The 26th Century
In the late 26th Century mankind had spread across the galaxy and colonized over 900 different planets. With huge technological innovations behind them they now had intelligent and communicative starships that were able to navigate themselves and “swallow” across the void of space.
Split into two factions – the Adamists were the largest part of the human commonwealth accounting for the bulk of the planets, citizens and soldiery. While they had discarded the “bitek” technology of the Edenists they still had an extremely advanced society and their citizens had a life span that could be measured in centuries.
Cover of The Reality Dysfunction: Emergence
The Edenists on the otherhand had primarily settled around Gas Giants and were the providers of the HE3 fuel that the Commonwealth depended upon to power its starships. The Edenists utilized bitek which enabled them to form relationships with animals and their starships through a means of “affinity”. The Edenists were a very stable society and their people generally believed in the welfare of the society as a whole, but the biggest difference is that they were essentially immortal as when they died, they were able to transfer their personalities into their habitats where they could continue to interact with the people that they had known and loved in life.
The Night Dawns
The largest Adamist planet – Earth – had for centuries been shipping out its unwanted citizens to the newer planets as forced labour. The Ivets (Involuntary Transfers) that were sent to the newly settled planet Lalonde however had amongst them a member of one of Earth’s less salubrious religions however – the Light Bringer sect who believed that only through total debauchery and violence could their voice be heard. Quinn Dexter was an ardent student and believer in this cult and he brought it with him to Lalonde where he was able to quickly infect and influence the other Ivets until he was their undisputed leader.
In space around the habitat Tranquillity – Joshua Calvert – is a salvage expert. He has had an amazing amount of success probing through what remains of the ruins in the Ruin Ring searching for intelligence and information to explain the death of the species that was once there but is no longer! When Joshua finds a memory core he knows that he has finally hit the big one and is able to get the resources together that he needs to repair the starship his father left him – The Lady Mac.
Lalonde at Night
As Quinn’s takeover of the Ivets continues, he starts to capture and torture the other colonists on Lalonde. During the course of one of these ceremonies, Quinn is observed by an alien entity that notices some of the energy of the victim travelling to another realm of some sort. As this alien observer moves closer to get more detail however it inadvertently opens a rift between the land of the dead and our reality allowing the souls of the dead to travel through.
The newly returned dead quickly posses the rest of the citizens in the outlying village and with their ability to “open” up a person to further possession by torture their growth in numbers is exponential. As they say to quite a few people who try to fight them – “you can join us now, or join us later, but either way you will join us” – and they are right. How do you fight the dead when you are fated and destined to become one yourself?
Joshua meanwhile has completed the refit of his ship and after making a couple of small trips to build up some collateral he realizes that the best way that he can make a killing is by travelling to the planet Norfolk and obtaining a large load of the local liquor to sell throughout the galaxy. However breaking into this market is difficult for a new trader but Joshua has an innovative solution. As Norfolk is a planet that has primarily outlawed technology aside from the necessities he realizes providing them with a type of wood that is stronger than steel would be a huge asset. The strongest wood so far discovered however is called Mayope and is available at Joshua’s next destination … …. … Lalonde!