are working on getting their own infrastructure set up, when they're not buying chunks of it outright[2]. It will definitely take a fair bit of time though, especially for stuff like electronics.
I do find myself going "they managed to do _what_ in only 7 years?" sometimes though. In a lot of instances Fenspace works on the principle of that if you promise you won't examine it too closely, we'll try not to be too blatant about it. The setting itself has blue hair I think.
[0] IIRC their first major cargoes were mostly junk food.
[1] TL 8^ a la GURPS 4th according to Rob, who would know. I choose to interpret the ^ as "Very odd in some places, and often rather silly". And yes Rob, I know it has an actual definition.
[2] *cough* Stellvia *cough* ^_^;;;
--
Documentation: Cryptic, lacking, erroneous. Pick any three.
-- Arvid
I think that at the moment we should say Fenspace is rather dependent on Earth, particularly Australia, for a lot of things, but that they're working on getting away from that. Organizations such as Hephastus, the VVS and Starfleet, among others are working on getting their own infrastructure set up, when they're not buying chunks of it outright[2]. It will definitely take a fair bit of time though, especially for stuff like electronics.
I do find myself going "they managed to do _what_ in only 7 years?" sometimes though. In a lot of instances Fenspace works on the principle of that if you promise you won't examine it too closely, we'll try not to be too blatant about it. The setting itself has blue hair I think.
[0] IIRC their first major cargoes were mostly junk food.
[1] TL 8^ a la GURPS 4th according to Rob, who would know. I choose to interpret the ^ as "Very odd in some places, and often rather silly". And yes Rob, I know it has an actual definition.
[2] *cough* Stellvia *cough* ^_^;;;
--
Documentation: Cryptic, lacking, erroneous. Pick any three.
-- Arvid