Earth has come to the tipping point. Space stations network the heavens for the rich and powerful to live in near perpetuity, severed from their terrestrial home. Science has almost allowed for colonization on other planets. However, the technology needed to sustain mankind far away from home is still in its fledgling form, as well as the power sources required to keep life support going. Only a few brave souls have attempted to live beyond earth's orbit, and most have failed in the span between Old Earth calendar and the New Earth calendar. It is honor of them that the governments of the world decided to build on earth's resources first before heading for the stars.
This is an age of cyber and mechanical wizardry, where the limits of human ingenuity are stretched. Societies jostle to become "space-capable," and pay high prices for the power to live above the clouds. However, all countries are not equal, and many still live in the squalor of old tech. The lands of the North, formerly known as the Soviet Union, has suffered two major upheavals that reverted the region to a steam-powered community. Cyber metropolises dot the landscapes of South East Asia, the Mediterranean, the Americas, and Oceania. Variations and degrees of technology range around the world. Then there is the black market dealings that keep illegal and dangerous uses of technology circulating wherever a profit can be made.
Let those who venture here beware. The dazzling sights of Upper Space are not immune to the dangers Down Below. All are about to find their worlds shaken out from under them...
