Another story about big, awesome project that will never be made... So let's go!
Unborn Legacy: Purgatorium
Freespace – Alternate Timeline. By Nyctaeus
Purgatorium tells the story of alternate timeline of Freespace universe. By the end of the Ancient-Shivan War, Ancients secured enormous wreckage of unknown, extremely advanced alien space vessel at the outskirts of their space. They secured the wreckage and carefully examined the ship constructed by race they called Unborn.
The Unborn just like Shivans emerged from different universe, a neighbor to ours. This universe contains enormous amounts of dark matter formed in universe-spanning, sponge-like structure where all the matter is located and supporting universe-wide gravity network. The subspace in this universe is not dependent on the stars and other massive gravity islands, but it’s decentralized Subspace Field. A nanojump term we use to describe subspace jumps inside certain star systems is the only type of jump existing in this universe, and allows for jumping for far larger distances than in intersystem jump nodes allows us to jump in our universe. Races native to this universe developed means of subspace travel much more efficient than civilizations from ours. With little energy this universe produces in form of rare stars, life is also rarer. One of the lifeforms native to this were shivans – emanation of single, sinister will called The Destroyer by Unborn and later, by Ancients. Every shivan specimen is part of decentralized mental network governed by The Destroyer. This malovelent entity is transmitting her will by subspace field of it’s native universe. For mysterious reasons, this will is dedicated to eradicate all other lifeforms.
The Unborn were only a few other races which survived shivan genocide and carry on endless war with them presumably from thousands if not millions of years and facing constant threat of extinction. They were advanced enough to sneak-peak other universes, including ours. Eventually they found that subspace of our universe has different nature thanks to significantly smaller amounts of dark matter and concentrated nature of large gravity islands. Such environment would allow to cut The Destroyer’s influence due to lack of decentralized subspace field to transmit his will to his minions. For Unborn, subspace of our universe has a nature of large “isles” of subspace, connected via thin lines. Unborn found it as perfect opportunity to contain shivan threat in isolated star systems and live in peace beyond the reach of shivan influence. Eventually they decided to punch a hole between the universes and deploy enormous colonization expedition. But The Destroyer predicted it and launched massive fleet to pursue the Unborn exodus. This way, both races managed to penetrate our universe through permanent, artificial, star sized portal called The Rift. In our universe, it happened in the unspecified and very distant past.
In Unborn Legacy lore, Shivans are dependent on subspace not only because of travel, but mostly because of communication. While it’s not a threat in their native universe, in our universe they see any subspace-faring races as a threat to their unity because any subspace user is a danger for subspace route risking communication between two shivan fleets impossible. Shivans are extremely vulnerable for subspace war. It’s likely that Unborn-Shivan war transferred to our universe. Unborn cut numerous shivan fleets from the Rift and from the will of Destroyer making isolated fleets disorganized and easy prey. It is unknown what happened to Unborn expedition, but the hulk uncovered by Ancients was part of their expeditionary force.
Ancients salvaged the remaining Unborn technology, but it was too late. Their species were on the verge of extinction. One of their last, desperate act was punching through Shivan lanes to the first Knossos that Shivans emerged from. It’s leading to the star cluster containing The Rift and it’s the only subspace route to this cluster. Thanks to the technology of Unborn, they enhanced the Knossos with blockade mechanism. This Knossos later become known as The Dark Gate. This way, they cut shivan invasion from the will of The Destroyer, and managed to clean their space from the invaders. Usage of Unborn technology is possible solution for shields of the Lucifer, but also the superdestroyer may be still contained within Rift Cluster.
Reminder of Ancients resettled remnants of their civilization to different sectors of space, because The Dark Gate was always under constant risk or malfunction. Star-sized black hole in one of Ancient systems was used for large Ancients force, to guard the node to Shivan space. Ancients utilize space-time distortion to keep their fleets operational for countless millennia. They are so called Eternal Custodians. AI-controlled drones guards the other systems looking for eventual threats for sealed space. Those systems are known as Purgatorium. Purgatorium is interstellar graveyard of Ancient warships and planets desolated by the Lucifer and shivan armada. This is very dark and dangerous place, full of subspace anomalies and dark matter clouds. The Dark Gate lies at the very edge of Purgatorium. Sector is full of matter from the other universe causing various, unusual, psychical phenomenon. The campaign take place in systems of Purgatorium.
Great War never happened. GTA and PVN continued to battle each other, until GTA managed to break through imperial defenses with immense fleet of two prototype Atropos units and eleven Orion destroyers. They reached Vasuda Prime, crushed all defenses and commenced orbital bombardment of Vasudan home world, resulting in 300 millions of vasudan civilian casualties. Massive counterattack of vasudan second-line warships caused tremendous loses of terran forces. Only GTD Equilibrium – Atropos-class warship, and GTD Galatea managed to escape. This event become known as Gehenna of Vasuda. Terran chain of command collapsed after so massive loses, and vasudan retaliation was almost as bloody. Elite Fleet of the Emperor with imperial 11th and 14th broke through weakened terran defences, and turned Vega III planet into barren, rocky world using experimental plasma cannons. Causalities on terran side were just a half of those caused to vasudans, but Terrans lost whole habitable planet, and numerous warships during their endeavor. Khonsu II also died during this events.
Later General Assembly of GTA and new emperor Smentes I along with his sister - princess To’Merti II of the PVE met at Taba station in Antares and signed ceasefire, realizing that this war went too far and caused too many lifes to perish. Antares along with Epsilon Pegasi and several other systems become no man’s lands with both GTA and PVN representatives in each of those systems. The peace was fragile due to radicalization of both terran and vasudan societies after Gehenna of Vasuda and Desolation of Vega III. Colonial Hegemony – a social movement formed in terran systems quickly gained momentum and wide influence in terran worlds and General Assembly alike. From a reform movement, nationalist and xenophobic CH quickly become political and military power independent from command structures of GTA Navy. At the vasudan side, Church of Light started to prophesize the returning of the great, cosmic destroyers who will come to lead vasudan race to salvation. Young emperor Smentes I proven himself prone to those teachings so the Church quickly grew into post-Gehenna vasudan society. Khafre, known military officer of the PVN and princess To’Merti II were highly skeptical towards their the influences of the Church and along with majority of General Assmbly, they were supporting peaceful coexistence between two races exhausted by long years of war.
In fact, terran-vasudan war turned into cold war with spontaneous, small skirmishes happening from time to time. Church of Light fanatics calling themselves Hammer of Light started guerilla raids against terran convoys and civilian stations. Colonial Hegemony wanted to resume the war accusing new emperor of supporting the HoL, but GTA officially refused. The situation was stable but tense, until the PVN discovered strange device of unknown origin in Gulnara system. Study of this device quickly proven that it was constructed on unstable subspace route to different sector of space, but all efforts to activate this device were futile. Vasudans attributed this device to mysterious race of Ancients, who once visited their homeworld. Few months later, GTA discovered second gate in terran Talania system. GTA carefully examined this device and later they commenced construction of Charon Station using intercepted PVN intel. Vasudans never managed to open the gate, while GTA started first trials of devices of Charon in order to open ancient subspace gateway.
You are Lieutenant Drea Anilah d'Angoulême – veteran of Terran-Vasudan war codenamed Banshee and one of few survivors of both Gehenna of Vasuda and Desolation of Vega III. You are pilot of 114th Blackwolves squadron onboard GTD Nereid – Flagship of 13th Terran Fleet of Talania. The story begins at 14th December 2354. Although Talania is located at the fringe of GTA space and Charon project is top secret, vasudans are aware of existence of second Ancient gate. Who open their gate first will make significant progress at cold war and uncover mysteries of ancient civilization.
Features:
- Refreshed fleets for GTA and PVN, each one with new dedicated weaponry including anti-cap armament, multiple new ship classes and refits of T-V era craft. Technology of both sides was derived from FS1 designs.
- Fighters have shields. This is completely different tech than we know from both Freespace games. If I and Adm. Nelson remember correctly, testing of shield technology happened before FS1.
- Ancients with complete fleet appearing as viable spacefaring power and antagonist.
- Ancients have no shields, but their ships slowly regenerate.
- Three viable sides of conflict, lots of politics, diplomacy etc.
- …four if Shivans are introduced.
- Different explanation for Hades and GTI heist.
- Fully FS1 style campaign aimed to re-create and expand original vibe of first game.
Screenshots:
(https://i.imgur.com/5HKHiix.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/ikgm10R.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/HBW9d7E.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/b7VaHxE.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/ilDOSbt.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/waoAEzM.png)
***
I discussed this project before, posted some screenshots, and some users may recognize mysterious alternate-story campaign idea I mentioned several times. I never intended to seriously develop this, because I'm lacking time and FREDing skills... And I have no FREDers to make it happen.
This thing started it's life years ago after many discussions with former leader of Earth Defence - ShivPL. The point of this discussion was FS1 > FS2. We both wanted to see next-gen terran and vasudan fleets of FS1 style armed with railguns, torps and ****... And I also wanted Ancients. With Orph3u5's The Shard of Infinity and Woolie Wool's Twist of Fate canceled long time ago, I envisioned my own project of similar setting. Main asumption was: What if Shivans never appeared and Great War never happened?
This thing even has pretty big modpack and two fully working missions. I was working on it only to satisfy my urgent need to make something for FS while being aware that more serious stuff deserves my attention, especially commercial RTS game project and commissions of all kinds... So I cheated the need and switched back to real bussiness.
...but this stuff eventually grown big. So I guess it's worth showing you guys and provide opportunity for some small brainstorm.
I see where you are heading and I can oversimplify it all in the question: Why both universes have to share the same laws of physics?
The answer is even simpler: They don't :P
While I appricate that appearently I scored a point for Scepticsm; you are stopping short because I contiue to fail to make the implied allegory explicit.
If you have two universes, the distinction between them should have a point - a thematic grounding - as much as having theoretical footing - because Science Fiction.* That's why I got reasonably excited by the implication of the second universe being an aged universe - an incurrsion from such a universe would be a good allegory for a lot of things that are would constitute an irrecovable change (as there would come a point when you no longer can "send them back").
If you have to universes that share a cosmology - therefor are only different by degree and not kind - there is no reason to not treat them as interchangeable places. Which has some applications, as said in the kind "this small thing makes all the difference"-kind of story which is a foundation for normative storytelling.
As originally proposed, in the story the speration of the universes only serves to do two things:
1) To disconnect the histories of the Unborn/Shivans from the Terran/Vasudans; having them have no interaction, not even an accidental one, prior to when it is required. However that can be achieved in multiple different ways, e.g. distance, time dilation, or the interferrence of a third party, that do not require you to make a whole new universe.
2) To impose limits on guiding being behind the Shivans, which is okay** - but I am not convinced that this is the only way to do it; but then again I might be a bit to fond of deicide has an allegory for the attempt to emancipate the individual (successful or not).
* To examplify the point let me introduce you to a central point of Pendragon (https://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=95636.msg1883275#msg1883275)-lore: Model 2-technology.
Model 2-technology is why there are Humans outside of the Milky Way, both in terms of how they got there and why they got there.
Model 2-technology is basically the catalyst every "super-science tech" I want people to have, but it is also based in alien perception of reality that cannot 100% be translated into terms that are within the human standard capability to precieve and abstract (but doesn't contradict it either; its like there is a secret menu to reality); Model 2-integrated AIs asked to explain the science to humans will stop making sense during the explaination and can be confused by humans lack of understanding.
However due to their utility, and the fact that you can have an AI learn to integrate into human made technology, Model 2-components is highly sought after - and since it cannot be manufactured by humans (wouldn't know how to) it needs to be extracted from machines that do. Hence one reason why humans "hunt" Mechanosphere objects and why humanity entered in technologcial stagnation after the Commonwealth was destroyed (the most efficent way to get Model 2-componets requires coordination beyond the limits of the Empire, Arbiters, Freeholds, the Harbor Captains and the Revolutionary State combined).
The whole thing collapses into an allegory on limits of human understanding and the question if these limits are absolute; also as to how easily one can misunderstand the shape of the world if one relies on the familiar.
** Maybe a bit too much this ;)
I can't just simply put two incredibly powerful and ancient races in our universe because such a war results in extreme environmental changes. [...] and putting more advanced, ancient civilisations in even more distant times would make things even more complicated.
I take it that you have never watched Babylon 5 then?
In Babylon 5 there are a number of so-called First Ones - ranging from single individuals/ship to whole species worth. All the First Ones are advanced beyond the point that their tech is inscrutable and their motives can't really be discerned - with the exception of the Shadows and the Vorlons. Furthermore, these First Ones are depicted as being so advanced in terms of technology and interst that they just don't interact with the Younger Races anymore, unless they want to (and in one instance if they don't care).
The Shadows and the Vorlons interact with Younger Races in the galaxy, but only as so far as employ them as pawns in what ammounts to a comsic war of ideology on how to best nurture the advancement of the Younger Races. However during the events of the show both sides abbandon their restraint and threaten to destroy the Younger Races as a result - but not each other despite the ability to do so.
Yay, space is huge but if you have galaxy-spanning civilization, something surely remain after them
The question is not the existence of any remains but if these still hold anything that yields information (There is a reason Histiography traditionally gives much more significance to Tradition than Remains); e.g. as the chase with the hieroglyphic script of Ancient Egypt before the Rosetta Stone was found. It was accepted that the hieroglyphs were language but because there had been no continious tradition of their meaning nothing could be said about what they actually meant, until with Rosetta Stone a fairly mundane text which was repeated in Ancient Greek (which had a continous tradtion) and Demotic Egyptian (which is precurrsor to Coptic) - from that translation could be worked out.
FS1's depiction of being able to translate the Ancients' language at all is highly unrealistic to the extend of being intellecutally offensive - with the FS Ref Bible's loophole of ancient Ancient-Vasudan contact making it only minimally better. But then again you can let it slide because it works well with "Destruction of the Old brings forth a better New"-angle of the Epilogue cutscene, which also aligns Shiva as being a revealing deity in the tradition of Shaivism*.
*In Shaivism, Shivan is the supreme deity and imbuded with all 5 powers that make up the divine (creation, preseration, destruction, revaliation, obscuration). Note: I am not a Hindu, I just talked to one once :D I just may have been saying non-sense.
*all the ME stuff*
TBH I never cared much for the Reaper-lore because I found it beside the point - its all noise with little to nothing to add in terms of the subtext. (*grumbles on for a bit about who's fault it is that game fiction tends to be unambigious and overexplained to deteremental degree*)
The important part about the Reapers, to me, was their thematically grounding in Mass Effects organic-synthetic dichtiomy - being the extreme of synthetic end of the scale. Additionaly, their defeat is less about the actualy in-universe objective but about the generational change that is represented with the Council Races & Company asserting their right to self-determination over what is essentially the just previous generation of occupants of the galaxy.
Needless to say that for that reason alone, I found Geths' and Legion's story to be the most compelling arc across the series (and still wonder what makes the people tick who say that about Krogans) .... okay maybe not quite because Tali :lol: