[Copyright Notice]

God’s Dice
This document is copyright 2003 by Mike
[The Vision] ...................................................... 2 Jones. Readers may download and print a single
copy for personal use only. The contents of this
[The People of God’s Dice] .............................. 3 document may not be distributed in any other
way without the express written permission of
[Shades of Humanity: a brief history of the author. All printed copies must include this
sentient species]............................................. 3 copyright notice.
[Sentient Species of Sol]................................ 4 [Note on this draft]

[Dogs]......................................................... 4 God’s Dice draft 1.0 :: compiled April 19, 2003

[Martians] ................................................... 5
This document is still a working draft. Some
[Sung] ......................................................... 6 sections are more polished than others. Some
sections are mere talking points or conversations
[Spacers]..................................................... 6 on the development of God’s Dice. My thanks
to the many people who have taken an interest
[Huong] ...................................................... 6 in this world and have been willing to contribute
to its development.
[Nightfliers]................................................ 8
Anyone interested in contributing to discussions
[Governments] .................................................. 9 of the world of God’s Dice should visit the
Bulldrek gaming discussion forums at
[Technology & Science] ................................. 10 http://www.bulldrek.com/viewforum.php?f=4
[Gravity] ...................................................... 14
[What is God’s Dice]
[Modifications] ............................................ 15
God’s dice is a future world designed for use as
[Travel through Sol System]........................ 15 a role playing game setting. Currently, God’s
Dice is only a setting and does not have its own
rules set. For rules, we will be using Fate, which
is distributed for free at
http://www.evilhat.com/projects/fudge/fate/ and
is based on Fudge ( http://www.fudgerpg.com/ )

Later, rules specifically for God’s Dice will be

developed or simply customized from the Fate
rules, but for now, Fate as written is more than
enough.
 your own business is the best way to ensure that you
[The Vision] are the only one minding your business.

As the viability of habitats has grown, Sol System

The year is 2921, and Sol System is a bustling, has seen more and more people who no longer feel
thriving, humming society. Faster-Than-Light travel they need to be tied to a planetary mass. Throughout
(FTL) continues to elude humanity, so even while the system, but especially concentrated between
there has been very little exploration of things Venus and Mars, hundreds of thousands of ships and
outside Sol’s immediately neighborhood, within the habitats circle Sol. Some of these may be little more
range of conventional propulsion systems, mankind than personal yachts or family sized units on a three
and its offshoots have colonized and filled up every year cruise around the sun, but others range in size
niche they could find or create. Minor sections of the up to massive spinning cities and agri-stations miles
earth have been regreened and preserved, but the long and housing a million people or more.
majority of earth’s 28 billion people live and survive
in monolithic tower cities rising sometimes rising Beyond the Belt, the Jovian Alliance is the newest
thousands of meters above the ground, as well as growing power among the Solar governances. They
burrowing deep into the earth below. have stations on all of Jupiter’s large moons as well
as orbiting habitats and other satellites. Jupiter is
Earth’s massive space industry is located—not rich in resources, and its inhabitants formed the
surprisingly—in space. Literally millions of Jovian Alliance to protect their economic interests.
satellites swarm about the earth providing There are mining operations among Jupiter’s moons
communication, energy and a host of other services. and rings. Hydrogen skimmers mine the Jovian
Thousands of inhabited vessels occupy this same upper atmosphere. The Jovians even charge tolls for
space as well. All this complex traffic is controlled ships that bleed off Jupiter’s angular momentum,
in its intricate dance by the Terran Co-op Traffic using the gas giant as a slingshot for greater speed.
Network, with most of the permanent bodies being
concentrated in the equatorial plane, forming the Beyond Jupiter is the true Fringe. There are
glittering “Rings of Earth” visible both from ground legitimate science stations and other operations
and space. around Saturn and even the further planets. At least
fifty permanent stations are known to exist in the
Luna is fully colonized. It’s interior is burrowed Oort cloud beyond Pluto. But the Fringe is also the
through with innumerable catacombs, blistering into home to outsiders. Those wishing privacy, or
sealed domes and towers on the surface. All of these looking to pursue a unique and different lifestyle
pieces are linked together with a single sealed often find that opportunity in the Fringe. The Fringe
atmosphere, forming an ecosphere that falls just a is not limited to simply the outer reaches of Sol
few steps short of being self-sustaining. System though. There are Fringe and Fringe-like
elements among the independent-minded Belters or
Mars has been terraformed and is finally green even in Solar orbits tilted far from the plane of the
(although technically, it’s more of a muddy elliptic—comet-like habitats that only pass through
yellowish when viewed from space). Lakes and the inhabited parts of the system once every dozen
rivers and even small seas have been reborn on or more years. There are Fringers in the quixotic
Mars, and an entirely engineered ecology populates realm of the far inner system—near Mercury’s orbit,
the planet—including the Martians themselves. or even closer. Anywhere that the order of Sol
Deimos and Phobos and all of the thousands of breaks down—there you will find the Fringe.
satellites in Martian orbit

Despite centuries of exploration, exploitation, and

development, the Asteroid Belt is still seen mostly a
lawless frontier. Everything within the Belt is
governed by the Belt Authority—a coalition of
business and governmental entities who have agreed
to help enforce and protect the laws and rights of all
member entities. But the Belt is a big space, and
generally Belters are of the opinion that minding

2
 can be done for philosophical reasons—as with
[The People of God’s Dice] Martians and the Nosaji, or for business reasons
such as Spacers and Dogs, or—if you believe the
Huong—sometimes out of necessity.
[Shades of Humanity: a brief
history of sentient species] The genetic manipulation of humans which began in
the twenty-first century to combat a variety of
Note on genetic mods and species: The term race is inherited defects, expanded in the following decades
commonly used to describe any variant or offshoot to include elective modifications for cosmetic,
of humanity. More correctly though, race only truly recreational and occupational reasons. In the 23rd
applies to the minor variances found in original century, the Martians took it to the next level—they
human stock—Negro, caucasion, Australian recreated themselves as a new race of man.
aborigine, etc. To correctly refer to the modified and
created sentient beings of the last seven centuries, The Martians were a practical people. They had
one truly needs to speak of species and sub-species, already terraformed Mars and populated it with a
mods and breeds. In the Sol System of the 30th completely engineered and uniquely Martian
century, species are specifically defined by their ecology. To transform themselves to better suit their
capacity to interbreed with others of their own planet seemed completely natural.
species. Geneticists have found that the human
genome is remarkably flexible. The human species With the success of the Martians, the People Maker
has already accepted numerous extensive division of the interplanetary Chimera Corporation
modifications for individuals of all stripes, and have applied the best of their Zero-G environment
found that surprisingly many of them can still modifications to create a new species wholly suited
procreate normally and in many cases, still pass to life in space. The result was the uncreatively
along their designer genes into future generations. named Spacers.
Others have modded themselves beyond the range of
traditional genetic intercompatibility or even beyond By this time, other corporations had already caught
the ability to even try. For such as these, offspring, if onto the possibilities of engineering common
desired, are typically engineered—sometimes from animals with slightly increased intelligence to be
the individual’s own genetic material (or mixed with used as novel pets, guard animals, or cheap labor—
one or more partners) and sometimes built from especially out in space where inspectors were
scratch, as it were. Within homo sapiens are generally few and far between. Thus were born the
numerous races, breeds, and sub-species which are Dogs.
all intercompatible and yet markedly distinct.
Dogs were obviously not equal to humans in
Races, as mentioned, are those naturally occurring intelligence, but were certainly smarter than chimps,
variations in humanity that existed prior to the age of and with the language center, talking to a Dog was
genetic modification. Breeds and sub-species are eerily like talking to a bright three-year-old. In a
lines of individuals with engineered traits that are hard fought court battle from 2418 to 2420, the
distinctive and inheritable, yet still compatible with Industrial Supplier for Sol corporation, the main
homo sapiens. The distinction is subtle, but supplier of Dogs system-wide, showed that despite
generally a breed is still decisively human in the presence of human genetic material and their
appearance and function, while a sub-species is one uncanny intelligence, Dogs were still only animals
that is not immediately recognizable as compatible and therefore, property.
with other humans.
Then the nightmare began. Someone at ISS realized
Ever since the creation of the Martian species, there that raising Dogs from pups was way too frustrating
has been an interest by all sorts of groups in creating and time-consuming, and retro-engineering new
new species. These are engineered individuals who Dogs from common dogs still required training and
are reproductively compatible with others of their some time to “regenerate” the extra bulk needed for
type. In creating a new species, a conscious decision the sapient species. It was much easier to simply
is made to engineer a set of traits that will then be retro-engineer a human, because the additional body
passed along to future generations in perpetuity. This mass was already there, and the basics of language
and skill would still be in place even though most
3
memory and personality are lost in the conversion. in the vacuum of space for extended periods.
Conveniently, ISS had for decades been contracted
to run prisons in space for numerous Terran Nightfliers: A more recent group of spacefarers.
governments, and they therefore had no shortage of Nightfliers in the vacuum of space unfurl into large
expendable persons as raw material. Sure, the manta-like forms that glide across empty space on
occasional subject was left with untreatable even the faintest hint of solar wind.
psychosis or seizures, and there were a lot of
prisoners now unaccounted for, but as long as Huong: Mysterious outsiders who have recently
everything looked good on paper, no one ever came returned to Sol after a 400 year journey on the first
out to examine their practices. habitat to travel outside our system. The Huong are
mysterious and troubling. Amazingly efficient and
Uh… the history trails off here. More later. competent, they settle anywhere in the system in
pairs or small family units. They refuse to explain
their full origin.
[Sentient Species of Sol]
Chhar: Suspected to be a sub-species of homo
sapiens, the aggressive Chhar are apparently made
Terrans: These are homo sapiens. Called Terrans
up of three or four different phenotypes. There are
because of their origin on Earth, Terrans are actually
the statuesque masters—like tall models of human
the majority population of the entire Sol System and
perfection, and they are surrounded by beings in a
can be found anywhere that can be made habitable.
bizarre variety of forms.
Most everybody has some type of artificial genetics
either inherited or elective. Ironically, the fanatical
"pureblood" groups were actually retro-engineered
to revert to the naturally evolved genotype. [Dogs]

Martian: Short and thick. Engineered for the harsh Labs and Dobermans, Boxers, Dalmatians, Great
conditions of Mars's terraformed surface. Danes, German Shepherds—these were the raw
material for the first Dogs. Embryos from these
Dogs: Customized dogmen. All are genetically one animals were modified and lab-grown to be manual
species, but come in two races--the Gorlur whose laborers on the outer planets and their moons. Their
ancestors were created from actual common dogs, designers gave them heightened intelligence with an
and the Rorrekhim who are descended from actual language center in their left brain (to better
modified humans. Dogs of either kind range in IQ understand and follow instructions). They were also
from the original design of maybe 50 or 60 up to given hands of a sort to perform a wider range of
fully "habilitated" individuals who can match or tasks. Their hind legs are shorter and thicker than an
exceed the average human. actual dog’s to allow them to stand upright much
like a bear. A Dog’s hands also have pads on the
Sung: Eccentric and artistic. Taller and thicker than backs of their fingers to allow them to move swiftly
humans, but with a fluid grace and otherworldly on all fours. They were smarter than chimps, but the
beauty. Sung have no centralized nervous system, court ruled that they were not truly sapient and
but instead carry a diffuse neural net with many therefore had only minimal rights.
redundancies.
Then someone at ISS got the bright idea that it
Nosaji: Tall and slender, with beautiful feminine would be faster and cheaper if instead of growing all
forms, all Nosaji are genetically identical and our Dogs from pups, we just retro-fitted some
descended from a single wealthy individual centuries expendable humans that no one would ever miss.
ago. They are smart and strong and capable, as well Convenient that ISS also owned numerous contract
as supremely arrogant. prisons on various outer stations.

Spacers: Hairless, intelligent gray orangutans, Many convicts died in the retrofitting process, and
designed for life in space. They have a long the loss of memory, ability, and identity instilled
prehensile tail, and human-like hands on all four severe emotional instability and even psychosis in
limbs. Given an air supply, spacers can even survive

4
others, but there were more than enough “successes” up through "normal" and beyond).
to turn a profit.
What is the attitude of Dogs in general to their semi-
Inevitably, of course, Terran organizations became intelligent brothers and sisters? This is not as simple
wise to the situation, and the enslavement of the as just equating them with mentally handicapped
Dogs came to an end (and the Robbruck as well). In humans. These semi-sapient beings are still totally
an effort to make reparations, the majority of dogs normal--technically, there's nothing "wrong" with
were retrofitted to correct the genetically imposed them... they are exactly as designed.
mental inferiority and apathy of their race. The
morality and correctness of this action were never I was thinking that even some intelligent Dogs
questioned much at the time. The upgraded would keep some of the lesser ones as part of their
intelligence was virally induced—that is, the do- household for cheap labor and other purposes. What
gooders simply released batches of a P-class carrier about a successful Dog businessman (businessdog?)
in Dog populated areas and waited for results. Some who has a mate and 4 pups, but also keeps a stable
saw no immediate change and for most, they were of 3 non-intelligent bitches for his sexual recreation?
old enough that to utilize these new capacities was
near impossible. In most cases, however, these My guess is that Dogs in general have no problem
genetic improvements were carried on to future with other Dogs doing something like this. After all,
generations. The effects of an entire generation of we're all one people and we need to take care of each
children of “normal” intelligence being born to and other. But I'm sure they would frown on anyone else
raised by parents with a mean IQ under 60 were pulling this shit, even though I'm sure it's done all
dramatic, and many sociologists trace current ills in the time. Non-Dogs in general would probably
Dog society to that era. Essentially, in a span of frown on the entire practice.
twenty years, Sol saw the creation of a vast people
with no culture of their own. So what would you do if 25% of your population
was perfectly physically capable, but only had IQs
Dogs today are still largely manual laborers, and between 45 and 70?
there are two distinct types of Dogs. The Gorlur are
those who are descended from the original dogs.
The Rorrekhim are those who are descended from [Martians]
retrofitted human prisoners. They do make up a
single species, and there are many Dogs of mixed Martians were the first of the created races. The
blood, but largely, they remain separate. The moral, legal, ethical issues involved in not being
Gorlur, while horrified by their origin as a species, human were extensive, and conflict and controversy
feel that reparations have been made and generally raged for several years. But we won’t go into that.
strive to make a better life for themselves and their
children. Rorrekhim, however, feel they are superior Mars life is tough. The terraformers planned a
to the Gorlur by virtue of their origin. They rightly detailed and complex ecosystem, very different from
feel that humankind wronged their ancestors, and that on Earth. The Martians wanted to shape
believe that all of their troubles are humankind’s themselves to fit their planet—become truly
fault. They could be right. Neither side has much Martian.
love for the other.
The change was not a drastic one. Martians, on
While both sides have individuals with traits of average stand just over 1.6 meters tall when raised in
Dobermans, Labradors, mixes, etc., a Dog can Mars’ one-third Earth-Standard gravity. They are
generally tell a Gorlur from a Rorrekhim on sight. thickly built with a layer of subcutaneous fat and
Other races have no clue. limbs proportionately shorter than an unaltered
human—a body type borrowed (with some
*Random Thoughts* modification) from the old Eskimos of Earth.
Martian bodies are more energy efficient than
Dogs as pets? Don't know. The intelligence "cure" humans’, requiring about 40% less food to sustain
that was foisted on the Dogs was not entirely the same activity level. Additionally, Martians can
successful, so there's still a large chunk of their draw sustenance from practically any animal or
population in the semi-intelligent state (ranging on
5
vegetable matter (they are, however, strict without gravity, upright posture could actually be
vegetarians). A Martian lost in the wilderness could more inconvenient than anything else, and so the
survive for weeks on RedGrass and water before orange ape’s basic structure formed the chassis of
vitamin deficiencies finally got to him. the new Spacer genotype. They have four humanlike
hands, and no feet. Most remarkable though is the
Martian skin, hair, and eye colors range as do Spacer’s ability to survive in the vacuum of space.
Terrans’. The most uncomfortable thing for most The spacer’s layered and pocketed epidermis reacts
races about working with Martians is that Martian to a vacuum by stiffening as it fills its alternating
“room temperature” in about 50-55 degrees sections with either fluid or gasses. This allows the
Fahrenheit, and they consider anything over 60 as spacer to spend hours in a vacuum (provided he has
warm. an adequate air supply), and also affords fair
protection from extremes of heat and cold. The
prehensile tail of a spacer is not terribly dexterous,
[Sung] and is intended chiefly for use as a tether when in
freefall, leaving all four hands free to work. Spacer
Without a central nervous system, the Sung can skin color ranges from gray to black to brown to
essentially multi-task. Their mental process all work deep red. Spacers often have more than one color,
much faster, and they can work on multiple issues, and the two generally fade smoothly into one
OR multiple parts of the same issue, simultaneously. another. Any spot where color shifts abruptly (with a
Mentally they are very quick. Physically, this slows distinct line between them) is considered a blemish
them down. In physical action, they tend to be more like a birthmark and is often listed as an identifying
deliberate, almost like they're dong Tai Chi with feature. Unlike true orangutans, Spacers do not
every action. (OK, not quite that slow, but it's the display great gender differences—instead,
same feel.) displaying the more slender frame and larger
proportional heads of juvenile orangs.
Sung communication is subtle and complex--every
gesture, every inflection, every intake of breath can
carry its own subtle meaning. Debating a Sung is [Huong]
futile for most people. Sung are master strategists
and experts with sarcasm. If a Sung decides to insult The habitat Armstrong left Sol for Alpha Centauri
you, you'll know for sure that you've been insulted, before the advent of FTL communication. En route,
but it may take a few days to figure out what exactly they were struck by a disaster which they will not
it was they said that was so bad. Masters of courtly discuss. The result is that the only survivors on a
manner and wit. 4,000 inhabitant hab were the captain, Mika Moon;
her chief of security, Jenna Davis; and genetic
For quick physical description, Sung stand slightly engineer Jean-Phillip Huong.
taller than humans and proportionally slightly
heavier for someone raised in the same gravity. The fact that a brilliant experimental geneticist was
Their skin ranges from near-white to almost black, one of only three survivors leads many to suspect
but always with a faint violet tinge (the violet was foul play in the Armstrong disaster--that and the fact
sort of the "signature" of their lead genetic designer that all cryogenic chambers went down when the
Sung Markiel). Their hair is normally silver, black, hull was breached (despite backup systems) and
or violet. Their eyes are always jet black, with irises 4000 people died, yet the propulsion systems
that fill their entire eye (they have no whites to their mysteriously remained intact. But again, the Huong
eyes)--this can be very disconcerting to other races, won't explain (if they even know), so nobody knows
because you can't tell which way a Sung is looking. for sure what happened.

[Spacers] The Armstrong was now off course, and the

ramscoops would need months to gather enough fuel
Spacers look like nothing so much as hairless, for course corrections. (First rotation would have to
orangutans with two meters of prehensile tail and be powered down, and then corrections made, and
slightly enlarged heads. The resemblance to meanwhile, they lose billions of kilometers.) It was
orangutans is no accident—the designers felt that too late for Alpha Centauri.

6
 emigrated from a North American nation to the
Alpha Centauri was the lest of their worries Armstrong, and came from a long line of mixed
however--Jean-Phillip was dying and had a African and European heritage.
desperate plan to preserve the legacy of the
Armstrong. Using his own genetic material, plus that The Moon-Huong, then, have decidedly Asian
of Moon and Davis, he created two dozen features: dark eyes, dark straight hair, almond
complement embryos and placed them in cryogenic shaped eyes. They tend to be small and thin.
storage with instructions to the autodoc on how to
implant them. Jean-Phillip then died. The Davis-Huong tend to have a slightly Asian cast
to the eyes (some more than others) and tend to be
Mika and Jenna, over the next decade, each gave slightly larger and lighter skinned than the Moon-
birth to three sets of twins, and together, they raised Huong. Occasionally, a Davis-Huong is extremely
12 children. Thus begins the Huong. light-skinned, in which case, his or her complement
will be several shades darker than the average.
Outwardly, the Huong are indistinguishable from Davis-Huong also have dark hair and eyes, but
homo sapiens. They are, however, a distinct species. occasionally lighter brown eyes or auburn streaked
The primary difference is their method of hair can be found.
reproduction. In human beings, each of the parents'
gametes (sperm or egg) carry exactly half of that In personality, the Huong are extremely driven.
parent's genetic code. Two halves combine to form a They have a powerful work ethic, ambition,
new and unique child. In the Huong, each sperm or intelligence, and (sometimes unfortunately) an
egg contains the respective parent's entire genetic instinctive trust of others. One of their failings
code. When the egg and sperm come together, the (especially for those raise primarily on the
chromasome pairings on each divide, and the Armstrong or in the rare Huong communities) is that
separate halves go to separate twin babies. they assume most everybody is like they are in
Therefore, one twin has half of the mother's genes as personality. They simply don't understand
well as half of the father's genes, and the other twin sometimes how people can be so deceitful, hateful,
has the other halves. Therefore, the twins share no lazy or just plain incompetent. Such things are
genes in common, and may reproduce together. So foreign to them--the stuff of old fiction and history
from generation to generation, this single gene set books.
simply keeps getting jumbled and recombined in
each new set of twins. Only recently returned to Sol (just in the last few
decades), Huong can be found almost anywhere. The
The catch to this is that a Huong may ONLY safely exploration of this new solar system is exciting to
mate with his or her twin (also known as his or her them. Twin pairs will often find an attractive new
complement). Because of their unique heritage, all location and simply settle down to begin a new life.
Huong are as closely related, genetically, as human
siblings except for their complement to whom they Huong do not often establish new communities
are not related at all. (yet). It is usually just a single twin pair, and since
they appear human, they tend to blend well.
[Confused yet?]
But rumors abound. Their secrecy about the original
Huong all look very similar as they share so many Armstrong catastrophe has created numerous
genes, but any individual usually looks nothing like conspiracy theories. Why did only the three survive?
his or her twin. If the event was so tragic, how did it not destroy the
entire ship, and how were they ever able to recover?
Technically, there are two strains of Huong--the Why did Jean-Phillip limit himself to only using the
Moon-Huong, descended from Captain Moon and genetic material of the survivors? What was Jean-
Jean-Phillip Huong; and the Davis-Huong, Phillip dying from that left him enough time to
descended from Huong and Jenna Davis. design a new species and yet couldn't be fixed by the
ship's autodoc? More importantly, where the hell
Jean-Phillip was from the Asian Protectorate and of were they for 427 years? They claim they never
Eurasian ancestry. Mika Moon (also from the AP) made it to Alpha Centauri, so where did they go?
was Korean. Jenna Davis' family originally What did they learn? Their standard answer is that
7
they were simply adrift for many years, and then it space requires musculature that serves little purpose
took them forever to reorient themselves and get in a humanoid form. However, their tissues are quite
turned around. Conspiracy theorists love to explain tough and flexible.
how they could not possibly had fuel, supplies, etc to
last so long and MUST have stopped somewhere to In order to communicate, most nightfliers carry a
gather raw materials. But all of that is speculation. radio transceiver with a speaker somewhere on their
person. They have few other possessions as they
Add to all of this their quick spread through Sol now have no need of them in their native habitat.
that they have returned, and the seemingly
incestuous nature of their relationships, and it is no
wonder that some suspect a more sinister purpose [Nosaji]
behind it all.
In the year 2415, Aaron Nosaji, at the age of 29,
transformed himself into a new species of mankind.
[Nightfliers] Or rather, he created from himself Mariah Nosaji
contributed by Cazmonster who would later spawn the entire Nosaji race as we
know it.
The nightfliers are less a race and more a lifestyle.
They have chosen to undergo a large number of Aaron Nosaji was an ambitious and wealthy young
radical surgeries and viral modifications in order to man. He believed that virtually all of Sol System’s
become creatures that can quite literally live in the ills stemmed from inferior people. As someone who
hard vacuum of space. Even today, there are very was truly superior, he saw it as his duty to produce
few nightfliers who regularly make contact with the superior children and do his part of making the
rest of humanity. Most pursue a quixotic existence universe a better place by spreading his superior
away from even the smallest habitations. genes to all corners of the system. To this end, he
cloned his first son Mariah from his own tissue. His
In space, a nightflier resembles nothing so much as a second son (also named Aaron) was cloned five
massive Manta ray from Terra’s oceans. Massive years later.
wings, spanning many meters (an average nightflier
has a wingspan of thirty meters) make up most of By the time Mariah was entering adolescence, the
their bodies. Their torsos are an open lattice work elder Aaron realized that his solution was
with many hundreds of fine, yet incredibly strong incomplete. His sons may well be his clones, but
filters. In order to perceive the far larger expanse they were also individuals who would not always
that is space, they have two incredibly well- adhere to their father’s ideals. Aaron had not solved
developed organs that can emit and receive energy his problem of maintaining genetic purity—he had
over a large part of the spectrum. They can ‘hear’ only delayed the inevitable dilution of his genes.
radio waves, ‘see’ in high-definition radar and ‘taste’
magnetic anomalies over a great distance. And then the solution came to him—the only way to
ensure that his genes were cloned with each new
In human habitats, which they rarely visit, they can generation into perpetuity was to make it a
‘retract’ their extensive wings into a large cloak, biological imperative. Therefore, Aaron
with the receptor organs appearing to be a clasp on commissioned the original Nosaji mod and
the cloak. Their bodies constrict down to a human retrofitted both of his sons to be the first true Nosaji.
height of about two and a half meters and their arms Aaron II died in the process.
and legs become functional once again. Their human
heads are exposed in this form, but are almost Nosaji are asexual beings. All Nosaji are genetically
featureless. They lack noses and ears, they eyes are identical. They are tall for their gravity (all Nosaji
covered over in protective lenses and their mouths habs tend to maintain simulated gravity at about 2
are narrow slits. stone). They are all also generally feminine in form,
although broad shouldered with potential for some
While very large in humanoid form, the average muscle bulk. They are pale complected and have
nightflier weighs no more than sixty kilograms. naturally blond straight hair and pale gray-green
They are not physically strong, as their existence in eyes. A healthy, emotionally stable, mature Nosaji

8
can, with an act of will, release a fertilized egg to be the United Governances of Sol or UGS. They
implanted in his own womb (although female in include Sol in their title, even though the UGS
appearance, Nosaji refer to themselves in the doesn't extend much past the moon's orbit.
masculine).
And the UGS doesn't encompass every single
All Nosaji maintain some of Aaron’s arrogance and community and inhabitant of Earth--just 99+% of
megalomania to a greater or lesser degree; however, them.
this usually manifests itself as a racial superiority
thing. Nosaji, on reaching maturity, tend to acquire a The UGS is an alliance or confederation of sorts. It
“wanderlust.” It is expected that as they enter holds more influence than the modern UN, but not
adulthood, they will spend some time in the greater so much as say The Articles of Confederation (for
society of Sol System, experiencing other cultures you U.S. history buffs). The individual Governances
and species and proving (to themselves at least) their referred to are all highly intertwined in a way that
ability dominate any venture they choose to most Terrans can't explain and non-Terrans can't
undertake. even begin to comprehend.

Nosaji all wear extensive facial tattoos, and are most Essentially, any governances are contractually
often inked across other areas as well. Tattoos are based. That is, all members of a particular
always in black and are usually symmetrical, usually governance have chosen to be a part of that group--
made up of abstract lines and patterns. Tattooing is "subscribed" if you will. As a subscriber, they are
begun in adolescence and every Nosaji’s ink is tied to that entity's laws, benefits and restrictions.
unique to the individual. Citizens may change governances at will if they are
disastified with current policy, although their voting
Nosaji speak a dialect of English, but can weight and influence generally does not transfer for
communicate volumes with one another using 30 days.
gestures, body language and intonation. The unwary
observer may notice that two Nosaji appear to be Almost all governances are entirely extraterritorial,
hiding something from him in their conversation, but so it becomes very confusing when even members of
even having noticed it would find it near impossible the same household could potentially belong to
to interpret what was being said. different political entities. All sorts of services may
be rolled up with your political affiliation, including
Nosaji love competition—to prove one’s worth. communication, transportation, law enforcement, etc
They are not big believers in luck: if all Nosaji are etc. But in some cases, all of those things are entirely
born identical, they reason, then the one who reaps contracted out.
the greatest rewards must be the one who studied,
trained, and worked the hardest. Thus, global terms and conditions are hammered out
by the UGS council, made up of representatives and
In mainstream society, one rarely sees more than one voting strength of the various governances. There
or two Nosaji at a time. When among others, they are several massive machines that do nothing 24
are generally striving for individual achievement, hours a day but calculate the up to the second voting
which would be diluted if shared. strength of each faction, based not just on head
count, but also financial strength, resources and
influence.
[Governments]
The people of Earth are convinced that they live
under the greatest system ever devised. All people
As you can imagine, governments within Sol come are free to choose any government they wish or none
in all shapes and sizes, but here I'll discuss the two at all, and everyone is better for it. Non-Terrans
largest--the only two planetary governments in the think they're all full of shit. Non-Terrans are of the
system: Earth and Mars. opinion that this overarching UGS structure that
maintains such "freedom" is really just its own
[Earth] oppressive meta-government and is just as restrictive
as any other. Terrans dismiss such talk as the
The official world government of Earth is known as ignorance of off-world hick bumpkins.
9
 everything within shouting distance of Mars
And while this Utopia works well for the middle and suddenly fell under Martian rule.
upper classes, the poor are (as usual) trodden upon.
There are many who, despite subscription to a good Protests were made, and the UGS took action and
governance, simply fall through the cracks and can't issued warnings and sanctions, but basically--what
get back up. In the gutters, there is much that is no are you gonna do? Fears ran high for a while that
longer maintained, because no individual Earth would take similar action to force the
governance will take responsibility, and the UGS remaining non-UGS members near Earth to join. But
can't find consensus or doesn't deem it important those fears were unfounded, and the Earth never
enough yet. made any such move.

[Mars] [Other Groups]

Mars, Deimos, Phobos, and all Mars obiters form a Israel: A nation without land. Literally nuked from
single unified government--the Martian Republic, or the face of the Earth, Israel has survived as a non-
just plain Mars. It is essentially a free market territorial nation. They control the vast majority of
democratic government, but on a more local level, the FTL communications net and therefore have a
things are grouped into families, collectives, potential stranglehold on the rest of the system.
contractual districts, etc based on physical territory,
and all of these are essentially socialist groupings Nosaji: Nosaji is a nation, a people, a corporation, a
(some stricter than others), and supposedly each is power. Nosaji is a small to mid range power. It's
entered into "voluntarily" by all of its members. physical territory officially consists of a single
However, since your affiliation is determined by megalithic habitat in solar orbit at about 120 million
where you live, and since most people are born klicks. However, their holdings are well diversified
citizens of a certain group, very few truly believe in and very extensive. Probably their largest sources of
this whole patriotic "voluntary" talk anymore. income are Nosaji Chemical (a huge chemical
manufacturing company) and Linear Hawk Systems
The central Martian government is primarily (makers of interplanetary propulsion systems).
concerned with (in no particular order): foriegn
policy, protection of Mars' ecosystem, and And that's all I've got so far. So what media is there,
protection of Martian citizens. Most other stuff is and who controls it? Who are the other corporations
left to local governments, but in times of need, a lot in power? Are there other fringe/splinter groups that
of stuff seems to fall under those "protection" can be considered system powers? How about
clauses. religious political entities? I need to work on this.

Two notable events stand out in Martian history:

[Technology & Science]
1) Martian Independence--this was declared before
Mars was completely terraformed, and was led by
Sanderson Dean, the "Grandfather of Mars" and one There is no faster-than-light (FTL) travel. Physical
of the first true Martians. Technically, Dean was just entities are limited by the speed of light. For
one of many great early Martians, but he was the practical purposes, the highest sustainable speed for
first Martian governor, and like George Washington, living beings is probably 10% of the speed of light,
he's kind of a stand-out figure. simply due to radiation/shielding concerns. Non-
living things could go a little faster, but not for long.
2) The Declaration of Sovereignty--one of the This means that when the habitat Armstrong decided
boldest moves in Martian history. The Declaration of to head for Alpha Centauri, they were looking at
Sovereignty stated that in order to protect Mars and probably a 150 year round trip (Earth time--
its fragile and developing ecosystem, the Mars somewhat shorter for them). That'd be several years
Republic claimed sovereignty over everything in just getting up to top speed, 35 to 40 years cruising,
Mars orbit out to 10 million kilometers. Time was several more years to decelerate, and then reverse
given for ships and habitats in long term orbits to the whole process coming home. Of course, it took
move if they wished, but after January 1, 2683, the Armstrong much longer than that, but that's
another story.
10
 how long does it take your mind to register, work it
Long term probes/drones have been sent to other over, and then react? Plugging into a computer
systems and have broadcast back results, but other doesn't make that process any faster. So you may
than the Armstrong and one or two other isolated read stories about the lightning fast hacker knocking
cases, no people have left the solar system. And only down security measures on the fly, but in reality, no
the Armstrong returned successfully. human mind will ever be a match for a crappy
computer on its own turf. The best you can do is
FTL communication IS possible (and very popular). have all the programs prepared ahead of time, and
Here's the basics of it. An FTLcom link must first be just let them go. Sure, you can go along for the ride,
established. A beam of (unnamed) particles/energy and the lights are really pretty, but you're not gonna
is transmitted from station A to station B. This initial be helping.
link is made at normal light speed. Once station B
recieves, it must calibrate and broadcast its So why shunt at all? Well, because it really is the
confirmation back along the same beam (also at most efficient interface you can find. People have
lightspeed). Once the link is made, the trancieving tons of legitimate uses for machines, and shunts will
process for (unnamed) energy is its own mirror give you the absolute best control, reaction time, etc.
image in time. Meaning a change in any single part Ship's pilots in space are almost always shunted into
of the beam causes a simultaneous change in every the ship for just that reason. For everyday use,
other part of the beam. And as long as both ends can shunts are out of vogue. The idea of invasive
continue to compensate for movement, gravity, etc, technology is distasteful. Most people use elaborate
you now have instant communication. So if you holographic rooms that allow them to stand within
want to set up an FTLcom link from Earth to Saturn, the program, and the room reacts to them. It's nearly
you need to wait 18 hours for the beam to get there the same experience as a shunt (without the
and back, but after that it's all good. The solar sensation of touch), but external rather than internal.
system is criss-crossed by millions of these links, all
forming a massive communication net that keeps the Power sources: I don't friggin know. I say solar and
system humming. fusion, but I'm just pulling that out of my ass. It's not
really that important yet. Just know that energy is
Cybertechnology is cheap and easy. Replacement plentiful and cheap.
parts are a simple matter. But it's also considered
pretty primitive. If you want more muscle, why not Momentum on the other hand, now there's a new
go for a genetic refit? commodity. One of the fastest ways to accelerate a
ship up to top speed is to make a quick orbit of a
Cyber-interface with computers? Ah, deckers. OK, large body and "slingshot" off the other side. Jupiter
here we go. You want to communicate with is extremely popular for this use. Now the Jovians,
machines, you get a shunt. A shunt is essentially a in their loosely affiliated fledgling Alliance, have
device inserted into your nervous system (usually decided it's time to starting charging a toll for that.
the spinal cord) that reroutes your nerve impulses. Essentially, every ship that uses Jupiter for a boost
Commands to your muscles going out are read as peels off some of the planet's momentum for its own
commands to the machine or program you are use. Sure the amount is near negligible, but the
working with. Feedback from those machines is sent Jovians are thinking long term here. Over time, this
back to your brain as sensations to interpret. stuff adds up.
Machines don't read your thoughts, although, by
subvocalizing with your shunt, you can speak to the Genetic engineering: I think we've pretty much
machine--in essence, send your thoughts into the established that we can do whatever we want here.
thing. The only real limit is common sense. I don't want to
install any artificial constraints for "game balance"
But here's where fiction got it wrong. They always reasons to limit the number of beneficial
talk about jacking into a machine and moving at the modifications you can have (like SR cyber and bio
speed of thought. Well you know what? You do. ware), but we will use a rule of common sense.
And surprisingly, most of us don't think all that fast. There has to be really good reasons for it, and all the
Seriously, without the physical reflexes to worry pieces need to make sense together and in context. It
about, sure you'll get a little faster within the is taken for granted that nearly everyone
machine, but c'mon. When a new stimulus hits you, encountered will have modification of some sort.
11
 functions do have central storage within the head,
Holographics: Very well done. Three dimensional but also backup copies elsewhere. And then I get
holographic projections are very easy and very fuzzy. I do not know if a shunt would work. They do
realistic, generally to the point of looking almost have nerves, so one would think that you could
solid. Projection, though, normally requires a room shunt in at any of several processing nodes. If so, the
or environment designed for the purpose or else Sung would be ones that could still function mostly
specialized machinery strategically positioned normally while shunted, because they can focus their
around the target area. attention on multiple tasks. On the other hand, as E
points out, I don't know what the Sung cultural
Simsense: See shunts above. Can only effectively be attitude toward shunts would be either.
done with shunts. For regular entertainment, most
people prefer holographics.
[Elementary School Physics]
Microtech: Also known as midges. This is an
undeveloped area that I'd like to do more with. I
A basic grasp of Newtonian physics comes early to
imagine the midges as machinery almost too small
30th century denizens of space. Evidence of physics
to be seen, and they work in sets of dozens or
in action are everywhere and impossible to hide
hundreds to coordinate an effect. For example, you
from:
let loose 50 holo-midges, and they will fill an area to
help display a holographic image. You have spy
“Mom, why do Io and Jupiter spin around in the sky
midges that seem no more than a swarm of gnats that
like that? It makes me dizzy if I stare at them too
coordinate to broadcast images back to the news
long.”
van. And this is only the tip of the iceberg--what else
can the little buggers do? Can they manipulate the
They’re not spinning, honey; we are. Lincoln is
flow of energy? Funnel heat out of an area? Purify
shaped like a giant wheel, and we stand on the inside
air? Inject toxins? I haven't spent much time on
of it, like this.
midges, but I see them being a real area for
creativity and unexpected applications. Not to
“Okay, if Lincoln is spinning, why don’t we fall
mention all sorts of anti-midge technology.
when we get to the top?”
Nanotech: Does not exist.
Because the spinning is what keeps us in place. It’s
like this basket. If I turn it upside down, what will
Weaponry: I don't know. I'd assume that most
happen?
weaponry is very very illegal, but also, that most
personal weapons would be deadly accurate and
“All my cubes will fall out?”
immediately devastating to any unprotected target.
We're talking weapons so powerful that nobody
Right—but watch what happens when I swing it in a
should have them. If you're facing a guy with a gun
big circle over my head. See? Even when the basket
and he decides to fire--count on being dead. On the
was upside down, the cubes stayed in. How come?
other hand, there has probably been a lot of work on
anti-personnel devices that target only living things
“The spinning?”
and leave non-living items intact. Why? Who's idiot
enough to fire a mega-disintigrator inside an sealed
Yup—just like that. If you start something moving,
space station? Most conventional weapons would be
it wants to keep moving in a straight line until
devastating to a habitat... cut the wrong line or punch
something stops it. So when I swing the basket, is it
a hole in the wrong place, and suddenly 3 million
moving pretty fast?
lives are in jeopardy. People in space don't like to
fuck around with that stuff.
“Yes.”
Sung & shunts. The Sung do not have a central
And is it moving in a straight line?
nervous system, but do have a diffuse nervous
system. Many processing functions are duplicated
“No.”
throughout the body, so that injury in one area does
not disable. Memory and some other higher
12
That’s right. I got it moving, and it wants to move in
a straight line, but it can’t, because my hand keeps No—not even like Lincoln. To have gravity you
pulling the basket back in a circle. The cubes keep would notice, a thing needs to be really huge—like a
trying to move in that straight line away from me, planet or a star or a moon. The bigger the object, the
but my hand keeps pulling the basket back against stronger the pull. But then the pull of gravity also
them. So as long as I keep spinning, the cubes are gets weaker as you move farther away.
stuck to the bottom of the basket. Same thing with
Lincoln—it’s spinning pretty fast (over 500 klicks “Well, we learned that Jupiter is the biggest planet in
where we are), so our bodies want to keep moving in Sol System, so it should be pulling us in, right?”
a straight line away from the center, but the curved
shape of Lincoln keeps it moving in a circle instead, Yes, Jupiter’s gravity pulls very hard on Lincoln, but
holding us in. we don’t ever fall and hit the planet, because we are
in orbit.
That’s centripetal force.
“Huh?”
“So if I was on the outside and let go, I’d just go
flying off into space?” Let me explain: Remember what happens to
something when you start it moving? What does it
If you let go—yes. want to do?

“Then why don’t the Spacers go flying off? I’ve “Move in a straight line?”
seen them walking on the outside all the time.”
Right. So imagine that this big ball is Jupiter, and
Well, for one thing, Spacers never let go. That’s imagine that this is us flying sideways above it here.
what their tails are for. Plus, they usually have at We’re moving pretty fast, so what does our ship
least two safety lines that tie them to the hab as well. want to do?

“Well Mom, is Jupiter spinning then? Because it “Keep moving in a straight line.”
looks like it is.”
That’s right. But Jupiter has a lot of mass and a lot
Yes—Jupiter spins. In fact, on the surface, Jupiter of gravity, so what does it do to our ship?
spins a heck of a lot faster than Lincoln does.
“Pulls it down?”
“Okay, then why doesn’t everything on Jupiter go
flying off into space?” You got it. So let’s watch what happens: if our ship
is going too fast, then Jupiter’s gravity can’t pull us
Because Jupiter is big. down fast enough, and even though it bends our path
a little at first, soon we are far enough away that we
“I don’t get it.” don’t feel its gravity anymore.

It’s called gravity. All physical things in the universe On the other hand, if we are moving too slow, then
have mass—substance. Mass generates gravity, gravity pulls us down to Jupiter really fast and
which is a force that pulls all other mass towards then…
itself. So everything in the universe is pulling on
every other thing out there. “CRASH!”

“So I have gravity that tries to pull stuff towards That’s right—we crash into the planet. But look
me?” what happens when our speed is just right: gravity
keeps pulling us down, so we never get away, but
Yes—all things have gravity. But gravity is so weak, we’re going fast enough that we never quite fall into
that you can’t even notice it unless it comes from the planet either. As our path bends, we just make a
something very very big. giant circle going all the way around the planet over
and over. That’s our orbit. And as long as nothing
“Like Lincoln?”
13
stops us, we can keep going like this for a long long The term gravity is used fairly loosely. Technically,
time. gravity is the attractive force between any two
bodies. Gravity is a function of mass—the more
“So are Io and Ganymede and Europa all in orbit mass, the more gravity it generates. Gravity also
around Jupiter too?” decreases with distance. However, in common
parlance gravity is generally used to describe any
You bet—all the moons are. force that keeps one’s feet stuck to the floor.

“Then why don’t we all move at the same speed? Gravity is of high importance in God’s Dice. First
You said we all have to move at exactly the right off, gravity is measured in Stone (abbreviated S). 1
speed to stay in orbit. But Io doesn’t keep up with Stone is equal to acceleration of 1 meter per second
us. Sometimes it’s really close to Lincoln, and per second. Therefore, Earth gravity (One G in old
sometimes it moves way off or even goes behind terminology) is equal to about 9.8 Stone—this is
Jupiter or something. Is Io going too slow? Is it generally rounded off to 10 Stone for convenience.
going to fall into Jupiter some day?” Luna’s gravitational pull, for example, is equal to
about 1.6 S; Mars has gravity of 3.7 S. Most habitats
No honey—actually, Io is going a lot faster than we and manned stations in Sol System have a simulated
are, because it’s closer to Jupiter. I said you have to gravity between 1 and 5 Stone.
be at just the right speed to stay in orbit, but the right
speed changes by how far from the planet you are. The physiology of most sentient genotypes functions
As you get closer to the planet, what happens to the best when in some sort of moderate gravity. There
pull of gravity from the planet? are both zero-stone and high-stone mods that can
assist with long term health and survival in such
“It gets stronger.” environments, but they are not common in most
species. Gravity, as well, shapes the physiology and
Exactly. And if gravity is pulling down harder on us, psychology of species. For example, individuals of
then we need to be moving even faster to stay in any species who grow up in low-stone environments
orbit. It takes Lincoln almost nine hours to orbit will generally be taller and slimmer than their high-
around Jupiter, but Io is faster and takes less than 6½ stone counterparts. For example, Terran males stand
hours to make the same trip. And the really close approximately 1.8 meters when they have grown up
moons go even faster. Amalthea is very close to on Earth, but Terran males from Luna are usually
Jupiter, and it has to go so fast to stay ahead of right around 2.1 meters tall.
Jupiter’s gravity that it goes all the way around
Jupiter in just over an hour. In habitats and ships, the effects of gravity may be
simulated by acceleration, either by direct linear
That’s what we call tides. There’s thousands or even acceleration, or by spinning the vessel.
millions of things that orbit around Jupiter or Sol or
Earth, and closer orbits always move faster than Linear acceleration is… well, pretty straightforward.
farther ones. So even though Lincoln might be close If a ship is accelerating at a rate of 2 m/s/s (or 2 S),
to Salina right now, our hab is a little closer to then occupants within will feel a pull of “gravity”
Jupiter than theirs, so we move a little faster. Fifteen equal to 2 Stone (or about 1/5 Earth gravity) in the
hours from now, we’ll be halfway around the planet direction opposite that of acceleration. Once a vessel
from them, but since we always move a little faster, ceases to accelerate—whether it is coasting or
eventually, we will catch up to them again. It’s this falling or just sitting still—it ceases to have any
movement—the tides—that makes travel so tricky. subjective gravity within.
Whenever you go to travel to another hab or another
planet, you always have to follow the tides and map With spinning however, the appearance of gravity is
exact locations. Because a trip that takes a few days created by centripetal force. When in a spinning
right now might take two weeks if you wait a few vessel, inertia wants to keep everything inside
days to leave. moving in a straight line (i.e. flung out into space),
but the outer hull of the ship keeps everything from
[Gravity] flying away, and as a result, occupants of a spinning
vessel find themselves stuck to the inside of the
spinning hull as if by gravity. Short answer, if you
14
spin a space station, occupants within will effectiveness of modding became more apparent,
experience “gravity” which causes them to stick to people became bolder, using the mod process to
the outer wall of the ship. This force decreases as select specific traits or even improvements for their
one gets closer to the center of spin, but it increases offspring. As the technology became more
as the rate of spin increases. advanced, it became possible to retro-fit mods to an
existing being, usually requiring extensive surgery
followed by regenerative therapy to allow full
[Modifications] expression of many modded traits. By the 30th
century, mods are commonplace. There are so many
mod (mod) modifications and improvements woven into the
n. 1) modification, esp. genetic modification human genetic code, that homo sapiens of today
2) the process of making genetic modifications forget that their ancestors used to be much smaller
v. 1) modify, esp. to modify genetically and weaker, succumbed to a multitude of illnesses
mods, modded, modding and generally didn’t live much past 70 years.

The way I see it, there are three ways of modifying a

person. [Travel through Sol System]
1) Cybernetic mods. This is any A conversation on space travel:
cybernetic/implanted device. I imagine that in 2921,
some of this still goes on, but it is for very limited Eli: The Belt orbits (of course it surrounds it...but
applications. For major things (in most cultures) does it move?) the sun as well, neh? At least, I'm
cyber mods are out of fashion. pretty sure it does. Wouldn't it be possible, then, for
Earth Central to create asteroid free channels for the
2) Biotic mods. These are biological modifications passage of ships and couriers and such? These areas
made to your body--usually grown/regenerated from would be the most heavily patrolled and relatively
your own tissue--that make no change to your pirate-free. However, in efforts to remain ahead of
underlying genetic structure. You may well have a schedule and ahead in costs (cross belt tariffs, suck)
biotic third arm added, or biotic replacement eyes groups have taken to making runs across the danger
that see in the UV spectrum, or biotic lungs that can zones. Not only do they risk the danger of having an
draw oxygen from a methane rich atmosphere; but asteroid smash into their windshield but they also
none of these things affect your genetics. If you risk attack from Pirates working The Belt and sites
reproduce, you don't pass these traits on. Also, beyond.
because they are artificially added, they are harder to
maintain/repair if injured due to the high reliance on I don't know, I'm seeing something like four
regenerative techniques in modern medicine. MAJOR pirate organizations and a couple dozen
Indeps trying to keep a living for themselves.
3) Genetic mods. This is an alteration to one's -----
genetic structure that is then, in one form or another, Beth: Physics of the solar system:
allowed to express itself. This is a riskier and more
complicated procedure, but it also produces Things nearer the sun orbit faster than those farther
permanent changes that are encoded in your genetic from the sun. The inside of the asteroid belt,
structure and can even be passed on to your children therefore, circles the sun more quickly than the
if you are still capable of breeding. Genetic outside. It is sort of a fluid thing. Also, their orbits
engineering of one's offspring is the most common are of very different shapes. Some are near circular,
use for this technology, but there are retrofit and some are very elliptical. Some stay right
capabilities that allow mature adults to use gen between Jupiter and Mars, but some stray in as far as
mods. Earth's orbit at times. Asteroids change relative
position second to second and quite often collide.
Genetic modifications (or mods) first came into -----
widespread use on Earth in the 21st century. At first, Eli: Okay, so that's true, it makes sense. But I still
it was very limited in scope, and mostly used to see it as kind of like a record. The outside is going
correct genetic abnormalities. As the reliability and

15
faster, but if the point on the inside and the point on Beth: No, really, the asteroid belt is fairly sparse.
the outside are connected, they're still the radius. There's lots and lots of stuff there, but there's also
lots of space for it to be in. You could literally park
So even though the orbits are changing shape and your ship in the smack middle of the belt and
bouncing off each other, they still hold, roughly, the depending on where you were, it would be very
same paths, and the channel idea would sort of work. possible that you wouldn't be able to see ANY
I guess there would have to be maintenance asteroids with the naked eye.
crews...that and eventually there would be no -----
asteroids left from all the maintenance. Scamp: Besides, isn't the belt a disk, like the
----- aforementioned rings of Saturn? Wouldn't it just be
safer to then plot an elliptical course that moves
3278: Nope, sorry. The problem is, the inside and above the plane of the belt? What are the orbits of
outside aren't connected like on a record. A better the planets in relation to the belt itself?
metaphor would be a drain; if you drew a dot on an -----
inner asteroid, and one on and outer, and then drew a Beth: The vast majority of objects in the solar
line between the two and let them go, the line system (planets, asteroids, comets, etc) all move
wouldn't stay a line, it would become a spiral. roughly within the same plane. Some items are tilted
away from this plane by a few degrees--some are
Similarly, the interior planets spin in the same way; tilted more so.
their orbits are much faster than the exterior, and so
there is no straight line between any of them. In God's Dice, by convention, *most* manmade
Instead, you have to keep track of where everything items orbiting the sun also fall into approximately
is now, and where it should be when you get there. the same plane, but there are notable exceptions.
-----
So, no asteroid belt clearing, which is good, because Scamp: Ok, that's what I thought. What, other than
I'd hate to have to explain the physics of moving added time, would prevent someone from taking an
millions of tonnes of rock from point a to point b. :) elliptical flight above (or below) the plane of the
----- asteroid belt, in order to avoid the seedy belt
Eli: Well shit. How, then, is travel through the belt dwellers?
feasible? Or are there stations set up above and -----
below for space traffic? Beth:
----- 1) Momentum.
Beth: Despite the vast number of objects in the Belt,
it is still vastly empty space. A pilot could take a This will not apply in all situations, but remember
craft through most parts of the Belt and manually that when you leave Earth, you carry with you the
maneuver between any obstacles. This would be Earth's massive velocity as it rockets around the sun.
simple. The automated piloting programs would So for many trips, countering that velocity to leave
have even less trouble. Additionally, there are giant the plane of the elliptic is just not cost effective. This
computers that do nothing but track the motions of applies to a ship leaving *any* orbit--not just
every natural and artificial object within a light year Earth's.
of the sun.
Again, it won't apply to every trip--for some, it may
Don't imagine the asteroid belt from Star Wars. That be beneficial to leave the main plane... to swim
whole scene with the Millennium Falcon having to against the current as it were. But for economic
dodge in and out of the asteroids was bogus. A Belt reasons, I will wager that most routine traffic stays
that crowded would have so many impacts, that the within the common plane of orbit.
whole thing would be ground to dust by now (much
like portions of Saturn's rings). 2) Safety.
-----
Eli: I wasn't imagining the belt from Star Wars, but I This is just a safety in numbers bit, but if something
still don't see a freighter getting through with ease. goes wrong with a particular trip, you are much
<shrug> I suppose I should do some non-fictional more likely to find help in time if you are taking a
reading on it all...but I don't want to just yet <grin> major highway as opposed to a gravel country road.
-----
16
This argument certainly won't apply to smugglers
and certain individual interests, but major
commercial ventures will want to keep consistent
supply lines.

3) "That's just the way we've always done it."

Force of habit.

To go along with all this, though. I imagine that

there are many Fringe communities that establish
their primary orbit at a severe angle to the rest of the
solar system. If you set your habitat to orbit at a
wide angle, then you only cross the plane of the
elliptic twice per local year. Nice way to ensure a
little extra privacy and/or isolation.
-----
3278: "Stationary" habitats could also stand above
the plane of the ecliptic, if for no other reason than
the fact that they have to worry slightly less about
things whacking into them.

17
[Appendix A: Sung Stuff] ”I was 14 when they told me something was ‘wrong’
with me, and I just laughed at them. What else could
I do? I’d already lived through the most important
Note that the remaining Sung information was
years of my life and done things that most other
written by Eliahad and requires some modification
children don’t even dream of, and they wanted to tell
for use. The three major changes will be:
me something was ‘wrong’? So what if I never said
a ‘hello, how are you?’ So what if I blurted out
1) The entire timeline must be shifted
answers in class and refused to sit in my chair? Isn’t
backwards about 250 years.
the end result, what I am now, what is most
2) There can be no “Eye of the Storm” station.
important?”
Gravity would be too harsh, and scientists
-Sung Markiel Memoirs
say that the Great Spot on Jupiter will be
gone by about 2500 AD.
Markiel was an introspective child, due partly to her
3) Markiel Sung becomes and hermit in her
‘disability’ partly through her own fault, but she
later years. She retreats to a remote habitat
never stopped thinking, and reasoning. She took up
rumored to be located in the Oort belt,
the violin at age 4 and began to learn the intricacies
where she continues her work in secret.
of rhythm and harmony. They fascinated her to no
end and there wasn’t a meal that she wasn’t beating
Sung Markiel
out riffs with her silverware. Her parents looked into
sending her to a conservatory, and in their research
Markiel was born in 2837 to Suelgan and Rosa. Her
found the perfect home for their multitalented little
parents were hard working scientists studying the
girl.
moons of Jupiter, and Markiel grew up with that
image in her mind. The giant orb filling most of the
Itzhak Zelter had founded the Martian Orbital
station’s view, swirling colors…
Academy of Music and Science. It was his belief
that the arts and sciences should be blended more
”It was the colors I remember the most, especially
closely, and it was his belief that that was most
the red…I always called it a spot, never thinking of
easily achieved through the synthesis of music and
it as a storm. How could storms be that elegant or
science. Classes that made up the day ranged from
graceful? It moved at its own pace, a different pace,
20th century counterpoint to Advanced Micro-
much like I did.”
engineering.
-Sung Markiel Memoirs
”The Conservatory was perfect for me, even though
Markiel was also born with high-functioning autism,
I’m sure the teacher’s didn’t realize it at the time. I
of what is affectionately referred to as Fawcett
must’ve put them through hell in my stricter classes.
Syndrome. The Fawcett Syndrome came into
I know Molly loved me though, she was my violin
existence in 2786, when Dr. Kiel Fawcett
teacher. She fought for me every step of the way, and
determined that the new wave of genetic engineering
did her best to teach me why my parents kept getting
in adults was bringing up new psychological
referral slips. Molly taught me so much more than
problems in children. He speculated that it could be
just instrumental technique, she taught me the skills
partially related to an incomplete splicing project, or
I needed to survive the rest of my life.”
even associated with the lack of base instincts.
-Sung Markiel Memoirs
“After all,” he said in an interview, “How could we
pack billions of years of evolution into one new
Markiel took to the classes like a Spacer learning to
genetically created creature?”
move in zero-g. She became one of the most loved
and most hated children of the Acadamy, being
The Syndrome mainly manifests itself in the child’s
disciplined numerous times for various reasons. She
ability to recognize simple social cues, which leads
became as intimately familiar with the detention
to difficulty in social interaction. Unfortunately for
room as she did with the recital stages. Even with
the genegineers, it refused to manifest itself as a
her referrals, she still remained the top student in all
perceivable physical problem. To the sensors
classes, and the finest violinist to ever grace the
scanners, and tests it appeared that everything was
stages of the orbital concert circuit. She always
correct and functioning perfectly.
refused sound amplification and alteration,
18
preferring the natural acoustics of her own sound, progress through classes and work, finding them to
and the sound of the hall. It raised the playing of be above average in almost all areas.
those around her as well. So used to the
modifications that technology provided them, they “It’s almost as if it’s a new generation in
had to struggle to perfect their own playing just to evolution…”
keep up with her. -Sung Markiel Physio-Psychological
”People would always ask me why I refused to play Problems and the Perceptions of Science Today
with amps or pitchbenders, I would always tell them
to listen. See wonder in what is being created before Her paper was both ridiculed and praised. A rift
your eyes. A small sounding box strung with four separated the lines of thinking as professors and
strings and a bridge can create a sound more scientists took a look at their findings, wondering
beautiful than the most perfect technological whether they had been looking for a scientific
creation built today. You can hear almost 3,000 solution…or a societal one. Scientists were returning
years of evolution in that sound, not something that to the premise that science wasn’t determined by
can be created in a single step. Yes, it’s not a societal rules and was a result of pure reasoning, and
technologically perfect sound, but I would argue testing alone. 2856 saw the resurgence of illegal
that no sound CAN be perfect, just crystalline and gengineering. Pirate vessels were taking out supply
beautiful.” ships to fund scientific body exchanges in their
-Sung Markiel Memoirs search for specimens to test their theories on. The
morality of science was quickly dying.
After learning of her ‘disability’ at age 14, Markiel’s
course selection took a decided turn towards genetic Markiel was the target of interview after interview,
engineering and psychology courses in addition to all of them asking why she would condone this sort
her rigorous musical studies. She was very curious of scientific discovery. Her answer was always the
as to what had happened to her mind that people same. “It was NOT as I meant it. No where did I
would label her ‘disabled’. By this time in her life, state that science should move forward through the
she was already in classes that eighteen and nineteen ransacking of society, I stated that scientific
year-old students found challenging, and she was observations should not be made within the eye of
taking in the information like she was drinking it. society, that they should remain separate from it.
Science is bound to the laws of society, which is
”Was I a show off? Sure, as a performance artist, I understandable. Observation, however, is not bound
learned that spectacle is almost always the best way, to those laws, and shouldn’t be made with those
technique will come. I suppose I applied that laws in mind.”
thinking to my science classes as well, always trying
to figure out what I could do with what I learned, Certain groups wanted to hold her responsible for
and then learn why I could do it. I suppose that isn’t the actions of scientists throughout the system, and
the best way of going about things, but it’s seemed to criminal charges were cropping up from all
work so far.” directions. It could not have come at a worse time in
-Sung Markiel Interview with a Concert her career. She had a tour of the concert halls on
Scientist both Mars and Earth planned in 2857, the most
prestigious of which had been her destination for
She came to the conclusion, at age 18, that there years. Carnegie Hall had been preserved since the
wasn’t anything wrong with her at all. She published late 19th century and now stands as testament to the
a paper on “Physio-Psychological Problems and the preservation of Art through centuries. She was also
Perceptions of Science Today.” In which she stated scheduled to perform at the Tanglewood Center for
that some of the “‘problems’ society has labeled as Musical Culture, a society that helped places like
‘disabilities’ should not be treated as such. That the Carnegie Hall remain in place.
problems only arise from perceived situations arising
from a set societal standard . . . Of course, this is not ”Carnegie Hall was my dream ever since I heard
true for ALL problems, but this supposed about it in 20th Century Music History. Imagine
undetectable problems, such as Fawcett’s Syndrome, playing in a place that carries the weight of
are simply not disabilities, just another way of millenia, imagine the energy that would be pouring
looking at the world.” She goes on to site statistics through a place like that. I suppose if I had a regret,
of children with Fawcett Syndrome and their that would be it…that I never got a chance to
19
perform my dream.” construction had taken three years off site, and was
-Sung Markiel Memoirs delayed even further by accidents caused within the
turbulent winds of Jupiter. He persevered, and on
She never went on that tour. There were too many March 28th, the habitat was finished, save the final
pressures from both the concert halls, and the touches that were to be put in place in the three
scientific world, that she went blank. When her weeks before Markiel’s birthday.
agent knocked on the door of her hotel room on
March 30th, 2857, Markiel was gone. Her It’s an amazingly beautiful habitat. Blah blah blah
belongings had been gathered, and a single piece of More to come here, when I think of how to best
paper (As was Markiel’s style, she never used describe it.
electronic notebooks. Simply paper and pen) that
said, “I’ve gone home.” Investigators quickly I had never seen something like the interior of the
searched for traces of her departure and her parents Storm of Jupiter, the brutal fury of nature shaping
were notified, but nothing turned up. It was like she the colors into the most splendid patterns. It was
had disappeared from the system entirely. Only a perhaps the best representation of my life at the
single entry on the Outbound Ship logs from the time. The most beautiful thing I’d ever seen, and the
Dockmaster at the starport left a clue. A single most raw and savage. I remember one night where I
unlicensed vessel departed the night before with no stayed at the promenade viewing window for seven
destination, and apparently, no one aboard. hours watching the reds fade to browns to reds to
oranges to browns every minute of the hour. It was
The Eye of the Storm soothing, and fantastic.
-Sung Markiel Memoirs
The pressure had slowly been wearing Markiel
down. Her constant social interaction ground against It took Markiel three years to fully recover from the
the person she was until something gave way. Her nervous breakdown that had nearly taken her life.
boyfriend, architect Paul Rachland opened the door For the first few days at The Eye of the Storm she
to her hotel room and saw Markiel curled in a did nothing more than sit in a chair in her room
corner, just rocking back and forth. He tried to staring out at the swirling winds. Paul left her food
comfort her as best as he could as his mind raced to at meal times, doing his best to get her to eat, but on
figure out what the next step should be. The best the most part he just left her alone. In a week she
thing to do, he decided, was get her as far away from was moving about the habitat, though still not
the spotlight as possible. They went out the window, speaking with anyone. She explored the artistic wing
Paul calling his hover car to perform above and the most, losing herself in the beauty of Paul’s
beyond the call of duty. drawings. (He had decorated the wing with his best
works, hoping to get other artists in the future)
He had planned on revealing his creation on her Within 6 weeks she was playing the violin again,
birthday in three weeks. He had planned on making use of the superb acoustics of the habitat’s
proposing to her, now Paul just wanted to keep her recital hall. While she stumbled at first, her muscles
alive. He had called it ‘The Eye of the Storm’, and it quickly remembered the proper techniques and her
was built upon the joy she had as a child. It was virtuosic abilities came back several moths later.
going to be his present and testament to her beauty. Everyday you could find her in the recital hall,
Now it was her only hope of survival. practicing away. She played anything and
everything, focusing particularly on the repertoire
”Weathering the storm was a testament to Paul’s from the 2nd millennium.
genius more than anything else. If it hadn’t been for
his decision to get me away from everything I The first year was the most trying for Paul. Markiel
probably would’ve taken my own life that night. I did not speak a single word to anyone and did not
give thanks to him everyday of my life for that.” even respond with emotion towards anything she
-Sung Markiel Memoirs was shown. He could tell, somehow, that she was
grateful. There was something in the way she would
The Eye of the Storm was one of the most ingenious take her violin every day and play, or the way she
creations this century. Paul Rachland, had somehow would fill up a canvas with a painting of the gasses
managed to calculate exactly what was necessary to of Jupiter in the visual studios. He did not leave the
create a habitat within the Storm of Jupiter. The habitat for anything and the small maintenance crew
20
that he had hired on began to question both of their shrunk. Now that usually happens as people get
sanity. But then it happened. older, decreased activity and all that. This gentleman
was 35 in the first, 40 in the second, however look at
It had been 15 months since she’d come to The Eye the third, about age 50, the red splotch has grown to
of the Storm and she hadn’t, to Paul’s knowledge, set twice the size.” Paul looked at her, mystified at what
foot in the science wing. He hadn’t been there in two she was saying. For each journal she showed to him,
months either, figuring it was better to leave the his confusion grew.
place alone than cause any accidents. One evening
he noticed that the door to the wing had been left ”All I did is aid what evolution we were going
open and the lights inside were on. He cautiously through already. I did not make radical changes, I
entered, fearing foul play, but sitting in one of the did not reattach limbs and regrow joints; I simply
observation rooms was Markiel, surrounded by sped up the evolutionary process a couple thousand
hordes of scientific papers and journals. She was years. I’m pretty sure that nature was trying to make
sleeping soundly, two printouts of brain scans us even more adaptable, and I felt this to be the best
clutched like a security blanket in her arms. She way. People are going to disagree with me, I expect
stirred as Paul approached, saying “I found it, Paul, I that, but everyone is entitled to their opinion.”
know why we’re different.” The pictures were of - Sung Markiel Interview with a Concert Scientist
Paul’s brain and her own. In the middle of each was
a small circle of silver pen, with an arrow that said, “All I’m saying is that the cells in the subject’s brain
“migrated cells.” She collapsed in his arms and he are not remaining solely with their function. See,
brought her to her quarters. this set of cells is primarily associated with the
speech pathways, and here they are operating with
”That day I returned to the world of the living, to the visual areas. I’m going to have to run more tests,
use an ancient cliché. Paul’s love was enough to but I think that our brains are adaptable. Yes, of
sustain my existence, but what I found in those four course WE can adapt to any situation, I’m saying
frames made my life leap back to understanding. It that our brain’s cellular make-up is altering to help
was like my purpose returned. Not to say that I us out. That’s something science hasn’t encountered
didn’t love Paul, I loved him with all of my heart, before.”
and I loved everything he did for me and every -Sung Markiel Scientific Committee
moment we spent together, but my mind was in other Hearings June 2, 2862
things, and it needed its own purpose.”
-Sung Markiel Memoirs She began her investigation at once, poring over the
journals and texts. She ate up every scrap of every
She spent more and more of her time in the science study she could. If she hadn’t known the information
lab, still not saying much, but much more aware of before, she knew it now and with a new sense of
her surroundings. She was constantly poring over perspective. She put herself under the scanners and
science journals, recent ones, old ones, from all monitoring equipment, then Paul. Nothing invasive,
corners of the system. They were always about the she simply wanted to see what was going on, and
same topic, Fawcett’s Syndrome, and whenever Paul observe the patterns and behaviors. She sent out
looked over her shoulder; the page was open to some invitations to her friends and associates with
picture of the subject’s brain, and they were color Fawcett’s Syndrome, inviting them to come see the
coded to show which parts of the brain were station, and marvel at both Paul’s work and her own.
showing activity. One morning at breakfast, three
journals spread out in front of her, she looked over at She still played the violin, and three hours out of the
Paul and grinned. She waved him over and showed day would find her in the practice areas and the
him the three different pictures. “These are all from recital hall, developing her talents there as well as in
the same subject, performing different times in their the laboratory. The invitees were treated to the
life. The article themselves was looking to see which sounds of her playing as well as the opportunity to
parts of the brain were used. The later ones discuss make use of the other facilities. Word began to
the same subject by confirming sources. If you look spread about Paul’s fantastic achievement, and
carefully at them you’ll notice that the areas of Markiel’s.
coloration are of different sizes in every place.
Between the first and second showing, for instance, “The look on Paul’s face when the first letters came
the red splotch (on the frontal lobe) seems to have in requesting an opportunity to stay in The Eye of
21
the Storm was priceless. He couldn’t believe that
people were that interested in staying there. To him The Eye of the Storm has become a school for the
it was another habitat, and if he wanted he was sure Sung, helping them develop their talents and in
he could have created more.” borne physical abilities.
-Sung Markiel Memoirs
They are a new race, but they are not their own
Those that came were asked by Markiel to undergo people. Just as they were with Fawcett’s Syndrome,
the same tests that she and Paul had gone through. so are they with their new traits. They do not
Almost all agreed and soon Markiel was compiling actively seek out independence, content in observing
the data of twenty individuals. All with Fawcett’s those around them. They hold the ideals of science
Syndrome, and all exhibiting the same and art above everything else, and seek to integrate
characteristics that she and Paul had. She worked art and science as much as possible. It is their belief
faster now, compiling the data into charts and lists that each is the same, without science there wouldn’t
and began writing up papers to submit to the Sol be art, and without art, there would not be science.
Scientific Committee. She also began her letters They believe that the individual is unique, and that
requesting the use of cadavers from the Earthen they should be nurtured and cherish.
based Morgues, something that also needed the
permission of the SSC. They also only number several hundred at the
moment…
*Begin Stream of Conciousness*
*End Stream of Conciousness*
The Sung
It’s not that we will live forever, no one can create
The Sung are a relatively new creation in the realm the immortal, and I’m positive that I haven’t. The
of God’s Dice, being now only in their second reason that most people die, as far as I’ve been able
generation. (This allows the GM to come up with all to determine, is that something gives out, or breaks.
sorts of nasty side effects) Sometimes, that destruction manifests itself
physically, such as the problem of heart attacks, or
All Sung have a tinge of violet in their skin pigment, bone destruction. Other times, however, people
a personal touch that Markiel left with her creations. simply die of ‘old age’. Their brains cease to
All Sung have a diffuse nervous system, and their function.
brain cells have the ability to regroup dependant
upon function. (Yes, they still have some sections Fortunately for us, we have ways of circumventing
that are dedicated to select abilities, the mass of cells this problem. As studies have shown, we use far
around those areas are migratory) What was once a more of our brain potential than the human species.
spinal nervous system is just a continuation of the This allows us to shut down areas of our brains at
subject’s brain, and is able to connect directly back different times, saving it for when it is more needed.
to the main ‘thinking’ sections depending on the task Basically, we can put parts of ourselves to sleep
at hand. All Sung can willingly alter their brain while other parts remain awake. It allows us to both
structure, it’s like another muscle they can flex, it is function longer, and sleep more ‘thoroughly’.
learned in the same manner as speech and learning
how to walk…by use. We achieve a meditative state more than anything
else, when we ‘sleep’. We are simply giving the
The Sung have found that they are much more aware synapses a chance to rest themselves, and be ready
of their surroundings, due partly to their ability to again when they are able. If we must, we can put
enhance their perceptive characteristics. As such half of our body to sleep while the other remains
they’re communications are much more subtle. A aware and active, or the legs could be active while
slight change in inflection becomes as important as the torso and arms rested. I’m sure it would look
the natural human voice rising at the end of a strange to the human perception to see someone
question. Their posture and gestures are also taken to working, half of their body laying limp while the
mean different things. Rumors have also circulated other furiously working on some construct. I’m sure
that they have developed their own form of silent it is equally odd that we have violet skin.
communication, akin to Sign Language, but on the
whole much different. To answer the fears that a ‘sleeping’ Sung is a
22
danger to society, I assure you, they are not. ‘What
if they lose their bearings while half sleeps?’ you
say, and you are wrong. The half that is awake is
fully awake. Remember, we are able to split the
thoughts of our brain, if you want to put it that
simplistically. We can move our control centers
around if we wish. We can operate things actively. If
you don’t believe me, you can put me through the
tests. I’ll pass them. I passed my own.
- Sung Markiel Speaking on the projected
life span and sleep cycles of the Sung

23