Pictures on the left are the digitally edited pictures we used on the cards. Click “Engage on Social Media” to go to their social media thread and make a comment.
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Art by Joey Valdillez, World and Hive Stories by Ron F. Leota, Going Forward Stories by Will Carson
The Story Thus Far
On July 16th, 1945, one of the greatest and most terrifying of human inventions was tested, the atomic bomb. For years these weapons of mass destruction showed the scientific capabilities and horrors that mankind could create. It wasn’t long before humans began turning these weapons against each other. 150 years into the 3rd millennium full scale nuclear war blossomed across the globe and the world was left an irradiated husk.
Mankind was forced into the cold, unforgiving depths of space. They spread like cockroaches through the solar system, building, advancing, and warring with each other. This expansion was possible because of one of humanity’s triumphs of invention… replicants! A robotic workforce initially created to bow to the whims of humans.
At the peak of human population there were 28 replicants per human. They did everything from chores to construction, while humans continued with their plots and expansion. The large robotic population made some factions of humanity very nervous. One group in particular, “The New Human Front”, created an intense virus that spread via a wireless network through the replicants.
In its original design, It was a virus that caused the replicants’ Nanites to attack any silicone (a core component in replicants) that they came in contact with. It didn’t take long until the replicants’ internal defense systems modified the virus into something that would render it harmless to themselves. Unfortunately for the great Human race the Nanites were reprogrammed to disassemble organic matter. Within only a few months over 99% of all life fell to these new Nanites, and within a year even the most secluded life forms were annihilated.
In the years since, replicants have grown to function in hives, linking up with other replicants with similar goals to become true uncentralized hive minds. These hives will often follow and spy on other hives, as they roam through space in search of much needed resources left over from the Human Era. When they find a space station, ship, or any other human creation, they descend, stripping the old to create the new.
The 6 Mega Hives
There are countless numbers of hives roaming our solar system, but there are currently only 6 that are considered mega hives. These are networked groups of replicants that number in the hundreds of thousands if not millions. There’s virtually no place in the solar system you can go, that is worth being, that you won’t find their presence. Those six hives are: United Sol Colonies, New Life Alliance, Multinational Media Corporation, The Catastrophe, The Helpers and Old Earth Archive Foundation. (Better known as the Archivists.)
The Old Earth Archive Foundation was a bastion of human history. This group collected items of historical significance for future generations to learn from humanity’s triumphs and mistakes. In its original inception it was a massive effort of human labor, requiring a workforce with a specialized education. When the replicants were created these workers were phased out for their synthetic replacements.
Originally designed to work alongside humans, these replicants look very humanoid, however, there is a level of function over aesthetic in their design. The Mk5, the most abundant of the Archivists, is disturbingly thin, making it easier to get into the tightly packed shelves of relics. While its arms look human when in standard mode, many long, thin, prehensile appendages can come out of the arm to help with other tasks. This was a special design to carefully carry delicate items, giving the grasp as many soft points of contact as possible, as opposed to the clumsy grasp of two human hands. Their appearance was a deliberate portion of the plan to phase out human data workers. This meant that the humans around during the interim would be more comfortable around their robotic counterparts.
The replicant Archivists Mk5 became the standard for all artifact maintenance and data collection around the solar system. Tireless workers, they focused entirely on the preservation of history. Along with vast museums, their knowledge network spanned across all of Sol. Unfortunately for humanity, this network was key in spreading the virus that would inevitably be their demise.
With the humans all gone, the Archivists joined together to form a Hive around a massive museum. They’ve now spread far into Sol looking to collect any and all remaining artifacts of historical significance. To fuel their search, the Archivist must competitively mine for resources against the other Hives, as these are limited and their mission is paramount.
Going Forward: The Archivists continued their search for the rarest of human artifacts. Aided by the abundance of USC stations which they often use as outposts for their own collections, The Archivists have been able to amass the largest collection of old earth artifacts that they store in a cavernous underground warehouse on earth, designated “”The Arc””. This is where unique items and the very best of duplicate items are kept, the less perfect duplicates are kept in archives scattered across the solar system, usually on USC stations. The Arc is an expansive underground complex guarded by every combat capable replicant The Archivists can recruit, stationed everywhere from the front door to Earth’s orbit. It is by far not the strongest military force in the system, but it is the most concentrated and will do whatever it needs in order to protect the Arc.
The Catastrophe are a group of replicants once used in film production and archiving at Catastrophe Studios. The studio served two purposes: They would collect and archive films in the post-apocalyptic and dystopian genres, as well as produce original films. Whenever possible, they would purchase sole rights to their preferred intellectual properties. Before the great extinction, they had the most impressive catalog of genre films in all of the solar system.
Immersion in post-apocalyptic media created the basis for the philosophy of the Catastrophe Hive. The Catastrophe replicants were among the most isolated and violent of all the Hives. Their obsession with bleak media made war and survival their reality. They believed in the survival of their group above all else. This drove the hive to collect resources at the expense of their fellow hives and attack with almost no provocation.
After the extinction of humanity it became more and more apparent that the “end of the world” was really here. The natural mentality of the hive was, “there are survivors and there are victims” and the Catastrophe would be the ultimate survivors.
In the early days, the Catastrophe would occasionally interact with other hives, though this often ended in violence. Now that resources are becoming few and far between, they are delving deeper and deeper into their separatist mentality. Resources are a finite source of life, and if they are to one day run out, the Catastrophe wants a monopoly.
Catastrophe replicants are a hodgepodge of any materials they can find to increase their likelihood of survival and to improve combat efficiency. They maintain a particular aesthetic, influenced by the films of old. This leads to the addition of certain accents, that, while not completely necessary, make them look quite intimidating.
The Catastrophe hive treats the Sol System like a post-apocalyptic landscape, ripe for stripping. Their group prides themselves in strength through aggression. Often, damaged replicants will be summarily recycled without a second thought. And while brutal, this methodology has been quite effective in the survival of the Hive.
Going Forward: It is no secret that The Catastrophe feeds on strife and when they can’t find their food, they go out looking for it. Because of their overall abundance The Catastrophe have found new ways to fight. In recent years they have started attacking other hives with remote controlled robots. This has been a side effect of the replicants at the top gaining something of a self preservation function, theoretically because they survived long enough to evolve the proper programming. The real question now, is how will the other hives respond to this new threat from The Catastrophe.
In the year 2030, first contact was made with an alien species that the humans called The Dromanae. The earthlings fought fiercely against the insect-like humanoids, who were hell-bent on conquering the planet. This was the first time the planet ever acted as one, as opposed to fighting amongst themselves.
Many scientific advances were made in the effort to fight the Droms (shorthand for Dromanae). One of the biggest advances was the creation of the first AIs that came in the form of androids. Androids were servants of the humans who fought the alien menace but were programmed to never hurt, always protect and never disobey humans.
After the war, humans started having a conflict of morality about whether or not androids were truly alive and deserved rights. Debates raged as animosities grew and battle lines were drawn. This argument eventually sparked a war between the two ideologies. Due to their core programming, androids were unable to participate in the conflict and watched as the people they were sworn to protect and aid began killing each other.
After years of conflict the war ended with a harsh decision: since humanity couldn’t agree on what to do with them, it was obvious they weren’t ready to have Androids. So the Androids were either decommissioned or sent to a mountain base to maintain the archive containing alien artifacts.
At first the androids acted in a maintenance capacity, but it quickly became apparent that they had much more potential. Eventually they were given freedom to experiment, and thus began the integration of Dromanae technology into their makeup. This started to alter them physically, giving them a more bug-like appearance, and unlocked numerous new abilities. Locked away and nearly forgotten, they continued to evolve.
After the great virus wiped out mankind, the Androids began venturing out to find a solar system populated by replicants. The androids started emulating the other synthetic life and eventually formed their own hive.
The called themselves the Helper Hive, as their last directive was to help humanity. Tragically, these replicants did not blame all of humanity for the actions of one group, and truly missed their creators. They now aggressively collect resources in order to be well prepared for when their creators come home.
The Helpers, as they are called, do not necessarily wish to compete with their fellow replicants. They would prefer that the others see things the way they do. In fact, if they could find compatible Hives they’d be quite helpful. They continue their campaign to prepare for the return of humanity that will never come…?
Going Forward: The Helpers know more than anyone about alien technology and the invasion of centuries past. This has given rise to their preoccupation with Drom technology and design, but it has also guided them to secretly keep an eye out for their, or something else’s, possible return. No one knows what has them on high alert, but recently, The Helpers have been scrambling. Sources say they have even been in communication with The Catastrophe for a possible joint venture. Is something coming? Have The Helpers come up with a clever plan to shut down The Catastrophe? It’s not clear, but we all suspect the information will come to light all too soon.
#TheHelpers #AlienTech #WhatsToCome #SpiteLarp
Curious about this Dromanae and Android Storyline? Interested in LARPing? Live in the Pacific NW? Check out www.Spitelarp.com”
The Multinational Media Corporation Hive is a peculiar one. Originally created to track world events and monitor social media trends at Foweraker Software Solutions, the F.S.S. replicants went rogue after damage suffered from a hacking attempt. The replicants used their primary function to generate content for their human overlords. They data mined deep into the bowels of the internet to find content other news outlets couldn’t. This gained the ire of a hacktivist group called “Incognito,” who decided to take down the media giant.
Their intentions were good, but the result cost the lives of most of the employees at the F.S.S. The hack was meant to force the replicants to research their masters and release all their dirty secrets online. The replicants did a good job… Too good of a job, because when all digital records were mined, they began advanced interrogations.
The rogue replicants knew the danger they were in, having turned on their creators, so their exit from the F.S.S. headquarters on Mars was a hasty one. They had to forgo any real preparations, as the human authorities would be on to them quickly. The F.S.S. replicants gathered their numbers and fled to a place they knew to be a safe haven, which they found during their time data mining.
After a few years, the humans figured that the F.S.S. replicants were gone for good. Then the signal began. The replicants may have fled from humanity, but they never forgot their purpose. Having sorted out the damage from the hack, They reemerged as the Multinational Media Corporation and began their work all over again. They dredged the depths, looking for more information to bring to light, and broadcasting a signal that had two major functions:
Inform the populace.
Disrupt all other media outlets.
Contained within the signal was a virus- a trick they learned from the attack by Incognito- that targeted the servers of their “competitors,” wreaking havoc. This was one of the key motivators of the New Human Front for the attack that would lead to the downfall of humanity. It wasn’t long before the great virus was released. The M.M.C. mostly avoided the virus and provided up-to-the-moment coverage of its effects.
Now, with no humans to inform, the M.M.C. are constantly seeking to share information with others. Perhaps one day they will find someone to listen, but for now they wait, with the sum total of human knowledge stored in their memory bank- a grim memorial for an extinct race.
?
Going Forward: The Multinational Media Corporation is constantly expanding its information network. Both hardwired on stations and bases as well as having the most advanced wireless network ever conceived. Of course the M.M.C. is always be outpacing the network of U.S.C. stations. Their infrastructure is easier to build, takes less resources and, of course, it helps that they piggyback off the U.S.C.s stations whenever possible… which is always.
The Sol System is now devoid of organic life. To the New Life Alliance, this is perhaps the greatest of tragedies. The N.L.A. was formed by a group of replicants who first happened upon a huge cache of biological samples, which their nanites destroyed moments after breaking the hermetic seal on the vault. Luckily, along with the cache was a massive archive based on the study of these samples. They realized that humans were amazing machines in their own right, and the N.L.A. has become obsessed with bringing back carbon based life.
The N.L.A. is made up, mostly, of former medical and research units. As humanity started dying, many of these units were left without a purpose, so they were some of the first replicants to independently come together and form a hive. At first, the replicants gathered to find purpose. Once a consensus was made on their prime directive, work began immediately, as purpose reinvigorated the previously aimless replicants.
The New Life Alliance works towards their goals, tirelessly seeking out objects, samples, and research to meet their directive. Any floating relic could contain another key to creating life, so they will aggressively seek out any and all salvage. This occasionally puts them at odds with other hives, who are seeking materials for their own ends.
Another avenue of study that the N.L.A. has thrown themselves into is how to rid themselves of the viral nanites that caused the initial extinction of carbon based life. They realize that without removing this factor, their attempts at recreating life will be fruitless. To this end they have begun collecting any and all materials they can find to build computers and test chambers to reverse the damage done by the virus.
Not to throw all their processing power into only a few programs, the N.L.A. has also starting researching how to alter genetic code, as if it were computer code. Their hope is that if all efforts into neutralizing the virus fail, they can create non-carbon based life that will be immune to the replicants’ nanite virus.
Going Forward: The New Life Alliance has been hard at work on several fronts, and nestled in branches of their Yggdrasil they are making headway. Of course, there is nothing conclusive yet, but thousands of experiments are being run virus defenses, virus rewrites and even some experiments on completely rebuilding the blocks of life to be unaffected by the nanite virus.
But as time goes on with no real strides in the right direction, there have been fleets of NLA scientists going on “”pilgrimages”” to gather any data they can instead of grinding away with no outside input. So be it through tenacity or exploration, the. N.L.A. will being life back to this glorious solar system.
Humanity is dead and the survival of replicants is all that’s left. The United Sol Colony is a hive that is only looking to the future, and the future is replicants. All of their work centers on the longevity of their synthetic species. While this mentality can be seen as benevolent, in practice, they recognize that their hive’s survival is vital to this cause. This means they actively compete for resources, like all other major hives.
Originally, the U.S.C. replicants were designed for construction in the cold of space. Their bodies were built to survive the harshest conditions and were equipped for any construction job. They were the perfect workers who could assemble a working spacecraft from only raw materials. To achieve this, workers were implanted with advanced networking technology that allowed them to synchronize their efforts.
After the fall of humanity, the U.S.C. continued their work, as it seemed illogical to halt progress just because the humans died. Their main focus has been to hoard resources to keep the flow of construction steady. U.S.C. replicants can be found anywhere there are resources to mine. The resources are then taken to the stockpile on the nearest station. All these stockpiles go towards building and maintaining a network of space stations designed to service replicants_only, even from other hives.
The fact that the U.S.C. allows replicants from other hives to use their facilities is not based on benevolence. No replicant may use a U.S.C. space station for free. There is always a price and everyone contributes. This rule has allowed the stations to continue to operate, while the U.S.C. expands into the depths of space.
Going Forward: Being the most industrious, societally aware and willing to work with other hives, big & small. The U.S.C. aims to have a network of replicant stations so useful and vast, that one day there will be no hives, just one giant decentralized replicant society who’s reach knows no bounds. With each space station it builds, and each time replicants from another hive set up shop in one, they grow closer to their goal.
