The Theme
"We had the entire galaxy at our fingertips. But we were foolish, now, it looks like we'll pay the price." –Unknown
--->Enter Galactic<---
A Lazer Gun ENT. Production
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>Joyride through the Stars
The stars are changing you know? Shits been crazy lately.
Indeed, for sometime now she’s been crying.
She? Don’t tell me you believe in that fairy tale about the Goddess.
Like one woman can make the entire galaxy. Come on man, this is the age of science!
She is real, and pretty soon, you’ll all realize that. …One way or another.
Earth, From Terra Firma, To The Stars - By Taro Murakami
Earth, From Terra Firma, To The Stars - By Taro Murakami
Beyond
Earth. It’s my home, and your home too. We’re the most advanced society in the Sol Star System, and quickly becoming one of the more dominant presences on even the galactic front. But we weren’t always like this. It wasn’t until 1947, when a man named Albert Einstein discovered a strange artifact did humanity take the first steps towards its history in the stars.
The artifact Albert Einstein found was a GEAR. A large bipedal robot used for combat. Today, we have plenty of them, used for a variety of tasks, that we created ourselves, but back then this technology was completely foreign and worlds beyond anything we could ever imagine. To Einstein’s surprise, when he touched the GEAR, the contraption lit up and came to life. The cockpit in its head opened up, and he jumped inside.
That was the first time a human had ever left Earth. But it certainly wouldn’t be the last.
Einstein’s discovery prompted a ‘Space Revolution’ on Earth. The GEAR (as the scientist dubbed it) was seized by allied powers, and at once mankind came together to decipher the nature of this strange object. It wasn’t hard though, because the GEAR had an added surprise within it. It could talk. It turned out that Einstein’s GEAR had a full blown artificial intelligence; it could think, talk, and it even had memories, though most of them were corrupted from being inactive for so long.
The GEAR, which soon came to be called Renaissance relayed to the allied powers, through Einstein, how it was built and how to create more of him. In the coming years, humanity had successfully created two GEARs. They were nothing compared to the original, but they worked, none the less.
There was a problem though. In 1960, a ‘mysterious’ cluster of light was spotted in the atmosphere. It wouldn’t be long before Earth found out what those lights were. Aliens, Extra Terrestrials, the ones on the other side of the frontier, they touched down on our planet. What was worse was what they came in: Gears. Lots of them. Where humanity only had three, they had droves. Earth prepared for a fight, but what they received instead was a hand from a friend.
The aliens (the force was a mixture of different races), came to welcome humanity into the galaxy. It seemed like each race each discovered space travel the same way, by finding an ancient GEAR. Though these races had been traveling the stars for centuries, while we had only one man that ever traveled past the gravitational pull. The visitors shared technology with man, helping them create bigger and better GEARS. It looked lke the start of a bright future.
However, with great power, comes great responsibility. Maybe humanity wasn’t ready for interplanetary travel?
It was twenty years after the first contact with alien life. 1980. As we began to broaden our presence in the solar system, the problem arose about how these new planets would be governed. Naturally, conflict among countries broke out, which quickly escalated to battle. This was the third World War. The battle was waged in the stars for the first time, between GEAR pilots. It was a seven yearlong blood bath, and ended with no clear victor for any territory.
In 1987, a truce was made between each country. They agreed that, now that man had reached the stars, the lines of countries meant nothing now. It was time to knock down those aged borders, and become mankind.
And so, the Global Conglomerate was established. A government body that personifies the unity of mankind after World War III. They are the force that guides us today, and the body that guides us as humanity reaches new heights in the galaxy.
Now, it’s the year 2010, the fiftieth anniversary of mankind’s first contact with the galaxy.
I’m typing this paper as a means to look upon how far humanity has come since its humble days before space travel and GEARs.
I just wonder how far we still have to go…
I mean…
We’ve been to so many different Star Systems…
Countless planets…
But have we really seen everything there is to see out there? I wonder.
The Global Conglomerate Armed Forces Want YOU!
The Global Conglomerate
“It’s a dirty job, but someone’s gotta do it. I don’t take no pleasure in doing this though, know that at least.” –Demetri Maverick
So, you want to join the elite. The few. The proud. The ever illustrious, cream of the crop that is the Global Conglomerate Armed Forces? There’s a few steps you have complete, a few things you need to know, and a certain mind state you need to have before you can even think of joining our ranks…maggot!
1. First, you’ve gotta brush up on your history! Know the Global Conglomerate, Love the Global Conglomerate! Do you understand lady-legs?!
Established after the third World War, 1987 the Global Conglomerate personifies the unity of humanity after the blood bath of WWIII. It's like the UN, but with everything under it, and an actual army, and it's the governing force of humanity.
The GC organizes itself in a way similar to the old nations. Each former nation represents a particular 'branch' of the GC. This still has the feel of the old world way, but encourages a healthy rivalry between nations. So America has its branch...and China...and Japan...and so forth.
Each branch is overseen by a general from the GC army and president, elected by the people under that branch.
2. To be in this gorgeous unit, you’ve gotta be THE best of THE best! Know that, and practice it like religion…girly-man!
The men and women of the Global Conglomerate army are elite soldiers. They’re certified killing machines. Try and cross one, and you’re guaranteed a quick, and very, very painful death.
3. You will be a killing machine! This is a lot like number two, but different! …Got that twinkle-toes!?
Once you enter the ranks of the GC Armed Forces, and still after only completing your stay in the academy, you receive a special gift called a Mana-Drive. Mana-Drives are just one of the two secret weapons that the army has. They’re implants that allow the soldier to go beyond typical human means, and perform supernatural feats. There are two types of Mana-Drives, but a solider can only receive one. More than one Mana-Drive can causes too much of a strain on the user’s mental and physical condition, eventually killing them.
The two types of Mana-Drives are…
Physical- These implants increase physical capabilities, these can range from giving the user break-neck speed, to granting them superhuman strength.
Mental- These tap into the uncharted regions of the human mind, digging up the dormant powers within oneself. With these implants come powers straight from the legends-- control over the elements, telekinesis, basically all of your supernatural things.
Mana-Drives are permitted to military personnel, but there have been numerous instances where some brave soul undergoes an operation by a seedy doctor. Though they receive the benefits most with the implants do, these individuals also experience numerous side effects from the illegal practice. It is encouraged for soldiers, who come into contact with anyone with an illegal Mana-Drive to seize the person, as well as the one who gave them said Mana-Drive—they are dangers to the safety of the populace.
4. Love your GEAR! Embrace your GEAR! It is an extension of your very soul! Catch my drift…snickerdoodle?!
The true power of the GC Armed Forces comes from their GEARs.
GEARs are in essence, an extension of an individual's own power. Every bit of the GEAR from it's appearance, down to its skills and capabilities reflect the pilot's own self. Even the GEAR's A.I. is taken from the pilot; through 'Syncing' with the GEAR a pilot develops a bond with it. One result of the sync is GEAR A.I. reflecting the pilot's, it's not an exact copy, it's more like a very impressionable younger sibling-- that has the potential to destroy a small continent.
Combat GEARs (there are many service GEARs used for mundane tasks on the domestic front, like construction, manufacturing etc.) are only available to the military-class. Any civilian with one of their own is considered a danger to global safety and immediately detained.
Regarding GEAR Transportation and Storage
Traditionally, GEARs are transported and stored in hangers on ships and on bases, places like that. But recently, a new technology has sprouted, thanks to a group of scientists on Venus. The instruments are called PiNGs, and they come in the form of small, often stylish charms. They're shape and style are unique to the pilot and are simple, convenient ways to transport your GEAR so that you may have it on the spot.
5. You are the last line guarding mankind from chaos and discord! You alone will protect your people from anything that threatens our peace! Got it memorized…cutie pie?!
The Global Conglomerate’s goal is to maintain and enforce order and prosperity in the utopia of Earth. The army stands to protect that order and prosperity with force. Be it attacks from off world enemies, or crises on the home front. There are a number of threats to global peace, and the army is there to eradicate those threats. Some of the bigger threats on this list include…
+ Those outside of the army with Mana-Drive implants
+ Those outside of the army with possession of a GEAR
+ Genetics, or Natural Mages
These threats are to be neutralized on the spot. It is very rare that those in offense of these crimes are given trial.
----Excerpt from the Global Conglomerate Armed Forces New Recruit book, written by Brigadier General Xavier Wallace, with aid from Colonel Demetri Maverick ©2008
A Life on the Run – Aston Lux La Roux
Long Way Home
“I am a Genetic. Condemned by my own people, simply because of a gene I did not ask to be born with. Do not pity me though, that would be a grave mistake.” –Aston Lux Le Roux
They call people like me Genetics. We are a small number of individuals born with the ability to use magic in our blood. Our powers, at their best, greatly exceed anyone with a Mana-Drive, which are just cheap imitations of our God-Given abilities. At their worst though, our powers find us a taken by the Conglomerate and forced to join the military. Genetics are threats to global security-- says the Conglomerate, but a Genetic with a leash can be a powerful asset. So, rather than kill us on the spot, they give us a choice, join them, or be murdered—sounds lovely does it not? Some Genetics can live their whole lives without ever knowing they have the gift gift, others may spend their whole lives running from a future as a military dog, and some, welcome a life serving their planet.
Genetics tend to be highly religious. We believe in the Goddess, a deity that created the stars from her tears, and the planets we stand on from her blood. As Genetics, we are the direct descendents of the Goddess, and that keeps those of us on the run (like myself) going. The teachings of the Goddess speak of a day of reckoning that will come when ‘The Great Star’ burns out. The teachings say that Genetics will feel this time coming when they can hear the Goddess’ call…could these dreams I’ve been having be connected to that tale?
Genetics cannot use a Mana-Drive. To receive the implants would cause a break down of our nervous system and mind, and bring about a very swift death. There is no need for the things anyway, as Genetics our reflexes naturally excel that of the average human, and unlike a Mana-Drive, which can only bestow control over one element (or some other supernatural power) we have control over all of the elements, and maybe even then some, depending on our degree of mastery.
Will the time come when my people are ever truly free?