Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
The 20th century was a time not only of major breakthroughs in technology and the humanities,
but also of the bloodiest wars the planet had ever witnessed.
As mankind continued to suffer, the search for ways to reduce the endless slaughter intensified.
By the end of the 21st century, this goal had finally been achieved.
Even the depths of the oceans had not been overlooked in the search for ever-new sources
of raw materials.
After the Earth's surface had been destroyed, the deep became the last bastion of human
civilization.
Love and misery, progress and destruction, invaded the silent depths of the oceans, along
with the ever-expanding research and mining stations, whose roots reached back to the
dark chapters of the enlightened 20th century.
A new imperialism arose amongst those who had but one desire: to survive.
Mistrust between different cultures governs the pattern of life, just as it had done centuries
earlier. Influential syndicates fight to the death
over the remains left behind by ancient civilizations. Cults glorify a mythical surface world, and
scientists are developing awesome weapon systems designed to help them achieve the goal that
had been denied their ancestors. After generations of stagnation, human endeavor
and activity had reached a new peak.
The domination by one people of an exhausted world, so that they can provide shelter for
only a few.
Gigantic craft now plow the oceans in the service of a planet-wide trading network:
These are the jump-ships. Their almost unbelievable size, breathtaking
elegance and mind-blowing speed make trade between different cultures viable again, but
peace still remains an empty word.
Humanity ends where the deep begins.