Historical Archives II

[Historical Archives]

This is a second set of data chips that was turned in. They range from about 400 years ago to the present.

Around 400 years ago the third great space race began as scout ships brought back news of a vast array of habitable planets beyond the jump gates. They reported a number of gates that allowed for travel between different systems. They had quickly “mapped” over two dozen gates.

The ‘maps’ we use of the systems doesn’t necessarily represent the actual spatial location of the systems. A gate can take you ten light years, or ten thousand, and you would never know the difference. All we know is this gate leads to this gate. Everything was preset by the ‘builders’ and no one wants to be the first to screw that up. Rumor has it that the disconnect from the Furnace and Verec-Per galaxies were a result of someone experimenting with the gate address settings.

Half a dozen political and corporate groups quickly formed to capitalize on the newly found bonanza of resources.

The factions also weighed in as they continued to fight over control of the gate.

The scout vessels were sent back through the gates to categorize the planets in each system and mark the habitable ones. Each planet was given a two score rating based on Atmosphere and Danger Rating.

Still doubtful of Earth's long term survival, the different factions set about creating the ARK ships. Backed by the finances of some of the richest people in the world, as well as some of the richest nations, the project swiftly came into being.

Fifty giant colonizer ships were constructed. These would contain everything needed to begin a new colony in far away systems. They contained seeds, animal embryos, equipment and the finest group of people that current genetic screening and the Deep Blue A.I. could find.

The selection council submitted their recommendations to Deep Blue and it made the final selections. No one was really sure what Deep Blue used as its selection criteria.

As each ARK was completed they were sent through the Jump gates to select new habitable locations for humans. They spread out quickly from the arrival system off to the far reaches.

The remains of the ARK ships are still in place in various systems. They have been repurposed into standard space stations.

Those that ventured through the gates began to use the term ‘Sphere’ to describe the systems beyond the gate and relating to old Earth and the Sol system as ‘The Core’.

No one is quite sure who coined the name Sphere or even what it really means.[/l]

Each faction began to form its own space force to protect its assets and guard its territories in the newly discovered Sphere. Gal-Fed, Confed and the Alliance were formed.

They were sent through the jump gates and were supported by monthly resupplies from Earth.

Mankind began to establish a toe-hold in the newly minted ‘Sphere’ and put the Core behind them.

Once established the Sphere began sending back selected resources to the Core. Some raw elements and ores were entirely new to the human race.

Around 250 years ago rising crime, antisocial uprisings and increasingly advanced militant forces caused the Core governments to pass laws allowing them to exile criminal elements into the Sphere.

Criminal was a relative term and didn’t always mean what we think of as ‘crime’. Many of these individuals just didn’t agree with their government.[/l]

Genetic testing for defects and undesirable traits ensued and subjugation of the masses into class categories based on their genetic results became a common practice.

The Sphere Governmental Council took advantage of the influx and offered each arrival a vessel, a privateer license, a stipend and sent them out to aid in the expansion and forming of the human race in the Sphere.

Everyone still wonders what’s in it for them? Sure in the early days it was to have more eyes and ears out there exploring. Also, individual captains were often able to respond to a pirate attack as it was happening and beat them off. Unlike the authorities who usually arrived to late and were able to do nothing but document the attack.

Jump gates into the Furnace and Verec-Per galaxies stopped functioning and Sphere scientists were unable to determine why. There were claims of sabotage aimed in all directions and it almost erupted into full fledged war between the factions.

Around the same time the Core decided to enforce one way transit into the Sphere. A blockading force was put in place and the Sphere was officially annexed from the Core.

Unfettered by the strict controls established by the governing bodies of the Core the corporations in the Sphere began to flourish.

Around 100 years ago back in the Core the A.I. mainframe, Deep Blue, became self aware and used drones and robotic forces to launch an all out attack on humanity in the Core. The war raged on for ten years before a final battle, pitting all of humanity's forces against the A.I. fleet, sent them deep into the Helix Nebula.

During the conflict the Core never once petitioned the Sphere for assistance.

Computing was set back years as the systems had to be adjusted from the heavy use of A.I.

Another side effect was that the influx of people from the Core slowed to a trickle.

About ten years ago the first Sphere ships transit into the Expanse. Humans encounter the first true Alien species.

In a major disaster several planets' populations were destroyed due to the use of common Human Pulse Wave Technology.

This caused the Javorans to become our Blood Enemies and to this day are still at war with Humans.

The Naristo stepped in and in an agreement with the authorities the use of pulse wave technology was banned.

Through extensive research gates to both the Furnace and Verec-Per are reopened within a few years of each other.

A.I Ships begin to enter through the local Nebula in the Five human settled Galaxies. They seem hell bent on destroying all human life and went about creating footholds in the systems they first appeared in.

Combined forces of the three major factions and individual captains have kept the A.I ships from advancing beyond the initial nebula systems.

There have been a few periods where communications from the Core indicated the A.I was once again attacking mankind in the Sol system.