Pyramid. Space Exploration

40 Pages·2010·3.685 MB·English

by  Steve Jackson

Stock #37-2618
C
ONTENTS
COVER ART INTERIOR ART
BobStevlic GregHyland
JupiterImages
NikolaVrtis
FROM THE EDITOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
SHORES BEYOND THE NIGHT. . . . . . . . . . . 4
I T
byKellyPedersen N HIS
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE
UNWANTED KIND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 I
byJ.EdwardTremlett SSUE
RUINS AND MORE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
COLD HORIZON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Thismonth’sPyramidturnsaneyetowardthefinalfrontier,
byMarkGellis withthetopicofSpaceExploration.
Our first destination is an alternate history where Earth
SECONDHAND SPACE EXPLORATION:
hasbeguntocolonizethemoon,Mars,andVenusinShores
THE POWER OF PROBES . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Beyond the Night. Explorers race to discover the exciting
byAndyVetromile possibilities the solar system offers – including offworld
alienartifactsthatcantakehumanity’stechtothenextlevel!
LOOTING YOUR LIFE POD’S LOCKER. . . . . 35
This setting can be incorporated into the larger GURPS
byKenSpencer
Infinite Worlds framework or used on its own for space-
probingsuspense.
RANDOM THOUGHT TABLE:
Not all discoveries are pleasant, as Close Encounters of the
IN AN INFINITELY MUNDANE UnwantedKindwillreveal.Thesefivemysteriousanddangerous
COSMOS, THE ONLY IMPOSSIBILITY encounters–suitableforanyspace-faringsystem–canformthe
IS BOREDOM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 basisforanexcitingadventureoranalteredcampaign.
Whenyou’redonecolonizingthemainmoonsandplanets
byStevenMarsh,PyramidEditor
of the solar system, set your sights on the Kuiper Belt and
ODDS AND ENDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 beyondinColdHorizon.Carveoutacometandcallithome!
featuringMurphy’sRules When you can live on a comet, “a snowball’s chance in hell”
suddenlygetsalotmorelikely.Whatproblemsandopportuni-
ABOUT GURPS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 tiesawait?Whatkindsofrealisticsci-ficampaignsarepossi-
ble? Plus, to get you started, it includes a deep space station
presentedinGURPSSpaceshipsstats!
Theexplorationofspacedoesn’tmeanjustastronautsand
away teams; sometimes the best tool for the job is a probe.
Discover a thorough examination of thepossibilities and pit-
falls of indirect celestial searches in Secondhand Space
Exploration, which includes much food for thought and a
handfulofadventureideas.Remember:Youcan’tspell“prob-
lem”withouta“probe”...
Article Colors When things go wrong, you want to know that you can
count on your life pod to support you until help arrives.
Each article is color-coded to help you find your
Looting Your Life Pod’s Locker itemizes exactly what’s
favoritesections.
included in five different models of life pods, presented in
GURPSUltra-Techterms.
PaleBlue:InThisIssue
Roundingouttheissue,RuinsandMoreoffersaneasy-to-
Brown:InEveryIssue(letters,humor,editorial,etc.)
use way to abstract xenoarchaeological efforts, Random
DarkBlue:GURPSFeatures Thought Table looks at how the mundane can be magical in
Purple:OtherFeatures space, and Murphy’s Rules provides its usual popular para-
chuteofnitpickingpratfalls...literally,thismonth!
Editor-in-Chief(cid:2)STEVEJACKSON GURPSLineEditor(cid:2)SEANPUNCH PageDesign(cid:2)PHILREEDand
ChiefOperatingOfficer(cid:2)PHILIPREED EditorialAssistance(cid:2)JASON“PK”LEVINE JUSTINDEWITT
ArtDirector(cid:2)WILLSCHOONOVER ProductionArtist(cid:2)NIKOLAVRTIS MarketingDirector(cid:2)PAULCHAPMAN
e23Manager(cid:2)STEVENMARSH PrepressCheckers(cid:2)WILLSCHOONOVERand DirectorofSales(cid:2)ROSSJEPSON
MONICASTEPHENS
P M 2 A 2010
YRAMID AGAZINE PRIL
F
ROM THE
E
DITOR
T E , the articles still made sense even if you only picked up one
O AN XPLORER
issue!).AsPyramidcontinues,we’reexperimentingabitmore
SUCCESS IS BRINGING with ideas that let you utilize your back-issue library – while
stillmakingsurearticlesstandontheirown,ofcourse!
B U ,
ACK THE NKNOWN Of course, sometimes it’s hard for explorers to know how
successfultheywere;Columbusbelievedthathehadfounda
W B
RAPPED IN A OW new way to India, with long-reaching consequences. So how
successful we were with either of these two aspects is up for
Behold,theSpaceExplorationissueofPyramid–thethird
youtodecide.Andyoucandothatbymakingsureto...
in our trilogy of exploration-themed issues! Now that our
three-packhasended,it’stimetoreflectabitonit.Thistrilogy
wassomethingofanexperimentonacoupleoffronts. WRITE HERE, WRITE NOW
First, its topic was more broad and “loose” than many
Remember:You are the “sponsors” for our exploratory
previous themes; really, a huge percentage of adventurers
efforts!Wealwayswelcomecommentsabouthowclosewe’ve
in all ages could probably put “explorer” on their
come to meeting your expectations. Please feel free to send
Feudal/Federal/Federation Income Tax forms. (Can you tell
letters and comments to [email protected], or post
thatAprilistaxmonthhereintheStates?)Sinceit’salooser
onlineonourforumsatforums.sjgames.com.Andifyou’d
theme, hopefully it’ll find a wider audience. Even if your
liketoexploresomewritingofyourownandtrycontributing
heroes aren’t flag-planting frontiersmen, some of the mate-
to Pyramid, please check out our Writer’s Guidelines at
rialhereshouldstillproveuseful!
sjgames.com/pyramid/writing.htmlformoreinformation!
Second, we had our first “crossover” articles – the Pele
worldtrilogy(althoughwetookgreatpainstomakesurethat
Pyramid,GURPS,Warehouse23,andtheall-seeingpyramidareregisteredtrademarksofSteveJacksonGamesIncorporated.e23,andthenamesofallproducts
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Submissionofyourphotos,letters,humor,captions,andmarginaliaconstitutespermissiontoSteveJacksonGamesIncorporatedtousetheminallmedia.
AllsuchsubmissionsbecomethepropertyofSteveJacksonGamesIncorporatedandwillnotbereturned.
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purchaseonlyauthorizedelectroniceditions,anddonotparticipateinorencouragetheelectronicpiracyofcopyrightedmaterials.Yoursupportoftheauthors’rightsisappreciated.
P M 3 A 2010
YRAMID AGAZINE PRIL
S
HORES
B
EYOND THE
N
IGHT
K P
BY ELLY EDERSEN
“Knowledge is power” is a truism. Knowing more than constructions scattered over the globe. Now, the great pow-
youropponentscanleadtovictory,ifit’stherightknowledge. ersoftheworldjourneythroughthesolarsystemwithreac-
Oftentheinformationthatyoudidn’tevenknowexistedcan tionlessdrivesandforcescreens.Thecompetitiontoseewho
provethemostuseful.Curiosityhasthusbeenasurvivaltrait canfindandexploitthemostalienrelicsonthenewfrontier
throughouthistory.OnHomeline(GURPSInfiniteWorlds), worldsisfierce.Meanwhile,theInfinityPatrolandCentrum
the race to space was driven by this principle. Neither side are along for the ride, as Pele-3’s space exploration takes
intheColdWarwaswillingtoallowtheiropponentstolearn themtotrulyunfamiliarworlds.
more than themselves about rocketry or the engineering of
space vehicles, lest the opposition gain too great an upper I W
NFINITE ORLDS
hand.Onlyonceitbecameclearthattheadvantageofspace
was not terribly significant (and national pride had been LikePele-1inAnAgeofSails(Pyramid#3/16)andPele-2in
assuaged)didthespaceracepeterout. TheMap’sDarkSpaces(Pyramid#3/17),Pele-3isdesignedas
On Pele-3, though, it hasn’t stopped. The civilizations of anewtimelinefortheInfiniteWorldssetting.Aswithmany
this alternate timeline, inspired to swifter progress through activitiesonotherworlds,Homelinekeepsitsactivitieslow-
increased contact between the great cultures of the Old key. Thus, the GMcan easily remove Infinite Worlds refer-
World, developed their technology faster than Homeline, ences without changing the flavor, turning this world into a
ultimately finding a boost through mysterious pre-human locationforadventurebyitself.
P -3
ELE
Pele-3isatimelinewhereOldWorldcountriesenteredthe A
DRIFT ON THE
age of exploration and colonization on even footing, with
China and India extending their power and influence at the SEA OF HISTORY
sametimeasEurope.Thegreaterwealthandculturalinterac-
tion have spurred faster technological development; Pele-3 is Pele-3’s divergence from Homeline technically happened
inthemiddleofTL9whenHomelinewasonlyTL8,withthe about 5,000,000 years ago. The magma plume under the
solarsystembeingexploredbythecompetingnationsofEarth. Pacific plate that produced the Hawaiian archipelago on
As humans range outward, they are discovering alien struc- HomelinewasbothbroaderandmuchmoreactiveonPele-3.
tures,apparentlyleftbythesamebeingsthatcreatedtheruins This increased volcanic activity created not the familiar
on Earth and thus gave humanity the secrets of space travel Hawaiianchain,butasinglelargeisland.Thisnewlandmass,
(see pp. 8-9). Scientists and engineers, military and business about200mileswide,extendsapproximately500mileswest-
interests–allarelookingforthenextbreakthroughtobehad northwest from the location that corresponds to Homeline’s
fromtheremainsofthealiencivilization,andtheboldexplor- Big Island to beyond Kauai. The increased volcanic activity
erswhosearchforthemarechartingthenewhorizon! faded200,000yearsago.
OffworldersmightuseavisittoPeletojustifypickingupadvancedtech.Don’tloseyourparachronics...
P M 4 A 2010
YRAMID AGAZINE PRIL
This new land did not significantly affect human his-
tory until much more recently, when the Polynesian cul-
Pele-3, 2000
turediscovereditaround500A.D.ThePolynesiansfound
the enlarged Hawaii a lush, thriving place to call home,
and an excellent platform from which to dominate the Current Affairs
westernPacific.TheHawaiianempirewasaloosecollec-
ThenationsofEarthareexpandingoutwardintothesolar
tion of independent islands linked by trade routes and
system using recently developed reactionless drive technol-
tribute agreements, but it sufficed to spread Polynesian
ogy,searchingforalienartifactsandknowledge.
culturemorethanonHomeline.By1000,Polynesiansail-
ingandnavigationtechnologyhadreachedtheshoresof
Divergence Point
easternAsiaandsoonspreadtoIndia.
Asian cultures, influenced by Polynesia, developed 5,000,000B.C.;largerPacificmagmaplumecreatesmuch
greater willingness to sail beyond their familiar shores. largerHawaii.
Increasedtradeandculturalcontactdrovetheformation
Major Civilizations
ofexpansive,outward-lookingsocietiesinbothChinaand
India.Apan-Indianempireroseandfell,leavingthesuc- Western (multipolar), Orthodox (empire with satellite
cessorstateswithavisionofaunifiedsubcontinent,and states),Chinese(multipolar),Indian(bipolar).
a desire to expand that pushed them northwest into
Central Asia and west to Africa. The Wanyou Dynasty, Great Powers
whichretookChinafromtheMongols,expandeditshege-
Deccan Confederacy (democracy, CR3), English Empire
monyintoCentralAsiaandthroughKoreaandJapan.To
(democracy, CR4), Huachichil (dictatorship, CR5),
the south and east, ethnic Chinese, descendants of the
MitteleuropeanRepublic(democracy,CR4),RussianEmpire
dynasty who had been expelled by the Mongols, were
(oligarchy,CR5),WestAfricanUnion(democracy,CR3).
forming states of their own, most notably in Lu Daoyu
(HomelinePhilippines)andonHawaiiitself. Worldline Data
In1481,anexplorerfromLuDaoyumadethemostsig-
TL:9^(supersciencereactionlessdrivesandforcefields)
nificant sea voyage in Pele-3’s history, discovering a new
ManaLevel:Nomana
world to the east of Asia. Colonists from Lu Daoyu and
Quantum:6
Hawaii settled this new frontier, but they soon became
InfinityClass:Z4
locked in conflict with the other recent arrival: the
CentrumZone:Red
Spanish Empire. Native tribes and city-states became
prizes and strategic objectives. The Native Americans
tried to catch up to the technology of the two great civi-
lizations,whiledoingtheirbesttosurvivetheconflict. deepininhospitableterrain:thedepthsofjungles,thepeaksof
In the early 1600s, in Kuangdi (Homeline Australia), a highmountains,theburningheartsofdeserts,andbeneaththe
ChineseinventorcreatedthenextrevolutionforPele-3:steam oceanwaves.Nationsacrosstheworldsoughtouttheseruinsas
power. The new technology swept the globe, advancing how further discoveries of technological wonders within the sites
humanity traveled, farmed, worked, and played. New steam- cametolight.Everypowerhopedtobetheonetodecipherthe
poweredvehiclesspedthemarchoftheDeccanConfederacy, secretsoftheancientstructuresandutilizetheirpower.
the southernmost of the Indian states, as it colonized Sub- Thefirststatetounlockthemysterydidindeedgainpower-
SaharanAfrica.Steampoweralsohelpedbreakthebackofthe ful tools. The great breakthrough happened in 1780, in the
complacentandcorruptWanyouDynasty.Itsreplacement,the NativeAmerican-ruledcountryofHuachichil(Coahuila,Mexico
GaoyangDynasty,hailedfromtheJapaneseprovinces. onHomeline).Huachichilhadbeentheoriginatoroftheinter-
Steampowerruledthe world fora centuryanda half.By nalcombustionengine.Itparleyeditstechnologicaladvantage
1750,theindustrialerawasinfullflowerandthemechanized into hegemony over much of what (on Homeline) would be
age began, with the appearance of internal combustion northernMexicoandtheAmericanSouthwest.Huachichilwas
enginesandpoweredflight. fortunatetofindseveraloftheancientsitesinthedeepdeserts
and high mountains. With the advantage of many sources to
W examineandcapablescholarsandengineers,Huachichileven-
ONDERS OF THE
tually deciphered the first elements of the strange script and
ANCIENT WORLD reverse-engineeredsomeofthesimplerdevices.
The discoveries were “shocking.” Taking apart the strange
In1745,anIndianexplorerlocatedamysterioussetofstruc- devices revealed volumes of new knowledge about circuits,
tures in Africa, obviously older than the most ancient human capacitors, batteries, and other fundamentals of electrical
civilizationsbutinastateofexcellentpreservation.Theinvesti- devices. Within a decade, Huachichil was able to upgrade its
gatorfoundstrangewritingandartifactswithin.Inthenextsev- steam-poweredtechnologytothisnewparadigm,withpower
eralyears,similarruinswerefoundallovertheworld,always generatorssupplyinglightandheat.
GiventheexistenceofunusualalienartifactsacrossthePeleworlds,it’squitepossiblethatsomeonemightactivate
somethingmysteriousonPele-2,andawaken“inthefuture”–onPele-3!Thiscanserveallkindsofplotpossibilities...
P M 5 A 2010
YRAMID AGAZINE PRIL
Huachichil–withanappetiteforconquestalreadywhetted feudalsystemwithanetworkofstate-runfarmsandfactories.
by success with the internal combustion engine – went on Upward mobility depended on managerial success. By 1810,
another spree, pushing further into Central America. By the Russiawasaforcetoreckonwith,anditbegantocontemplate
time an alliance of Native American, Chinese, and Spanish expansion. The rest of Europe had been advancing as fast as
forces stopped them, the Huachichilean armies had gobbled Russia,makingmilitaryadventurismtherelookunprofitable,
up several city-states in central Mexico and were the undis- but Central Asia and the Middle East were mostly under the
putedmastersofthenorth.HuachichilbecamethefirstNative controlofsmallcity-statesandquarrellingkingdoms.Thefinal
American state to seriously challenge the Old World powers impetuswasprovidedbyanewdiscoveryintheUrals.Aruin
militarily,andtheworldtooknote. revealed there gave the Russians a new medical advance: a
Of course, the technology could not stay exclusively in treatment that greatly accelerated healing from wounds and
Huachichil’shandsforlong.Evenbeforetheconquestsbegan, infections (treat this as Ascepaline – see GURPS Bio-Tech,
spieshadbeenbusilystealingknowledgeandequipment.The p.152),allowingcasualtiesofbattletobequicklyreturnedto
Mexican War demonstrated to all nations the crucial impor- the front. In 1811, Russia launched a major new offensive
tance of unlocking the ruins’ secrets. Researchers used againsttheancientcitiesofAsia.
Huachichil’s translations as the basis for other deciphering At first, Russia’s advance was unchecked. Its soldiers
attempts, and new scientific and engineering principles marched through the Caucasus, across the Dardanelles into
emergedfromsitesacrosstheglobe. Turkey,andthenthroughtheMiddleEast.By1820,theoilfields
England became the next nation to take advantage of the ofbothGeorgiaandArabiawerefirmlyinRussiancontrol.Then
newknowledge.TheEnglishCrownhadlongbeeninconflict theRussiansturnedeast,andtheirleadersbegancontemplating
with France over New World territories. In 1815, England enteringChineseandIndianterritory,lulledbyoldmythsofeth-
beganawartocontrolallofeasternNorthAmerica,besieging nicsuperiority.However,astheRussianforcesmovedeastward,
Frenchshippingwithanewweapon:thesubmarine.Thiswar asufficientlystrongopposingenemyforcemobilized.
alsosawthefirstsignificantuseofaircraftinamilitaryrole. Neither China nor India had been idle in the past century.
TheFrenchdesperatelytriedtoupgradetheirownmilitaryto TheGaoyangDynastyhadbeenmodernizingasaggressivelyas
keep pace, but these efforts proved too little, too late. They Russia,anditsarmieshadbeenkeptsharpandwelltraineddue
wereforcedtosignawaythemajorityoftheirNewWorldter- to the constant conflict with the south Chinese states.
ritoriesafterhalfadecadeoffighting.Thenewlandsthatwere Meanwhile, Delhi – the premier state in northern India – had
nowopentoEnglandintheheartofNorthAmericawereonly beenpreparingitsownpushintoCentralAsiainsearchofoil
sparselymappedorsettled,butEnglishexplorers–manyfly- reserves.BoththerajaofDelhiandtheGaoyangemperorhad
ing long-range reconnaissance planes developed in the war – nointentionofseeinganupstartEuropeanstatewithdelusions
werequicklyclaimingasmuchastheycould. ofgrandeurconquerAsia–bothconsideredthattheirjob!
Indiawasthefirsttomove,astheCentralAsiancity-states
invoked old defensive treaties. Forces of the raja marched
westwardandmettheRussiansinthecentralhillsofIranin
It is my great desire to reform my
1825.Thefightingwassomeofthefiercesteveryetseen.Both
subjects, and yet I am ashamed to sideswereequippedwiththehighestmilitarytechnologyavail-
able: aircraft, internal-combustion land vehicles both small
confess that I am unable to reform
and large, explosives, radio, and deadly automatic weapons.
myself. The war bogged down in the rough terrain, a stalemate that
claimed first thousands, then tens of thousands, and finally
– Peter the Great
millionsoflives.
Atthesametime,tothenorth,ChineseandRussianforces
wereclashinginafarmoremobilewar.TheGaoyangDynasty
had explored and claimed the eastern reaches of Siberia,
THE TIGER, THE attempting to locate ancient sites, but few of its citizens had
settled there. Nevertheless, the Chinese empire would not
D , T B
RAGON AND HE EAR countenancetheRussian’sobviousterritorialambitionsthere,
andwhenRussianforcescrossedtheUrals,Chinamobilizedto
TheOldWorldwasnotimmunetoconflictssparkedbynew
meetthem.TheSiberianfrontwasvastandundermannedon
technologies. The next great war would involve all three cen-
both sides, with Russia’s forces mostly tied up in Iran front,
ters of civilization: Europe, China, and India. By 1810, the
andtheGaoyangunabletodiverttoomanytroopsawayfrom
Russian Empire was eyeing the east greedily. Peter the Great
theirownborders,lestthecitiesofsouthernChinatakeadvan-
had started the empire on a path to modernization in the
tage.TheSiberianWarwasPele-3’sfirstexperiencewithtruly
1700s, which proceeded even faster than on Homeline. Peter
mechanized warfare, and the strategies and tactics of mobile
andtheemperorswhofollowedhimcompletelyeliminatedthe
combatwerelargelydevelopedthere.
oldRussiannobilityoverthecourseofacentury,replacingthe
CentrumhasbeenlessinterestedintheotherPeleworldsthanithasPele-3.Adventurerswhoputinsubstantial
investigativeeffortsontheotherworldsmightlearnenoughinformationaboutthecross-worldweirdnesstogivethema
definitiveedge...
P M 6 A 2010
YRAMID AGAZINE PRIL
TheAsianWardraggedonforadecade,untilRussiafinally tively self-governing for too long to be easily subdued. The
suedforpeace.ItagreedtoabandonallclaimstoAsiaeastof DeccanConfederacyyieldedtointernationalpressureandfor-
theUralsandtheCaspianSea,andtheMiddleEasternterrito- mallyacknowledgedthewesterncoloniesasindependent.
ries were given nominal independence, although Russia still The success of the African independence movement
claimedthemas“protectorates.”TheCentralAsiancitieswere inflamed democratic political sentiment worldwide. The
largely incorporated into Delhi’s sphere of influence, while Chinese colonies in the New World and Australia became
China retained Siberia, although it continued to do little to hotbeds of revolutionary feeling. By 1870, the Hawaiian
exploitthevastterritory. ChinesestateinNorthAmericahadafullrepresentativegov-
ernment,withtheemperoraconstitutionalfigurehead,while
T L F Lu Dayou’s American colonies declared independence and
HE IGHT OF REEDOM
establishedmore-or-lessdemocraticstates.
On Pele-3, the heartland of democracy was not Western
Europe but southern India. The Deccan Confederacy had P S
EACE AND TABILITY
begunasanallianceofcity-statesattemptingtoholdofftheir
northernneighbors.Eachmajorcitysentarepresentativeto Thenext110years,from1870to1980,wererelativelyrelax-
the Confederation’s central Sabha (“meeting”) to determine ing.Thegrandconflictsofthepastwereapparentlypavedover,
policy. Initially, members of the Kashtriya warrior caste or with advancing technology and social organization bringing
Brahmin priestly caste served as the rulers of most cities. morewealthandsafetytoeveryone.Duringthisperiod,scien-
However, as the Deccan cities became more and more tistsandengineersbusilydevelopedtheirownadvancements
focusedoncommercialventures,theVaishyacaste–thetra- andexploitedthetechnologyfromtheruins.Thefirstatomic
ditionalmerchants–becamemoreprominent.By1650,most detonation in 1845 effectively began TL7, and new advances
of the Deccan Confederacy was ruled by local sabhas, mod- quicklyspread.Despitethathorrificfirstuseofnuclearenergy,
eledonthegreatSabha.Initially,theelectorateconsistedof Pele-3 never developed the same level of distrust regarding
the Kashtriyas, Brahmins, and those Vaishyas who met a atomicpowerasHomeline,withnoColdWartofuelparanoia.
minimumpropertyrequirement.Overthecourseofthenext Nuclearpowerplantsbecamegenerallyacceptedastheenergy
century and a half, the franchise was extended again and generator of choice, followed by renewable sources. Pele-3’s
again, first to more Vaishyas, then to the farmer/laborer period of widespread industrialization was cleaner than
caste, the Shudras. By 1800, every male in the Deccan Homeline’s.
Confederacycouldvote. By 1895, the general level of technology was TL8. Digital
This democratic largesse was not nearly so evident in the computersandnetworksprovokedtheirusualradicalchanges
Confederacy’s African colonies. To be granted a seat at the inhowpeoplelivedandworked,althoughPele-3’sglobalnet-
Sabha,newmembersneededtopayalarge“independence”fee works remained far more fragmented then Homeline’s.
to its controlling district. The Sabha based this fee on how Networksareamorespecializedaffair,designedtofulfillsome
much the new region had brought financially to its former particularfunction,andindividualssubscribeonlytotheserv-
ruler.Africansubjectscouldnotvoteinlocalgovernmentsin icestheyneedorwant.
India,nordidtheyhavethemoneytopurchasetheirindepend- In contrast, computer hardware progressed even faster
ence;thecorporationsthatownedthecoloniessqueezedevery thaninHomeline.Aportablemulti-purposedevice,capableof
pennytheycould.OnlyinSouthAfrica,whereenoughprivate wirelessly linking to whatever networks a user subscribed to
citizenshadstruckitrichinthediamondfields,wereanynew andperformingavarietyoffunctions,wasrealizedwithin15
sabhasfounded. years of the invention of the integrated circuit. West Africa
Thisstateofaffairscausedconstantunrest,andthetension becameahotbedofcomputerdevelopmentandstillretainsa
had reached the breaking point in 1820. The Sub-Saharan reputation for high quality hardware and software engineer-
coloniesdeclaredtheirindependenceenmasse.Theycreated ing. Ndakarou (Homeline Dakar) is the Silicon Valley and
theirownlocalsabhas,institutinganationalAfricanSabhato SeattleofPele-3.
coordinate the conflict they knew was coming. War did,
indeed, arrive. The Deccan Confederacy was unwilling to
allowsuchavastterritorytowalkawaywithoutafight.For
Hack to the Future
over 15 years, Confederacy forces tried to resubjugate
Africa again, while the colonists waged a guerilla war to Because of the lack of interconnectivity between net-
remain free. Finally, by 1837, the Deccan government had worksonPele-3,hackingonthisworldismuchmoredif-
had enough. They began an intensive bombing campaign, ficult;the oddsofone networkbeinglinkedtoanyother
which culminated in the destruction of Nilagiri Parvata are significantly smaller. Apply a -4 or larger penalty to
(Homeline Addis Ababa) in 1845. The final attack used a ComputerHackingorotherelectronicintrusionrollsifan
discovery extrapolated from new ruins: the atomic bomb. attemptismadefromaninappropriatenetwork.
The eastern African colonies grudgingly surrendered. The
coloniestothewestofLakeChad,however,hadbeeneffec-
ThosewhowantmoredetailedinformationabouttheearlyhistoryofPele-3(ofwhichPele-1andPele-2aresomehow
echoes),checkoutAnAgeofSailsfromPyramid#3/16:HistoricalExplorationfortheveryearlyhistoryandTheMap’s
DarkSpacesfromPyramid#3/17:ModernExplorationformorerecenttimes.
P M 7 A 2010
YRAMID AGAZINE PRIL
Just think – one day, the heavens will be the new frontier without
laws and guns and just as people have crossed the prairie in covered
wagons, they may cross the great prairie of space to the moon and look
beyond. I wonder if then, perhaps, the moon, too, will change for us.
– Johnny Ringo #1.34
Theadventofseriousgeneticengineeringproducedmajor agitationforrepresentationalgovernment.Theadministration
agriculturalboomsinseveralpreviouslymarginalregions,par- reacted with an alternating series of crackdowns and small
ticularlythedryareasofAfricaandtheCentralAsiansteppe. changes,butby1940,itbecameclearthatthesituationwasno
It also produced large-scale aquaculture, particularly in the longertenable.Thelastemperorvoluntarilyabdicatedinfavor
BayofBengalandtheSouthChinaSea. of a newly elected parliament, and the “Empire of China”
By1950,Pele-3hadmovedintoTL9,whereitremains.This became the “Republic of China.” The new government based
developmentisprimarilyachangeindegreethaninkind.More its political systems loosely on the Mitteleuropean Republic,
robotsdomanuallabor,morevehiclesareautomated,andhand- thusmovingforwardintodemocracy.
heldandsmallercomputersareubiquitous.Fissionhaslargely Unfortunately, the “bright new era” that was promised to
been replaced with fusion, and high-efficiency fuel cells have theChinesepeoplefailedtoemerge.Regionalfactionsbegan
supplanted the internal-combustion engine. The only com- toagitateformoreautonomyalmostatonce.Asaresult,wary
pletelynewdevelopmenthasbeeneffectivehumangeneticengi- foreign investors avoided the struggling new state. This, in
neering. Most nations have allowed genetic manipulation to turn, slowed economic growth and increased the populace’s
preventheritabledisease,andsimplecosmeticalterationsare dissatisfaction with the central government, creating a feed-
usuallypermitted,althoughoftenregulated.Deeperchangesto backloop.Chinacontinuedtowrestlewithincreasinginternal
thehumangenomeremainextremelycontroversial.Cloning– problemsthroughoutthisperiod.
evenoftransplantorgans–isheavilystigmatized,andgenetic
engineering to create new features in humans or higher ani- N F
EW RONTIER
mals is almost unheard of. Only a few extremely lenient
regions,suchastheFreeCitiesofsouthernChina,permitit. Theeraofstabilityandslowprogressbrokedown20years
Thecenturyofpeacewasnotentirelywithoutdisruptions. ago.Itwasin1980thatanewruinwasdiscovered,thefirstto
Several new political players emerged, and some old states beunearthedin93years...andthissitewasdifferentfromall
sufferedsetbacksorevenoutrightdissolution.Themostsig- thathadcomebefore.AdelaideMarcon,anarcheologistfrom
nificant new arrivals were in Europe and Central America. the Mitteleuropean Republic, located a site in the Sahara
ThevariousstatesofGermany,Italy,andSwitzerlandunified desertthatwasdifferentinalmosteverypossibleway.Allruins
into the Mitteleuropean Republic, in order to compete with discoveredpreviouslyhadrevealed,atbest,high-TL8levelsof
theEnglish,French,andSpanishempireseconomicallyand development.Devicesanddecipheredtextshadprovedhelpful
politically. The Republic began as a loose federation, but its inadvancinghumantechnology,butnotradicallyso,andno
centralgovernmentgainedpoweruntilitbecameastrongly evidenceoftheoriginsofthebuildershadeverbeenfound–
united and centralized nation. The Central American states, onlytechnicalworks.TheSaharasitewassimultaneouslythe
led by the Chinese nation of Po Mao (Homeline Acapulco), first to have technology higher than TL8, the first to give a
formed an economic and defensive alliance, as a bulwark strong indication of where the builders came from, and the
againsttheambitionsofHuachichil.Huachichilitselfcontin- largestsiteeveruncovered(overfoursquaremiles).
ued to expand northward, and a large section of the Great Thenewlydiscoveredlocation–dubbedthe“Spaceport”by
PlainsofcentralNorthAmericaisunderitseffectivecontrol, the international press – seemingly proved with certainty that
despiteEnglishclaims. the builders of the ruins had not come from Earth. Vehicles
While these new groups formed, the Chinese Empire obviously capable of traveling into space still sat in various
evolved.AlthoughtheGaoyangDynastyhadalwaysbeenadept hangars, and information gleaned from the accompanying
atkeepingupwithdevelopmentsintechnologyandinnovating records indicated that there had been frequently visited loca-
itsown,theimperialbureaucracywasconsiderablypoorerat tionsinthesolarsystembesidesEarth.Inadditiontothiswealth
keeping abreast of political changes. The worldwide wave of of information, the vessels themselves provided a windfall of
democratic reforms in the 1800s swept up the Chinese peas- technology. Their computer and power systems were roughly
antry and could not be stopped, despite the empire’s best equivalent to Pele-3’s existing designs, but the ships incorpo-
efforts.Startingin1900,theGaoyangfacedgreaterandgreater rated drives that were only barely comprehensible at first.
AdditionalinformationonthestateofscienceonHomelinecanbefoundintheHomelineTLsection(p.23)ofGURPS
InfiniteWorlds.Inanutshell,“Homelinescientistsarelazythieves.”
P M 8 A 2010
YRAMID AGAZINE PRIL
When scientists succeeded in reverse-engineering the ancient smaller nations were either piggybacking on the existing
vessels,theydiscoveredthatthebuilders–nowbygeneralcon- colonies or making plans to form their own. Mars revealed
sensus considered aliens – had possessed reactionlesspropul- manymorealienremnantsthanthemoon.Huachichilcolonists
sion,aswellastheabilitytoprojectfieldsofforcethatcould intheVallesMarinerisregionuncoveredalong-buriedcity,far
manipulate matter and energy. These new technologies larger than any ruin ever encountered on Earth. Dubbed the
allowedhumanstodeveloptrulypracticalinterplanetaryves- “Archive”foritslargestoreofblueprintsandastrometricdata,it
selsoftheirown. provided humans with their first comprehensive look at the
Previous to this great discovery, the nations of Pele-3 had aliens’technologyandgavehintstootherlocationsthroughout
hadlittleinterestinexploringthesolarsystem.Therehadbeen the solar system. Soon everyone scrambled to uncover more
no internationally prestigious “space race” to fire the public Martian sites. The revelation of a massive complex buried
consciousness with dreams of extraplanetary conquest or beneaththewesternslopesofOlympusMonstriggeredthefirst
colonies; rocketry programs mostly restricted themselves to wartobefoughtoffEarth.In1992,aHuachichileanexpedition
lifting utility satellites into orbit. Pele-3 had lagged behind uncoveredtheentrancetothesubterraneancitynicknamedthe
Homelineinitsknowledgeofthesolarsystem,withonlyafew “Labyrinth” for its intricate network of passages. It contained
scatteredunmannedprobeseverbeingsentbeyondthemoon. numerousnewaliendevices,includingfusion-poweredvehicles
Thisallchangedwiththenewdiscoveries.Suddenly,humans thatcouldrevolutionizetravel.
hadthetechnologytoeffectivelyexplorespace,which
created an urgent motivation to do so. The major
states rushed to implement interplanetary explo-
Other Peles
rationfleets,aseverypoweronceagainrealizedthat
the first to discover the secrets of the vanished race
Infinityknowsofthreeothertimelineswhereincreasedvol-
wouldgainthegreatestadvantage.
canismhasledtoalargerHawaiianisland,allgiventhe“Pele”
Themoonwasthefirsttarget.TheMitteleuropean
designation.Pele-1andPele-2,alongwithPele-3,formacurious
Republic, with its technological edge, led the way.
anomaly within Homeline’s understanding of transtemporal
TheyestablishedabaseinTychoCraterinlate1982,
physics.Pele-1andPele-2seemtobeechoesofPele-3,similarto
neartheancientsiteofanotherinterplanetaryspace-
the echoes of Homeline that are found on Quantum 6, but not
port.Russia,England,andHuachichilfollowedsuit,
obviouslyconnectedtoHomeline.
settingupbasesacrossthelunarsurfaceandhunting
Pele-1 (Q6, current year 1550) is undergoing its first great
fornewaliensites.By1986,allthesignificantpowers
wave of exploration, as China, Europe, and India begin to
of Earth had established a lunar presence, both to
spread out into the New World and Africa. (For more details
exploreandasjumping-offpointsfortherestofthe
about Pele-1, see An Age of Sails, in Pyramid #3/16: Historical
system. Although tensions between the space-faring
Exploration.)
nations grew, they did not erupt into open warfare
Pele-2 (Q6, current year 1750), meanwhile, has just discov-
over the moon. This was partly due to the rarity of
eredtheexistenceofthealiensitesscatteredthroughtheworld’s
alienremainsonEarth’ssatellite,butmostlybecause
wastelands, and a new frenzy for exploring terra incognita has
noneofthegreatpowerswantedtoseeabattlefought
swept the world. (For more information about Pele-2, see The
soclosetohome.
Map’sDarkSpaces,inPyramid#3/17:ModernExploration.)
Despitethelackofinternationalconflict,thecolo-
Pele-4(Q4,200,000B.C.)istheonlyPeleworldthatisn’tobvi-
nizationofthemoonultimatelyledtotheendofone
ously tied into the Pele echo system. The increased volcanism
majornation.TheRepublicofChinahadbeentotter-
buildingtheHawaiianislandsuphasjustceasedonthistimeline,
ing almost since its beginning. The national govern-
and Infinity agents stationed there are anxiously watching the
ment sank a great deal of political and economic
skiesincasethealiensareduetoarriveonthistimelineaswell.
capital into its moonbase program, raising expecta-
tionsofvastnewaliensitesthatwouldgrantawealth
of technology. Unfortunately, ruins were particularly
sparseinChina’sterritorialclaims,althoughprobablyevenan UnfortunatelyforHuachichil,theentrancetotheLabyrinth
average number of alien discovers would have disappointed was within Deccan Confederacy territory. The Confederacy
theChinesepublic.Theboondoggleofthefailedmoonbaseini- rapidly became aware of the Huachichilean incursion and
tiative brought down the Chinese government in 1986, and demanded that all technology be turned over to them.
thentherepublicitselfin1987,asitsvariousregionsvotedto Huachichil refused, and both sides mobilized. The resulting
separate. The territory on the moon was cast adrift, and the warwasshortbutpainful.In1994,fusionbombsdevastated
desperatecolonistscreatedthesolarsystem’sfirstextraplane- Huachichil’s main colony center, killing thousands and crip-
tarynation:theChineseLunarFreeState. plingtheHuachichileanMartianadministration.However,the
Beyond the moon, Mars was the next goal. By 1990, the Deccan victory rang hollow, since the Labyrinth had been
DeccanConfederacy,theWestAfricanUnion,Mitteleuropa,and bombedandmostlycollapsedearlyinthefighting.Almostno
HuachichilhadallclaimedsectionsoftheRedPlanet.Several alienartifactssurvived.
TheultimateresolutiontothemysteryofPele-4isleftentirelytotheGM–althoughiftheheroes’involvementwiththe
threePeletimelineshasbeenelaborateandinvolved,amorespectacularresolutionisprobablyjustifiedfromadramatic
standpoint.
P M 9 A 2010
YRAMID AGAZINE PRIL
WhilebattlewagedonMars,otherstateslookedtowardthe except on the Peles. However, Pele-3 does have two dangers
sunratherthanaway.AlthoughEnglandandRussialedinthe thankeepPatroladministratorsawakeatnight.
earlier expansion by establishing lunar bases, they had been First, their scientists are extremely skilled at reverse-engi-
effectivelyshut out of the Martian rushwhile theyfocused on neeringbizarretechnologyfromeventhesmallestfragments.
searching for lunar artifacts. Both nations needed another Theslightesttraceofparachronicequipmentcouldleadthem
avenuetoregaintheiredge.Startingin1993,theyeachsenta tofunctionalconveyorswithinmonths.
numberofexpeditionsintotheinnersolarsystem.Theempires’ Second,Infinityhasgoodevidencefromtheothertwomain
hopesinfindingnewaliensitesweredisappointed;Venusand Pele timelines that the beings from Pele-1, Pele-2, and Pele-3
Mercury seem to be barren of any signs of prior habitation. arenotmerelyechoesofoneanother,butasinglecivilization
However,theinnerworldshavenotprovedatotalloss.Mercury thatsomehowspannedthreetimelines,possiblywithtechnol-
revealedextensivemineraldeposits,anditisanticipatedthatthe ogy that allowed them to artificially establish the parallels as
planetwillbecomeamajorindustrialcenter(oncetheinherent echoesofeachother.Thatlevelofparachronicdevelopmentis
difficultiesofoperatingthereareresolved). beyond anything Infinity considered even theoretically possi-
Meanwhile, Venus supplied perhaps the largest surprise ble.ThegovernmentsofHomelineareterrifiedthatthealiens
yet. Astronomers had long known that planet was totally willturnupsomewherealive.Thatwouldbeadisasterasfar
shrouded in dense clouds and assumed its close position to asHomelineisconcerned.
thesunmeantitwaslockedinaferociousgreenhouseeffect, AlmostallHomelinersonthisworldareinvolvedwithspace
too hot for human life. The first expeditions proved this missions.ThePatroltriestoinfiltrateeveryjourneyofsignifi-
entirely false. A primitive yet thriving ecosystem existed in cance and has agents scattered throughout the off-world
theVenusianclouds,moderatingtheheatoftheatmosphere colonies,withstrictorderstosabotageanydiscoverythateven
andreflectingagreatdealofenergybackintospace.Infact, hintsatparachronics.
Venus seems poised to become fit for habitation – its vast Centrum,meanwhile,considersthisthebestprospectofall
quantities of water vapor in the air have reached the point thePeletimelines.Theworldishigh-techenoughthatitwould
wheretheyarecondensingandrainingdowninvaststorms, be a valuable economic addition to Centrum’s cross-time
filling a previously dry landscape with seas and rivers. Both empire, and Interworld has a more optimistic attitude toward
EnglandandRussiahaveestablishedcoloniesonthesurface. theparachronictechnologyofthealiens.Theideaofbeingable
They are now looking into accelerating the conversion of todolarge-scaletimelineengineeringmakesInterworldagents
Venusintoalivableworld. salivate,andCentranscientistshavealreadyworkedoutseveral
theoreticalmodelsthatcouldexplainthealiens’abilities.Their
O O agentsintheoff-worldcolonieshaveorderstolookforanysigns
UTWORLD PERATIONS
ofparachronictechnologyandretrieveit,whiledenyingittothe
Infinity treads most lightly on this timeline of any of the natives.Centrumalsofeelsthatanumberofthenationsofthis
Peles(seep.9).Theusualproblemsoftechnologyhigherthan timeline are ripe for subversion. In particular, they like the
Homeline are all in force. Of course, Pele-3 doesn’t have stronglymeritocraticEnglishEmpireandthetechnology-heavy
Shikaku-Mon’scontingentofhobbyistspiesorCaliph’spurely WestAfricanUnionandMitteleuropeanRepublic.Theyalsosee
terrifying level of ultra-technology. Pele-3 is close enough to thefragmentedChinaasfertilegroundforbuildinganewpup-
Homelinethatmostscienceiscomprehensible,anditisagood pet-statefromthegroundup.CentranagentsarebusyonPele-
candidate for stealing designs from, although the stranger 3,anditsometimesseems(tooverstretchedPatrolmen,anyway)
principles of ruin-based technology have proven inapplicable thattheyhavethreetimestheagentsinplaceasInfinity.
A F
DVENTURES IN THE UTURE
Likeitsalternate-timelinecounterparts,muchoftheadven- The Deccan Confederacy is the wealthiest state on Earth,
turepotentialofPele-3focusesonvarioustypesofexploration. anditscitizensarenotoriousforconsideringitthemostcul-
However,onPele-3,theskyisn’tthelimit–it’sanewfrontier! tured,artistic,andmorallyuprightaswell.Propagandaaside,
the Confederacy is certainly prosperous and its citizens are
S W A largelycontent.EastAfricaisstillwithintheDeccanstate,now
MALL ORLD AFTER LL
grantedfullrepresentationingovernment.Tothenorth,Delhi
Althoughhumanityisrapidlyexpandingintospace,Earth hasbeenfallingundertheeconomicswayoftheConfederacy
isstillthehomeof99%ofthesolarsystem’spopulation,andit aswell,andthereisamovementtowardpoliticalunity.Deccan
isbynomeansaplacidbackwater.Oldconflictsarestillplayed culture is still strongly Indian, although Chinese and African
outonthehomeworld,andnewbattlesarebroughttherefrom influences are obvious. The population is fairly secular, but
thecolonies. bothBuddhismandHinduismremainviabletraditions.
GURPSTalesoftheSolarPatrol(availableone23)isasettingwithasimilarstyleoftechnology.TheGMandplayers
mayfinditausefulsourceforcharacterconcepts,settingdetails,andadventureideas.
P M 10 A 2010
YRAMID AGAZINE PRIL