diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'doc/STORYLINE')
| -rw-r--r-- | doc/STORYLINE | 125 |
1 files changed, 74 insertions, 51 deletions
diff --git a/doc/STORYLINE b/doc/STORYLINE index 1a7c7e3..cdc9e3c 100644 --- a/doc/STORYLINE +++ b/doc/STORYLINE @@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ ------------------------------------------------------------------ FACTIONS - Borderworlds + Independent Colonies - Colonial Militia - Drifters @@ -30,6 +30,9 @@ INDEPENDENT COLONIES (Colonial Militia) + A loose alliance of systems independent from the central planets. + + - Ghant system planet Ghant Alexandria outpost @@ -64,6 +67,9 @@ - East End Ensor station + - Anara + Galileo research station + BORDERWORLDS - Carolian system @@ -83,14 +89,14 @@ TSU-KHAN EMPIRE - Kiana system + - Kiana system Kiana Prime ------------------------------------------------------------------ TIMELINE - Exodus -5300 years - The Year of War -300 years + Exodus -5300 years + The Year of War -300 years The Karelian Incident -50 years ------------------------------------------------------------------ @@ -98,7 +104,6 @@ from the House Lindblade historical records - Reach for the Stars Since the beginning of time history of mankind had been written @@ -171,10 +176,11 @@ The Alliance 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 desperation, but most of all, out of hope. A news reporter from the era described - it as ".. an overwhelming sight of Armegeddon, but unlike some ancient scriptures, with a - sense of pride and dignity ..." and ended his report with the question if they really had - any chance against such a formidable enemy. + 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. It didn't take the Empire very long to be noted of the fact that humanity was about to make its last stand. It reacted promptly by sending in the First Fleet, a group of elite @@ -193,9 +199,9 @@ The Alliance 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 First Fleet had decided to regroup and refuel before they sneaked into Alliance Territory. - The small vessel, unpowered and only slightly larger then a life support pod, managed - to elude the Tsu-Khan sensors through the high levels of radiant present in the nebula - and send a warning message the Alliance Fleet. + 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, @@ -228,27 +234,32 @@ The Karelian Incident ------------------------------------------------------------------ STORY -I. Chocolate milk - - A cup of steaming hot chocolate milk! There were times I would have - laughed it the mere idea, but in these outskirts of the galaxy - chocolate was a hard to find commodity. And fresh milk? You'd have to - have almost criminal connections to find it. Fortunatly I had, and I did. - These were times for celebration. I had spend the loan I managed to get - from the local planetary bank on a small transport ship and I had just - finished my first day of karpax ore transport from the Regula mining - operation to Alexandria outpost. Not the glorious life I had gotten used - to on the central planets, but at least a decent one with its small pleasures - once in a while, like this cup of chocolate milk. The hundred credits I payed - for it made sure it rivaled the best Keldorian brandy, without the flavour - of slightly fermented rodent droppings and the associated legendary hangover. - - I almost felt like home and the small room I rented above the local bar - started to feel like one. 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 Brent. +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 @@ -323,7 +334,7 @@ II. Surprises 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, of it goes kabooom, they immediately like it." "Besides", I continued, + 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, @@ -335,39 +346,51 @@ II. Surprises 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. - Nights are strange in space. Without sun to rise and set, the sky looks always the same - and only the clock dictates when it is time to sleep. 2 am standard colonial time. - It still felt like night: most of the establishments on the station were closed - and the sound of busy peoples voices was replaced by the quiet hum of the electrical + 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 something was about - to unfold. I turned around to head back to bed when suddenly a faint - tremor went through the station. It was hardly noticable and most people + 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 could easily recognize. I could have ignored it too and + 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 jump this close to a planetary body. 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 good, or very lucky. From what I could tell - he was on his way to Alexandria. + 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 spot grew larger as the ship approached the station. + 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 - The design of the ship was unfamiliar. It reminded me 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. It made a gracious arc around the Custodian before - gliding into the docking clamps. + 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. Obivously, that action was 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 finally the doors closed and it started + moving upward. |