ChromaSpyke is a far-future setting with elements of traditional science fiction, cyberpunk, grimdark dystopia, and a few other labels we won’t discuss here, but which appear in small measure in various character arcs. One of the most important aspects for a reader to understand is the different time periods associated with the setting.
- Time Immemorial (or the Dark Immemorial) — this period, most often used when discussing the expansion of colonial settlements of megacorporations and their deep space investments, encompasses everything before the Corpse War.
- The Corpse War — Starting with the resurrection of Unit XA01, each of the m-corp entities are given access to HiRO implant technology. The resulting mass-commodification of all organic beings, most of whom were already subsisting on a substandard quality of life, and the technocratic indulgence in Daphemi corpse unit labor, led to fratricidal piracy and open warfare. Those corporations farthest from the direct influence of Origin control were the first to start fighting. This was only fueled by the acquisition of FTL technology, rampant piracy, and the availability of EDF patrols full of living crews.
- The Age of Distrust — While Origin’s mobilization had proven sufficient to swell the ranks of the federal navy and quell much of the fighting in known space, the truce was informal and continued to roil in the shadows of the void. Megacorporations spurned Earth control. The EDF fleets hunted pirate factions, some of which exceeded the size of the interstellar corporations. Meanwhile, corsairs used shell corporations and insurgent cells to bleed profits from their more upstanding rivals. For four centuries, rumors spilled from lips, and no one knew who to blame for people, ships, and colonies disappearing.
- Astral Twilight — While not an era on its own, it’s worth mentioning the brief flame which led to the end of the Age of Distrust. When lies and accusations become too much to divine the truth from, all that’s left is the brute action of those least willing to maintain the status quo. Some will argue it was the pirates. Others will say the heavily-regulated megacorporations which rejected the centralized power of the Origin system. Regardless, when the combined elements of most spacefaring organizations returned to Earth, they didn’t come to negotiate.
- The Age of Reconstructionism — Origin… lies in ruin. The surface of Earth has been bombarded. The ashen-gray spoils and shambling shadows drift over redrawn lines. In the smoldering skies, suborbital cruisers hang over the wreckage of politics, economics, and industry. All that’s left is for each of the megacorporations to rebuild their piece of the surface according to the lessons they wish to teach their former masters. In space, the unchecked directorate leans back into the seats of their new freedom and squeeze their population of corpse units and organics. Not for profit. Not for power. They have both of those already.
- No matter how far into the future one goes, there will always be that which rests on the horizon. There is always that which sleeps beneath the guise of cause and effect. We’ll get to telling these stories later. For now, we’re focused on bringing the above timeline to life.
You’ll find each of the books and games within the ChromaSpyke universe set in this timeline. Hopefully this snapshot gives you enough to frame the universe for your exploration. The characters, factions, and events go much, much deeper than what can be described in a single article.
