Chapter 03: The Exodus (2251-2450)
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Chapter 3: The Exodus (2251-2450)
Note On Historical Accuracy:
Accuracy of
historical records of this time are improved.
Documents and transmissions are recorded and dates are clearer. Most of the earliest information has been
collected from various works stored in libraries across the galaxy. The latter detail from more recent history
books from the inner colonies.
3.0: Society
The middle of
the 23
rd century showed some of humanity's greatest triumphs as well
as created, probably, its most tragic failure.
The catastrophe that was the Promised Land Movement was an almost fatal
blow to the Human race. If it weren't
for the pioneering spirit that humanity is known for, the human race would have
been doomed to extinction.
In the year
2253, the Eberhart/Nakamura Corporation (ENC) developed a prototype FTL drive.
This new technology would propel a ship far enough away from the nearest solar
system, fully into the inter-phased anomaly dimension. In doing so, ships could now circumvent the
"c barrier."
Experiments
using unmanned probes proved positive results.
In 2256, the first manned FTL flight was undertaken. Pilots Tallina
Visser and Sander Jacobssen were the first humans to travel beyond the solar
system. Their journey only took them to
about 53,000 A.U. (26,500,000 LS) away from the edge of the solar system, but
did it in a matter of seconds once entering what is now, romantically called,
hyperspace. By the year 2262, the first
interstellar exploratory vessel, the 30,000tonne(m
3)
Pathfinder. This ship, funded by the nation of United
North America and built by ENC, launched to the nearest star system, Alpha
Centauri. This voyage took 43 days with
these early primitive hyperdrives. The
science team returned 2 years later with a wealth of data from the system. The most interesting find among the data was
evidence that the star system was visited by another race.
3.1: First Contact
The
Pathfinder found what looked like a
sensor buoy of some kind. It was active,
sending an unknown type of signal (now known to be a hyper-transmission) when
the ship came close. The buoy was alien
in design, and the signal radiation was directed away from Sol. It is known, now, that the device was constructed
by the Gha!kuuk'aa, signaling one of their city-ships that humanity had made
their first interstellar trip. The buoy
is on display in the Early Space Travel section of the Museum of Old Earth
History.
This news was
met with much skepticism at first. Many
people, especially among religious leaders, denounced the findings as false
(there were still members of the population who refused to believe in space
travel altogether, calling it a big conspiracy hoax). The controversy gave fuel to the Promised
Land Movement, who have been postulating on the opinion that space travel was a
waste of resources. These opinions were
truly challenged, however, when the Gha!kuuk'aa arrived.
Initial radio
contact with the United Nations council was the first step. On May 26, 2265, the Gha!kuuk'aa
city-ship, the
Vi'Krux, entered Earth
orbit. The news caused anxiety amongst
much of the population, but a U.N.-backed shuttle was dispatched, occupied by
diplomats from several nations. The
Vi'Krux dispatched a small craft of
their own and the two ships met in orbit-the first contact the human race had,
officially, encountered.
The
Gha!kuuk'aa explained that they had visited Earth before, centuries ago. After discovering what they called "a
promising race", they left Earth alone, as is their policy with fledgling
species. The Gha!kuuk'aa admitted to setting up the
transmission buoy in the Alpha Centauri system (called Ixchtl by the Gha!kuuk'aa). The Gha!kuuk'aa were pleased that humanity
finally made it to space, and they welcomed humanity as friends.
The
Gha!kuuk'aa have no planet to call their own; their entire culture and people
reside in enormous (1,000,000tonnes+)city-ships that travel the galaxy. Some of
their technical knowledge was shared with humanity-especially improvements to
hyperdrive systems. Terraforming
technology was also given to the people of Earth by the Gha!kuuk'aa. Worlds that were deemed uninhabitable could
have their status changed in a century or two.
The contact
team also stated that there were worlds available for human colonization out in
space, worlds with no sentient species inhabiting them. The only thing they
asked for in return for this knowledge was the right to trade with humanity for
minerals and other necessities their city-ships needed. The leaders of Earth
agreed. It is now known, that it was another test by the Gha!kuuk'aa to get
humanity used to interstellar commerce and economy.
Over the next 60 years, scout ships, followed by colony
vessels, explored and colonized many worlds within 50LY of Earth. Most solar
systems were found to either contain no worlds of value or no planets at all.
Others, however, produced "garden worlds" that were compatible enough
for human habitation. Expeditions further out produced similar results. Even
with most systems not being much use except for scientific research, there were
always systems that were valid. These discovery produced a flowering of
colonization from many nations. Many nations couldn't produce starships. Individuals
from these nations traveled on other nation's ships going to an outer colony.
The result was many colonies became multicultural and diverse.
3.2: The Coup
In 2300 C.E., politicians, who
subscribed to a more isolationist way of life, gained a majority vote in most
national governments as well as the U.N.. The new regimes were successful in
this because of the increased reactions from conservative populace, who wanted
life on Earth back as it was before space travel. Many events in human history
ran in contrast with many peoples' philosophies. These people became more and
more reactionary to extra-terrestrial concepts and wanted no part of them. Many
peoples of the planet believed that Earth was "God's world", and beings from
other worlds must be anti-God come to lead the human race astray. These people
formed the true base of the Promised Land Movement, who were getting more and
more popular.
2307 witnessed the founding of a new
order on Earth: a world government based on Promised Land doctrine. It was simple:
space was an unnecessary frivolity that humans couldn't afford. The concept of
life off of Earth was too much for many peoples and, as a result, was
mass-rejected by most of the population on the planet. Humans were made to be
on Earth, they surmised, and Earth is where they should stay.
In their defense, most of the world
leaders had good intentions - at first. They honestly thought what they were
doing was best for humanity. People's needs had to be fulfilled, and they felt
that they were the ones best equipped to do it. Their policies, however, became
extremely more corrupt in the years to come.
3.2.1: The New Order
The Promised Land instituted social
engineering programs that became more and more repressive as time went on. It
eventually dominated every aspect of human life by 2310. The upper echelon of
the Promised Land was regarded as heaven-sent and infallible. Upward social
mobility ceased to exist and titles became hereditary. Individual thought and
initiative was frowned upon. Nonconformity was punished to an extent that ran
contrary to the humanitarian principles the leaders claimed to cherish. The
more productive members of society were called upon for greater and greater
efforts to support the rest of the unproductive population.
Each citizen of the New Order of the
Promised Land (NOPL) received entitlement to a Basic Share of the planet's
economic wealth. That meant everyone, no matter their status, received enough
income to sustain themselves. Ones born or (rarely) drafted into the work force
received extra perks according to their station in the Order. This method of
social engineering, many individuals in the upper echelon were not competent
enough to run their assigned operations.
Many of Earth's population were
disadvantaged, as many people lacked the skills and intelligence for the
technical industries of the Post-Industrial Age. By 2340, 80% of the world's
population was unemployable and untrainable. The doctrine of "Earth Only
Matters" kept most of them planet-bound.
3.3: The High Colonies
After the ascension of NOPL on Earth,
the colonies throughout the solar system suffered greatly. The solar colonies
were regarded as a decadent luxury supported on the backs of the righteous
peoples of Earth. The facts were to the contrary; most of the colonies,
Including the L-4 and L-5 stations, were self-sustaining by this time. Others
could be supported directly by the other solar colonies (called the High
Colonies). The fact that the High Colonies exported mass quantities of
badly-needed food and resources to Earth was ignored, even suppressed by the
NOPL council, who wanted to maintain the illusion that they alone were
all-providing to the people. Space represented freedom to humanity, and the
High Colonies continued to be a nearby reminder of this concept. The NOPL's
hatred of space, and all it stood for, drove them into a vicious propaganda war
against the High Colonies to the peoples of Earth.
The propaganda painted that anyone who
desired to leave God's World was an enemy, that the colonists were all lazy,
gluttonous, wasteful pigs that leeched off of the Righteous Planet. Most of the people of Earth believed it, and
relations between Earth and her High Colonies became extremely strained. If the
Earth-hugging masses resented the colonies, the colonies harbored mutual
feelings towards the "Groundhogs"(a term used to describe cultures
who wish to remain planet-bound).
Many colonials were political exiles.
Others were lucky enough to be able to leave Earth and her ever-oppressing
regime. Some merely claimed to hear the Siren's call to space. These were the
most courageous of all, some of the most capable that humanity had to offer.
In 2345, the NOPL decreed that the High
Colonies could only be governed by NOPL loyalists. These people took their new
positions with disdain. The anti-space propaganda made these leaders resent
their positions and the colonials. The new leaders turned most of the colonies
into latter-day Rhodesias. The colonies were forced to sell their goods at
ridiculously-low prices, while being charged exorbitant prices for goods from Earth.
In 2351, the Administer of The Moon
formulated a plan to make the hydroponic farms of the moon into major
high-yield institutions for growing food for the hungry billions of Earth (now around
35 billion). Free citizens were regulated to clients of the Lunar
Administration.
In 2355, the Moon became the new area
for a correctional facilities for transportees exiled from Earth. These new
citizens had little to offer, but the people of the lunar cities were forced to
accept them. Most of them were put to work on the farms, glorified slave-labor.
Others were put into the lowest levels of employment available.
The L-4 and L-5 colonies were not much
better off than their Moon cousins. The competent leaders were replaced by NOPL
bureaucracy. These leaders ruled their jurisdictions with the greatest
ignorance humanity could muster. The policies were bad enough to be a threat to
the safety to the lives of all on the colonies. The L-5 colony held some of the
best hospitals in the solar system. Many of these were turned into dumping
grounds for the incurably insane from Earth.
The L-4 colony housed the solar system's main shipyards. By 2340, no shipyards were operational on
Earth. All spacecraft production was
manufactured either by the High Colonies or the extra-terrestrial worlds.
Mars housed the largest industrial base
of all the High Colonies. These industries were turned into virtual slave-labor
camps like Luna. The administrator had a reputation of exposing anyone who
disagreed with him to Mars' atmosphere without the aid of a spacesuit. He was
successful only by the battalion of troops that came with him.
In the outer region of the solar system
- from the Asteroid Belt outward - life was better. The real estate on the
terraformed moons as well as the asteroid fields was abundant enough that
people could move and set up establishments far enough away from the NOPL-run
establishments. The situation on Earth and her inner colonies created intense
hatred of NOPL and its culture.
3.4: The Exodus
Once NOPL took over Earth, those who
disagreed with its policies were not welcome on the homeworld. By 2325, it was
getting harder to charter passage off Earth, as NOPL policies became more
repressive. Nevertheless the Great Exodus went underway.
People made colonies from whatever
worlds they found. Some worlds were
penal worlds, its citizens dumped on minimally-habitable worlds with inadequate
supplies and training. Most did not make
it; the others became the home of some of the most notorious pirate bands in
the sector.
Other types of colonies consisted of
various national and ethnic persuasions that were long suppressed by NOPL's
doctrine of One Planet One Culture. Just
about every former nation or culture - even national or cultural philosophies
long past - have been attempted in one colony or another. Henrik's Claim (formerly Sirius2), for
example, was initially settled by people from Scandinavian nations (Denmark,
Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden).
Avalon (formerly Alpha Centauri) was colonized by people of the former
United Kingdom (England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales). People from the Eastern part of the former
nation of The United States landed on what they would call New Princeton (formerly
Tau Ceti). The Tzarist Russians
colonized Petromir (formerly Sigma
Draconis). Some members from the
continent of South America have made a home in Tierra Nuevo (formerly
Procyon). Other examples are out there
in the Terran Sector - and beyond.
There were other colonies as well:
Sponsored Colonies (some of the most successful colonies), private worlds, and
even some worlds were either TransHuman refugee planets or dumping grounds for
illegal experiments. Most of these
worlds, however, didn't survive.
3.5: Further Contact
3.6: Seeds of Rebellion
The first half of the 25th
century saw increasing tensions between Earth and her colonies. NOPL-backed colonial leaders were killing the
colonies the people so desperately tried to build. The new races discovered only increased the
xenophobic tendencies of the people of Earth.
Most were convinced, with the help of the NOPL leadership, that the
aliens were demon-sent, proof that Humans were not meant to be out there. None of the non-Human races, not even the
Gha!kuuk'aa, were allowed to land on Earth after 2350. The policies the NOPL ratified became more
and more unbearable to the colonies.
Revolt was inevitable.
3.7: Technology
Using massive pressure-generating equipment
on chrystaliron, the material could be compacted to the point of 1 to 1000 of
its original size. This material is, to
this day, the standard material for ship hulls.
The early FTL drives achieved speeds of
.01LY/day. Travel was crude, but people
endured it to get away from the repressive regime.
The ability to terraform worlds comes
into this period. This technology,
assisted by the Gha!kuuk'aa, is used, first, on Venus. The tests proved positive, and the first
colonists settled the planet in 2446 (terraforming began in 2282). Other worlds were terraformed over the
centuries.
Advanced bioengineering is available at
this time. Full body cloning technology
was achieved in 2270, when the first Human donated cellular tissue to attempt
to have a younger body grown for him (refer to the History of Earth Celebrities
section covering Romeo Valentino). Brain
transplanting was not so sophisticated, however (refer to previously referred
document covering Romeo Valentino's death).
Full-body replacements for people wouldn't become available until
2297. Cloning became outlawed, however,
in 2303. Not only did run contrary to
NOPL doctrine, but other worlds frowned upon creating clones, for purposes
other than replacement body parts, on general morality purposes. In 2403, the High Colonies recognized all
clones, regardless of their legal status, as Real Humans. They received full rights as any other
citizen. The only requirement was that
the clone had to be subject to DNAMs that made their genetic make-up
distinguishable from originals.
Early blasters make
their entry in this time. Not as
powerful as lasers on full settings, these blasters had a good medium power
range and were easier to manufacture.
Rail guns (magnetic-driven needlers) are the last progression of
slug-throwers developed.
Chapter 04: Rebellion (2451-2458)
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Chapter 4: Rebellion (2451-2458)
Note: This chapter of Human history is dedicated to
the Civil War in the Sol System. The
events in this chapter warrant special attention, as it represents one of the
most important turning points in Human history.
4.0: The Fuse Is Lit
On April 27, 2451, the NOPL ruling council, in their
narcissist arrogance, passed legislation that, eventually, would cause the
demise of not only their rule, but their homeworld - the Air Tax.
The legislation was simple: all Humans in the Sol System not
living on God's World (Earth) were to pay for their right to breathe. This legislation gave no exceptions. It mattered not that there wasn't a colony
that relied on atmosphere supplements from Earth for over 200 years; no colony
was exempt. The colonies with the
highest tax rates were on Luna. It
didn't matter; no rate was acceptable by the citizens of the High Colonies.
On May 14, 2451, the citizens of the largest Lunar colony,
New Kiev (population:74,000), rose against the NOPL authority. The people of the colony, both free and
indentured, joined together with smuggled weapons against the military
forces. The weapon caches had been
assembled and kept hidden by the populations, in all of the High Colonies, over
the past 30+ years. The ever-repressing
legislation doled out to them by their NOPL "masters" would, they knew, reach a
boiling point.
Over the next three days, the peoples' army clashed with the
NOPL loyalists. On May17, 2451, however,
a NOPL Marine transport vessel hot-deployed into New Kiev. Overpowered and outnumbered, most of the
rebels surrendered. Colonel Abheek Vraman, commander of the Marine Forces, ordered the
execution of not only the captured rebels, but the extermination of all
citizens of the colony.
He hoped to set an example to the other colonies on
Luna. In two days, New Kiev was emptied.
This has been a point of controversy between historians. Colonel Vraman's decision may not have been
his alone. There is evidence that this
really was a "Final Solution" for all of the colonies. Many argue, however, that the NOPL government
did not condone his actions - at least not most of the Ruling Council. There is evidence that points to a certain
council member - Reverend Aland Hill.
Reverend Hill's grandson, Rupert Hill, was a former governor of New Kiev. His grandson was replaced by another governor
on the grounds that, under his leadership, the colony failed to meet its food
quota to Terra. The fact that the
Reverend lobbied to have the current governor arrested and executed on the
grounds of failing to prevent a revolt gives weight to this theory.
4.1: Bang!
News of the revolt - and massacre - spread, quickly,
throughout Human Space. The other Lunar
colonies didn't back down from this example.
Every one of them started revolting against the NOPL regime. The L-5 colonies went up next. They rose against the militias, spaced the
governors and their cabinets, and joined the Revolution. The L-4 colonies, however, were not so
lucky. When the revolt news reached
them, the militia reacted first. The L-4
colonies had the most prolific shipyards in the system. NOPL was determined to hold on to them. The L-4 colony forces were quickly
reinforced. Mars joined the fight on
July 6, 2451. The industrial base on the
planet was a major strategic point. The
Asteroid Belt lit up on July 9.
Jupiter's moons by July 14.
Saturn and beyond by July 29.
The fighting lasted for 7 years. For the first 5 years, NOPL had the upper
hand. Even though traveling through space was loathing to the people of the
Promised Land, they had the numbers, as well as the sacred duty to defend their
way of life by the Word of God. The
inner planets and stations were completely occupied by 2453; the Rebel forces
tenaciously held on to the outer worlds.
The Rebel command, led by a former Martian Business Manager - Admiral
Katrina Mendoza, had their headquarters based on Yeaux D'Yvette - the capitol
of one of Uranus' primary moons, Miranda.
4.2: The Hammer of God
General Mendoza applied her best efforts to hold on to the
Outer Colonies. NOPL forces, however,
were continuing to gain the upper hand.
By 2455, the Asteroid Belt was occupied by NOPL forces. Rebel forces retreated to the gas giants and
Rebel headquarters was moved to the Kuiper Belt - which made it easier to
defend.
Things were not looking good for the Rebel faction. The Asteroid belt represented the last of the
large-scale primary and secondary industrial (mining, smelting, and refining)
might for them. The factories (tertiary
industry) of the Outer Colonies were running short on materials. Even though the Kuiper Belt had resources,
the belt wasn't as colonized and the prospecting and mining were strictly
small-scale. The Rebels were harboring
their resources as best as they could while they tried to form some kind of
counter-offensive....
Then, in 2456, assistance came.
4.3: Relief
When the civil war initially broke out in the Sol System,
Earth's extra-solar colonies had mixed emotions. Some wanted to support the Rebels, but were
unable to do so - their colonies were too unsophisticated. Others didn't want to care. They left Earth and the Sol System behind;
they didn't want to look back. The Sirius
colony - Henrik's Claim - decided differently.
During the first five years of the war, the citizens of
Henrik's Claim decided that they were not going to let their brethren suffer
under the oppression of NOPL any longer.
If the people of Earth wanted to follow that path of madness, let them,
but leave the High Colonies alone.
Valter Enterprises, a company founded on the colony world, perfected
improved FTL drives with aid by the Gha!kuuk'aa (.2LY/day standard. .3 LY/day for military ships). This technology was put to use upgrading bulk
ore carriers, freighters, and military fleets.
By late 2455, several other worlds lent assistance. On January 12, 2456, Extra-Solar citizens
returned to their home system.
The new forces were accepted gratefully by the Rebels. Not only did they get fresh battle fleets
with new technologies, but they got badly-needed raw materials for their
remaining factories. Agreements were
made that, if the Rebels win, the worlds in the Sol System - with the exception
of Earth - would remain the sole property of the High Colony citizens. The High Colonies promised continued contact
and support of the Extra-Solar colonies in return.
4.4: The Counter-Offensive
February 1, 2456 saw the counter-offensive launched. NOPL forces were repulsed from the Asteroid
Belt by the 26th. Rebel Main
Headquarters was moved to Henrik's Claim for the remainder of the conflict.
Mars was liberated, after a long grueling campaign, on
November 17. The vast factory complexes
were destroyed, not by war, but by the incompetence of the NOPL administrators
appointed by the military and the sabotage efforts of the Martian populace. A memorial to the war and those who fought
and died on the planet is still a very popular tourist attraction.
The next phase was to attempt to liberate the L-4 and L-5
colonies. This would prove to be the
most challenging campaign. The colonies
are space stations, so direct assault by the fleet was not the most popular
move - especially since the L-4 stations were shipyards and the L-5 ones were
hospitals. The L-4 shipyards were the
decided first target. The fighting was
long and hard, mainly by commando raids that focused on neutralizing NOPL
ships, but keeping the stations intact.
Long range precision striking by Rebel and Extra-Solar fleets
supplemented the commandos.
4.4.1: The Battle of Trotsky
June 17, 2457 saw the start of the
Battle of Trotsky. Near the Trotsky
Shipyards, the main bulks of the Rebel and Extra-Solar fleets met with the
massive NOPL fleets in a battle that would rage on for three straight
days. The NOPL forces outnumbered the
opposition by at least three to one. The
Rebels were better trained then their NOPL counterparts, however.
During
the battle, Admiral Mendoza was killed when her flagship, the Tannhäuser
Gate, exploded with all hands.
Despite that, the Rebels emerged from the conflict victorious, leaving
the NOPL fleet shattered beyond recovery.
There were no shipyards left on Earth after 2340. Earth relied upon the L-4 stations for their
fleets.
4.5: Mopping Up
Liberating the remaining colonies - L-5 hospitals, Luna, and
Venus - involved rooting out NOPL forces on the colony. Threat from the NOPL fleet no longer
existed. Rebel forces continued to
broadcast messages of cease-fire to all surrendering forces. NOPL forces, however would not surrender.
It is not sure exactly why defeated NOPL forces never asked
for quarter. Some say it was because of
the brainwashing techniques NOPL used on their populace, with subliminal
message and special mind-altering drugs.
Others claim it was directly out of fear of returning to their leaders
as failures. It was probably a
combination of both. Whatever the
reason, there was no retreating nor surrendering of NOPL forces; they fought to
the death, taking as many Rebel forces with them.
The battle for Venus was the last campaign in the war. The battle was bittersweet; the battle
spelled defeat for all NOPL operations off-Earth, as well as a 100% casualty
rate on the planet.
As Rebel forces were preparing their ground assault after
shattering orbital defense positions, NOPL forces simultaneously detonated a
series of 150 kiloton fusion devices in all 5 cities on the world. The populations were vaporized and the world
wasn't repopulated until 2570.
The war was over. NOPL
was exclusively on Earth. The High
Colonies were independent once again, and the Extra-Solar colonies had
introduced technologies that would open humanity more to the stars.
Chapter 05: Twilight and Dark (2458-2577)
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Chapter 5: Twilight and Dark
(2458-2577)
5.0: Licking Their Wounds
After the war, the High Colonies began the slow process of
recovery. Re-establishing the factory
complexes on Mars was the first priority.
Assistance from Henrik's Claim, as well as other Extra-Solar colonies,
helped in the recovery.
Over the next 15 years (2458-2473), many changes occurred in
the Sol System. The High colonies
consolidated into a unified government: The United Worlds of Mendoza. The name came from the Hero of the Civil War
that inspired them to persevere. The
UWM's capitol was founded on Mars, in the city of Olympus. The UWM was recognized by most of the
Extra-Solar Colonies - who were re-consolidating at this time as well.
The Extra-Solar colonies nearest to Sol - which were, no
longer, really colonies after the war - continued to develop and grow. These worlds represented the oldest colonies
of humanity; most of them were almost 200 years old. Avalon - with its three habitable worlds -
was developing into the sector's breadbasket.
Barnard's industrial base was coming up to dominate manufacturing and
processing. Henrik's Claim was
developing industry on the lines of mining and military production. These three systems, along with the UWM, were
beginning to dominate Human Space.
5.1: The Camel's Back
On Earth, things were changing a little. On December 17, 2460, certain elements of
high-echelon members staged a coup in the government. These people were still NOPL supporters, but
they were of a slightly-more reasonable nature.
They immediately opened negotiations with the UWM for aid in feeding the
hungry billions who couldn't support themselves even if they wanted to. The UWM arranged an agreement with NOPL that,
in addition to undertaking fairer trade policies between them, that NOPL would,
once again, allow emigration off of Earth for any who were willing to do
so. NOPL complied. Soon, foodstuffs were being shipped again to
Earth and organic-based chemicals as well as new colonists were coming on the
return trips. These colonists, however,
weren't too ideal. They were not
prepared for the trip off-world (many of them were shipped off against their
will) and were untrained and unschooled.
The peoples of the UWM took them anyways. Most of these new colonists didn't make
it. They just weren't motivated to do
anything. Their children, on the other
hand, were trainable and could become great colonials.
Many of these new immigrants to the stars were put on colony
ships run by people who wanted to seek worlds far away from the core. Many of these ships were still using older
.1LY/Day drives, but these ships were inexpensive and many old ship hulls were
re-fitted as colony ships. These ships
set out to the Stars Unknown. It is
these colonists that would make up the earliest Human colonials in the Astra
Incognita Sector.
5.2: The Coming of the Vihm
Sometime, around the year 2480, the Vihm began to make their
presence known.
It is not known exactly where the laboratories were housed
that engineered the Vihm were located.
The records were erased - from the libraries as well as from the Vihm's
minds. It isn't known how deliberate
this action was; nobody was, then or now, around to clarify anything about it.
What is known is that the Vihm started showing up on every
human-habited world in Known Space. They
were particularly prolific in the Avalon system - where there were abundant
surpluses of foodstuffs. The Avalonians
worked hard to deal with them. The Vihm,
though descended from Earth rodents, were still sapient and reasonable. They actually proved to be good farm
workers.
Other colonies weren't so "noble" in their
philosophy. Barnard took a particular
hatred of the Vihm. Around 2500 C.E.,
The citizens of Barnard began a process of genocide against them. No member of that created race was to enter
the Barnard system.
This action was met with contradictory feelings from one
world to the next. Some worlds followed
suit of Barnard, others treated these acts as atrocities. The UWM was particularly vocal about their
opposition to the mistreatment of peoples - Human and Non-Human. The worlds nearest to the UWM agreed. Worlds farther away from the Sol System - and
the UWM - were less sympathetic. Many of
them considered the UWM, being from the same system as Earth, were no better
than NOPL. They rejected any proposed
action from the UWM and the other Core Worlds.
The treatment of the Vihm, however, was just a taste of things to come
from the remote fringes of Human Space.
5.3: Consolidation
On March 15, 2550, representatives from the UWM, Barnard,
Henrik's Claim, Avalon, and
assembled together to
begin arrangements for a more consolidated state. These worlds, in the past decades during and
after the Civil War, grew closer economically as well as politically. Within 3 months, on June 8, 2550, the
delegates finished forging a new constitution that would assemble these worlds
into a more simply-titled state: The United Worlds. Some of the other worlds would petition for
membership in the UW, others had no desire, having plans of their own. These other worlds would found, around this
time, the beginnings of the 4th Reich and the People's Democratic
Stellar Republic (PDSR). These two interstellar
states would prove to be quite bothersome in the years to come.
5.4: The Barnard Conflict
During this time, another interstellar state started to truly
make its move on the interstellar scene: the Federation of Independent
Colonies.
A group of worlds with extreme anti-unification tendencies,
the FIC launched an offensive in the Barnard System. The reason for the instigation of
hostilities, the FIC claimed, was because of Barnard's treatment of the Vhim. Their true motives, however, would be the
attempted destabilization of an important UWM world.
The conflict lasted about six months. Within the first three months, however,
Barnard removed its sanctions against the Vhim.
The terrorist attacks by the FIC forces on their factories, both on the main
world as well as in orbit, still continued.
The UWM Navy kept the Barnard System from being totally disrupted. Most of the fighting was being fought on the
frigate and corvette level; no major capital ships were brought in by either
side.
In the last month of the fighting, a tragedy occurred. Several transports carrying Vhim refugees
were fired upon and destroyed with all hands, seemingly by two UWM
frigates. Later, they were proved to be
FIC ships in disguise. The FIC hoped
that, if their terrorist action was successful, it would make the UWM's
government lose face - maybe enough to persuade systems to secede from it.
This action instigated a special assembly of the UWM
government. The UWM ordered half of its
available fleets to move into FIC space.
The FIC immediately issued an armistice proposal: a ceasession of all
hostilities between the FIC and the UWM.
Two years later, in 2554, a formal peace treaty would be signed by both
parties.
From here on to the present day, relations between the FIC
and the various Terran governments would continue to be shaky at best.
5.5: The Straw
Towards the end of 2550, Earth was straining to the breaking
point. The population was rapidly
approaching 50 billion. The
infrastructure was run, mostly, by incompetent officials hanging on to
hereditary titles. There were a few
enlightened individuals who saw what was going to happen, and they started
preparing for it.
In secret, these individuals siphoned money and materials to
be used to construct underground complexes that would be sealed from the
outside and contain enough materials to maintain the complexes for decades, if
necessary. The shelters were constructed
then sealed to be used when the time came.
Each shelter could hold up to 200 people comfortably. Any more would tax the complex's resources
too much. The builders then watched and
waited.
They didn't have to wait for too long. The year 2562 saw a new movement on Earth:
The Reckoning. A few of the NOPL high-echelon claimed that they had a
revelation: that, if the people of God's World would renounce all trespasses
upon His Heavenly Realm, the Divine One would reward them with a
Paradise-On-Earth. The near brain-dead
masses believed them, and NOPL moved to cut off all incoming and outgoing
traffic from the planet.
The UW was appalled at this.
They knew what would happen, but they could do nothing about it. The Gha!kuuk'aa tried to open negotiations
with them to re-establish trade, but Earth's defenses opened fire on the Vi'Krux
when it approached low orbit. The
Gha!kuuk'aa had no desire to return fire.
The incoming inadequate missiles did not have the firepower to penetrate
their defenses. The Gha!kuuk'aa could
have, probably, wiped out Earth's remaining weaponry, but to what end? The attitudes of the people of Earth were too
far "goundhogged." The Gha!kuuk'aa
blamed the UW for this mess on Earth: the High Colonies of the UW could've
attempted to topple the NOPL regime on Earth during the Civil War. The High Colonies tried to explain to the
Gha!kuuk'aa that an Earth invasion was not part of their objective; the goal
was to get Earth to recognize the other worlds and stations' independence. They also told the Gha!kuuk'aa that they were
very hesitant - even hostile - to Earth after what they did to Venus at the end
of the war. They told the Gha!kuuk'aa
that they were, pretty much, done with Earth.
The fact that 80% of the Human population remained on Earth did not
convince them to change their minds.
The Gha!kuuk'aa were extremely upset at the Humans. To just leave the majority of their race to a
probable death was disgusting to them.
The delegates returned to the Vi'Krux, which departed from the
Sol system, and the corresponding sector, to regions unknown, not to return
until many years later.
5.6: The Straw Is Placed
2565 was the "Year of Reckoning."
The population on Earth was around 53 billion. The Reckoning's advocates had long since
removed all birth control routines. They
claimed that Deity would provide for everyone, so no reproductive discipline
was necessary. The dwelling complexes
that the people lived in were reaching the collapse point. These "Urb-plexes" covered hundreds
of thousands of square kilometers on Earth's surface. Each one was filled to capacity.
One by one, the Urb-plexes' food and waste distributing
infrastructure shut down due to lack of goods or inadequate maintenance. The rioting that followed was fueled by the
belief that the Day of Reckoning failed to materialize. Deity had abandoned them, and their leaders,
as well as anyone involved in technology, were the sole blame.
The people around the world engaged in a mass orgy of murder
and cannibalism. After they killed their
leaders, they turned on each other. The
tech survivors rushed to their underground complexes and sealed themselves
in. In every Urb-plex, on every
continent, this was repeated. After the
main meltdown came the diseases: cholera, typhoid, bubonic and pneumatic
plagues, as well as other newly-formed mutated strains had their way with the
rest of humanity.
When the dust
settled, in 2577, less than 200,000 Humans remained on Earth.
Chapter 06: Nighttime (2577-2722)
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Chapter 6: Nighttime (2577-2722)
6.1: Woe Is Earth
This period, in Human history, is known as the Interstellar
Dark Age.
On Earth, the survivors of the Great Catastrophe of 2577
stayed locked in their complexes for the next 150 years. During this time, however, communication
between complexes was established and information was exchanged throughout the
network.
As for the other worlds in the Solar System, Earth was to be
put under extreme quarantine because of the runaway pestilence; nobody was
allowed on or off the planet. No
exceptions. Failure to comply with
quarantine protocols was dealt with extreme prejudice.
6.2: The Light Dims...
The situation was a grave one for humanity. Their homeworld was gone. Even though most of the Human population
scoffed at Earth and what it stood for, at least it was there to scoff.
Venus was repopulated by settlers from the outer worlds, who
wanted a life on a terrestrial planet.
Venus was terraformed enough for people to inhabit the world without
special equipment or shelters. Even with
water added to the planet via "iceteroids," the world was still very
arid. Most of the land was desert. Nevertheless, the population reached 2
million by 2594. Many geneering
laboratories were established on Venus to create a proper ecosystem on the
world. These laboratories were extremely
regulated to make sure that the projects didn't cross the line (creating
human/animal fusions were outright illegal).
Venus had a balanced biosphere by 2715.
The redevelopment of Venus represented some of the only
growth the people of Sol did at this time.
The rest of the worlds remained static - at best.
6.3: And What About Mary-Lou?
The loss of 52 billion of their brethren, no matter how
misguided they were, taxed the hearts and minds of humanity. It weighed on everyone, with the possible
exception of the New Colonies of the Astra Incognita Sector.
They were cut off from the rest of humanity anyways. Their development on their new worlds was on
their own terms. Their history and
development is another adventure for humanity.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The following text about the Human
colonies in the Astra Incognita Sector has been removed from this document in
this current version. This information
may be found in another document:
The
History of the Astra Incognita Sector.
6.4: Away From Kansas...
Life on the other worlds near Sol wasn't much better. The economies of the worlds were
intertwined. Avalon was almost
exclusively agricultural, Barnard, having no planets in the system, was
industrial. Henrik's Claim relied upon
trade with other worlds. The infrastructure of the core worlds was shaken. Trade slowed down, piracy stepped up. Economies became depressed. By 2582, nearly all trade was halted.
In 2584,
the people of Barnard abandoned their system.
They couldn't function without incoming goods. Most of the refugees made it to Avalon,
others went elsewhere throughout the sector.
6.5: The New Lords
It was in 2587 when the coup happened on
that founded the Empire of the 4th Reich. The empire started spreading out from
to other star systems. The first system to be annexed in the Terran
Sector was
in 2674.
2592 saw the birth of the People's Democratic Socialist
Republic. The Marxist persuasion was
instilled by the colonists of
and they started
spreading the word - by propaganda or by bombings - to the surrounding systems. Their presence became known in the Terran Sector
on
in 2690.
6.6: What Is To Become Of us?
The sector was going through great changes toward the end of
this period. The 4th Reich and the PDSR
were the only governments that seemed stable.
The core worlds were lost without direction. Most turned insular, relying upon the
culture(s) of their forefathers. Others
tried to band together for stability with limited success. In short, they weren't going anywhere.
Things were plodding along like this until late 2722, when
the other worlds from the Sol System received transmissions from the third
planet........
Chapter 07: Dawn (2722- 2732)
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Chapter 7: Dawn (2722- 2732)
The 150 years after the Great Catastrophe (as it is now
called) was not a time for stasis on the Human homeworld - it was a time of
healing.
Note: The following text's timeline starts back in
2577. It is included here for the
purpose of continuity.
7.1: Cracking the Seals
The world was ravaged over the past millennia. Runaway population and pollution took its
toll. The machines were turned off, now,
and the complexes where the survivors existed were as efficient as Human
technology allowed. During the century
from 2577 to 2677, the planet mostly healed itself.
In the complex called Afua (A Swahili name meaning mercy or
protection) was an example of one of the more sophisticated shelters. Its resources were carefully husbanded and
the people spent time trying to search for other complexes by the means of
older AM radio transmissions (which was standard technology on the world at the
time). Other complexes responded. By 2620, Afua was in continuous communication
with 15 other complexes around the world.
By 2678, the seven most prestigious complexes - Afua, Alrikberg, Chiyoko,
Conlanshire, New Washington, Wang-Wen-Long, and Zoya
- were in full cooperation with a World Rebuilding project.
The people of the seven complexes found, when they cracked
their seals, a world devoid of Human activity.
The ruins of the Urb-plexes were present, but shattered. No Human life was evident. The first projects were tearing down these
extensive sprawls and recycle whatever materials they could. The enormous task that lay before them took
the next 45 years.
7.2: Hello? Is Anyone Out There???
On November 15, 2722, the undercity (what the complexes were
later called) of Alrikberg started to send FM radio transmissions out into
space. The message was simple:
"Attention
Anyone! Attention Anyone! This is the Earth Undercity Alrikberg. Begrüßungen!
We represent some of the survivors on Planet Earth. If there is anyone out there, who is fluent
in English or German, please acknowledge this transmission. Repeat: If there is anyone out there, who is
fluent in English or German, please acknowledge this transmission..."
This message was repeated, alternately, in English and German
(which was unusual, since the only languages allowed on Earth since the NOPL
takeover were English and Mandarin Chinese).
The message was, initially, picked up by the Quarantine Frigate Eternal
Resolve. The captain, Lieutenant
Commander Enrico Hernandez, Immediately forwarded the transmission via
hyper-comm to UW Naval Headquarters on Henrik's Claim and requested
instructions.
It should be mentioned here that the various ships that
orbited Earth enforcing the quarantine did just that - and nothing more. No ship was to observe or record any activity
on the planet; failure to comply was a capital offense. The fact that Lt. Cmdr. Hernandez skipped his
chain of command and directly contacted the High Command on Henrik's Claim was
understood by the gravity of the discovery - as well as the grave penalties.
When the transmission reached Naval Headquarters - 12 hours
after the Resolve's transmission was initially sent - the High
Commander, Admiral Ameki Takahashi, immediately gave permission for the Eternal
Resolve to respond to this transmission and open communication.
Over the 24 hours before the Resolve received a reply,
the transmission carried, at light speed, throughout the Sol System. Sol Naval Command, stationed on Titan,
ordered a battle fleet sent to Earth orbit, ready for a sneak attack by any
surviving NOPL forces that could be hidden on the planet. Their fears were not realized, and they
received the order to reply to the transmission.
7.3: Contact!!
Over the next 7 days, representatives from the UW were
exchanging information with several undercities around the planet. It was found that, according to several
sources, global population increased to 570,000 by this time. The world was still a mess, but the
environment was improving and evidence revealed that the runaway diseases had
long run their courses and were suppressed.
Nevertheless, it took another 2 years (2725) before the UW government
passed legislation to remove the quarantine on Earth.
7.4: Renaissance
The thought of getting the Human homeworld back brought a new
level of spirit in the people in the sector.
A special session of parliament was held on Mars which led to a move
that would set a new standard in the course of Human history - the capital of
the United Worlds would move to Earth.
The undercity populations were branching out to the
surface. They were already cooperating
with each other, so it took very little time to build the UW's new
capitol. It was decided, by mutual
agreement, with the peoples of earth and the UW parliament, that the capitol
should be placed near the former city of Nairobi, Kenya in 2728.
The reason that was officially stated was that the capitol
was built near the undercity with the highest population - Afua, however, the
details of the decision aren't too clear.
It is rumored that it came down to either a dice-rolling game or a
challenge of scissors-rock-paper, but these rumors have not been confirmed.
By February 12, 2730, the UW's capitol was transferred to
Earth. A few other changes were made
during this phase:
7.4.1:
World Name Change
The planet's name officially
changed from Earth to Terra at this time.
The word "Terra" is merely the word for earth or soil in an
old language (Latin). The word, however,
has been used in various fiction stories about the "future." Most of the stories were entertaining and
many people still identified with them - and the word. It also was an attempt to show that the
planet had changed. The old word, Earth,
reminded too many people of NOPL - something most wanted to forget.
7.4.2:
Government Name Change
The government of the United
Worlds made the decision at this time to change their name to the Terran
Republic. This became official as the
people of the surrounding worlds supported the move to an identity. It was also for the purpose of getting worlds
to band together against the 4th Reich, PDSR, and the Federation of
Independent Colonies. Of their three
neighbors, the FIC proved to be the least aggressive. They seemed comfortable with the worlds that
they had and they kept their anarchic tendencies to a minimum amongst their
neighbors.
7.5: A New Direction
The Terran Republic
instigated a new age in the interstellar community. Many more worlds petitioned entrance. Barnard was repopulated in 2732. The economy was recovering and further
exploration and expansions were instigated.
Solar Alliance
This is where any doc for the specific state, The Solar Alliance (SA) will be posted.
Races
Here is where you stick your race documents as children for this doc......
The BUGS
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Name: The BUGS by
William J. Wilson A.K.A. Grendel T. Troll
Physical Structure
Their physical form varies.
Some of them remind Humans of giant blaster-wielding ants, cockroaches,
and even scorpions. They have
heavily-armored exoskeletons, segmented bodies, and heavy, bone-crushing
mandibles. Several forms have been
identified by surviving populations.
Senses
Bug senses are, mostly, comparable to human senses. Their senses of hearing an smell, however, are
superior. Their language relies upon
hearing ultrasonic pitches and they can track and identify their hive brethren
by scent.
Speech
Their speech contains mostly clicks, whirrs, and ultrasonic
noises. If they must, they communicate
to others using electronic voice-boxes.
Society and Customs
The bugs operate using a hive-based hierarchy. An egg-laying queen is the mother of all in
the hive. Her "children" are
set - with the use of hormones and training methods - in castes designating
their position in the hive.
When a queen is ready to create another of her kind, she
prepares an egg with special hormones that will produce another queen. When the larva matures, the
"princess" will challenge the queen for the hive. If the princess wins, she is the new queen
and the rest of the hive dies out, in favor of the new queen's eggs. If the princess fails, and is not killed, she
will go somewhere else to found a new hive.
With the introduction of rocketry and crude FTL drives
(.1LY/Day) the bugs have altered their culture slightly, where the princess
will not challenge the queen at all; she will leave the hive, launch into
space, dock with one of their asteroid "starships", and target
another system. During the voyage, she
will lay eggs in the rock. When the ship
reaches the desired system, the rock hits the targeted planet/moon. The queen and her eggs survive the impact and
proceed to take over their new territory.
If more than one "Bugsteroid" (a new term coined by survivors
and troops) lands in an area, the two hives will compete with each other.
Bug Technology is lower than Standard Tech. They haven't perfected laser weapon
technology - relying on blasters, slug throwers, and missiles. Their factories look almost organic to an
observer. Their mining tunnels are
heavily networked and serve as colony warrens as well. Their power source is either hydrocarbon
combustion-based or nuclear fission.
Ship tech consists of rocket propulsion that has sufficient fuel to accelerate
an asteroid out of the solar system's FTL threshold zone. The queen enters a dormant phase, similar to
cryogenic storage, until her ship impacts at the destination.
In more recent times, the bugs have developed automatic
defense systems for their bugsteroids.
The system makes it more difficult to be vaporized before it hits.
Attitudes
There are only two kinds of life: the bugs and food. Bugs from other hives are sometimes
food. Sometimes the food fights
back. No matter. Eat, eat, and eat......
Special Abilities
Radiation Tolerance: The nature of the bug physique
makes them highly resistant to radiation - from electricity to cosmic
rays. This allows them to travel in
crude spaceships for years at a time with no armor or shielding. It also makes any energy weapon (lasers,
blasters, electrostunners) do 1/4 damage against them. Kinetic energy weapons (i.e. bullets) are
more effective.
Exoskeleton Armor: in addition to any other armor the
bug is wearing, all damage against them is reduced by 1/2 (making energy
weapons do 1/8 damage) against any part of the bug's body covered by its
exoskeleton.
Characteristics:
Average Size
|
Varies
|
Average Mass
|
Varies
|
Average Lifespan
|
20 years
|
Reproductive System
|
Heterosexual, Oviparous
|
Body Temperature
|
40 Degrees Celsius
|
BUG Characters
NOTE: it is NOT recommended that bugs should be
played as PC's. They are intelligent
enough, but not independent. Their
opposed views against other PC's might pose a little problem -especially when
the bug gets hungry.....
Ability Scores
|
Roll Adjust.
|
Strength
|
+40
|
Endurance
|
+50
|
Dexterity
|
-10
|
Reflexes
|
-10
|
Perception
|
-10
|
Logic
|
-30
|
Charisma
|
-40
|
Willpower
|
+0
|
Movement
|
|
Walking
|
|
Running
|
|
Hourly
|
|