Post by Korski on Jun 21, 2009 0:12:30 GMT -5
*This story is more of the sci-fi horror variety. Or at least it will be. The part included here is a prologue meant to bring you up to speed from present day in reality to present day in the story environment. Some bad mojo is about to go down on the Absolution!*
The future held little of the advertised peace and prosperity spouted over the years by the hopefuls of the global scientific community. Time for that sort of world had run out long before anyone became aware of the problem. Humanity, if nothing, is self-absorbed. Between the melting icecaps, dwindling forests and increasing scarcity of essential resources, it had become painfully clear.
Our planet was dying.
In the year 2044, far earlier than previously projected, Earth’s oil reserves were depleted and the frantic race for a new, affordable and easily manufactured fuel source began. Of course, such demands on such short noticed would require some corners to be cut. Bio-fuels couldn’t be produced on a scale large enough to support widespread use and hydrogen never became the “answer” that everyone had hoped for. Converting every gas station and rest stop to dispense hydrogen was decided to be “fiscally irresponsible” by the powers that be. Over the next few months, despite desperate scouring and research, no fuel substitute could be found. But then, like a piercing light in the darkness, a man stepped up, solution in hand. Though, a select few would say, the only thing pierced that day was our collective hearts.
This man is Alexander LaCroix. As President of Universal Signature, a small and up-and-coming freelance corporation that specializes in handling the projects of others, he is the definition of an opportunist. In 2045, LaCroix caught the world by surprise and introduced Singularity to the fuel market as well as the necessary automotive and industrial adaptations that would allow its use. Singularity, being a small black ball about the size of a fist, was initially met with skepticism but, after public displays were held demonstrating its power and efficiency, that skepticism dissipated. A single unit of this new fuel could allow a vehicle to run for a week straight and it burned with less emission than its predecessor. Naturally, LaCroix was approached numerous times with buyout offers attached to ludicrous sums of money. He refused every one without hesitation. Singularity and its adaptations came at a hefty price, but it was a price gladly paid if it meant things would go back to normal. Within weeks, Singularity propelled Universal Signature to superpower status and Alexander LaCroix was hailed a savior.
By 2057, Universal Signature, now having adopted the abbreviation UniSig, had acquired the majority of the world’s largest businesses and had expanded their product and resource base exponentially. LaCroix found it fitting to start with those who had attempted to buy him out right on the cusp of his success. They now supplied weapon technologies to the highest bidder and pushed the very boundaries of science in research facilities closely guarded by UniSig’s private security detail. Investigations were held to determine if the corporation was involved in any illegal activities, but the findings always came back “inconclusive”. That was if the investigators came back at all. UniSig claimed to have no involvement in the disappearances. It was around this time that people began to notice the sort of power that LaCroix held at his fingertips. They also began to notice another change in the air. In a most literal sense. People’s eyes started to redden and water, lungs tingled and breathing became slightly more laborious. Few seemed to notice that UniSig employees had been issued filtration masks just days before.
The world turned to UniSig for an answer to this new plight. In response, UniSig representatives stated that there was no need to panic. They were aware of the problem and they were working toward its resolution at that very moment. It was also announced that free breathing masks would be handed out at specifically marked locations during the entire course of this dilemma. Reassured, the populace returned to their everyday activities and, eventually, to their beds, to sleep as soundly as their frayed nerves allowed. During the night, ominously dark clouds gathered in the sky. It began to rain.
That was a day that knew many names. For some it was “Armageddon”, religious sorts labeled it “Judgment Day”, but the most popular and well known was “Black Rain”. Regardless of the title, it was a day that destroyed the planet in its entirety. The anomaly made appearances all over the globe in nearly simultaneous instances and regions that didn’t see the rain ended up receiving the same treatment via groundwater. The rain had contained an insidious chemical that was just as toxic as it was corrosive. It ate away at the forests and plains, turning the once green vegetation a sickly brownish gray. It ate away at the towns and cities, dissolving brick, mortar, and steel alike. It even ate away at the very flesh of any person or creature that was unlucky enough to come into contact with it. Millions had died in the beginning and millions more after deadly fumes given off by the chemical began to fill the atmosphere. Even in places where the fumes were sparse, the utter lack of living trees allowed the build-up of unsafe levels of carbon dioxide. Our atmosphere was well on its way to becoming hostile to organic life and humanity’s end was inevitable. Or it least it would have been if UniSig hadn’t intervened.
With general order in disarray, Universal Signature became the unofficial authority. Special camps designed to house the survivors of the incident were built en masse by UniSig teams in HAZMAT suits. These camps were self-contained environments equipped with all the basics for survival, including filtered air, decent food, clean water and lodgings. Once the majority of these camps were filled and the arrival of a stray survivor became a rarity, Alexander LaCroix appeared once more and relayed an announcement through the vid-screens found in every camp. LaCroix revealed that UniSig had been working on “Dome-City” technology due to the increasing probability that Earth’s atmosphere would become too polluted to live in sometime in the distant future. While the “Black Rain” anomaly brought that future upon them sooner than expected, the technology was, fortunately, in its final stages and nearly ready to be applied to practical use. The plan was to begin construction of these dome-cities immediately and transition survivors from the camps into the domes. Hope returned to the downtrodden populace. LaCroix was the world’s savior once again. This would be the last time he would be seen by the public.
2059 marked the year of the first completed dome-cities. These initial cities were codenamed Alpha, Beta and Omega. Survivors from the camps were rounded up and escorted by armed UniSig guards to both Alpha and Beta dome-cities where they were assigned living quarters and occupations to keep their new homes up and running. Dome-City Omega was reserved for exclusive Universal Signature occupation. Civilian visitation was prohibited.
Throughout the next decade, more and more dome-cities appeared all over the world and people continued to be evacuated from the camps and introduced to dome life. Unfortunately, many of the original camps, along with their occupants, had been lost over time. The outside world was now nothing more than a deadly, rust-colored fog and the outdated filtration systems of the camps could no longer perform their tasks effectively. Why some camps reportedly failed and others did not was not explained further. UniSig did their best to save all they could, but the losses remained substantial. In the end, after everyone had been transported and secured in their new, protected homes, only a scant 1.6 billion were left to be present for the unveiling of UniSig’s most ambitious project yet. As well as the new face that went along with it.
In 2070, the world was acquainted with Sarah Rowe, the official stand-in for LaCroix. Rowe explained that LaCroix had fallen gravely ill as a result of work related exhaustion and would be restricted to bed rest until further notice. No questions concerning his condition would be taken. This news brought an air of fear along with it. People were accustomed to LaCroix coming to their rescue when all seemed lost and they refused to imagine what would happen to them if he should pass away. Their fear was soon tempered by the surprise of what came next. Rowe continued on to say that UniSig would begin construction of a massive structure, a highly sophisticated space station that would be dedicated to the study of the planet and methods in which it could be restored to its former self. Additionally, Rowe herself would selflessly step up as the station’s administrator. It was a project so large that even the people of the domes would be drafted to assist in its completion as well as its operation. The years ahead would be difficult, but Rowe ensured that this would be a huge leap towards a brighter future for everyone.
Near the end of 2095, the various sections of the station were launched into orbit and meticulously positioned in preparation for final assembly. The weary dome-dwellers watched the launches with pride, knowing that they had taken part in the effort to mend their broken world. By 2096, final assembly was completed and the station was declared operational. UniSig wasted no time in ferrying Rowe, handpicked staff and specially recruited citizens of the domes to their new home nestled in the silent void of space. The station was a magnificent sight, its only peers being the stars themselves. While its dull gray hull lacked the fiery brilliance of its cousins, it matched their presence with a light born of hope and determination. A shining beacon of humanity that was fittingly christened as the “U.S.S. Absolution”.
2098. Present day.
The future held little of the advertised peace and prosperity spouted over the years by the hopefuls of the global scientific community. Time for that sort of world had run out long before anyone became aware of the problem. Humanity, if nothing, is self-absorbed. Between the melting icecaps, dwindling forests and increasing scarcity of essential resources, it had become painfully clear.
Our planet was dying.
In the year 2044, far earlier than previously projected, Earth’s oil reserves were depleted and the frantic race for a new, affordable and easily manufactured fuel source began. Of course, such demands on such short noticed would require some corners to be cut. Bio-fuels couldn’t be produced on a scale large enough to support widespread use and hydrogen never became the “answer” that everyone had hoped for. Converting every gas station and rest stop to dispense hydrogen was decided to be “fiscally irresponsible” by the powers that be. Over the next few months, despite desperate scouring and research, no fuel substitute could be found. But then, like a piercing light in the darkness, a man stepped up, solution in hand. Though, a select few would say, the only thing pierced that day was our collective hearts.
This man is Alexander LaCroix. As President of Universal Signature, a small and up-and-coming freelance corporation that specializes in handling the projects of others, he is the definition of an opportunist. In 2045, LaCroix caught the world by surprise and introduced Singularity to the fuel market as well as the necessary automotive and industrial adaptations that would allow its use. Singularity, being a small black ball about the size of a fist, was initially met with skepticism but, after public displays were held demonstrating its power and efficiency, that skepticism dissipated. A single unit of this new fuel could allow a vehicle to run for a week straight and it burned with less emission than its predecessor. Naturally, LaCroix was approached numerous times with buyout offers attached to ludicrous sums of money. He refused every one without hesitation. Singularity and its adaptations came at a hefty price, but it was a price gladly paid if it meant things would go back to normal. Within weeks, Singularity propelled Universal Signature to superpower status and Alexander LaCroix was hailed a savior.
By 2057, Universal Signature, now having adopted the abbreviation UniSig, had acquired the majority of the world’s largest businesses and had expanded their product and resource base exponentially. LaCroix found it fitting to start with those who had attempted to buy him out right on the cusp of his success. They now supplied weapon technologies to the highest bidder and pushed the very boundaries of science in research facilities closely guarded by UniSig’s private security detail. Investigations were held to determine if the corporation was involved in any illegal activities, but the findings always came back “inconclusive”. That was if the investigators came back at all. UniSig claimed to have no involvement in the disappearances. It was around this time that people began to notice the sort of power that LaCroix held at his fingertips. They also began to notice another change in the air. In a most literal sense. People’s eyes started to redden and water, lungs tingled and breathing became slightly more laborious. Few seemed to notice that UniSig employees had been issued filtration masks just days before.
The world turned to UniSig for an answer to this new plight. In response, UniSig representatives stated that there was no need to panic. They were aware of the problem and they were working toward its resolution at that very moment. It was also announced that free breathing masks would be handed out at specifically marked locations during the entire course of this dilemma. Reassured, the populace returned to their everyday activities and, eventually, to their beds, to sleep as soundly as their frayed nerves allowed. During the night, ominously dark clouds gathered in the sky. It began to rain.
That was a day that knew many names. For some it was “Armageddon”, religious sorts labeled it “Judgment Day”, but the most popular and well known was “Black Rain”. Regardless of the title, it was a day that destroyed the planet in its entirety. The anomaly made appearances all over the globe in nearly simultaneous instances and regions that didn’t see the rain ended up receiving the same treatment via groundwater. The rain had contained an insidious chemical that was just as toxic as it was corrosive. It ate away at the forests and plains, turning the once green vegetation a sickly brownish gray. It ate away at the towns and cities, dissolving brick, mortar, and steel alike. It even ate away at the very flesh of any person or creature that was unlucky enough to come into contact with it. Millions had died in the beginning and millions more after deadly fumes given off by the chemical began to fill the atmosphere. Even in places where the fumes were sparse, the utter lack of living trees allowed the build-up of unsafe levels of carbon dioxide. Our atmosphere was well on its way to becoming hostile to organic life and humanity’s end was inevitable. Or it least it would have been if UniSig hadn’t intervened.
With general order in disarray, Universal Signature became the unofficial authority. Special camps designed to house the survivors of the incident were built en masse by UniSig teams in HAZMAT suits. These camps were self-contained environments equipped with all the basics for survival, including filtered air, decent food, clean water and lodgings. Once the majority of these camps were filled and the arrival of a stray survivor became a rarity, Alexander LaCroix appeared once more and relayed an announcement through the vid-screens found in every camp. LaCroix revealed that UniSig had been working on “Dome-City” technology due to the increasing probability that Earth’s atmosphere would become too polluted to live in sometime in the distant future. While the “Black Rain” anomaly brought that future upon them sooner than expected, the technology was, fortunately, in its final stages and nearly ready to be applied to practical use. The plan was to begin construction of these dome-cities immediately and transition survivors from the camps into the domes. Hope returned to the downtrodden populace. LaCroix was the world’s savior once again. This would be the last time he would be seen by the public.
2059 marked the year of the first completed dome-cities. These initial cities were codenamed Alpha, Beta and Omega. Survivors from the camps were rounded up and escorted by armed UniSig guards to both Alpha and Beta dome-cities where they were assigned living quarters and occupations to keep their new homes up and running. Dome-City Omega was reserved for exclusive Universal Signature occupation. Civilian visitation was prohibited.
Throughout the next decade, more and more dome-cities appeared all over the world and people continued to be evacuated from the camps and introduced to dome life. Unfortunately, many of the original camps, along with their occupants, had been lost over time. The outside world was now nothing more than a deadly, rust-colored fog and the outdated filtration systems of the camps could no longer perform their tasks effectively. Why some camps reportedly failed and others did not was not explained further. UniSig did their best to save all they could, but the losses remained substantial. In the end, after everyone had been transported and secured in their new, protected homes, only a scant 1.6 billion were left to be present for the unveiling of UniSig’s most ambitious project yet. As well as the new face that went along with it.
In 2070, the world was acquainted with Sarah Rowe, the official stand-in for LaCroix. Rowe explained that LaCroix had fallen gravely ill as a result of work related exhaustion and would be restricted to bed rest until further notice. No questions concerning his condition would be taken. This news brought an air of fear along with it. People were accustomed to LaCroix coming to their rescue when all seemed lost and they refused to imagine what would happen to them if he should pass away. Their fear was soon tempered by the surprise of what came next. Rowe continued on to say that UniSig would begin construction of a massive structure, a highly sophisticated space station that would be dedicated to the study of the planet and methods in which it could be restored to its former self. Additionally, Rowe herself would selflessly step up as the station’s administrator. It was a project so large that even the people of the domes would be drafted to assist in its completion as well as its operation. The years ahead would be difficult, but Rowe ensured that this would be a huge leap towards a brighter future for everyone.
Near the end of 2095, the various sections of the station were launched into orbit and meticulously positioned in preparation for final assembly. The weary dome-dwellers watched the launches with pride, knowing that they had taken part in the effort to mend their broken world. By 2096, final assembly was completed and the station was declared operational. UniSig wasted no time in ferrying Rowe, handpicked staff and specially recruited citizens of the domes to their new home nestled in the silent void of space. The station was a magnificent sight, its only peers being the stars themselves. While its dull gray hull lacked the fiery brilliance of its cousins, it matched their presence with a light born of hope and determination. A shining beacon of humanity that was fittingly christened as the “U.S.S. Absolution”.
2098. Present day.