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+
+ ------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+ The Osirion Project - STORYLINE
+
+ ------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+ This file contains ideas for the universe background, the factions and
+ the storyline.
+
+ SPOILER ALERT!
+
+
+ ------------------------------------------------------------------
+ FACTIONS and PLACES
+
+
+ HOUSE LINDBLADE (protected by the Lindblade military)
+
+ - Lindblade system
+ planet Lindblade
+
+ - Burton system
+ planet Burton
+ Trent outpost
+
+ - Dover system
+
+ HOUSE PRAETORIA (protected by the Praetorian Guard)
+
+ - Praetoria system
+ planet Praetoria
+
+ PROTECTORATE (protected by the Ordinators)
+
+ The seat of the Council and the capital of the central planets.
+ Location of the Allied Intelligence Network headquarters.
+
+ - Protectorate
+ planet Corona
+
+ INDEPENDENT COLONIES (protected by the Colonial Militia)
+
+ An alliance of systems independent from the central planets.
+
+ - Ghant system
+ planet Ghant
+ Alexandria outpost
+ Battleship custodian
+
+ planet Seymour
+ Regula station
+
+ - Brogha system
+ planet Brogha
+ Cantor observatory
+
+ - Antwerp system
+ starbase Helianthos (guards the border)
+ Buccaneer's Den pirate base
+ planet Antwerp?
+
+ NEUTRAL SYSTEMS
+
+ - Finnmark (Joint Miners Association headquarters)
+ planet Finnmark
+
+ - East End
+ Ensor station
+
+ CORPORATIONS
+
+ - Micron Corporations
+ - AMTEL Tech Conglomerate
+ - Joint Miners Association
+
+ BORDERWORLDS (not claimed by any lawfull faction)
+
+ Worlds destroyed during the war.
+
+ - Kor Glaven system
+ planet Andros
+ planet Corthio
+ battlefield remains
+
+ - Anarian system
+ Anarian nebula
+ Galileo research station
+ battlefield remains
+
+ - Karelian system
+ no Planets
+ Karelian nebula
+ border station
+
+ TSU-KHAN EMPIRE
+
+ - Kiana system
+ Kiana Prime
+
+ Note on names:
+
+ Before the war, the systems controlled by the Great Houses were
+ referred to as the 'Colonies'. The term 'borderworlds' was used
+ to refer to independent systems.
+
+ Since the war, the term 'Borderworlds' is used to indicate
+ systems destroyed during the war, while the term 'colonies'
+ is generally used as abreviation for the 'Independent Colonies'.
+ The Protectorate and the systems controlled by The Great Houses
+ are usually referred to as 'the central planets'.
+
+ ------------------------------------------------------------------
+ TIMELINE
+
+ Exodus -5300 years
+ The Year of War -300 years
+ The Karelian Incident -50 years
+
+
+ ------------------------------------------------------------------
+ HISTORY OF THE YEAR OF WAR
+ from the House Lindblade historical records
+
+
+Reaching for the Stars
+
+ History of mankind is a tale mostly written in blood and fire. Although
+ there are few written accounts of the events before the Exodus, it wouldn't
+ be hard to imagine why the Homeworld would have been abandoned in the first
+ place: wars for power, territory and resources would be commonplace
+ for almost five millenia to come.
+
+The Year of War
+
+ For the Tsu-Khan, this war was no different. Around 300 years ago,
+ The Empire had depleted most of its natural resources and had launched
+ an ambitious project to find a suitable new homeworld.
+
+ At the time, most of the human population was ignorant about the presence
+ of alien lifeforms in their galaxy. The scant pieces of evidence that did
+ exist were kept secret by the political leaders. The Colonies were controlled
+ by several Major Houses, each with their own agenda's and changing alliances.
+ None of the House Lords had the motivation to order a thorough investigation
+ into a mad man's testimony of outer world creatures.
+
+ The war came without warning. In the Kor Glaven system, on the edge of known space
+ and outside the jurisidiction of the great houses, two new colonies
+ had been founded. The settlers were finishing the construction of their
+ hyperspace jump gate, to connect the system to allied borderworld systems.
+ Unfortunatly, the Tsu-Khan Empire had located a suitable planet just
+ a few parsec away.
+
+ The Andros colony was the first to fall. It didn't take the Tsu-Khan
+ battle group very long to destroy the defenceless setlement.
+ By the time they arrived at the Corthio colony, the colony had scrambled
+ any battleship it could find to fend the invasion. The Colonial fleet was
+ no match for the superior Tsu-Khan ships. In a few hours, the battle was over,
+ and the Corthio colony had been reduced to ashes.
+
+ The story repeated itself across the Borderworlds. These independent worlds were
+ usually inhabited by pacifist who had escaped the turmoil of the central planets
+ or had a mutual understanding with one or more of the great houses. The Tsu-khan
+ did not care, and the majority of the Bordesworlds was utterly obliterated. What
+ remained was a few primitive settlements scattered across the smoldering remains
+ of the Borderworld planets.
+
+ The relations between the Borderworlds and the Major Houses were strained with
+ conflicts of interest. The central planets usually didn't care unless some economical
+ or strategical advantage was involved. Slowly the Houses got drawn into the the war,
+ and after almost a year of hostilities most of the House Lords found their armies
+ involved in a full-scale war. A war, they realised, they couldn't win.
+
+ With the Borderworlds out of the way, and the Tsu-Khan fleet at the border of every
+ Major House, there wasn't much they could do to oppose the Empire. In this darkest
+ of hours a secret meeting took place that turned the fate of history. On a small,
+ neutral planet, near the centre of the Colonies, a number of small ships met in secret,
+ each ship carrying one of the remaining House Lords.
+
+The Alliance
+
+ This small planet used to be the stage for the House Council, by then a long forgotten
+ tradition, where the Lords of the Major Houses used to work out their differences
+ with dialog, or discuss current events. In the years before the Great War, this
+ tradition had been neglected and oposing views were usually solved with a friendly
+ border skirmish followed by royal monetary compensation.
+
+ These times were over. This war wasn't about money, power or territory.
+ It was about survival and it was clear by now that none of the Major Houses possessed
+ sufficient strength to fight the Empire on its own. A new alliance was formed and it
+ was decided that it should not only include the Major Houses, but also any independent
+ system that was still capable of fighting. The Lord of House Lindblade, who's
+ territory had been on the front line since the beginning of the war, and considered
+ as moderate amongst the House Lords, proposed to assemble a fleet in the Lindblade
+ system to prevent the Empire from gaining a foothold in the Central Systems.
+
+ Within days, the largest fleet in human history had united under one banner. Out of fear,
+ out of hope, but most of all, out of desperation. A news reporter from the era described
+ it as ".. an overwhelming sight of the End of Times, but unlike the descriptions of
+ Armegeddon in the Ancient Scripture, a sight with a sense of honour and dignity ..."
+ and ended his report with the question if they really had any chance against such
+ a formidable enemy. Battleship after battleship graciously drifted in formation,
+ and everyone on board, from crewman to captain, knew this had to be the final stand.
+
+ When the Empire's vast intelligence informed the Tsu-Khan Emperor of this unexpected
+ turn of events, humanity's fate seemed sealed. The orders where quick and decisive:
+ regroup the fleet and prepare to engage the humans. Once dispatched it would
+ take care of the alliance fleet and end human opposition once and for all. The war
+ would be over soon and the Alliance's systems would under the Empire's control.
+
+ It is said that even the smallest person can change the course of the future, and in
+ this case, it was a lonely scientists in the Anara system. His work involved
+ the meaning of life, the universe and related subjects, and ignoring the dangers
+ of the war was his way of dealing with the situation. His latest experiment required
+ him to pilot a tiny and almost unpowered vessel into the Anarian nebula, where
+ he could conduct measurements of the small variations in the local hyperspace field.
+
+ He was performing another scan of the sector when suddenly his instruments went off
+ the scale. To his amazement he suddenly found himself on the edge on area where the
+ alien fleet had decided to regroup and refuel before they sneaked into Alliance Territory.
+ The small vessel, barely powered and only slightly larger than an emergency life
+ support pod, used the high levels of radiation in the nebula to elude the Tsu-Khan
+ sensors and send a warning message the Alliance Fleet.
+
+ With the help of the detailed scientific information about the nebula, the Alliance
+ managed to jump right on top of the unsuspecting Tsu-Khan fleet. Within minutes,
+ the Imperial Flagship, primary target of the assault, had taken massive damage and was
+ burning in the flames of explosive decompression. It was at the heart of the fleet
+ when it exploded, and most of the heavy fighters and cruisers were hit by the shockwave
+ and the massive rain of high-speed metallic debris behind it. Some managed to retreat
+ to Tsu-Khan space, most fell victim to the united firepower of the Alliance fleet.
+
+ News of the victory spread through the Colonies like fire, and the battle became legendary
+ before the Alliance fleet had even returned home.
+
+
+ ------------------------------------------------------------------
+ PROJECT::OSIRION
+ Allied Intelligence Network classified documents
+
+
+Project Osirion
+
+ During the war, many great houses conducted experiments in search for
+ advanced technologies to aid in defeating the enemy. One of these
+ experiments was called 'Project Osirion', an experiment involving
+ a new type of hyperjumpdrive, which could work independent of hyperspace
+ jumps holes and cross enormous distances in the blink of an eye.
+
+ The requirments on ship design for this experimental drive unit were
+ outrageous to say the least. But facing imminent defeat, no effort
+ was spared to gain even the slightest advantage. In less than 6 months
+ a new ship was constructed and equiped with the experimental drive unit.
+
+ The ship was an impressive sight: several hundred meters of neutronium-enforced
+ carbosteel, thousands of metric tonnes of superconductors and optronics,
+ a monument to human ingenuity and an instrument to survival.
+
+ This ship was christened 'Osirion'.
+
+ The ship's first test flight was a major event. Most secret projects did not
+ generate a lot of attentention, but this flight was a higly anticipated by
+ the top brass from all parties involved, military, political and corporate alike.
+
+ The ship had left the construction yard as planned and had almost arrived at
+ departure point on the edge of the star system when suddenly all communication
+ was lost. Extensive investigations after the incident have never revealed the
+ source of the malfunction, and everything that happened after this point is the
+ result of long-range sensor telemetry.
+
+ The ship arrived at the departure point and the flight continued as planned.
+ A few moments later a massive energy discharge was registered, indicating
+ that the experimental jump drive was activated. Unfortunatly, the order
+ to return to the point of departure after the initial jump, seems to be a part of
+ the plan that never got executed. The ship had literally vanished into thin air.
+
+ The top brass was very upset.
+
+
+The Karelian Incident
+
+
+The Tsu-Khan Empire
+
+
+ ------------------------------------------------------------------
+ PROJECT::OSIRION
+ Protectorate Top-Secret documents
+
+What really happed to the Osirion
+
+What really happed after the death of the Tsu-Khan Emperor
+
+Tsu-Khan Empress and the War Generals
+
+The Empress' niece
+
+ ------------------------------------------------------------------
+ PROJECT::OSIRION
+ STORY
+
+I. Business
+
+ Alexandria outpost, jewel of the south, or queen of the wasteland,
+ as some higher placed officials like to call it off-the-record.
+ They were probably right too. The wasteland probably referred to
+ planet Ghant, a lifeless chunk of rock holding the outpost in
+ a stationary orbit. Unless you had some pressing matters to handle,
+ this was a part of space you would rather avoid. The only kind of
+ people you could find here were people doing business and people
+ who needed to dissapear from public appearance. Or both.
+
+ The local custom was to mind your own business, and that was exactly
+ what I was looking for: minding my own business. My life on the central
+ planets had become far more complicated than I had planned for and it
+ was time for a change: I managed to get a loan from the local
+ planetary bank and spend it on the aquisition of a small transport
+ vessel.
+
+ The first day of my new life as a spaceship captain. Not the glorious
+ life I had gotten used to, but at least a decent one with its small pleasures
+ once in a while. The small room I rented above the local bar almost felt like
+ home. After I left the central planets, I ended up on Alexandria outpost where
+ the local bartender was kind enough to offer me a job in his modest establishment.
+ He probably did it more out of sympathy then anything else, but as it turned
+ out, I'm great at doing the dishes and I always enjoyed our conversations.
+ That is, until last week, when I met Mister Brent.
+
+ I never really got to know him very well but he must have remembered me from high
+ school. I was sitting at the bar when he suddenly tapped my shoulder. My memories
+ of him were vague. As he sat down, I ordered him a drink. We had some chit-chat,
+ shared a few memories of distant times, but it didn't take hime very long to come
+ to the point.
+
+ Brent was the business type. "The rising star of the Regula mining operations,
+ overseeing all shipments of niobium ore in the Ghant system", to quote his words.
+ His phrases like "A smart man could make a fortune" sounded rather hollow to me,
+ but he did have a point. 500 runs to Regula to pay the loan for the ship.
+ Another 1500 more to get myself a ship big enough to hold a small cabin with all the
+ luxuries a simple life would need.
+
+ Repetetive? Boring? Perfect! Add an autopilot and this life could be more relaxing
+ then a luxury vacation on an exotic planet. With this simple business but rock-solid plan
+ laid out in front of me I managed to convince the manager of the local planetary
+ bank to provide me with the necessary funds for my operation, which I quickly
+ exchanged for Micron Corporation's latest Vector model. It's a small ship:
+ the cockpit, a living compartment with a sleeping corner and a cargo hold
+ just big enough to hold a few metric tons of whatever the owner had in mind.
+ All it misses is a pair of blasters to shoot the mosquitos from the windshield.
+
+ That would have added another 50 runs to the price.
+
+ The first two runs went smooth. Nothing unexpected. Pick up supplies at Alexandria,
+ fly all the way to the Regula mining operation station, exchange the supplies
+ for a shipment of karpax ore and head back. I had just hit the impulse drive with
+ the third load in my cargo hold when I noticed something out of place.
+
+ A blip. And a big one too. No civilian vessel had an EM radar signature that powerful.
+ I peered through the windows and as planet Ghant grew bigger on me I could clearly
+ distinguish a second bright spot next to the familiar one Alexandria had become to me.
+ I quickly requested the computer for an identification and it didn't take it very long
+ to come up with an answer. Battleship Custodian. Colonial Militia registration number
+ CM-2542. It must have jumped in when I was docked at Regula.
+
+ Curious. While the Ghant system was officialy under the jurisdiction of the
+ colonies, nobody had any real business here. Niobium was without doubt a valuable
+ commodity, but since there was no real shortage of the oremy guess was that the
+ military's interests would lie elsewhere. For now, I decided to ignore the matter.
+ I wasn't about to meddle into military affairs and let unfortunate circumstances ruin
+ my life again.
+
+ Nevertheless it was hard to ignore the massive battleship looming over the outpost,
+ but I docked and went straight to the bar. The bartender looked at me as I walked in
+ and pointed me to my regular place at the bar. "I'll be right back", he said,
+ and disappeared into the kitchen compartment. As on most quiet evenings, the
+ regular customers were kind enough to leave my seat unocupied and it didn't
+ take the familar surroundings long to ease my exited mind into a more relaxes state.
+ "Here you are, one cup of steaming hot chocolate milk. I'm not sure how or where
+ you got it, but I am sure it is the real deal. No one would get it into his mind
+ to synthesize anything without having an actual market for it."
+
+ As usual, my bartender was right, and that was exactly why I liked this stuff, even if it
+ costed a small fortune. "But then again", he continued and turned has eyes towards the large
+ space window at the other end of the bar, "life can be full of surprises."
+
+II. Surprises
+
+ It was hard for him to hide his unsettledness. "I just had a talk with the station supervisor
+ and the commander of that battleship floating out there". "The Custodian", I replied. "I had
+ the ship computer run an ID on it". "You'd better take care of that fancy new ship of yours",
+ he said. "They were here to inform me that the Colonial Militia has decided to assign a detachment
+ to the Ghant system, effective immediately. All fleet operations in the system will be under the
+ command of the battleship Custodian. They also dropped some kind of communication sattelite
+ in the center of the system. God knows what these guys are up to."
+
+ The military is always involved in business the common man would rather not know about, but I had
+ to admit, it just didn't sound right. A battleship in the Ghant system was curious, but a
+ more permanent presence didn't make any sense at all. I picked up the small metal spoon lying
+ next to my cup and stirred my hot milk. "I wouldn't worry too much. They've probably discovered
+ some interesting radiation in the neighbourhood and now they want to turn it into a weapon. You
+ know these kind of people, if it goes kabooom, they immediately like it." "Besides", I continued,
+ "the system has been quiet for months. I haven't seen a pirate in ages".
+
+ The tone in my voice couldn't hide my longing for more dangerous and exiting times,
+ but those days were over. I had chosen a new path, and I was not about to ruin my plans
+ because of a few curious events. I emptied my cup and wished the bartender good night.
+
+ I couldn't sleep that evening. I didn't know what troubled me more: the prospect
+ of my new life, the memories of the old one, or the strange events of today. When a man
+ is troubled, he has to start walking and with the silence of the night as a blanket,
+ I got out of bed and went out on a stroll.
+
+ 2 am standard colonial time. Nights in space are something to get used to: without
+ the sun to rise and set, dusk and dawn become rather hollow definitions and
+ only the clock dictates when it is time to go to sleep. Nevertheless, the atmosphere
+ of the night still permiated the station: most of the establishments were closed and
+ the sound of busy peoples voices was replaced by the quiet hum of the electrical
+ installations.
+
+ I wandered aimless through the empty corridors until I reached one of the large
+ space windows on the upper level. It was almost like the vast, empty space
+ behind it was reaching out, trying to stir something in the back of my mind.
+ I wasn't sure why but I could not shed the feeling that some event was about
+ to unfold. I turned around to head back to bed when suddenly felt a faint
+ tremor going through the station. It was hardly noticable and most people
+ would probably ignore it, but I knew exactly what it was.
+
+ When a ship drops from hyperspace into normal space, it will send a small shockwave
+ into the surrounding area. This is not a shockwave of something traveling through space,
+ but rather a disturbance of the fabric of space itself, with a distinct rythmn
+ an experienced pilot can easily recognize. I could have ignored it too and
+ go back to sleep, but the intoxicating effect of the mystery dragged me back to the window.
+
+ A ship had arrived, and it had to be close. Hyperspace-tremors do not travel very far
+ and it would take one hell of a pilot to make a jump this close to a gravitational well.
+ The slightest miscalulation would have spread out his atoms over the face of planet Ghant.
+ The bright moving spot between the stars had proven he was either very good, or very lucky.
+
+ The design of the ship was unfamiliar. It looked like some kind of a patrol craft,
+ armed to the teeth and ready to defend itself if it were necessary. Fortunatly,
+ it looked like the pilot had a more quiet evening in mind. In a gracious arc,
+ he approached the station and soaring like a an eagle he started the final approached
+ to the docking bay.
+
+III. The suit
+
+ A wise man once said: "Curiosity is mankind's greatest gift. But it is
+ also mankind's greatest curse." I didn't have to take him for his word:
+ I've been in situations before were I wasn't supposed to belong,
+ and me intuition told me that ship was probably something I didn't want to know about.
+
+ By now it was almost 3 am and I was almost certain I was going to regret this nightwandering
+ episode when my alarm clock would obnoxiously announce the next morning. Almost, because
+ by now I had learned that no regrets and focus on the task at hand was usually the wiser
+ course of action. Right now, the task was finding some sleep.
+
+ I turned around, walked to the elevator at the end of the corridor and pressed the button.
+ After a few seconds the doors opened with a joyfull chime and I stepped inside. "Level 6".
+ The elevator seemed to consider my request when the doors finaly closed and it started
+ moving upward. I leaned casually against the back wall, my right hand trying to catch the
+ yawn escaping my mouth.