Digital Fury {Interest Check}

[GloomCookie]

Dr. Karen Patters stood outside smoking a cigarette, the cold wind blowing through her hair and labcoat.  The hospital was quiet now, but it would not remain that way.  She should be sleeping, resting for the next wave, but she needed her nicotine fix.  Cigarettes were just another rare luxury, and getting one after so long was like a God-send.  She was almost through when the announcement came, "Incoming wounded, repeat, incoming wounded!"

Karen sighed and inhaled the last from her last cigarette, dropping it to the cold concrete.  She took a long look at the dark skies above, wondering if any of them would ever see daylight again.  It was hard to remember the last time the sun was shining.  She sighed and went back inside, ready for the next patients.  These would be bad, as the last group and the group before that had been.  There were never any easy cases... not when the machines were involved.

A blue robot designed to look like a surgeon looked up and said, "Hello Dr. Patters.  Enjoy your cigarette?"

Karen nodded, "That I did Emdee.  That I did.  Ready for the next batch?"

Emdee tried to look pleasant, "I was built ready," and it spun a hand to emphasize the point.

Karen smirked, then turned serious as the first cases were wheeled in the door.



It's the winter of 2193, and humanity is losing a war.  From the depths of space came a race of machines, grotesque in appearance and function.  They did not communicate, they did not show mercy.  They only destroyed, and this was their primary function.  The outer worlds were hit first, the colonies in systems several parsecs from Earth.  Most were only able to broadcast quick images before being silenced forever.

Panic and fear swept the worlds of Man, and it was too much for the already crumbling Republic of Man to withstand.  Knowing what was to come, several military officers asserted authority to put the population to work, to face the darkness that was to come.  On Earth, senators and congressmen tried to steal military forces to secure their own private fortresses, and when the generals took power, they had each of the corrupt politicians executed for cowardice.

Out of the chaos came a new government, one set into place by the generals.  Gone was the president, but instead an emperor appointed by the generals.  The Senate was replaced with the Parliament and High Council, and the courts were reminded of their place, as guardians of the common good of all.  The Emperor was told he would remain in power as long as he did what was expected of him, which was to serve as a symbol to unite Man and serve the people.

By early 2192, the machines had already carved away a quarter of the distance to Earth.  Emperor Julius Buchanan, first Emperor of the United Worlds of Man, went before Parliament and declared that the Outer Worlds were not going to be defended, and that resources would be diverted to fortify the world of Saga, in the Gemini constellation.  With resources diverted to defend it, the entire planet became a fortress, built to fight the machines and buy time for the rest of the United Worlds to defend themselves.

The machines arrived almost a year after the death sentence was announced for the Outer Worlds.  They arrived as they always did, in massive cubes and spheres.  They moved into orbit and began dropping machines down to fight.  But unlike many other worlds, this time the humans were ready.  Lasers, plasma, mass drivers, all tore into the waves and waves of machines pouring from the skies.  But they kept coming, and it was impossible to stop them all.

The machines have landed, and they are preparing to fight.  The war hinges on the actions of those on Saga, and whether they can hold off the assault long enough to let the rest of Man prepare for the next assault.  Some are even holding out hope they'll survive.

[GloomCookie]

Digital Fury FAQ

Q. What are the machines?
A. The machines are an unknown mechanical race that emerged from the darkness of intergalactic space in 2187 to attack several human colonies.  They seem to possess a hive mentality, with specialized bots to carry out tasks such as fighting, repairing, etc.  No forms of communication have ever been detected as being used by the machines, so it is impossible to learn more about them.

Q. What type of government is in place?
A. The Republic of Man was the former government prior to the Machine Crisis.  The Republic was decadent and wasteful, with many politicians corrupt and on the payroll of corporations eager to keep the government at bay.  When the Crisis hit, many politicians and corporate CEOs fled to private fortress worlds while chaos and disorder struck.  When the military declared martial law, the Republic collapsed.  In its place, a provisional government was formed, with Julius Buchanan, a former senator and soldier, chosen to be its first Emperor.

The United Worlds of Man are what remains of the Republic.  Many worlds broke their ties after the collapse, and so only a few worlds were willing to remain under a united banner.  The few congressmen that remained on Earth trying to maintain order were given posts in the new Parliament, with many taking a place on the High Council.  The High Council is a group that meets to deal with issues too important to get tied down with red tape.  Issues facing the High Council include the decision to sacrifice Saga to buy time for the rest of the United Worlds to mount a stronger defense.

Q. What level of technology does the United Worlds use?
A. The United Worlds of Man has advanced technology in multiple areas, including nano-science and computer AIs.  AIs were officially given rights as sentient beings in 2132, and many use android and gynoid bodies to interact with humans.  Because AIs have a set life in terms of calculations, many adjust their processor clock cycles to the low kilohertz range, to extend their lives to a rough human lifespan of approximately 150 years.

Nanomachines are strictly regulated, and while the United Worlds has yet to define a clear policy, Republic law forbid their use as weapons.  While many have abdicated their use as weapons against the Machines, little study has been made towards their usefulness due to the immediate needs of the Crisis.  Most nano-machines are used in medicine, healing grievous wounds and making emergency repairs to damaged tissues.  They are also used to make emergency repairs in machinery, though in both cases their lifespan is measured in minutes before they are destroyed.

Q. Why was Saga chosen to be a bastion against the Machines?
A. Saga sits on the edge of the Outer Worlds and the Inner Colonies, and has a population of over 1 billion.  The heavy industrial presence meant that resources pouring in from other planets could be put to use while also producing the necessary infrastructure internally.  Each freighter that arrived unloaded its heavy cargo and then carried a load of refugees back with them towards the Core, to keep them safe from the coming darkness.  Only necessary personnel were allowed to remain, and many were drafted to help in the preparations.  Volunteers were also allowed to stay, though they were often assigned to non-critical tasks until they completed training for military equipment.