Skrem 7
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 United Martian City States, the Belter Collective, and the Ganymede Republic.
The Origin Story
Lunar Colonization and Environmental Strife
Organizations
Nanotrasen
Nanotrasen is the largest independent company across all of Commonwealth space. Their wealth and unrivaled corporate power have gained admiration and jealousy from many. Led by the ruthless Quentin Zandar, Nanotrasen has, in recent history, become more aggressive than ever. Conflicts in recent years have arisen between Nanotrasen and the more newly founded Syndicate, while the Commonwealth attempts to keep the situation stable. Currently, situations are at a near boiling point, due to the recent discovery of a new mineral dubbed plasma. With the two competitors vying for the ability to research this revolutionary material, Nanotrasen has managed to achieve temporary sole research abilities through bribes and threats of Commonwealth Officials. All of these underhanded tactics, has led to Nanotrasen becoming weaker than ever, and if the infant research facility “Space Station 13” is to fail, Nanotrasen’s long age of domination may come to an end.
The Syndicate
A corporate coalition founded to oppose Nanotrasen’s long run domination over the Commonwealth market. Founded by prominent corporations such as Cybersun Industries, Donk Co., and Waffle Co., when combined the market share of the Syndicate is much higher than Nanotrasen. However, the Syndicate struggles with internal unity, with many of the internal companies being long term rivals. Though struggling to maintain their coalition, the Syndicate has managed to reverse Nanotrasen’s long term growth in total market share. In the modern-day, the Syndicate is working on slowing Nanotrasen’s plasma research through corporate espionage and other underhanded tactics, and are attempting to get their own plasma research facility.
The Commonwealth of Orion
The greatest power known to all, the Commonwealth of Orion was founded on the four principles of freedom, democracy, safety, and justice. The Commonwealth has, for 211 years, been the sole known galactic superpower, after the defeat of their authoritarian rivals the URS led to a golden age of human expansion. The golden age came to a close with the Soul Act of 2480, leading to the revolt of 200 systems and a fragmenting of the Commonwealth’s once monolithic power. This revolt is finally coming to an end however with a mere 10 systems remaining in open revolt. Accompanying this is the decrease in corporate influence over politics, with both the Syndicate and Nanotrasen losing influence in recent years over politicians. For now, the Commonwealth is seeking to maintain a balance between the Syndicate and Nanotrasen, until their internal issues come to an end.
The Wizard Federation
A collective of magic users dedicated to further educating themselves and keeping their magic from lesser beings. Nearly every wizard or witch is aligned with this collective, and they are a relatively enigmatic power rarely dealing with those below them. To train, however, the Federation sends their apprentices across the stars to cause havoc and mayhem. Space Station 13 orbits lavaland, where many wizards once tinkered, and may just become a target for the next new wizard test.
The Cult of Eldritch Gods
A collective of cults banned across Commonwealth space, due to their violent practices and avocation. The two largest cults, the Blood Cult of Nar-Sie and the Clock Cult of Ratvar, have fled to the far outer systems of the Commonwealth. However, even in exile they still seek to bring their eldritch gods to the mortal plane. Many people do not believe these gods even exist across most of space, but they are terribly real. However, their forceful conversion rituals are known to be stopped by holy water, which has led to their near eradication. Their threat to the Commonwealth and Nanotrasen is seen as of little significance.
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
Space Station 13 is Nanotrasen’s thirteenth non-subsidiary owned research station dedicated to plasma research. Uniquely, Space Station 13 is the only plasma research facility. Constructed in orbit of the planet dubbed Lavaland, plasma is found here and in the surrounding solar system abundantly. As one of the first actual Nanotrasen research stations constructed in fifty years, it serves many additional purposes such as:
- Genetics Research, with a team staffed by some of the best scientists from Chimera DNA Technologies
- Bluespace Technology, due to a large amount of bluespace “glitches” end with their trips ending somewhere in the solar system. An odd amount of ruins has been observed in flyovers of the planet
- Artificial Intelligence Testing: Nanotrasen, in secret, have created fully functional Ai’s under a Man-Machine Interfaces, and are testing some new versions of this technology in station
Lavaland
Lavaland is the planet Space Station 13 is currently in orbit around. Deep in the far reaches of Commonwealth space, Lavaland is one of the most recent discoveries by explorers. This planet is full of a previously undiscovered mineral known as plasma, with unique properties allowing technologies never previously thought possible. Uniquely, lavaland is also covered with an offshoot of the species Unathi, ruins of ancient wizard dwellings, and extremely hostile fauna to all life. This planet is one of the most dangerous in the galaxy, due to this all and additionally the known bluespace instability.
Central Command
Space Station 13 is located in the Ciastor sector, and every sector has one Central Command or CentComm. CentComm is a large facility currently running Space Station 13’s housing facilities, Emergency Response Teams, and the sector’s bureaucracy. CentComm is also responsible for sending the escape shuttle to retrieve the crew at the end of the shift, or due to disaster on the station. Occasionally CentComm has an officer actively keeping tabs on the station, but due to impracticality this only occurs rarely.