Post by NeoEllis on Oct 28, 2004 8:09:44 GMT -5
Prologue
In the year 2042, the Earth finally began to calm, new technologies began to emerge, and the colonization of space became possible. By the year 2057 the first successful, self-sufficient Earth-orbiting islands had been completed.
Islands? Yes, man-made earthlike habitats existing above Earth along the Lunar orbit. These islands came in a variety of forms, the most common of which is generally known as the O’Neil Island three type colony. A cylinder 32 kilometers in length, 6.4 kilometers in width, these structures are capable of housing millions of people.
The cylinder is divided into six separate sections running the length of the Island, three designated for solid land, three being transparent glass sections. From one end of the Island extends three massive mirrors held out from the body of the Island at a 45 degree angle for reflecting sunlight back into the windows for the purpose of naturally illuminating the inside of the cylinder.
On the dedicated land sections lie, at least ideally, small cities, suburbs, grassy fields and even small forests.
It is within these metallic tubes, both cynical and cold and welcoming and homely that the future of humanity lies. These Islands are not utopias; people still lie, cheat, steal, act solely in their own interests and go to violent extremes to achieve their ends.
These Islands are not prisons, within their walls people are free to live their lives –to grow and learn, to create and to fall in loves- as they would in any other environment, they are simply hindered now by new and different borders.
By the year 2075, dozens of colonies had been forged by many different nations. However, at this same time, the Earth had plunged back into another period of war. Within 5 years of this terrible global and nuclear conflict, all of the nations that had existed at the time were nullified, leaving the Earth 92.3% uninhabitable and giving the space born colonies independence by default.
With scarce resources, shaky economies, and unstable new governments, war was neither welcomed nor a surprise. New war tactics had been developed and the field of robotic technology had progressed greatly. Many of the new Space-Nation-States (SNS) created powerful humanoid combat machines known as “AVA-TARs” (Advanced Vehicle for Aero-space-Terrestrial Assault and Reclamation). Complementing small space fleets and fighter, wars were waged using these new machines. Usually standing between approximately 10 and 15 meters high, the Frames were by far much more cost effective, maneuverable and able to more fire power for its size than any other weapons that had preceded them.
Of course, new types of killing machines did little to stop the violence. Through the action of home-side unrest and dissatisfied troops, the wars finally began to end.
The year was somewhere close to 2115, economies where mostly stable and a solid peace had finally formed and lasted. Frames now sizing about 10 meters in height were primarily used for law enforcement by “Moderators.” These groups served as both the regional officials and police for governments (now commonly known as “Administrations”).
The hub of the newly emerging growth was the colony of The Sigma Project. It was a space-born near utopia in orbit around Lagrange Point 5 (the area of gravitational stability along the moons orbit equidistant from the Earth and Moon). Equality and freedom (both economic and social) ruled with a gentle hand.
However, as they say, it seems that all good things must come to an end. Like the retainers of continents long since lost to man, diesis of the body, and like the thirst of the ambitious, diesis of the mind brought about The Sigma Project’s destruction. Many of the survivors fled to the colonies of Soma, Apas, the Suburbs Group and Gamma Point, only to face increasingly repressive Administrations.
What made these Administrations so repressive? For one reason or another; some say radiation from space; others say from lack of natural Earth environments; and still, others credit an angry god; a strange condition has broken out across what is left of humanity. Sever Paranoia and Mental Erosion Reaction Syndrome or S.P.A.M.E.R.S. had surfaced. Caused by the retrovirus of the same name, first documented in 2078 and the first and last pandemic seen in 2082, the virus quickly spread through the tiny human population and fused its genome with that of every single human in existence. S.P.A.M.E.R.S. will forever be passed from generation to generation, it has become a part of humanity.
While normally dormant, the condition itself often immerges, seemingly at random. Whomever the diesis affected faced the gradual decay of the cerebrum coupled with the development of incredible strength and near super human powers. The infected faced damnation to a life, if it can be called such, of existing as nothing more than a raving killing machine. There is no man-made cure. Those afflicted with the primal lust for the ultimate sensation of control can only fight off the condition, or they cannot. These SPAMERS posed the largest threat at Gamma Point, the colony that had seen more SPAMER outbreaks than any other.
On the Lagrange Points and their native Islands:[/b][/u]
Lagrange Point One: Omega Point
Once the premier scene of Earth to Moon natural resource transfer and Moon to Lagrange Point materials distribution, after the collapse of Earth’s society, the majority of the mining asteroids and complexes where moved to Lagrange Point Four, leaving L1 mostly empty. It was not until 2117 when group of stragglers, expatriates, emigrants from other Islands, refugees from Sigma Point that had refused to settle in other Islands for fear of losing what was left of their own heritage and culture, and countless other who collectively called themselves the “Omega Group” decided to take what was up for grabs. Wandering from L5 to the Moon to L3 by ship, rotating shifts in a cold sleep to counteract the staggering overpopulation that would otherwise overwhelm tiny infistructure of the group with the air, food, water and material needs of five million individuals. It was obvious to all that there was no way to continue living on pride alone. Regardless, if this group of ours could be called a nation, their will to survive was nothing short of incredible.
It was in 2118 that Administrator of the Omega Group, a man going by the name “Gray Bear”, and his Moderators discovered that a damaged Island Three type colony that had been ejected from the orbit of the Moon during the Fist Orbital War was by chance crossing paths with the Earth once again. Commencing task of coordination, engineering, skill and bravery like on other, as such began “Operation Harlock”.
In the year 2042, the Earth finally began to calm, new technologies began to emerge, and the colonization of space became possible. By the year 2057 the first successful, self-sufficient Earth-orbiting islands had been completed.
Islands? Yes, man-made earthlike habitats existing above Earth along the Lunar orbit. These islands came in a variety of forms, the most common of which is generally known as the O’Neil Island three type colony. A cylinder 32 kilometers in length, 6.4 kilometers in width, these structures are capable of housing millions of people.
The cylinder is divided into six separate sections running the length of the Island, three designated for solid land, three being transparent glass sections. From one end of the Island extends three massive mirrors held out from the body of the Island at a 45 degree angle for reflecting sunlight back into the windows for the purpose of naturally illuminating the inside of the cylinder.
On the dedicated land sections lie, at least ideally, small cities, suburbs, grassy fields and even small forests.
It is within these metallic tubes, both cynical and cold and welcoming and homely that the future of humanity lies. These Islands are not utopias; people still lie, cheat, steal, act solely in their own interests and go to violent extremes to achieve their ends.
These Islands are not prisons, within their walls people are free to live their lives –to grow and learn, to create and to fall in loves- as they would in any other environment, they are simply hindered now by new and different borders.
By the year 2075, dozens of colonies had been forged by many different nations. However, at this same time, the Earth had plunged back into another period of war. Within 5 years of this terrible global and nuclear conflict, all of the nations that had existed at the time were nullified, leaving the Earth 92.3% uninhabitable and giving the space born colonies independence by default.
With scarce resources, shaky economies, and unstable new governments, war was neither welcomed nor a surprise. New war tactics had been developed and the field of robotic technology had progressed greatly. Many of the new Space-Nation-States (SNS) created powerful humanoid combat machines known as “AVA-TARs” (Advanced Vehicle for Aero-space-Terrestrial Assault and Reclamation). Complementing small space fleets and fighter, wars were waged using these new machines. Usually standing between approximately 10 and 15 meters high, the Frames were by far much more cost effective, maneuverable and able to more fire power for its size than any other weapons that had preceded them.
Of course, new types of killing machines did little to stop the violence. Through the action of home-side unrest and dissatisfied troops, the wars finally began to end.
The year was somewhere close to 2115, economies where mostly stable and a solid peace had finally formed and lasted. Frames now sizing about 10 meters in height were primarily used for law enforcement by “Moderators.” These groups served as both the regional officials and police for governments (now commonly known as “Administrations”).
The hub of the newly emerging growth was the colony of The Sigma Project. It was a space-born near utopia in orbit around Lagrange Point 5 (the area of gravitational stability along the moons orbit equidistant from the Earth and Moon). Equality and freedom (both economic and social) ruled with a gentle hand.
However, as they say, it seems that all good things must come to an end. Like the retainers of continents long since lost to man, diesis of the body, and like the thirst of the ambitious, diesis of the mind brought about The Sigma Project’s destruction. Many of the survivors fled to the colonies of Soma, Apas, the Suburbs Group and Gamma Point, only to face increasingly repressive Administrations.
What made these Administrations so repressive? For one reason or another; some say radiation from space; others say from lack of natural Earth environments; and still, others credit an angry god; a strange condition has broken out across what is left of humanity. Sever Paranoia and Mental Erosion Reaction Syndrome or S.P.A.M.E.R.S. had surfaced. Caused by the retrovirus of the same name, first documented in 2078 and the first and last pandemic seen in 2082, the virus quickly spread through the tiny human population and fused its genome with that of every single human in existence. S.P.A.M.E.R.S. will forever be passed from generation to generation, it has become a part of humanity.
While normally dormant, the condition itself often immerges, seemingly at random. Whomever the diesis affected faced the gradual decay of the cerebrum coupled with the development of incredible strength and near super human powers. The infected faced damnation to a life, if it can be called such, of existing as nothing more than a raving killing machine. There is no man-made cure. Those afflicted with the primal lust for the ultimate sensation of control can only fight off the condition, or they cannot. These SPAMERS posed the largest threat at Gamma Point, the colony that had seen more SPAMER outbreaks than any other.
On the Lagrange Points and their native Islands:[/b][/u]
Lagrange Point One: Omega Point
Once the premier scene of Earth to Moon natural resource transfer and Moon to Lagrange Point materials distribution, after the collapse of Earth’s society, the majority of the mining asteroids and complexes where moved to Lagrange Point Four, leaving L1 mostly empty. It was not until 2117 when group of stragglers, expatriates, emigrants from other Islands, refugees from Sigma Point that had refused to settle in other Islands for fear of losing what was left of their own heritage and culture, and countless other who collectively called themselves the “Omega Group” decided to take what was up for grabs. Wandering from L5 to the Moon to L3 by ship, rotating shifts in a cold sleep to counteract the staggering overpopulation that would otherwise overwhelm tiny infistructure of the group with the air, food, water and material needs of five million individuals. It was obvious to all that there was no way to continue living on pride alone. Regardless, if this group of ours could be called a nation, their will to survive was nothing short of incredible.
It was in 2118 that Administrator of the Omega Group, a man going by the name “Gray Bear”, and his Moderators discovered that a damaged Island Three type colony that had been ejected from the orbit of the Moon during the Fist Orbital War was by chance crossing paths with the Earth once again. Commencing task of coordination, engineering, skill and bravery like on other, as such began “Operation Harlock”.