- Posting Speed
- Speed of Light
- Writing Levels
- Douche
- Preferred Character Gender
- No Preferences
The biggest cover-up in human history was not, as conspiracies imagined, a pursuit of power. There was no Illuminati plot, no New World Order, no tyrant growing fat on the ignorance of the masses.
It was a thing instructed.
By whom... we never knew.
Till now.
Here follows the truth about our world...
Man never went to the Moon. Man never set foot beyond Earth's orbit. It was all a circus of the space age governments - a global consensus of rulers to pretend that we were not, in fact, trapped here. No probe has ever travelled beyond the Van Allen Belt. No camera has ever peered beyond the sheen. Images have been manipulated, science has been perverted, evidence has been fabricated.
Truth... has been concealed.
Here follows a glimpse of what is really out there...
On April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin returned from the first manned space voyage with a message. And though few believed the Russian government, that same message was carried back within a decade by the Apollo Mission. It was a transmission, relayed across the solar system, broadcast from structures on every moon and planet. A voice from the void. The word of aliens, or angels, echoing from the structures... which we came to call The Spires of God.
And the message was simple.
Do not seek beyond your world.
Every man or machine that has ever defied this warning has perished in the radiation belt. For ninety years space travel has been... without a doubt... impossible.
And now the truth is out.
In 2049 there was a solar flare, and the Spires fell silent. The message stopped broadcasting to our satellites. And the same flare caused a critical glitch in earth-bound systems. Firewalls collapsed, and a cyber-attack exposed the memos, passed between inner circles of government, which decoded the conspiracy. Within two months reporters on every continent had shattered the cover-up and as presidents and premiers fell from office full disclosure was made. What followed was neither anarchy nor apathy... for few knew how to truly feel. Was it a small thing, to know that we could never leave our planet's orbit... or was it a betrayal of the most profound dreams of the human spirit? Should we have felt nihilism or held the watching Spires to be the eyes of God?
In short, the world was confused. Each soul on Earth took the revelation in their own way.
And Matthias Green, CEO of Raquia Industries, had the most unique reaction of all.
Raquia is the first private corporation to perfect Galahad Shielding, a protective layer of polymer constructed from meteor deposits. Matthias Green has invested his full stockpile into galvanising the hull of a space-capable vessel - an enterprise that will make or break his considerable family fortune.
His intention... to lead the first manned space voyage beyond the Van Allen Belt and investigate the now silent Spires of God.
The Irideus is set to launch. And Matthias is inviting a most unusual crew to ascend with him into the heavens.
To find our creators... to know what lies beyond the veil... to learn that all great truths begins as blasphemies...
Short-Term Propulsion: Ion thrusters (very low thrust, but sustained over a long time v.s. chemical propellants).
Long-Term Propulsion: The Shake and Bake. Using solar power focussed through silicon crystals, a series of lazers form a Warp Bubble in which space-time is expanded behind the ship and extended in front of it. Combined with a gravity slingshot around nearby celestial bodies, this generates enough energy to oscillate the bubble and achieve what would conventially take a power source the size of Jupiter to implement. Solar charging for the lazers takes roughly a week, so the warp jumps are few and far between.
Shielding: Gallahad Shielding, a polymer developed from rare meteor deposits. This provides protection from solar heat equivalent to Mercury orbit, and also the Van Allen radiation belt.
Anti-Gravity: The central section of the Irideus (known as the Cradle) rotates in order to produce centrifugal force. This generates gravity towards the outside hull. In effect, your feet are pointing towards space. The rotation is slow and powered by solar energy. The Cradle includes most communal areas and living quarters. There is a smaller rotating section in the rear vertical part of the ship (known as the Tower), where most components of the warp drive are held.
Zero-G sections: The bridge, forward comms, ion chambers and landing hangars have no artificial gravity and movement is made through use of Metaklett boots and gloves. Metaklett functions like heavy duty velcro and can withstand considerable force.
Long-Term Propulsion: The Shake and Bake. Using solar power focussed through silicon crystals, a series of lazers form a Warp Bubble in which space-time is expanded behind the ship and extended in front of it. Combined with a gravity slingshot around nearby celestial bodies, this generates enough energy to oscillate the bubble and achieve what would conventially take a power source the size of Jupiter to implement. Solar charging for the lazers takes roughly a week, so the warp jumps are few and far between.
Shielding: Gallahad Shielding, a polymer developed from rare meteor deposits. This provides protection from solar heat equivalent to Mercury orbit, and also the Van Allen radiation belt.
Anti-Gravity: The central section of the Irideus (known as the Cradle) rotates in order to produce centrifugal force. This generates gravity towards the outside hull. In effect, your feet are pointing towards space. The rotation is slow and powered by solar energy. The Cradle includes most communal areas and living quarters. There is a smaller rotating section in the rear vertical part of the ship (known as the Tower), where most components of the warp drive are held.
Zero-G sections: The bridge, forward comms, ion chambers and landing hangars have no artificial gravity and movement is made through use of Metaklett boots and gloves. Metaklett functions like heavy duty velcro and can withstand considerable force.
Matthias Green: - The Face Man. Matthias Green compiles the main mission log and hosts any broadcasts that are sent to media or government bodies. He doubles as the mission accountant, technical archivist and quartermaster.
Richard Jones: The Tech Genius. Richard is the genius when it comes to the warp drive. He has primary responsibilty for the lazer array, oscillators, solar conductors and structural integrity.
Nikolai Sevlanka: The Doc. Nikolai is there to ensure the health of the crew. This involves not only trauma response but compiling the training regimes, dietary programmes and environmental protocols for the mission. He is also primary technician for any biomechanical accessories the crew possess.
Melissa Ardent: The Pilot. Melissa Ardent is the flight and navigation expert, responsible for all non-warp manouevres, docking procedures, drone navigation and EVA. She is also the most well-known celebrity on the mission - the poster child.
Clarke Duredan: The Co-Pilot. Clarke is a personal friend of Matthias and has trained unceasingly to earn his place upon the mission. He supports Melissa and rivals her in navigational knowledge, complimenting her skill in short-range manouevres with his long-haul expertise.
Eli Stolarz: The Ground Leader. Eli Stolarz is the man in charge when it comes to disaster management and landing missions. He has been recruited specifically to solve problems. He is responsible for coordinating the hanger bays and managing all ship resources. He is outranked only by Matthias Green and Melissa Ardent.
Rachaella Consuelo: The Witness. Rachel is the main archivist and media handler for the mission. Her duty is to document the voyage, compile Earth-bound reports, and act as a neutral 3rd party observer. Matthias is adamant that she give a true and unedited account of what happens out there.
Ann Whittles: The Point of Contact. Ann Whittles is the foremost expert when it comes to the (limited) knowledge of the Spires, namely their construction and the nature of the message they were broadcasting up till a year ago. She is an expert in history, linguistics and archaeology, and will be there to ensure correct protocols upon investigating the Spires.
Biloxi: The Cameraman. Biloxi is a veteran of both the navy and the mass media, and being the long-time assistant to Rachaella has earned him a place as supporting archivist on the mission.
Cho Ionis The Editor. The third and final member of the film crew is the technical editor, Cho Ionis. Daughter of an influential politician, she talked her way onto the mission with the simple observation that one reporter alone would be hard-pressed to edit the story of a lifetime.
Trinity Solara The Shrink. Originally recruited for being top in the psychiatric field and an expert in theoretical xenobiology, Trinity was scheduled to join the mission to ensure the mental well-being of the crew. Unfortunately, she resigned one day before the mission after her family received death threats from religious extremists.
Richard Jones: The Tech Genius. Richard is the genius when it comes to the warp drive. He has primary responsibilty for the lazer array, oscillators, solar conductors and structural integrity.
Nikolai Sevlanka: The Doc. Nikolai is there to ensure the health of the crew. This involves not only trauma response but compiling the training regimes, dietary programmes and environmental protocols for the mission. He is also primary technician for any biomechanical accessories the crew possess.
Melissa Ardent: The Pilot. Melissa Ardent is the flight and navigation expert, responsible for all non-warp manouevres, docking procedures, drone navigation and EVA. She is also the most well-known celebrity on the mission - the poster child.
Clarke Duredan: The Co-Pilot. Clarke is a personal friend of Matthias and has trained unceasingly to earn his place upon the mission. He supports Melissa and rivals her in navigational knowledge, complimenting her skill in short-range manouevres with his long-haul expertise.
Eli Stolarz: The Ground Leader. Eli Stolarz is the man in charge when it comes to disaster management and landing missions. He has been recruited specifically to solve problems. He is responsible for coordinating the hanger bays and managing all ship resources. He is outranked only by Matthias Green and Melissa Ardent.
Rachaella Consuelo: The Witness. Rachel is the main archivist and media handler for the mission. Her duty is to document the voyage, compile Earth-bound reports, and act as a neutral 3rd party observer. Matthias is adamant that she give a true and unedited account of what happens out there.
Ann Whittles: The Point of Contact. Ann Whittles is the foremost expert when it comes to the (limited) knowledge of the Spires, namely their construction and the nature of the message they were broadcasting up till a year ago. She is an expert in history, linguistics and archaeology, and will be there to ensure correct protocols upon investigating the Spires.
Biloxi: The Cameraman. Biloxi is a veteran of both the navy and the mass media, and being the long-time assistant to Rachaella has earned him a place as supporting archivist on the mission.
Cho Ionis The Editor. The third and final member of the film crew is the technical editor, Cho Ionis. Daughter of an influential politician, she talked her way onto the mission with the simple observation that one reporter alone would be hard-pressed to edit the story of a lifetime.
Trinity Solara The Shrink. Originally recruited for being top in the psychiatric field and an expert in theoretical xenobiology, Trinity was scheduled to join the mission to ensure the mental well-being of the crew. Unfortunately, she resigned one day before the mission after her family received death threats from religious extremists.
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