The FrontierThe year is 3380. Humanity is scattered like dust among the stars. The broken relics of a former day litter the sky and both man and alien struggle to rebuild the glory of the galaxy's lost golden era. Across the middle ground of civilization lays a dormant mystery, buried below dozens of dead societies and relics, and hidden from the denizens of a dozen species. The cause of the cyclical galactic downfall lays waiting to be discovered.
But for the average people of the Frontier, it's just another work day.
Rules:
- No Godmoding, this is a given.
- One full paragraph per IC post.
- While it's an inherent trait in every one of us, try to avoid Meta-Gaming.
- No multicolored text or unnecessary Italics/Bolding/Underlines.
- Keep the OOC thread civil, your character can be however big a wanker as you want them to be, just keep IC and OOC seperate.
- You can RP as an Alien, but only if you TG me with details.
- This is a Sci-Fi RP, which means you'll be going out into space. I recommend reading Newton's laws before fighting anyone in Zero-G.
- Characters are going to be killed if they lack common sense, and I will be the one to not so regretfully tell you that.
Humanity's jump to the stars was the product of decades of planning and research after the politicians finally realized humanity would die if it stayed on a single planet. The most important of all discoveries in this age of enlightenment was the Jaeger-Morrison FTL Drive or JM Drive for short, which proved Einstein wrong and allowed humanity to travel faster than light, to allow them to colonize far off worlds. The discovery of this equipment allowed countless nations, faiths and ideologies to send their own people into the stars, to spread their blanket of control across the cosmos.
Over time humanity discovered a material known cryptically as 'Element 120' a gas that allowed the mass of an object to lighten through an odd use of Dark Energy. With the discovery of this material, JM Drives were relegated for use on the frontier where their ruggedness and minimal power requirments would prove beneficial, while 'E-120' was used to power massive gates that allowed whatever passed through it to arrive at their destination -the core worlds around Sol- in seconds.
But this was not without it's issues, those exposed to the element either died from mass organ failure or were granted mental powers that those who lived in the 21st century only dreamed of. However those granted these powers known as 'psions' were ostracized by their peers if not lynched by those of more radical views, and if they did not take care to maintain these powers they would end up brain-dead or insane from overuse. Over time these powers were ingrained into the users genetics, allowing their offspring the same powers, but at the cost of potency.
Despite it's shortcomings and fears, humanity chugged on spreading it's massive hands over the cosmos. Finding new allies in the form of alien races, or new technology in the form of ancient ruins of civilizations long dead. But something was kept secret from the denizens of the countless worlds humanity had laid claim to: these ruins of civilization weren't random, they were all connected both to Element 120 and to a few of their alien allies. Before anything could be done their civilization came crashing down around them, Psions went completely insane, the Gates leading to the core planets were destroyed in a wash of blue flame, and contact between each planet was lost for weeks at a time. This was over 400 years ago, and now humanity is not only splintered into countless factions in countless star systems, they struggle to survive; from the planets which have managed to maintain the level of technology from a century ago, to those left isolated and reverting back to the stone age, we strive on in the frontier.
You are a prospective employee willing to risk unending hazards to get your next paycheck, having been contacted by Novus Industries for a job opportunity on board one of their carriers: the NSV Horizon, on a long term contract to protect a trio of science vessels on a long term operation. Be you a hardened veteran, a bookish engineer, or a shunned psion, you were contacted for a reason. The real question is: are you ready for adventure?
Interstellar Federation of Terra- As expected these are the remnants of Earth's unifying government, after the Downfall the small but potent amount of Federation controlled planets and their three remaining fleets tried in vain to control the frontier of over three hundred planets as best they could. As one could expect they spread themselves too thin, and as of ten years ago, they are all but gone. Relegated to a single star system and less than three fleets, they are no longer the threat they once posed. But with the level of technology they retained they are still a very viable threat should anyone anger the crippled giant.
The Xin Flotilla- Technically an alien civilization, despite their relegation to a massive armada of over 100,000 ships. The Xin are in this situation due to the restrictions of their biology, they require a specific mixture of Methane, nitrogen and Element 120 to breath. As such their worlds were left uninhabitable after the collapse, and their society was cast out due to superstition about their reliance on E-120. Those who can overcome such superstition can see the horrifying outward appearance of the Xin as well as their species wide talent for chemistry. Running into them is rare, despite the fleet's size, and pissing them off with that many ships is something no one wants to do.
Ateran Collective- A relatively new face on the frontier, they were only discovered within the last six years. The Ateran collective is quite possibly the most advanced group of beings on the frontier... The only problem is that they're all androids. The inherent fear of AI has carried forward from the 21st century, and androids are usually killed on sight for most planets. This has left the collective as a xenophobic and fearful organization they currently control a single star system and the few that have ferried back and forth from said system tell of massive production facilities and gigantic ships. The collective is suspected of coming from the AI run mining colony on one of the planet's within their system, though only the Federation would have a chance at knowing the truth.
Satoan Empire - The Satoan Empire is the growing human faction within the frontier, and the one that landed the knock-out blow upon the Federation. Using the dozen or so manufactory planets captured from the Federation, they've managed to balloon from an insurrectionist group to a legitimate super power within the last three decades. They are one of the few groups who refuses to recognize any former treaties with alien factions, and have unfortunately xenophobic policies.
Skritarii Republic - A long lost descendant of humanity, their origins trace back to humanity's first attempt to reach distant stars in 2065. They hail from the ruins of a planet in the Eridanus constellation, a home they long since evolved on and departed from. Their swift evoloution is a subject of much debate and doubt. Where DNA tests have proven that themselves and humanity are related it's not widely accepted that they are human, and usually they are as shunned as any other non-human species. As expected of a race that is mostly shunned by humanity, they are rather cautious around their brethren, and while secluded, they hold a decently sized claim of eighteen star systems.
Novus Industries- One of the few remaining Private Security firms large enough to warrant an actual fleet of ships, Novus Industries was founded almost immediately after the Downfall as a sort of expensive guardian as planets rebuilt. They have been around for a very long time. Due to their role in giving the frontier a fighting chance, they have long since been given free reign of travel through most territories, and most government run supply depots give a small discount of Novus ships and personnel.
The Exchange- The frontier's only banking organization. Also the largest collection of staff remaining on the frontier, from loan sharks, to enforcers, to fleet admirals. Pissing off the Exchange will not only leave you and your family permanently broke, but also on the run for the rest of your life.
Character App (Starred subjects are optional)
- Code: Select all
[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Species[/b] (if applicable, please TG if you intend on playing a alien)
[b]Age:[/b] (17 at the youngest)
[b]Gender:[/b]
[b]Callsign:[/b] (If they have one)
[b]Appearance:[/b] (use however many pictures you want, just put them all in a spoiler)
[b]Height:[/b] (please include both metric and imperial)
[b]Weight:[/b] (same as above)
[b]Psion Class:[/b] (Only if applicable, please choose from the Psions spoiler page)
[b]Equipment:[/b] (be general, magnetic carbine, number of grenades, a pistol, etc. Use pictures if you want.)
*[b]Skills[/b]
*[b]Personality:[/b]
*[b]Strengths:[/b]
*[b]Weaknesses:[/b]
*[b]Likes:[/b]
*[b]Dislikes:[/b]
[b]Bio:[/b]
[b]RP Example:[/b]
[b][color=darkred]DO NOT REMOVE: cheesewheel[/color][/b]
Alien Species App
- Code: Select all
[b]Species Name:[/b]
[b]Species Appearance:[/b] (picture or very good description)
[b]Average Height:[/b] (Imperial and Metric)
[b]Average Weight:[/b] (Imperial and Metric
[b]Lifespan[/b] (Below 800 years)
[b]Biological Information:[/b]
[b]Culture:[/b]
[b]Other information:[/b] (If applicable)
[b][color=darkred]DO NOT REMOVE: chucklefuck[/color][/b]
)
Although the Horizon is classified as a Carrier, it's actually a refitted Exior Class Dreadnought, which Commander Burton once served on when he was a member of the Federation. It's armed with a collection of missile pods and point defense systems, it lacks a sizeable main gun, instead relying upon it's outward appearance and three meters of composite plating as a sufficient deterrent. It has six decks each with a seperate role in making sure everyone on board stays alive:
Command Deck (Deck 1)- The Command Deck is at the top of the ship, consisting of the Bridge, the CIC, and the War Room, as well as the officer's quarters and communications relays. This is the brain of the ship, orders come and go through this deck no matter what their destination is.
Hydroponics Deck (Deck 2)- Below the Command Deck is where all the food is grown, be it vat grown beef or trenches of potatoes. Also contains the two mess halls of the ship (Starboard and Port), each able to hold 2,000 people.
Crew Deck (Deck 3)- The crew deck is where the bulk of the crew sleeps and spends their day, it contains the various barracks, heads, lounges, and fitness rooms, also contained the medical centers. it is by far the largest deck.
Engineering Deck (Deck 4)- at the very rear of the ship is the Engineering deck, the place where the most volatile things on board are kept. The Fusion Reactor powers the ship and requires nigh constant maintenance, technicians usually run skeleton crews because of this. It's also where the ships' power is routed from and where the JM Drive and Energy barrier's are powered from.
Hangar Deck (Deck 5)- At the bottom of the ship is the Hangar bay for the ship, containing every drop ship, interceptor, and mining drone on board. It connects directly to the Foundry deck, as well the Crew and Engineering deck. It also contains a collection of 'parasite tether's so smaller ships can dock and ferry supplies to and from the Horizon
Foundry Deck (Deck 6)- Almost the whole front of the ship, it used to contain the Anti-Matter torpedo tubes and the massive form of the main gun. Now it just contains ore processors and machine shops, this is where all equipment is repaired and all parts for the ship are manufactured. Any spare ores, parts or scrap are sold to various corporations for extra credits.
Prior to the collapse Psions were very common sights, they usually acted as fighters or technical staff, normal jobs were considered a waste of a Psion so those in the military sector saw them much more often. Nowadays they are a rarity, almost all of them were killed during the collapse, and their numbers have yet to reach anywhere near how many there were prior to the collapse. The lack of knowledge of Psions due to record destruction and the deaths of experienced users has lead to a lack of training available to Psions, meaning that the skills one Psion picks up will be all they're able to learn.
Despite them being revered as nearly god like, post collapse Psions have flaws that pre-collapse Psions didn't. For instance, a good majority of them are nearly -if not completely- blind, they also suffer from malnutrition due to the caloric requirements for being able to manipulate dark energy. There are workarounds to these drawbacks, but they are usually hard to work with and are very expensive, ranging from genetic modification to suppress the issues, to cybernetic implants to remove any issue all together (try not to start with any mods).
As stated above, a wide array of skills for Psions is nearly impossible, yet so is learning any skills to begin with. To jump start ones knowledge, implants for Psionics born of technologically advanced planets are surgically implanted, either at birth or later in life when they can be afforded. They are as follows:
A Series (Jumper): Gives the Psion the ability to warp through space instantly within a range of six meters, also allows the user to react to stimuli with greater speed. Psions with this implant are usually found as sneak thieves or assassins, they are also at least risk for immediate brain death.
B Series (Seer): Gives the Psion the gift of seeing through time, they will occasionally see events in the immediate future usually resulting in their death or grievous injury. After a few hours of meditation it can also see another's death and the events leading up to it, this usually requires a very strong bond between the two as several memories are required from the other. They are usually found with Archeologist teams to avoid deadly traps or fauna.
C Series (Distorter): Distorters are the most combat oriented Psions, capable of manipulating gravity as well as creating micro-singularities. They are also the most at risk of immediate brain death as a result of their powers, each use is a gamble, and every subsequent use the odds get worse.
Implants also increases power depending in Production models, 1 Being the loest, and 7 being the highest, each subsequent model increses power and usage frequency by a factor of 1.5 for each upgrade. For the average salary, owning a model higher than 2 would be enough to have Exchange loan sharks on you for the rest of your life (AKA Don't sign up with a level 3 or higher model).
These implants are not without set backs of their own, with each use they develop and electrical buildup which eventually needs to dissipate. This either means the user will need to return home and willingly begin convulsions, set up an indirect link between their nervous system and a ground, or risk brain death or their nervous system frying upon too much build up.
