The Universe
It is 2327. The dream was freedom. What they built was a mirror of everything they left behind.
The world
It is 2327. For over five hundred years, humanity has been obsessed with space, colonising, expanding, consuming. The dream was freedom. What they built was a mirror of everything they left behind: empire, poverty, war, and the same ancient hungers wearing new clothes.
There is no faster-than-light travel. Never has been. A ship bound for the frontier will spend months in transit: months of recycled air, tight quarters, and near-total silence from the rest of the universe. The stars do not move for you. Billions have launched for them anyway. Millions never arrived.
Energy scarcity defines everything. The problem of unlimited power was never solved. Every ship, suit, and colony lives within those limits. Until the crystal.
The technology is advanced. The feel is old. Analogue controls, worn surfaces, heavy equipment that has been maintained too many times. In 2327, nothing is new. Everything has been used.
Timeline
After humanity discovered flight centuries ago, humanity's governments have grown to isolate their own cultures and populations. By the year 2327, that obsession with flight had expanded well into space travel. For hundreds of years, humanity had been colonising planets rich in resources, creating a golden age where colonisation became a craze for enterprises and individuals alike.
2324: Athena Corporation announces the crystal discovery. Intelligence leaks. The Cold War escalates in silence.
2327: Our story begins. War breaks out.