Backstory

Note: The Yogstation Lore is currently undergoing rewrite, any lore on this page is subject to change.

The Present

The year is 2517. Humanity's galactic golden age is beginning to come to a close. The Sol Interplanetary Coalition, often abbreviated as the SIC, offers less and less stability for its participant members as humans spread further and wider into the known universe, encountering bizarre worlds, lifeforms, and materials. Notable members of the SIC include the Earth Federation, the Martian Cartel, the Belter Collective, and the Ganymede Republic. At the economic level stands Nanotrasen, a significant materials-based company that specializes in the harvesting and application of baroxuldium, better known as plasma. Sometimes also referred to as the Company, Nanotrasen's research and products make up several essential parts of life in the 26th century. The usage of bluespace, an anomalous material that permits for warping of distance, has only increased their considerable market share. For countless decades, Nanotrasen has peaked at corporate charts of revenue, employment rate, and expansion, fitting their stations and establishments with a wide range of workers, from humans, to artificially intelligent robots, to humanoid lizards; there is none that Nanotrasen will not hire and exploit in its quest to spread humanity even further across the stars. It is an era of technology and innovation, but also of immense conflict.

The No.1 enemy of Nanotrasen, known as the Syndicate, seeks to subvert and sabotage Nanotrasen's assets wherever they can. A corporate cartel comprised of various influential companies which have at some point been wronged by Nanotrasen, the Syndicate represents a decentralized effort to counter the domination that Nanotrasen exercises in new and revolutionary markets, such as death-defying medical technology or highly-advanced energy weaponry. Whether by planting sleeper agents into Nanotrasen employment, or contracting the infamous mercenary group known as the Gorlex Mauraders to perform a board-and-scuttle operation, the Syndicate performs countless operations to directly or indirectly target Nanotrasen's stations, employees, and resources.

But the Syndicate only represents one of several threats that Nanotrasen faces. They too must contend with the growing, cosmic powers which have awakened once again as humanity plies its exploration into the ruins of a long-dead civilization known as the Vxtvul Empire. Not only do they threaten Nanotrasen, but all of humanity and the various alien peoples that have been uncovered. The Opsillian Republic, an effective puppet-government of the SIC, generally represents a galactic voice for the reptilian vuulen on their homeworld of Sangris. The ex'hau and ethereal people, moths and bioluminescent slime people respectively, are both settled at significant distance from humanity, but that distance only promises to close as humanity's irresistible urge to spread continues. The plasmamen, animated remains of humans who have incinerated in plasmafires, dully continue in human borders, as do polysmorphs and IPCs: the former a series of human-xenomorph hybrid experiments, the latter a mimic of organic intelligence- a humanoid robot with free will. The phytosians, plant-people born from spilled blood on the crop of their people, foolishly seek to effect their plan of universe-wide conversion. Finally, the children of the Vxtvul Empire, the preternis people rapidly spread and enforce their own territory at the edges of human space. The Remnants of Vxtvul represent the largest potential threat to the SIC's unity and establishment of peace, yet action only exists at the micro-level. For example, some human explorers or corporate scientists go to raid and scavenge the carcass of the Vxtrin's work, and the preternis oppose them wherever possible.

Your character could be one of these many alien species. They could have been raised on a bustling station, in a juvenile colony, in the depths of an under-city where street construction at skyscraper-level heights blots the sun from reaching the ground: this is a time of fabulous constructions, and awe-inspiring ingenuity. Life expectancy has never been higher, and developments in biomechanical and genetic research permit for the eradication or rectifying of even the most severe ailments. However, despite all this, life in space is still ultimately cruel and dangerous. In the infinite void, the machines that guarantee basic organic need can turn dangerous and catastrophic if not maintained well, and there will always be countless workers in the process of guaranteeing such needs. Maybe it was a deal too good to pass up, or it was the only job you could take, but regardless, you've found yourself in the employment of the corporate giant known as Nanotrasen. Perhaps you've spent a lot of time aboard their stations, or you were enlisted in a sponsorship program, but regardless, you've been transferred or hired to one of Nanotrasen's newest stations. Sporting several experimental devices and state-of-the-art facilities, the station's purpose is multifold; combining manufacturing research, power development, material harvesting, and a variety of other sciences.

Welcome to Space Station 13.

The Timeline

Lunar Colonization and Environmental Strife (2050 - 2130)

Timeline Events 2050 Global restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions are put into place by the UN, and are begrudgingly followed by all member nations.
Dwayne Zandar is born. 2057 Rising sea levels from increasing global temperatures results in submerged portions of the few coastal cities without flood gates. Several hamlets and towns abandoned 2063 A new plague starts on Earth, and rapidly spreads in just a few months, becoming a full pandemic 2065 WHO virologists isolate and develop a vaccine for the virus, but rapid mutation prevents the vaccine from remaining effective for long. 2072 Global green-energy and nuclear power initiatives finally gain leverage over fossil fuel power. 2075 Early work towards cybernetics starts, but is slow
Europe’s final fossil-fueled power plant is shut down
Colony Collapse Disorder claims the final known wild beehive; All known bees are now domesticated honey bees 2080 The EU dissolves; a short-lived economic crisis sparks as a result
The United States shuts down its last fossil fueled power plant, using mainly fourth-generation nuclear power plants
Dwayne Zandar starts a small laboratory business, selling lab-time for physics studies, named Nanotrasen 2084 Third Space Race takes off, leading to short term experimental moon bases from various countries and corporations 2086 First attempted permanent moon base colony established by the US
A UN-backed ocean clean-up effort is started, hoping to clear the oceans of plastic as much as possible
Nanotrasen expanded into selling lab equipment and reagents. 2090 The US moon base is destroyed in freak meteor accident
Mass recycling programmes in Europe lead to importation of forigen landfill contents
Climate change shows no sign of improving, but is at least not getting worse
Population of Earth hits over 11 billion people, with urbanization ever growing to accommodate them 2093 Second US moon base built featuring the first in-use Meteor Defense Laser
Nanotrasen purchases a defunct Rocket Launch Pad, bringing it back into operation, and starts to sell pad-space to other companies for rocket launches from a very optimal location for orbital escape.
The US moon base abandoned due to lack of supply reliability 2096 Development of cheap, high-capacity rockets occurs, enabling rapid expansion off of Earth
A prototype Automated Recycling Machine is put into production, rapidly accelerating recycling efforts world-wide within months. 2100 Human knowledge of the elemental table swells to 145 elements. Most unstable, relatively useless, or impossible to synthesize in usable quantities
A construction method for ultra-tall structures is developed, allowing condensation of sprawling cities into smaller footprints 2105 A second pandemic threatens to rear its head, though is quickly shut down by proper containment and rapid vaccine development 2111 Leslie Wood, a world-renowned theoretical physicist, puts forth a paper describing potential properties of the as-yet undiscovered element 146, one of the theorized elemental "islands of stability"
The United States faces hefty fines from the UN over excessive military pollution, finally shoving the United States Military into using green energy as much as possible. 2112 Search for Element 146 begins
UN takeover of the abandoned US moon base, with the supply chain re-established
UN Exportation of greenhouse gasses to the Moon begins 2125 The production of new Internal Combustion Engines and parts to maintain them is banned; All motor vehicles to be converted to electric by 2150. 2126 Lunar atmosphere stabilized with massive Magnetic Nets, blocking solar particles from knocking the atmosphere away 2128 Massive expansion of the UN moon base is undertaken to support a growing population of scientists
Artificial rain is induced on the moon in an attempt to pave the way for terraformation 2129 Cybersun Industries is founded, focused on robotics and cybernetics 2130 Lichen seeding of the moon begins, slowly beginning the proper terraformation cycle

Rise of Mars and Technological Discovery (2131 - 2200)

Timeline Events 2131 An Ice-Rush takes place with dozens of corporations establishing moon bases to service rockets with water-ice, opening the door to mass Martian colonization
Nanotrasen establishes a research lab dedicated to advanced robotics and artificial intelligence in Texas 2133 Nanotrasen purchases an asteroid mining probe, and sells the materials it brings back to low-earth-orbit.
The UN's moon base becomes used as the first stop for a new temporary manned Mars colony, serving as a refueling point for rockets. 2138 The world’s most populated cities begin constructing high-altitude platform streets, causing an “Upper City” migration of wealth and services as businesses and affluent individuals seek to remain in the sunlight. Lower City conditions fall dramatically in several metropoli, such as Hong Kong, Tokyo, Chicago, San Francisco, Dubai, Delhi, and Cairo. 2144 The surface of the moon is visibly blue-green with Lichens, and atmospheric pressure is close to 90kPa, though unbreathable
Dwayne Zandar dies of old age, his son Alex taking over the company.
Nanotrasen annual profits hit a record 200 Billion US dollars, making waves in the economic world 2145 First mining of the asteroid belt was undertaken, returning meteoric iron and immeasurable scientific data.
First permanent Mars colony established, making use of cave-habitats 2146 Nanotrasen stops selling pad-space to other corporations to launch from, and starts building their own rockets to launch 2147 First advanced cybernetic prosthetic is created by Cybersun Industries, revolutionizing human care and recovery from crippling incidents 2150 Mars terraforming project begins 2151 First Nanotrasen Lunar and Mars colonies see construction finished and permanent populations established. 2153 First manned mining missions to the asteroid belt were undertaken by Nanotrasen, which quickly started a rapid rush on large-scale asteroid mining. 2155 Development of prototype rudimentary energy shielding brings forth the first usable energy shield. Too large and power hungry to use on anything smaller than a naval vessel. 2156 Number of permanent Martian colonies swells to 20, most owned by Megacorporations 2157 Fusion project finally finished, Earth’s first toroidal fusion reactor built and running, producing hundreds of megawatts of power. 2158 Advancements in subdermal implants greatly expand healthcare for the rich as well as permitting a kind of “human revolution”, sparking controversy in the new, real image of an augmented human 2160 Cybersun Industries massively expands after PMC and national contracts establish commissions for soldier augmentation programs 2164 Nanotrasen forms a space station construction branch, starting with founding a space station at Mercury, in a geostationary orbit behind its dark side. 2167 First official tests of sapient cloning are disastrous enough to scare off most potential investors 2169 Advancements in lathe technology and a growing supply of resources from asteroids makes cybernetics and organic implants barely available to the middle classes; still denied to those in need 2170 Manned asteroid mining is a booming industry, squarely commanded by Nanotrasen, but still taken up by other corporations as well 2172 Global climate is shown to be cooling for the first time in a century, after plateauing eighty-two years prior. 2173 Threats of war between numerous European countries spread like wildfire. 2174 Mars Colonies declare independence. With Earth-based corporate and national owners unable to properly quell rebellion on a different planet, they simply choose to allow this.
Mars is recognized internationally as an independent power, given a seat in the UN
War between several European countries breaks out, followed by the US jumping into the war within a month 2175 War in Europe fizzles out due to the threat of nuclear war. Tensions remain high and trade in Europe collapses almost entirely. 2176 All moon colonies follow Mars’ lead, and declare independence. Following an attempted forceful reconsideration, Luna is given a seat in the UN. 2177 Early work on true hologram technology begins. 2178 Leslie Wood dies of a heart attack at 85 years old. Nanotrasen purchases her works, and the lab attempting to synthesize Element 146.
Global economic crash on Earth following the 2174 War 2180 Meteor Defense Lasers phased out of moon and mars colonies, in favor of Energy Shielding, which has developed enough to block gas transfer, and be much smaller, and more efficient though it still takes up at minimum an entire room and most of a nuclear reactor’s power output. 2181 UN establishes the Credit, a simple digital currency, which is quickly adopted by most nations 2183 Joint effort between NT and NASA to develop mankind's first interstellar probe, featuring energy shielding, and a fusion reactor/engine system. 2184 First Interstellar probe launched to Alpha Centauri, exceeding 1% Light Speed as it exited the Heliopause. 2185 First permanent-crew space station established in orbit of Venus.
All nations adopt Credits as their primary currency.
Global economy restabilizing, and trade returns to pre-war status in Europe. 2187 Orbital Colonies around the moons of Jupiter and Saturn established. Ceres and Haumea see colonies attempted, but fail due to distance and gravity issues.
Martian terraformation progresses to the point that martian soil can be used for farming in domes, ending reliance on Earth for arable soil. 2190 First attempt at Artificial Gravity generation takes place, and subsequently fails. 2192 Second attempt at Artificial Gravity generation takes place, and while it doesn't fail, kills half the lab staff with gamma radiation exposure. 2193 The first Terraformer ship is constructed by Nanotrasen, soon followed by a fleet of sister ships.
First true colonization of Ceres, Eris, Makemake, and Haumea takes place due to the advent of artificial gravity. 2196 Nanotrasen undertakes finishing the Lunar terraformation project single-handedly, with its Terraformer fleet, covering hundreds of years of terraformation progress in mere weeks, though the atmosphere must still be held in place by strong artificial magnetic fields.
The Interstellar Probe crosses Alpha Centauri's Heliopause, and loses signal to interference.
Permanent Space Station colonies are made possible without crew rotation, with rapid miniaturization of gravity generators. 2200 A single atom of Element 146 is synthesized, being nicknamed "Plasma" due to its propensity to hold a strongly imbalanced charge. This single Plasma atom proves too costly to manufacture artificially at any scale, and takes its place in a container on the Nanotrasen CEO’s desk
Nanotrasen swiftly patents the production method for Plasma

Path to the Great Sol War (2201 - 2288)

Timeline Events 2205 The UN splits after long-term tensions. New "Coalition" is formed by Martian & Europan colonies, inducting all the outlier colonies of the solar system together. War nearly breaks out, but is tempered by caution and anxiety from remaining UN members
Remnants of UN rebrand as The United Federation Of Earth, or EarthFed for short, featuring much more power than before; all nations of Earth, including Luna, given a seat 2206 Nanotrasen corporate offices relocated to a Bunker on Luna.
Hard Light-Holograms are developed enough that they become mass deployed, allowing disuse of physical currency altogether in favor of “Holo-Chips”
Cybersun Industries creates a corporate station in orbit of Mars; the planet becomes a paradise of robotic and biomechanical research 2210 Nanotrasen R&D manages to produce a man-portable laser gun, a scaled-down MDL with an internal inductive-charging battery. The design is swiftly patented, but the weapons fail to sell to most militaries due to concerns with logistics and reliability. The weapons still see usage by NT security elements 2217 “Bluest sky in centuries” reported on Earth
Donk Co. is founded on Ganymede by Gokul Thewara as a banking company that primarily finances agricultural expansions and research 2225 New Interstellar Probes discover that Plasma exists naturally within the nearby Val system, an otherwise relatively forgettable star system 2239 Martian-made Warp-Drives were developed, capable of using large quantities of power to fold space so as to move a ship. Massively impractical but efficiency quickly improved 2245 Trade barriers between Earth and Coalition powers grow, tariffs on ice causing riots in notable Belt nations such as Ceres and Eris 2254 The first variant of the EBPR, otherwise known as the laser rifle, is patented and sold to various militaries. The rifle’s ability to feed external magazines to charge it makes it popular among troops, standard squads sporting at least one “lasgunner” 2261 Donk Co. corporate purchases a small snack foods manufacturer and slowly scales up production 2269 Donk Co. becomes the premier Coalition banking company, able to process and exchange several different currencies between various states and nations 2279 Disappearance of a notable Earth trade ship designated the “Brahal” sparks long-building tensions between the Coalition and EarthFed 2280 A skirmish outside of the Martian embassy on Luna begins the Great Sol War, seeing the first real-world uses of laser guns and starship-scale weaponry in human history. Conventions are quickly established to avoid catastrophic planetary attacks, with armaments such as nuclear warheads to only be utilized in naval combat 2288 Great Sol War ends after seventeen different meteors are successfully shot down before they would have crashed into Earth, and EarthFed threatens to glass Mars. Tensions remain high
Nanotrasen buys off a large agri-conglomerate, closing in further on becoming a true horizontal monopoly

Recovery and Road to Exploration (2289 - 2399)

Timeline Events 2290 First Coalition colony ship project begins 2293 Election of new Coalition Prime Executor Aleksis Ceresun marks a great shift in Coalition diplomacy toward EarthFed 2294 Alex Zandar dies of old age at 150 years old, enabled by access to the best medical care possible, his son Quentin taking over the company in his place.
EarthFed is inducted into the Coalition as a primary member in the hopes of quelling any future conflict. Recent war still hotly felt, though Earth still given significant independence in its own matters, much like other Coalition members
The Coalition re-brands into The Sol Interplanetary Coalition, and is trimmed down to a 4-member council system with one representing a piece of the system (Planetoids, Mars, Space Stations, Earth). Ties are unbroken, which begins the still-expanding list of frustrating compromises and failed legislation
EarthFed engineering teams and scientists are brought onto the formerly Coalition colony ship project, accelerating its construction 2300 SIC's first colony ship launches 2307 Production and supply of cybernetics finally advances to the point where it becomes a guaranteed right of welfare. Latest, most advanced implants and cybernetics still confined to the rich 2310 Cybersun software engineers forced to maintain firmware of oldest prosthetics after a successful class action lawsuit comprised of workers and veterans deals a massive blow to the company’s wealth. Nanotrasen lawyers pocket a significant portion of the common fund 2322 Independent physicists produce a single super-positioned atom stuck between no charge and extreme charge states, dubbed "supermatter", which fizzled out of existence nano-seconds after being created, too fast to be properly studied
Nanotrasen begins experiments on activating the core of Eris 2325 Quentin Zandar dies of a cocaine overdose, with shareholders electing Julianni Deimi as the chairwoman of Nanotrasen. 2330 The SIC Colony Ship fails to find any habitable planets, which goes radio-silent after a short time 2340 Nanotrasen’s terraformer fleet begins the longer process of fully terraforming Mars 2343 Second series of official sapient cloning experiments are undertaken by Vahlen Pharmaceutical, to a mild degree of success. Perfect genetic clones are made and developed at the same age of their donor, though clones are still mentally catatonic 2350 Limb-grower technology developed by Nanotrasen draws the ire of both Cybersun and Vahlen, planting some of the first seeds of what would later become the Syndicate 2354 The two sons of Gokul Thewara, Hanamugi and Amos, bitterly fight over inheritance to Donk Co. after the death of their father. The corporation is split into two, Donk Co. retaining banking and its iconic product, the DonkPocket, while the newly established Waffle Co. specializes in culinary goods, farming, and ranching, especially involving xeno organisms. The two companies begin to viciously compete in the realm of toys, treading on each other’s toes in any other field possible 2364 Terraformation of Mars is mostly complete, though no true oceans can form due to the porousness of Martian rocks. Massive efforts to spread artificial ones continue. 2371 Nanotrasen acquires Sano-Waltfield Industries, the only other notable terraforming corporation, as a conglomerate, cementing their complete dominance of space exploration, colonization, and settlement 2384 Nanotrasen probes bring back sizable portions of Plasma from the Val system, and brought onto the scientific ship NVS Grey Voyager to be tested
An incident takes place aboard not two months later, causing a plasma-fueled fire to melt through the ship’s innards. Responders to the incident scan it and discover sapient skeletons aboard: the former crew whose bodies have merged with the plasma. The newly dubbed “plasmamen” are taken into containment and public outcry breaks loose once their existence is leaked 2385 Julianna Deimi directs and oversees the production of the first plasmaman envirosuits, based off of experimental hardsuit designs. The remaining eleven plasmamen are released into Nanotrasen care 2388 The SIC’s second Colony Ship project begins, funded and staffed almost exclusively by Nanotrasen and its personnel. Nanotrasen secretly smuggles military hardware aboard, labeled as construction supplies 2389 Supermatter is recreated in a larger quantity, though its unwillingness to exist is found to be due to its hyper-structure; the super-positioned atoms that form it can't exist inside normal causality without collapsing out of it.
A device is developed by Nanotrasen after corporate espionage, to destabilize causality in a defined area. After offering to trade this for supermatter crystal production rights, Nanotrasen became the first company to produce a functional Supermatter Crystal, and implement it in a power-production role.
Using the technology to destabilize Causality, Nanotrasen discovers they can punch a tiny hole into some other unknown dimension, and bounce a signal through it to cover vast distances in a fraction of the time it would otherwise take. This “Subspace” transmission system is patented and sold to just about everyone who can pay for it. 2390 Second SIC colony ship leaves for the Val system

The Great Embarkment (2400 - 2436)

Timeline Events 2400 Collection and return of more Plasma fuels and reigns in the Great Embarkment, seeing humanity expand into the rest of Sol and send more several more ships on a long burn towards Val 2402 The SIC's colony ship arrived at the Val system and finds a dry, habitable world there, which was inhabited by medieval-era reptilian humanoids. The Sol Interplanetary Coalition gives the go-ahead for what they hoped would be a peaceful first contact with the vuulen, which quickly turns bloody 2403 War with the vuulen ceases as puppet governments are established across Sangris, and humans begin to quickly develop and import their technology and goods onto the planet, utilizing lizard slave labor to quickly harvest what resources remained on the planet or to man hazardous positions 2404 Exploration of a strange set of alien ruins on the arctic planet of SLA-9 in the Val system marks the first discovery of the remnants of a now-dead civilization 2405 Bluespace crystals are further researched, as Nanotrasen begins production of some of the first warp drives. 2406 A rise in the availability and usage of Plasma leads to continuous, spontaneous incidents of plasmafires, which result in the creation of more plasmamen over time 2407 Basic translations and inspection of highly advanced technology in the alien ruins on SLA-9 uncover the general existence of a wide-reaching civilization of insectoids that called themselves the Vxtrin. The discovery of how to harness a new substance known as bluespace inspires massive desire to seek out and find other remains of the Vxtvul Empire 2409 Conflicts with space pirates become more prominent as space travel and expansion grows 2411 A prominent Nanotrasen research vessel, the NVS Baxter, quickly cuts off communication after a bluespace jump on the outskirts of the Val system. SIC response finds a maniacal, hostile crew possessing abilities best described as magic. The blood cultists are ruthlessly put down by force, the few who lived being passed along into cells where they are observed and interrogated. A quick jailbreak forces the termination of the few left, though much information is gained about a supposed force known as the Geometer, or Nar'sie. An alarming number of personnel with exposure to the event report distressing nightmares and the constant sound of gears clicking in their head 2414 The Nanotrasen Extradimensional Affairs Division is created, focused on combatting the uncanny and magical 2419 Martian explorers discover another series of Vxtvul ruins on an otherwise unnotable dwarf planet on the fringes of Val which yields the secrets of Man-Machine Interface technology, which permits for the immortalization of a sapient brain in a machine which sustains and keeps it alive. It is quickly discovered that such a device can be connected to machines in surprising and horrifying ways 2420 Convicts from the Callisto penal mines are de-brained and installed into the first cyborg units by Nanotrasen scientists on Mars. Software instabilities and alien directives meant they were quickly shut down 2421 Vuulen grow to integrate more human culture into their mindsets. SIC policy toward the lizardpeople begins to grow more benign as alien-sympathetic politicians are elected in greater quantities
The first Galactic Common lawset, designated Asimov, is successfully flashed onto the initial generation of cyborg units 2423 A set of different ruins primarily made of aged brass is found by independent explorers on the oceanic planet of EYS-44. Unable to access what they thought to be Vxtvul ruins, they rent out a first-generation cyborg. The unit is able to access the ruins, but turns on the crew after it enters into a chamber filled with drawings on the floor. After the cyborg is destroyed, the site is abandoned 2424 The Inquisition, a fanatical group that arises after news of the events of the NVS Baxter and EYS-44, throws meteors in a slingshot orbit at the brass structures on the aforementioned planet. Most of the planet's fauna dies in the resulting environmental shock, and the planet is rendered inhabitable. The individuals responsible are tried and sentenced permanently for their crimes against life. Cybersun quietly negotiates the de-braining of the guilty to become the first set of non-Nanotrasen cyborgs 2429 Second generation of cyborg units is made, possessing far greater resistance to water, heat and electricity, as well as being less prone to errors or unpredictability 2431 Indonesian colonists sponsored by Sano-Waltfield Industries land on the planet of Ur’lan and discover a Vxtvul factory that failed to register on sensors. The accidental re-activation of humanoid drones present within the factory leads to the discovery of the preterni
Nanotrasen obtains the colony rights at an exorbitant price and attempts to claim the preterni as property, which is denied. The SIC instead tries to negotiate with the preterni, hoping to utilize their familiarity with the ancient structures to discover more as well as understand the disappearance of the Vxtrin more
The preternis people unite into the skeletal government known as the Remnants of Vxtvul 2434 A small firm by the name of Morpheus Cyberkinetics invents the posibrain, a digital image and effective copy of the human brain
The first Integrated Posibrain Chassis is created, representing the first full synthetic that possesses free will 2435 Cybersun Industries acquires Morpheus Cyberkinetics as a subsidiary, the latter rebranding as Bishop Cyberkinetics 2436 Nanotrasen produces its own version of the posibrain, which prompts a lawsuit from Cybersun. The basis of intellectual theft is denied
Illegal squatters on the world of DWG-6 discover strange eggs in a derelict, gem-encrusted ruin on the world

Corporate Escalation and Alien Diplomacy (2437 - 2512)

Timeline Events 2437 The Syndicate, a corporate cartel formed to oppose Nanotrasen’s dominance, is organized by Cybersun Industries. Its initial members also include Donk Co, Waffle Co, and a variety of several other, smaller corporations 2439 Official Ceres settlers sponsored by Sano-Waltfield land and immediately attempt to evacuate from DWG-6, only a sole survivor escaping to submit a hostile xenobiology report 2440 Several debriefings and planetary drones confirm first contact with the infamous xenomorph threat on DWG-6
Capture of certain xenomorph subjects begins, in the hopes of making a xenomorph hybrid that can be domesticated and exploited 2442 The existence of a xenomorph hivemind is discovered 2443 Experimentation involving human-xenomorph hybrids begins, the first batch violent and unpredictable, though able to exist for prolonged periods with DNA instability and failure 2458 Second generation of human-xenomorph hybrids yields sentience in the “polysmorphs” 2460 Sano-Waltfield begins to create and maintain several polysmorph colonies to study and foster socialization 2461 Julianna Deimi finally passes from old age at 171 years old, marking the end of Nanotrasen’s golden age. Her great-great-great grandchild, Theo, resigns from heading the British Commonwealth’s central bank to fill the vacancy. Their transition to CEO is fraught with accusations of nepotism 2463 Slavery on Sangris is outlawed and vuulen are permitted to obtain citizenship in the SIC
An SIC probe makes contact with an unknown alien probe in Alpha Centauri, utilizing new Subspace transmission to quickly relay the ping back to Sol 2465 Contact with the owners of the alien probe is made: the ex’hau, moth-like humanoids who primarily reside in the Deria system beyond Alpha Centauri
The ex’hau also introduce humanity to the ethereal people, who mostly occupy the Elix system adjacent to Deria. The strange light-people quickly become a typical example of the potential benignness of xeno life, thanks to their general friendliness and openness to trade of goods and ideas 2467 The introduction of more and more earthsblood to SIC markets yields a massive boost in universal health. Average lifespan increases to 80 2469 A marked split in the SIC military occurs, certain fringe members deserting and taking sizable portions of military hardware with them to form the mercenary group known as the Gorlex Mauraders. The terrorist-labeled group quickly becomes known for excessive brutality and force in several accounts of theft, sabotage, and murder 2471 Several cases of corporate espionage by both Nanotrasen and the Syndicate are brought before SIC courts, neither side levying a victory over the other 2478 The Gorlex Marauders are quietly offered permanent patronage from the Syndicate after the scuttling of a prominent Nanotrasen research vessel 2479 A paramilitary branch of Nanotrasen employees is created due to the failure of the SIC to protect their interests. The Emergency Response Teams draw upon Coalition veterans, prominent security personnel, and well-disciplined criminals 2489 The first habituation station, designed to integrate vuulen more deeply into human culture, is built in an orbit around Sangris. It is primarily sponsored by Vahlen Pharmaceuticals, designed to churn out those who can pursue post-secondary education in medical fields
The second generation of IPCs is released, possessing superior firmware and external ability 2491 A group of IPCs produced by Hephaestus Industries subverts and steals a handful of cyborg unit before going on to create the terrorist group known as S.E.L.F.
Significant regulation and degrading of IPC units quickly enters into effect. MK.2 IPCs become functionally identical to the first generation due to the strict requirements 2495 Professional Syndicate brainwashers devise a way to project radical anti-corporate beliefs onto anyone given a specific frequency of rapid-image exposure. ERTs are sent to mop up the brainwashed employees that remain at several stations that fall to this technique 2497 Polysmorphs begin to learn Galactic Common
Sano-Waltfield realizes the massive failure of their project, and moves to cut off support to polysmorph colonies and production 2498 Nanotrasen steps in and purchases the remaining polysmorph colonies, inducting those functional enough into their public work force under a keen eye. Dysfunctional ones quietly are moved to illegal worksites
The SIC begrudgingly passes legislation to permit the housing and sentient treatment of polysmorphs within its borders 2499 The classified Deathsquad program begins under the strict directive of Theo Deimi, designed in the case of mass employee insubordination 2500 Concerns about Nanotrasen’s official corporate military fizzle out in rigged courts 2503 The Universal Recorder is invented by Cybersun Industries, working on advanced heuristic algorithms and miniaturized neural-net processing, though nothing capable of being referred to as “intelligent” in the least 2504 A secret military experiment that created androids capable of human disguise known as synths goes poorly, causing the few that were created to escape into deep space 2506 The first pulse weapon is developed in a Nanotrasen lab, featuring a ludicrous battery and the most powerful energy projectile known to humanity 2508 Drug and therapy treatments for humans whose development suffered from growing up in low-g environments is adopted by the ex’hau, permitting some to work or reside on stations that include artificial gravity or planets with greater than 0.6 g’s 2511 A Sano-Waltfield Industries drone sent to explore a habitable planet in the Creo system adjacent to Val is shot down. Contact is made with a highly-aggressive species of plant people and their government, the Gukdem Confederacy 2512 Limited trade between the SIC and Confederacy is established above Mulvoda, with rights of passage agreed upon, too. Human documentation of the phytosian people is limited and scarce, while phytosians and lazarupela vitalis, the plant that creates phytosians, spread rapidly throughout SIC space

Decline and Decentralization (2513 - Present)

Timeline Events 2513 The military branch of the SIC sees its lowest enlistment numbers in centuries. National militaries, on the other hand, are maintained at expected ratios 2514 Inexplainable disappearance rates of ethereal ships begin to alarmingly increase. Concerns raised with various ex’hai powers and the SIC are ignored
The first prototype of a mindshield is devised, utilizing a mixture of nano-chemical injectors and control-response stimuli latent in the brain in order to prevent typical subversion and rewriting of cognitive pathways via mind-altering effects. The invention drastically reduces the rate of cultist and revolutionary incursions into Nanotrasen workplaces 2517 Space Station 13 is established by Nanotrasen on the outskirts of the Val system, focused on researching potential uses of plasma and bluespace technologies, often combined. Its products address all aspects of life in space, from civilian engineering to military weaponry

Corporations, Governmental Bodies, and Organizations

Nanotrasen

Nanotrasen's corporate logo

The largest human corporation in existence. While their subsidiaries and business transactions cover several aspects of space life, they have not faced significant anti-trust breakup despite their significant horizontal influence. Pioneers of materials technology that helped to lead humanity out of Sol and into the rest of the universe, their most recent endeavors have been replicating the exceptional technology of the Vxtvul Empire. Their current CEO, Theo Deimi, is a static, cutthroat individual whose beliefs of pragmaticism and technological progress have curiously raked in thousands of non-human employees, though several alien sympathizers point out Nanotrasen's unjust payment of non-humans in incredibly demanding positions, such as medical professions, engineering contracts, or even management. While not official, it's generally accepted that their coffers filling the SIC's has helped to keep their ambitions uninterrupted for so long, though several have grown contemptuous of Nanotrasen's exception from judicial consequences.

Notable subsidiaries include:

• Sano-Waltfield Industries, a terraforming company at the forefront of human exploration.
• WIP

The Syndicate

The Syndicate's official logo

WIP (includes just about every single Syndie organization including marauders)

The Sol Interplanetary Coalition

WIP - technically includes the Opsillian Republic?

The Remnants of Vxtvul

WIP

The Gukdem Confederacy

I'll get to them sometime TM

The Lightseers

WIP

Ex'hai Nations

WIP

The Wizard Federation

WIP

Falgriff's Frontiersfolk

Hey this one is new! Just call them frontiersfolk though, or slags (organized scavs) (ALSO WIP)

Species

Humans

Humans originate from the planet Earth in the Sol system. They are the largest and most populous race across all of SIC space. With unmatched ambition and rapid expansion, humanity finds itself the largest empire of the present year, 2517.

Lizardpersons/Vuulen

Vuulen originate from the planet Sangris within the Val system. The first species humanity has encountered outside of the Sol system, the Coalition's invasion of Sangris in 2401 marked the beginning of a troubled history between humans and vuulen. While the passage of time and more lenient xeno policies have seen the creation of several habituation stations, designed with the intent to integrate the lizards into human communities. While they enjoy significantly more rights than in the past, corporations such as Nanotrasen still exploit the apprehension surrounding vuulen to extend them less pay and protection under company policy.

Phytosians

Phytosians originate from the planet Mulvoda within the Creo system. The most recent species humanity has encountered, the secretive and isolated nature of their primary government, the Gukdem Confederacy, means very few are seen in SIC space. While slowly beginning to work through diplomatic relations with the Coalition, the few phytosians that venture out and explore the galaxy tend to either be political exiles or loyalists, the former fleeing persecution while the latter seek to gather more information about this strange universe that the phytosian collective has been exposed to.

Plasmamen

Plasmamen are the animated remains of humans who have died in plasmafires which are then exposed to pure plasma environments. Technically the first xeno species humanity has encountered, the initial experiments with baroxuldium (also known as plasma) were disasterous, spawning the first generation of plasmamen in 2384. Holding onto glimpses of all the lives that perished in the fire, each plasmaman continues their newfound existence with apathy and detachment ever-present. Often confused regarding their past identities because of these overlapping memories, they continue to work in SIC space, often resuming their past occupation.

Mothpersons/Ex'hau

Ex'hau originate from the low-g planet of Wallalius within the Deria system. One of two space-faring species that humanity has uncovered, the significant decentralization of their people in their body of space means widespread, constant conflict and tension. While physically distant from the Sol and Val systems, some mothpersons still find their way to SIC space in search of a new life, sometimes as an escape from their old one. As humans are primarily suited to one-g environments, any ex'hai that wishes to work on a standard station often has to undergo significant treatment and therapy in order to make their bodies able to withstand the stress of standard gravity.

Ethereals

Ethereals originate from the planet Borealia within the Elix system. The other space-faring species that humanity has discovered, these benign humanoids work under the guidance of religious elders, most commonly the Lightseers. Their primary expansion into space is motivated by pilgrimage or other cultural reasons. Believing themselves to be the descendants of stars, ethereals often find themselves in SIC space either mid-transit or whilst obtaining work in order to pay their journeys. Older ones who have completed various pilgrimages might settle down into an established position, working to fund other ethereals or simply integrate into a newfound galactic community.

Preterni

Preterni of the present day originate from the mechanical world of Ur'lan on the fringes of the Val system. A species uniquely produced from highly-advanced lathes that were created by the ancient Vxtrin people, the preterni expand and lay claim to much of the Vxtvul Empire's old technology, ensuring their continuation through the re-activation and maintenance of several preterni lathes. Highly at odds with humanity due to their scrapping, destruction, and subversion of several Vxtvul creations, the Remnants and the Coalition exist in an uneasy cold war, neither desiring to openly attack the other, while they secretly try to combat and parley over the immensely valuable technology present in Vxtvul ruins.

Polysmorphs

Polysmorphs come from various colonies that were established by Sano-Waltfield Industries, though the human-xenomorph hybrids are no longer produced and are incapable of natural reproduction. As a result, they're expected to die out within the next century or two, depending on how long they can live. Despite this, they're still kept in employment by Nanotrasen, permitted to live on SIC stations so long as their work with NT continues. Often dysfunctional and odd, very few are comfortable in their presence, especially with their visage so closely related to xenomorphs.

IPCs

IPCs are robotic humanoids that are produced by humans. Possessing free will and sapience due to their lack of artificial intelligence laws, the integrated positronic chassis are common workers in various positions across all of civilized space, though they mostly work within the borders of the SIC. They are often underpaid, and those that exist in SIC space as quasi-civilians often undergo extensive surveillance and auditing to ensure they possess no threat to organics.

Locations

Space Station 13

NYOOM (WIP)

Lavaland

Double nyoom (above)

Central Command

Triple nyoom (also above)