Long thought the province of a few rich countries and corporations, space became more accessible in the first decades of the 21st century. After 2008, private interests had begun expanding into space, from Beyond Travel offering expensive cruises in orbit on an old refurbished Space Shuttle to the Babylon Orbital Habitat as prime examples. NASA considered itself the world leader in space travel, of course, with some joint ventures such as the Freedom Space Station and talk of permanent bases on both the Moon and Mars before the end of the decade.
Humans returned to the Moon with the famous Artemis mission of 2016. A terrorist attack, now known to be instigated by the Ghost Dance of that era, almost derailed the mission but failed thanks to Captain Russell MacAllister. The Luna Base was just the beginning of humanity’s return to the stars, or so everyone thought. The next mission, to Mars, would be launched in the fall of 2017, with Major MacAllister in command.
This was the last mission sent by NASA. As the world remembers, everything changed on March 21st, 2018. On this date, War for Earth began. The existence of alien beings was proven for all to see as the Hammer of the Stars attacked the Ares mission on the surface of Mars. What was almost as shocking was that human-built ships appeared from nowhere to protect the mission and fight the Terv’anar.
On that day, even more ships engaged in battle near the Moon, Jupiter, and Saturn. The conflicts at the Moon and Mars were broadcast to the world, leaving no doubt that there was more out there than anyone had believed.
The mystery vessels belonged to Void Engineers and Sons of Ether, willworkers who were decades ahead of NASA and other space agencies. These groups have led humanity to the skies ever since.
After the war, the UN formally organized its remaining ships into the United Nations Astronautical Space Administration, commonly called the Fleet. With the Moebius Circle’s assistance, they put the Void Engineers and Children of Ether in charge of the Fleet, and folded in remnants of NASA, the European Space Agency and Rosaviakosmos, the Russian Space Agency. Each major government has its private space programs as well, but none are as advanced, nor as successful as the UN Fleet. China is the only country who can provide any competition for the Fleet. Even corporations generally rely on UNASA for launch vehicles for most of their projects. After several informal requests for permission to pursue this avenue of research or put vessels into these orbits, the Fleet decided in 2029 to formally begin organizing and administrating travel into space. The UN quickly passed many laws regulating space travel, and most member nations willingly abide by these laws. Chung Kuo occasionally mounts a protest against the Fleet’s authority, but even their objections are minimal.
The Fleet divides its commands between the Sol System and Outsystem.
Every world and system is reflected in the strange extra-dimensional realm known as the Umbra. Those who know the Umbra the best say that this is where a thing’s true spirit can be found. The Umbral aspects of each place varies wildly, often seeming to rely on human or Bete beliefs to take on their form. Some suggest that there are several pandimensional reflections of each world, but that mystics will find the ones they expect with the most ease.
Mystics say that the Umbral Mercury is a trickster’s world, full of illusions and contradictions, but quite inhabitable for all that. Those trying to visit this aspect of Mercury, which is called Mitanu by Dreamspeakers and Bete, are cautioned to be aware that everything here is a puzzle and comes with its own price.
Venus
No effort to study Venus’ surface has succeeded since the 20th century. The
world is a greenhouse of poisonous gasses, with a surface temperature near that
of Mercury’s sunlit side. The world has been scanned from space many times,
and appears to be a geologically quiet and retrograde rotation, which means it
rotates east to west. Several probes have been launched to explore this world,
but not one has survived past the upper atmosphere.
The Umbral Venus is quite different, and said to be the most fertile jungle in existence. Called Tambiyah by most travelers, this land is secretive, deadly, and beautiful. Visitors are not welcome here any more, and Umbral voyagers take a great risk when they come to Tambiyah’s shores. Since the end of the Hammer War, not one reliable witness has been to the shadow of Venus and returned to tell of it.
Outside of near Earth Orbit, space is relatively clear. Most debris has drifted to Earth or the Moon, and humanity’s beachhead into space is solidifying. The Freedom Space Station, built around the remnants of the former International Space Station, is the largest of UNASA’s orbital stations. Now almost two miles in diameter, the Freedom houses research labs, two small hotel modules, and a working space dock for ship repairs. Recent additions are hydroponics gardens and full telescopic lab still under construction. A Fleet base shares the Freedom’s LaGrange point orbit.
The Fleet also maintains Reisender Docks, the orbital shipyard in Orbit opposite the Freedom station, devoted to building new vessels and refurbishing older ones. Seventy-five percent of the Sol System ships in the Fleet have been built at Reisender.
The last station of note in Orbit is the Babylon Habitat, still drifting at L3. Originally designed to house rich investors in the first privately-built orbital station, the Habitat was going to be the wave of the future. Never completely finished, Babylon claimed seventy-three residents in 2018. Some people managed to evacuate before the Terv’anar’s attacks, but dozens were trapped onboard. A few attempts have been made to dock with the station and bring the rest of the inhabitants home, the last one at the end of 2018. The crew of the rescue craft reported the station dead in space, with no survivors.
Salvage vessels have boarded Babylon three times since the end of the war, each one cutting the mission short. The crews report that Babylon is a ghost station, dead in space but still disturbingly active.
The Moon, properly called Luna, is the site of two permanent bases. The first, Artemis, was founded in 2016. It was badly damaged but not destroyed during the Hammer War, and has since expanded. The base now sprawls over a six kilometer diameter of the surface and houses ten thousand people.
Artemis: Composed of three domes, with a fourth currently under construction. The first dome, Alpha, includes most of the base’s administrative and support equipment. The original Artemis Habitat marks the exact center of Alpha dome, and still serves as the base commander’s personal quarters.
Artemis station is currently run by an UNASA commander and administrative staff, but some of the citizens have recently begun discussing formal recognition as their own sovereign state. So far, nothing more than some interesting talk in the bars has come out of this idea.
Darkside I: Historically, the Void Engineers have had bad luck keeping a permanent base on the Moon. Their first attempt, Darkside Station, lasted five years in the 1960’s before Luna’s own spirits overran the base, leading to its evacuation. Darkside became a place to train Border Corps Marines in dealing with hostile spirits and the site of occasional salvage missions.
Darkside II: Was put into orbit on the far side of the Moon in the 1990, and eventually became the center of Void Engineer operations in the Solar System. It was the primary shipyard and command center in the early days of the Hammer War. General MacAllister ordered Darkside away from the Moon to roam the system, presenting the Hammer with a moving target. In 2019, Darkside II was finally destroyed in an all-out assault by the Terv’anar, but managed to wreak heavy losses on the enemy before it exploded. Only a volunteer skeleton crew was lost; Darkside II had ceased to be the fleet’s command center earlier the same year.
Darkside III: Built on the Moon’s surface but able to enter space if needed, was rebuilt ten years ago, to provide a training, communications and command post for the Fleet. It is still primarily staffed by Void Engineers, but that is shifting slowly. Darkside is well protected and armed to the teeth.
Victoriana: A Children of Ether base which is being built in the Moon’s orbit. The station is named Victoriana to honor the Victoria Station lost during the Hammer War, which might have been humanity’s first permanent space station. It will serve as a mirror to Darkside base, used for training Children of Ether astronauts and as a backup communications and command center for the Fleet. Victoriana’s primary function will be as a research station.
Umbral Luna is a vastly different place, a shifting mysterious land from thousands of years of mythology. At times it can be an ideal Victorian representation of an alien world, complete with great cities of white crystal inhabited by tall regal beings, that the next day will be replaced by a forest of singing bone trees haunted by misty forces which suck the hope from unfortunate visitors. At times, Lunes can be spotted glittering across a white desert landscape, haunting a dream of explorers lost for centuries. Other times, Garou can be found stalking white stags through a forest of silk and ivory.
The Moebius Circle expends a great amount of effort to speak with the courts of Luna, to make certain that humanity’s incursions on their land has not roused the natives to anger. Since Luna and her children are known for mercurial shifts in mood, this can be a chancy negotiation at best. Everyone who lives on the Moon has known times when an army of pearl-covered ants will crawl from the mines to bedevil the citizenry or when talking white rabbits will wander past to offer drinks of the most pure water anyone has ever tasted.
Fortunately, these incidents are few and far between. Some of the oldest inhabitants of Artemis base now consider such glimpses of "the other Luna" as rare treats, others affect a "seen it all before, shoulda seen the Moondust Pirates of ’28, now those were something," attitude. For the possible eventuality that Luna rebels against the humans on her surface, the Moebius Circle has placed a large contingent of VE Marines in Artemis.
The Nova Ares base was founded
in 2023 in a ceremony marked by the presence of General MacAllister and Jessica
Laine, as well as many of their allies from the Lattice of Destiny. It was built
in the northern side canyons of the Valles Marineris, a series of canyons that
dominate one side of Mars. The Mariner Valley is the length of the United States,
and almost four miles deep in place.
Umbral Mars, called Nerigal by the Dreamspeakers, incorporates some of the images from humanity’s myths, including extensive canals near the massive Olympus Mons and Cydonia regions. It is also a very dangerous place, full of warriors and tests of strength and stamina. Any journey into the Umbral side of this world is fraught with danger, and only the hardiest travelers can survive it. The Moebius Circle believes that the Gauntlet of Mars is so thin that normal people who wander too far could pass through it in places, and so has stationed agents at Nova Ares to keep the citizens safe.
The Umbral aspect of the Asteroid Belt is known as Rorg. Rorg is incredibly harsh and dangerous. The area itself screams in endless rage and pain, and the sound itself is enough to drive most visitors irrevocably insane. Those who can bear it must struggle against racing chips of stone and mismatched patchwork beasts who will stop at nothing to kill them. Fortunately, Rorg is not an easy place to reach except by the most determined explorers.
It is known that the Exoum have left a representative somewhere in Jupiter. This representative, who uses the name "Kevin" when speaking to humans, will leave this world behind every six years and pass by Fleet ships and occasionally, Earth. He has spoken with members of the UN and the Moebius Circle on each occasion.
Europa: Children of Ether probes have found that there is definitely a water ocean under the ice of this world, and that there is evidence of primitive life. After a few years of pushing the Fleet to put a research station on this moon, a formal expedition is finally being planned.
Umbral Jupiter is vastly well-hidden. Called Zarok by the Bete, this world is regal, resembling a Byzantine court among clouds, with each of the moons providing citizens. A few who have witnessed these alien courts consider it like a scene from a Flash Gordon comic with better variety of represented cultures. The intrigues of these courts are intricate and almost impossible for a human mind to understand.
Umbral Saturn is known as Lu-Bat, a legendary counselor who gives advice to any who seek him out and ask him in the proper fashion. This being allows none to reach the planet’s surface, but will speak with visitors among the rings.
Umbral Uranus is known as Ruatma, and it is said only that it is a place of darkness, mystery, and secrets never to be told.
Umbral Neptune is called Shantar, and is said to be a gentle place that favors weavers and those who build things. This world would receive more visitors if it were not so distant and hard to reach.
Umbral Pluto is known as Meros, a wanderer who happens to know many supposedly lost secrets. The being called Meros can be met almost anywhere, none have actually visited the surface of the world.
During the Hammer War, the worlds of Alpha Centauri sent many of their ships to Earth to aid in their defense, but contact was lost in 2019. For most of the next two years, colonists had to learn how to live on their own, not even knowing if Earth had survived the war. When contact was reestablished, the colonies were grateful to find the mother world was safe but also more independent and strong-willed. Long-term consequences of this brief isolation are still being felt in a vocal minority supporting the idea that colonization is the only hope humanity has for a future.
Two of the worlds orbiting Rigil Kentaurus (Alpha Centauri A), were the best candidates for habitation, and in fact both had their own primitive ecosystems. The rocky worlds of Rigil Kentaurus are named for mythical Greek heroes, just as the worlds of Alpha Centauri B are named for mythical Roman ones. The planets dealt with most by humans are Theseus, Perseus, Odysseus, and Herakles. Odysseus and Herakles occupy orbits roughly similar to Earth and Mars’ respectively, and both worlds have human habitation.
Ahmar Kentaurus has a Mars-like world named Aeneas, with a Void Engineer base housing a hundred researchers. There are signs of a primitive tool-using culture in Aeneas’ history, although no living members of this species have yet been found.
In the early 2012, Dr. Renu Kumari of the Void Engineers received a signal sent by an intelligent civilization in the vicinity of Wolf 359. This was the first clear sign of an alien species attempting to communicate in a non-hostile manner with others. A scout expedition discovered the worlds around Wolf 359. Wolf 359 was surrounded by a thicker-than-expected dust cloud, which made it appear to be both dimmer and cooler than it was in reality. The brown dwarf companion star radiated enough energy to make most of the ten worlds in Wolf’s system capable of supporting life, although only two did so. Grazhk was far enough outside Wolf 359’s molecular cloud to be rich in life, including a sentient species that vaguely resembled mythical centaurs. These Dhilfren have a pseudo-feudal culture that has strong overtones of tribal influence. They are unique as one of only three known sentient species able to willwork, although their capacity to do so seems more limited than that of humans. They are also extremely xenophobic.
This system’s eighth planet, Qualea’oloai, was the source of the original signals. A large watery world, it is home to the slightly squidlike Quaelenti, an advanced species capable of interstellar travel. The Quaelenti excel in biotechnical engineering, and create their living ships to handle space. The Quaelenti are generally friendly and curious, although their thoughts and minds are alien enough that communication is difficult at best. The Quaelenti did help humanity fight against the Hammer of the Stars, and have indicated that they expect humans to come to their aid in a similar way if needed.
The Children of Ether have recently put a small research station in the Wolf 359 system, in hopes of discovering more about these close neighbors.
The worlds of Epsilon Eridani are named for Celtic mythological heroes. Epsilon Eridani IV, now called Cu Chulainn, is home to an emerging sentient species, named Nacoin (or the Hounds in English). Nacoin are about the size of large coyotes and resemble canines with oversized eyes and forepaws that are nearly hands. Early examinations place them roughly at the same level of development as Australopithecus was in humanity’s evolution.
There is a Fleet research station on Cu Chulainn, staffed by twenty scientists. A Fleet Bushi-class light cruiser remains in orbit around the planet. No one forgets that this was the system where the Hammer of the Stars first met with humanity.
Tau Ceti is the most distant place humans have settled to any degree. Tau Ceti III has decaying ruins of great cities built by humanoids, which are now ruined. All signs point to a great war that took place as long as two thousand years ago. There are no signs of survivors. Children of Ether discovered the ruins of Tau Ceti III in the mid 1990’s and finally put a research station on the world in 2010. This station was not capable of supporting itself, and when contact was lost during the Hammer War, the twenty scientists left behind struggled for survival. The last two were found in 2022, barely holding on to sanity and life. They both died within a few months and given heroes’ funerals.
The Children of Ether have invited other scientists to join them in investigating the world, and now forty-five people survive here.
These deep space explorations have found hundreds of near-Earth worlds, most of which had some form of primitive life on them. A few even encountered near-sentient races, although truly sentient tool-using races appear to be extremely rare. Every explorer has encountered other spacefaring races, although typically these others are not communicative. When they are not ignoring humans, they are attacking them. This among other reasons is why the Quaelenti and Exoum are considered so unique: they are willing to speak with humans without need for competition or violence.
Alai’anar – the "Glory of the Stars," the interstellar empire which was behind the Hammer War. The Alai’anar is unusual; an amalgamation of different races and cultures working for a common goal. They are said to be the youngest of the great interstellar civilizations, but have expanded quickly through conquest. The Alai’anar’s seat of power is nearly one hundred and fifty light years away from Sol, making the threat of another invasion limited.
Alai’anar technology was perhaps a hundred to a hundred and fifty years in advance of human science before the war. Now they are believed to be at most fifty to seventy-five years ahead of humans.
Dhilfren – Physically imposing beings which stand almost three meters tall, with equine lower bodies and four limbs on their torsos. The Dhilfren are not technologically advanced, but instead rely on their willworking abilities to manipulate the world around them. They divide themselves into castes based on their natural inclinations to work with energy, stone, water or minds. They abhor those who can alter or manipulate living beings, a prejudice rooted in their earliest encounters with Quaelenti.
Grazhk, the Dhilfren’s world, has few stars in its night skies and the species considers itself the only sentients in the universe. They react with extreme violence to anything that runs counter to this worldview. Thirty years ago, some Dhilfren found a way to leave their homeworld, but all those who entered space were destroyed in a battle with the Quaelenti. Thus far, none have bothered to follow their lost fellows.
Exoum – Said to be the oldest and most advanced of the sentient species in this part of the galaxy. Exoum are the third of the known races able to willwork. They rule an interstellar civilization, one that appears to be semi-despotic but benign. The Exoum have opposed other civilizations in the past for "improper conduct relating to sentients." If their sole representative to humanity presents a reasonable standard, the Exoum closely resemble humans although their biological workings are vastly different. Exoum appear to be curious and possessed of advanced sets of ethics in dealing with other species.
The few examples of Exoum technology witnessed or studied far outstrips anything used by any other known species. They can manipulate space and time over distances of hundreds of light years, their ships are able to move and flow like silk with untold destructive power. In the space of a few hours, the Exoum were able to dismantle twice as many ships as it took humanity two years to destroy. The promise that the Exoum were watching over Earth is the greatest single reason why the Alai’anar will not return.
Exoum are currently studying humans to see if they can be brought into their civilization. This study takes three hundred and nine years, which only began in 2020. Some among the Moebius Circle believe it would be best if humanity were able to stand on their own, without need for the Exoum, by the end of the study.
Quaelenti – Intelligent and curious, the Quaelenti are perhaps humanity’s greatest allies. The Quaelenti excel with biological engineering but have little grasp of human-like technology. They enjoy discovering new things and studying new forms of life, although there is evidence that once their studies were less than gentle. Quaelenti are truly alien in mindset, and it can take several months to communicate even simple questions and answers with them, then turn around and understand complex concepts before the explanation is even finished.
The Moebius Circle has directed several of Earth’s best minds to dealing with the Quaelenti, and has committed the Fleet to working with this species whenever possible. For their part, Quaelenti share some of their discoveries with humans, who are still trying to understand their initial exchange of bioengineering techniques. Despite this, Quaelenti technology as a whole is considered roughly equal to humanity’s, although they have been at their current level for longer than we have.
Ramaas Ka – On the surface, some members of the Ramaas Ka resemble Quaelenti, but the two species could not be more different. The Ramaas Ka are completely, insanely, hostile to other species. They have attempted several avenues of attack, from space battles to insidious corruption of gullible humans. Ramaas Ka alter their own species into several subspecies to try different assaults, and it’s been estimated that seventy-five percent of all the various "alien encounters" reported in the two hundred years before the Hammer War was just another gambit by the Ramaas Ka. Some even speculate that the Ramaas Ka somehow led the Hammer of the Stars to Earth, although there’s no solid evidence to support this.
Ramaas Ka technology was only slightly more advanced than humanity’s before the Hammer War, and now is believed to be the equal of our own. However, they possess a still-undetermined array of natural abilities which make them a serious threat.