Worlds
The year is 2076. Humanity has spread from Sol to a handful of worlds within 20 light years. The three Alpha Centauri stars are the heart of settled space; Proxima is its lawless edge; the Ophiuchus route runs out through Barnard Waystation to purple Retinal; and Giganto, far to the south, is the frontier.
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Earth
Sol
Home world
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Luna
Sol
Companion to home world
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Ceres
Sol
Mining base
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Mars
Sol
Partially terraformed desert
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Krysto
Alpha Centauri A
Captured ice moon of a gas giant
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Niago
Alpha Centauri B
Tropical water world
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Proxima b
Proxima Centauri
Radiation-scoured desert
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Barnard's Star f (Barnard Waystation)
Barnard's Star
Frozen, airless, grey dust world
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Retinal
70 Ophiuchi A
Purple desert world
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Giganto
Delta Pavonis
Low-gravity tropical world
Timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Present day of the real world. About 6,000 exoplanets confirmed; the Alpha Centauri A gas giant is still only a candidate. |
| ~2032 | First Level 1 warp bubble demonstrated. |
| 2035 | First permanent Mars settlements, made practical by early Level 1 drives. |
| ~2039 | First Level 2 closure: the first faster-than-light jump. First crewed survey of Alpha Centauri. |
| ~2041 | Mining outposts established on Krysto: humanity's first interstellar settlement. |
| 2046 | First colonists land on Niago. |
| ~2050s | Prospecting rush to Proxima b; lawlessness sets in. |
| ~2058 | Indigenous Martian micro-organisms confirmed, shortly before they go extinct. |
| ~2062 | Barnard Waystation founded on Barnard's Star f, opening the Ophiuchus route. |
| ~2068 | First survey of 70 Ophiuchi; purple biosphere discovered on Retinal. |
| ~2071 | First landing on Giganto. |
| 2076 | The story begins. |
Travel times
These assume a Level 2 cruise of 0.1 ly per hour (a 25 m bubble on a standard drive) with legs of about 1 ly and 1.5-hour surfacing stops, plus Level 1 hops at each end. Plan a specific ship's journey on the star map.
| Route | Distance | Approximate trip time |
|---|---|---|
| Earth → Mars | 0.5–2.5 AU | 12 h – 2.5 days (Level 1 only) |
| Sol → Alpha Centauri (Krysto, Niago) | 4.37 ly | ~2–2.5 days |
| Alpha Centauri A/B → Proxima b | 0.21 ly | ~12 hours (Level 2 hop + Level 1 hops) |
| Sol → Barnard Waystation | 5.97 ly | ~3 days |
| Sol → Retinal (via Barnard's Star) | 16.6 ly | ~8 days |
| Sol → Giganto | 19.9 ly | ~9.5 days |
| Alpha Centauri → Giganto | 16.5 ly | ~8 days |