More Than Human combines the pulse-pounding excitement of a survival game with the hilarity and fun of the world of super heroes.

The year is 2185, and man has just begun its conquest of the solar system. Self-sufficient Colonies have existed on the moon and Mars for nearly a century, and new ones have been founded on far-off Ceres and Titan. Despite our expansive efforts, humanity remains alone in the universe, though hope strings eternal that someday we'll locate alien life.

Space travel is cheaper than it is today, but still carries its share of risks. Nobody owns their own ships -- all are controlled by the various governments, corporations, and nonprofits that vie for control of every scrap of space in... well... space.

Our heroes represent the latest class of Earth's best and brightest, ready to deploy on a special mission that will begin on the moon and eventually stretch toward Titan itself. You see, the last solar flare knocked out communication between Earth and her colonies, and someone has to figure out what went wrong, and how to fix it.

There are several government-backed teams with the same mission in mind, as well as private companies. The heroes in question could either be their own private brand, a government-backed entity, a corporation or non-profit's research team, or anything else that makes sense.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:26, Fri 20 Oct 2017.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 1):

LIST OF NOTEWORTHY FACTIONS (updated 11/1/18)

SAGE (Society of Aeronautic and Galactic Explorers)
• Founded in the wake of a planetwide population and resource crisis on Earth
• Mission: To explore and observe the solar system to ID colonization opportunities and refine humanity's scientific advancement
• Helped develop the tech used to develop near-Earth settlements and colonies
• After Braeburn implemented the Archive, SAGE become more focused on experimental R&D
• SAGE is now headquartered on Venus, in a base suspended in its upper atmosphere
• SAGE's other static base is located on Ceres
• SAGE has a standing fleet of science vessels and paramilitary protectors
• SAGE does not like Braeburn, because the Archive made it too easy for their tech to get stolen/appropriated by other factions and governments
• SAGE is often at odds with ACE because they won't share their tech with profit-based organizations
• SAGE is often at odds with Braeburn because they won't upload their tech into the Archive
• SAGE is often at odds with the IDA because they won't share their military specs

IDA (Interplanetary Defense Agency)
• The UN's spacefaring peacekeeping force
• Mostly deals with antipiracy issues
• Keeps squabbles between ACE, SAGE, Braeburn, and others under control
• As a government agency, it has no specific ties of its own and its relationships are governed almost exclusively by the UN and its assorted defense/security contracts

ACE (Ares Consolidated Enterprises)
• Headquartered on Deimos, this corporation controls mining and industry on Mars
• ACE is one of the wealthiest corporations in human-controlled space
• Rumored to use enslaved augers in their mines
• They are profit-driven above all else, using their superior resources to gain an edge over the competition

Braeburn
• Monolithic combination of Apple, Google, and Amazon
• Corporation is part telecom company, part online marketplace, and part software/hardware developer
• Developed and deployed The Archive, an algorithm that sifts through all of the scientific knowledge posted online to crowdsource new technologies and discoveries
• Provides global, free Wi-Fi to the entire inner solar system
• Performs contract work with various governments as military peacekeepers, scientific explorers, and similar roles through the use of sophisticated drones

Alliance of Sol
• Terrorist organization
• Believes the powers on Earth should hold no sway beyond its own atmosphere
• Believes humans should not be colonizing other planets, and that they are tarnishing the rich natural beauty that the Creator endowed the universe with by doing so
• Aggressively disrupted terraforming efforts designed to make other planets more Earth-like (mixed success)
• Participates in active piracy against pretty much anyone they encounter
• Most of the rank-and-file aren't true zealots to the cause; the organization is a magnet for all sorts of lawless types who aren't welcome elsewhere
• Known bases: None anymore. (Past: EROS)

SAGE (Society of Aeronautic and Galactic Explorers): This organization was founded in the wake of a planetwide population and resource crisis on earth. Their purpose is to explore and observe, establishing settlements where possible in order to provide Earth with the resources and room it needs to support its population. Their modus operandi is similar to that of the Federation in Star Trek: explore, observe, and fight only when necessary. One key difference is that they are very willing to interfere in alien habitats if doing so will advance the cause of the human race.

ACE (Ares Consolidated Enterprises): Headquartered on Deimos, this corporation controls mining and industry on Mars. ACE is one of the wealthiest corporations in human-controlled space (second only to Braeburn, a monolithic combination of Apple, Google, and Amazon). They are profit-driven above all else, using their superior resources to gain an edge over the competition. There are rumors that they use mutated augers to do the dirty jobs, but ACE strictly denies this.

Braeburn: a monolithic combination of Apple, Google, and Amazon, this corporationp is part telecom company, part online marketplace, and part software/hardware developer. They are the largest publicly traded company in the solar system. Among Braeburn's accomplishments: development of The Archive, an algorithm that sifts through all of the scientific knowledge posted online to crowdsource new technologies and discoveries; and deployment of global, free Wi-Fi to the entire inner solar system; contract work with various governments as military peacekeepers, scientific explorers, and similar roles through the use of sophisticated drones.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:50, Thu 01 Nov 2018.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 2):

The following was a useful thought exercise but the Watcher reserves the right to revise things that turn out to have been poorly thought out... :)

Strikethrough denotes items that were present in the initial timeline I posted but are definitely not true. I'm not sure why I put them there, but I leave them there for posterity.

A Timeline of Humanity's Ascent to the Stars

2020
China attempts to create a permanent presence on the moon, but fails to solve the sustainability problem. USA, Russia, Britain, and India attempt to establish a collaborative moon base, with similar failure

2021
Microsoft, Google, Apple, Amazon, and similar companies are dissolved by massive anti-trust suit. Apple subsidiary Braeburn rises to the top in the aftermath.

2023
China demands payment in full of all outstanding debt. United States refuses, defaults.

2024
China goads North Korea into firing into South Korea and Japan, triggering World War III

2025
While the world at large is otherwise preoccupied, the Middle East erupts into chaos

2026
World War III cease-fire to deal with nuclear fallout in Israel, Iran, Pakistan, Syria, Egypt, Seoul, and Pyongyang

2027
United Nations assumes political stewardship of key countries, soon demoted from "countries" to "unstable territories" on the world stage

2039
China conquers Unified Korea, Vietnam, and Laos

2043
Japan, Russia, and India issue "pre-emptive strikes" against Chinese expansion

2044
World War III resumes

2049
Military satellites are deployed, disrupting most other satellites in orbit and blacking out GPS and related technology around the globe. This attempt to end the war merely localized it.

2055
Rumors of augmented humans with amazing powers -- termed "augers" -- begin to circulate throughout the world as strike teams surgically infiltrate the key power players behind the ongoing war effort.

2059
After the Black Decade, the lights come back on thanks to the successful launch of a powerful jamming satellite -- Braeburn IV -- which was described in layman's terms as "an off switch for the internet targeting countries that don't follow UN edicts".

2061
The continents are now largely under the de-facto control of the United Nations, backed by private companies from around the world who are largely tired of war and see no use in patriotism over profits.

2064
Additional Braeburn satellites build an on switch into the off switch to create the first stable, persistent, global, high-speed internet connection

2067
United Nations contracts Braeburn to create a software program designed to create lasting, balanced budgets and long-term plans for every nation.

2073
Suspicion grows that the Braeburn Formula may be siphoning funds from the world's governments to enrich itself. These rumors are silenced only after a mysterious global recession creates widespread panic, with conditions regaining their bullish nature almost immediately afterward.

2074
Braeburn publicizes The Archive, selling it as a way to "shave generations off our evolutionary development" by dramatically boosting the speed at which collective thoughts and discoveries can be compiled, interpreted, and put to better use.

2075
Braeburn releases the first fully functioning "universal translator", which can fluently translate (and vocalize said translations) as quickly as a human might care to speak.

2077
Braeburn releases experimental terraformation tech to the public domain, with a strict warning that bans any use of said technology on the moon -- it is declared "neutral territory, too valuable to potentially disrupt". Luna remains unterraformed to this day.

2083
Fledgling scientific cooperative SAGE successfully puts a terraformation satellite into orbit around Venus, stabilizing an area of its atmosphere enough to begin construction of a permanent floating colony.

2088
The World Census confirms the scientific community's growing suspicion that birth rates of augers are severely under-reported. Specialized divisions of law enforcement are established to deal with empowered criminals -- some of them staffed by folks who are themselves augers.

2090
The GENOME project is passed by the UN with overwhelming support, beginning the process of cataloging, licensing, and tagging augers to create a registry database.

2093
Nascent mining and refining company called Selena Resources attracts international attention by announcing an ambitious plan to analyze the mineral composition of the moon. Braeburn expressly forbids it, so Selena, in a merger with Pinnacle Orbital Shipping & Transit, becomes Ares Consolidated Enterprises and shifts its attention to Mars

2104
First nearly autonomous mining station is deployed to Deimos.

2108
Braeburn leases ACE a suborbital relay system to cheaply (though not quickly) transport mined materials to Earth's marketplace

2111
Auger civil rights becomes a major issue in most countries, none of which grant unfettered freedoms to anyone listed in the GENOME database. The most flexible countries have forced conscription, registration, and location notification systems in place. The least flexible use them as essentially chattel.

2117
Partial terraformation of Venus complete, creating an isolated pocket of habitable territory in the cone directly beneath the SAGE satellite, which has matched its orbit to Venus's rotation to keep it in the same place.

2123
SAGE becomes the first non-profit organization to claim another planet as its headquarters: Venus. The cone has now been expanded by a series of more advanced satellites to cover an area roughly the size of present-day Australia

2127
ACE extends its mining empire to Phobos and the Martian mainland, and denotes Deimos as its headquarters

2136
An auger named Donovan Green makes headlines by claiming he'd escaped an auger slavery ring on Mars overseen by ACE. The company flatly denies such claims, and UN inspectors find no evidence to support Green's story when they arrive (9 months later).

2140
A whistleblower claims that the UN has established a subterranean prison base on Mercury, but recants shortly thereafter. Their whereabouts are currently unknown.

2138
Braeburn claims Earth's moon as a "protected territory", and bans all travel to and from it. This is enforced with Braeburn's drone-like "escort ships", the first known deployment of "military force" in Earth's orbit

2143
United Nations dissolves association with Braeburn, declares autonomy

2144
Mysterious civil wars erupt across the world

2147
United Nations reaffirms ties with Braeburn

2152
Braeburn extends The Archive to Venus, Mars, Luna, and Mercury.

2157
Aided by The Archive, ACE tests FTL tech in its mineral delivery systems. The process is deemed too unstable for living transit, and too expensive for mineral transit.

2159
An organization called the Confederation of Nations reveals itself, declares war on "Braeburn's United Nations"

2165
War ends with the CoN "voluntarily ceding power" to the UN and many of its leaders "willfully deciding" to leave Earth to found the first "free colony" beneath the surface of Mercury. Media outlets report very little infrastructure supplies are sent with them...almost as a colony was already there.

2168
SAGE deploys first REV to Ceres

2173
SAGE, ACE, and Braeburn collaborate to send exploratory probes to Titan, Europa, and Charon

2175
SAGE, ACE, and Braeburn dissolve their partnership. Little information about the probes makes it to the general public.

2177
Braeburn declares Titan off-limits, deploys interdiction ships to enforce edict

2183
SAGE deploys second REV to Ceres, successfully beginning the process of terraforming it

2184
SAGE develops an experimental gravity shield in response from encroachment from asteroid mining drones sweeping the space around Ceres.

2185
Intense series of solar flares annihilates all interplanetary communications.

2185
Captain Blaise, who is not listed as an officer of the IDA on any official dossier, calls a meeting that does not occur aboard a capital ship that does not exist. (The game begins here.)
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:14, Thu 01 Nov 2018.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 3):

The Age of Heroes

The spike in technology and the creation of a world where everyone was always connected make what we'd consider tech heroes all but commonplace for a while. This caused untold havoc, and new regulations kept specific equipment out of the hands of the masses.

At the same time, humans were evolving. Whether from pharma-induced chemical compounds or genetic mutations or cybernetic implants, being more than merely human was slowly becoming less extraordinary.

World War III changed all of that, and the powers-that-be decided that having the vast majority of the population running around with hydrogen-bomb-level capabilities was not in the best interests of our species survival.

Superhumans are now registered within a central database, and are employed only by governments, non-profits, and corporations (these latter organizations need special, expensive permits for the privilege). Not everyone complies, of course, but that's what keeps the bounty hunters fed...

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 4):

Common Tongue
There is no unified global tongue, thanks to Braeburn's hugely successful AV translator (called Torav by an affectionate populace). Still, homogeneous speech isn't far away. Most people speak a mixture of English, Russian, Latin, and Chinese, and The Archive predicts that in two generations, Torav will no longer be needed.

Global Politics
Surprising many, Earth is still divided into countries -- though it could be argued that their existence is more or less meaningless in the modern era. Though there are countries, there aren't nearly as many as before. Here's a complete list by continent (NOTE WELL: the countries on the right refer to our modern countries in terms of placement. None survive as countries today, though some are still member states in the larger organizations they have become a part of):

-The Americas
-- Estados Unitos Sur: Includes all of South America, Central America, and Mexico.
-- Estados Unitos Norte: Includes most of the continental United States and Canada
-- The Confederation of Liberty: Includes Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana

- Eurasia
-- Northern European Union: Finland, Sweden, Norway, United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark
-- Western European Union: Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Holland, Belgium
-- Eastern European Union: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Austria, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Greece
-- Arabia: All of the current Middle East
-- United Socialist Republic: Russia, Mongolia, China, Vietnam, Laos, Korea, India, Singapore, Thailand, etc.

- Africa
-- United States of Africa: Includes all of Africa, though it really is more of a confederation than a body with any real federal power on a national level

- Oceania
-- Oceania: Australia, Tazmania, New Zealand, Hawaii, and for some reason Japan

- Antarctica
-- No countries
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:04, Tue 01 July 2014.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 5):

Nonprofits

The United Nations
Vastly expanded from its present role, the United Nations now has the power to levy taxes, raise armies, ratify treaties, mint currency, and regulate trade. It has an embassy with every country on the planet, and claims to maintain relations with every colony in the solar system, as well. Nonprofit, funded by member nations*. *All nations are member nations. This is not a choice, a fact that The Confederation of Liberty learned by the hard way in an extremely ironic war fought over the issue.

Extraterrestrial Colonization and Expansion Agency
Maintains centralized records on all the colonies that we have and where we might want to explore next. Nonprofit, funded by UN.

The Interplanetary Defense Agency
The United Nations, flush with operating capital and political clout for the first time in history, created an international organization dedicated to protecting and securing vital interests across local space. If ever a fleet is needed to defend Earth and its surrounding planets from alien aggression, the bulk of that fleet would be the IDA. Think of it as a combination of the American, Russian, and Chinese space programs, except actually funded. Nonprofit, funded by the UN.

G.E.N.O.M.E.
The Genetic Engineering and Nurturing Organization for Mankind's Evolution is a powerful nonprofit organization dedicated to registering, cataloging, researching, and developing mutants and altered humans. All registered mutants are guaranteed certain political and civil rights. Unregistered mutants are considered criminals -- though the only penalty for those caught is typically "registration and rehabilitation."

HeartworX International
A Red Cross-like organization that provides humanitarian and disaster-relief efforts to the victims of poverty, war, and famine. Run by a man named Cornelius Husker, who has at times been accused of causing the poverty, war, famine, etc. that his organization fixes. As a donation-driven organization accused of profiteering, that has left HeartworX in a complicated PR relationship.

The Alliance of Sol
This is more of a terrorist organization than a true non-profit. Its membership is dedicated to keeping all of the various planets as close to "normal" as possible. That makes them anti-expansionist, anti-terraformation, anti-colonial, etc. They do a lot of kidnappings and ransomings and bombings, and have an impressive spacefaring presence based in largely on asteroids and manmade stations. Not everyone who joins the Alliance shares its vision; some just really like the autonomy and the perks.

The Heritage Group
A well-known arm of the Alliance of Sol, this organization lobbies governments for the kinds of changes that the AoS would want. A sort of hyperconservative think tank.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:07, Mon 13 Mar 2017.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 6):

FAQ

Is life (for the average) much like it is today?

Yes and no, depending on where you live. The colonies function more like the world you're used to. Earth itself does not.

The prevalence of human mutations and cybernetic implants have helped people adapt themselves to doing what they love, not what they were born to be great at. Want to be an artist but can't draw? There's an app for that. That said. naturally gifted at something is worth more than being upgraded into doing it. An artist who doesn't need an implant to create a masterpiece is more highly valued than one who does, especially in terms of their genetic code and ability to pass that talent on to a new generation.

Knowledge isn't worth anything -- anyone can know anything at a moment's glance thanks to the omnipresent Archive. Knowing how to put that knowledge into action is what's worth the big bucks, and people fall over themselves trying to demonstrate their ability to take common knowledge and do something useful with it.

The world runs on an international currency known as "star bucks", a slang term that eventually usurped the trademark protections afforded to a popular beverage company. Most people just refer to them as "stars." There is a single master bank -- called Mother Earth -- and every registered human has an account with it. No credit cards, no Paypal; it's built into your ID.

Each and every human is issued an Universal ID at birth -- and many opt to have their children 'chipped' with the UID, as well. Though the procedure is optional, those who are not 'chipped' are viewed as people with something to hide. The UID contains all of a person's medical, financial, education, genetic, and bureaucratic information in one place. Earn a pilot's license? It's on your UID. Blood type O-? On your UID. Can crush skyscrapers with your mind? Also on your UID. It is considered impossible to steal someone's UID without massively hacking the data in some way, because it's not just a photo you have to resemble to use a "fake"-- it's their genetic structure.

Transportation between cities and countries is done by hovercraft. Cars are gone. Personal hovercraft exist and are not piloted by humans, a change that eliminates accidents and improves efficiency when traffic is at volume by a tremendous margin. Most people work from their own homes and have little reason to leave them beyond making social calls or going hiking/abroad. Shopping is done online, though this is mostly for blueprints and schematics -- things you need are often fabricated in your own home using 3D printers and textile machines. Meals are prepared in this way, too, with coordinated deliveries monitored by your kitchen based on the food you like and frequently consume.

Do we all have Facebook implants?

Facebook was assimilated into Braeburn. There are some people who have hooked themselves up with The Archive to get real-time access to the sum of humanity's knowledge, but most people prefer to interact with wearable technology that can be turned on and off. Hacking's a very real danger in this world, and if your brain is on the network, it's vulnerable.

That said, there's still a Facebook that people frequently use to look up other people. It's called "Registry".

Are laser guns common? 

No, but they do exist. To make lasers useful enough to be used as weapons takes a significant amount of power, and giving people that kind of power in a world filled with reflective surfaces turned out to be a bad idea. After The Blind Decade, strict legislation was passed concerning who could own various calibers of lasers -- essentially, unless you're military, security, or working in an exempted industry, you can't have one.

Is there TV?  Reality TV?

Television as we know it is dead, replaced by an online-only model where people can consume whatever entertainments they want/can afford. Reality TV is dead, replaced by Virtual Reality Simulation that some people lose themselves in for days. The vast majority of VRS programs are not appropriate for children.

Are all factories run by robots? 

No, but many are.

Almost all production and industry is handled by highly advanced factories that require little human input. Blue-color jobs still exist, but you don't really hire a plumber to have a guy show up with a wrench and a beer gut to stagger under your sink. Instead, you have a spindly guy with a WrenchBot and a remote control who leans against the wall and whistles while the WrenchBot fixes your plumbing.


Is there AI? 

Nothing that can pass the Turing test has been developed yet, though highly specialized personal assistants and subject matter experts do exist. Many even display what appears to be a personality, and there are organizations that would argue that they feel loyalty, attachment, pain, loss, hope, and other emotions that would make them sentient. Since all of that is borderline impossible to prove, however, they remain merely sophisticated computers in the eyes of the law and of society -- though it is very common for people to be on a familiar, first-name basis with the personal assistants that run their operating system/calendar/etc. (damn near everyone has one).

Is hunger/poverty solved or worse?

The United Nations has equalized wealth in such a way that no individual can earn more than 10x what the lowest-paid employee (part-time or full-time, makes no difference) earns. It's not true Communism, but it certainly raised middle class wages significantly. Prices got weird for a while, then settled into comfortable levels.

Basically, is this Star Trek, Blade Runner, Elysium, 1984 or Facebookland?

I like to think it's something new.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 7):

Note that life is different depending on where you are. The above pertains mostly the Earth, but there are a lot of colonies:

Major Colonies
-Luna
-Venus
-Mars
--Deimos
--Phobos

Life on the Major Colonies is a lot like Earth, but with fewer bells and whistles. You have more manual labor, less automation, and a lot more rules because breaking them would cause the colony to suffer greatly -- usually because breaking them risks damage to the superstructure or the fragile ecosystem that's been put into place.

Notes:
-Luna is essentially owned and operated by Braeburn.
-Venus is essentially owned and operated by SAGE
-Mars is essentially owned and operated by ARES

Nascent Colonies
-Ceres
-Europa

Life on the Nascent Colonies is spartan, at best. Few luxuries exist, and almost all manpower is dedicated to bringing the infrastructure up to Major Colony status. Superhumans are highly sought after to assist with these colonies.

Notes:
-Ceres is essentially owned and operated by SAGE
-Europa is the UN's first ECEA colony

Experimental Colonies
-Titan
--Quarantined by Braeburn for classified reasons
-Mercury
--Subterranean prison
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:51, Tue 01 July 2014.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 8):

Travel Time from Earth (in days)










This message was last edited by the GM at 22:26, Mon 27 Feb 2017.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 9):

I've updated the faction list and the timeline to bring it up to current standards.