Introduction
Early
in the third millennium, almost by
accident, man learnt to travel readily
not only within but beyond his own
system. Colonies were set up on
Mars and soon after that an outsystem
planet very similar to Earth was
found. Unfortunately, a long
period of wars, terrorism and plague
left Earth depopulated and
impoverished. Recovery was slow,
and only possible due to the rise of a
new religion. Worship of the
Goddess began as a mystical cult among
the survivors in North America, but
spread very rapidly, accompanied by a
political philosophy which led at last
to a united Earth.
Shortly
after the wars erupted, a combined
effort of South East Asia and Australia
had established a colony on the new
planet, which the first settlers called
Tios. Other ships followed, but
the breakdown of civilization on Earth
left the colonists isolated for
centuries. The colonies on Tios
flourished but the Tiosan seas hid a
dreadful menace, which erupted without
warning and almost wiped them out.
Eventually, communication was
reestablished. However the Tiosans, in
isolation and under sporadic raids from
the sea, had developed their own
semi-feudal culture and religion. Their
leaders feared the influence of Earth
and the Goddess. Although a short
but bitter war ended in stalemate after
an invasion of Mars failed, the Tiosans
were able to set up a blockade of Earth
and Mars to prevent any further contact.
When
this story begins, the Tiosan Empire has
expanded to other systems, and appears
to be at the height of its power.
However, major problems were becoming
apparent, and action had become urgent
after the discovery of traces of a
powerful, alien civilization. Life
on Earth, under the rule of the Goddess,
was prosperous, secure, and for a few,
dull and boring. Some of these
became officers in the Outfleet, a small
number of ships controlled by the minds
of the crew, and used to infiltrate
agents into the Empire.
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