Martian Setting

Mars

Mars, as seen from space.

The Transcendence War loomed on the horizon by the year 2110, and the Coalition of Progressive Nations unveiled a mission that would change everything: Home One.

Home One was a one-of-a-kind mission: A team of colonizers formed by scientists, workers, and spiritual leaders set a course to the Red Planet, taking information, culture, and memories from Earth. If they succeeded, they would have established a second home for humanity, and given the human race a new hope. But it was a perilous mission that would take decades to yield any positive results. Because of the nature of this mission, no one from the Home One team was expected to make it back. The idea was to monitor the mission from Earth and guide the team remotely. The team would send updates weekly, then monthly, and when the Transcendence War burned Earth, the Home One colonizers realized they were alone, and they had a chance to make a new life, to start again, and to let go of any bonds they once had to Earth. They were the First Generation of Martians, and the Dream of Mars was born with them: The dream of turning a dead rock into a new Garden of Eden.

Mars was a hostile and ruthless world, a world in which one misstep can easily cause a tragedy. Armed with their knowledge, their memories, and their ingenuity, the First Generation decided they would make things differently, that Mars would never be like Earth. And it was up to them, up to their children, and up to their children’s children to see that dream come true. The first communities were nothing to write home about: Salvaging almost everything from the colonizer ship, the First Generation set their settlements, and organized their first scouting parties to map the planet. Drones and rovers were the primary tools. As time passed, so did the knowledge of the planet, and the First Generation also experienced the love of what they would come to call The Red Father, Mars itself. Mars would provide to those who were worthy of his love.

In time, an underground network was established, it was easier and faster to traverse the Martian mountains that way, and the network offered an easier way to provide air, power, and light to travelers. It took decades, but once the underground network was finished and mapped the entire planet, it was called The Tartarus Complex. In time, and as the population of Martians grew, Clans began to be formed as there would inevitably be differences in opinion on how to live, how to lead, and how to be one with Mars. As the first Clans were established, they departed to create their own settlements and enclaves, Mars was now being populated, and the growth as well as the development of Martian technology was accelerated.

A century after the creation of the first Clans and the establishment of their own settlements, Ancient Mars was properly established. The Dusk Walker Clan was established in Elysium Mons, a settlement that had non-invasive domes that coexisted with the planet’s topography and geology. Their advances in non-invasive terraforming also managed to create varied vegetation which led to agricultural advances. The Blue Dune Clan established Nar Kezis, an underground settlement located somewhere in the depths of the Tartarus Complex. Preferring the tradition of combat, this clan developed covert, stealthy, and aggressive combat styles. The Red Sand Clan established Petra, in memory of the former birthplace of the clan’s founder, a settlement carved into Tyrrhenus Mons with non-invasive domes to boot. Similarly to the Blue Dune Clan, the Red Sand Clan also preferred combat, but unlike its counterparts, they were more direct, while also developing ranged styles. The Star Gazer Clan established Vala Ragnos, a series of small and communicated settlements on Euripos Mons. The Star Gazer Clan was more than able to engage in combat, but similarly to the Dusk Walker Clan, the Star Gazers focused on observing the skies and developing technological advances that would allow them to create bigger and better settlements.

Of course, there are many other Clans. Sometimes they are created in the same way, sometimes they branch off of bigger Clans. At the present time, it’s estimated that besides the main Clans on Mars, there are between fifty to two hundred smaller Clans on the surface of the planet.

With the Dream of Mars alive, and with the many different clans working together, and trading with one another, as well as fiercely competing against one another, progress on the Red Planet would continue, until humanity, having managed to survive the horrors of the Transcendence War, and running out of room in Luna as well as the Space Stations and Sky Cities they had, set their eyes to the Red Planet.

First Corporate Occupation

The newly formed New Geneva had taken the decision to occupy Mars and create domes that would bring relief to the dangerously full space stations, Sky Cities, and Luna. Scanning through old files belonging to the now-defunct Coalition of Progressive Nations, New Geneva learned of the Home One Mission, and upon learning that the mission had not only succeeded but thrived and expanded, they immediately dispatched an occupation and colonization force spearheaded by Vander Aero Spatial Technologies (VAST), and while the Martians were more than willing to share their planet and show humanity their kindness when others are in need, it didn’t take them long to realize that corporations didn’t share. Vander Aero Spacial Technologies was awarded the first contract establishing the corporation as the “proprietor” of Mars. Under this corporation, expansion and aggressive terraforming were common practices, and almost every day new corporations would arrive on the Red Planet. The first colonies were built, massive metallic domes built to withstand the violent sandstorms of Mars as well as offering life support systems. Entertainment, work, and neon advertisements would soon start spreading through the planet, and eventually, the Martians would be pushed off of their homes and their position as Children of Mars. Cultural centers, holy sites, and even smaller settlements were wiped out to make room for newer and bigger colonies. The Sol Credit was instituted as currency and replaced regular trading as an economic activity. Contracts with ice-hauling corporations were open, and the first cloning farms were installed on the planet as well. Mars started to look like a New Earth.

Of course, this led to uneasiness, which led to unrest, which led to rebellion from the Martians.

The Scorpion Affair, Martian Uprisings, And the Destruction Of Wayfar.

The Martian surface.

Martian History always varies depending on the source. Some say that the Martian Uprisings, which were armed rebellions from different Clans all throughout the planet were enough to put VAST against the ropes, some others claim that corporate sabotage caused its demise. While the corporation was adequate in handling administrative matters of the planet, as well as dealing with the Uprisings, New Geneva didn’t feel the same way. The intent was to replace VAST with a more adequate corporation, but there was a contract that New Geneva had to honor. Enter Advanced Research and Experimental Systems, or ARES. Fresh from their success in Venus, they were on New Geneva’s radar, since their specialty was warfare, and they were hungry enough for New Geneva’s taste. An agreement was reached in secret, and ARES got to work.

The Martian Uprisings started to get more difficult for Vander Aero Spacial Technologies to control. It was as if the Martians had inexplicably gotten far more effective in combat, and if they had gotten better weaponry and knowledge of the corporation’s tactics. The growth of the Martian Uprisings was such that the corporation started to lose encounters, and started to suffer ambushes and raids to their convoys. Public opinion of the corporation started to be extremely negative, and New Geneva remained quiet during the general scrutiny of the corporation’s competence to manage Mars. The next tragedy for the corporation was The Scorpion Affair. Scorpion Security was a medium-sized security corporation that had been hired by VAST to offer support on Mars, Scorpion Security was instructed to sanitize Gusev Colony as they had been told that an infection had started to spread to the Cyberbrains and NeuralNets of the inhabitants killing them. The fear was that the infection could spread to other colonies and become an issue. Scorpion complied with their orders and destroyed Gusev Colony. Two days later, video feeds were leaked to the public, showing the people in Gusev Colony carrying on with their daily lives before Scorpion Security’s attack destroyed the colony in its entirety.

The Martians were angry and willing to do whatever it took to send a clear message to the corporations, whom they saw as invaders, and setting their eyes on the perfect target, they made their way to Wayfar Colony and laid a siege on it. The siege lasted for three days and culminated in the destruction of the colony, billions of Sol Credits in corporate property loss, and considerable loss of life. Wayfar was a powerful symbol as the colony had been built over one of the oldest holy sites on Mars, and the Martians had finally sent a message, a very loud and clear message.

Second Corporate Occupation

The media scandal as well as the embarrassment of Wayfar led to the dissolution of Scorpion Security as a corporation, with the arrest and execution of most of their Board of Directors, as well as the dissolution of Vander Aero Spacial Technologies. Both corporations had their assets and accounts transferred to Advanced Research and Experimental Systems, and the contract of Mars was also transferred to ARES, and with that, their official designation as a Megacorporation with a seat in the New Geneva Council.

As the new proprietors of Mars, Advanced Research and Experimental Systems, under the direction and command of Adam Caine, established their main headquarters on Olympus Mons, reinforced all military posts, established hundreds of military checkpoints, and increased the number of patrols throughout the planet. Every day there was news of ARES putting down the Uprisings. Several reservations were built under ARES’ supervision and the rebellious Martians were given three options: Surrender and be assimilated into the corporate life, retire to one of the reservations that ARES had built, or continue their rebellious actions which would only lead to their destruction. While most Martians chose to remain rebels, there were several who decided to take ARES’ offer and either try to be part of the corporate life or join a reservation.

ARES also invested hundreds of millions of Sol Credits to build the Mars Orbital Defense Network, a series of massive railguns orbiting the planet that would double as the final line of defense in case of a planetary invasion, as well as a deterrent against other corporations who may try to take the Mars contract away from them. Phobos and Deimos became restricted areas, with Deimos being the location of the facility controlling the Orbital Defense Network. And finally, ARES deployed a fleet to orbit Mars, coordinated from a capital ship. Space lanes as well as orbital control checkpoints for incoming and departing spacecrafts were set. With this, ARES’ consolidation as the Megacorporation in charge was complete, and Mars became, at the time, the most secure corporate asset in the Sol System.

ARES increased their recruitment efforts, increasing their numbers and reinforcing their presence on the planet. With this, came the construction of Black Penal Facilities, maximum security prisons for corporate terrorists that officially did not exist, as well as military complexes in zones of conflict. In time, news of Martian Uprisings became scarce. The planet had been forcefully pacified.

As a final sign of defiance, ARES looked at the ruins of Wayfar and rebuilt it, raising a new colony over the ruins of the fallen one: Bigger, stronger, more resilient. ARES named it Hades Colony.

The Donovan Purge And The Demon Arrival.

The Donovan Commercial Cartel (DCC) is a criminal enterprise that deals with, among other things, drugs, prostitution rings, and security rackets in different Sky Cities and Space Stations. In the year 2488, they made their first big move: Mars. Eager to create new markets and establish themselves as the first Druglords of Mars, they sent a group to set their base of operations in the newly rebuilt and fully operational Hades Colony. Things seemed to go according to plan but six months after their arrival, ARES dispatched several squads to Hades Colony, put the colony in lockdown, and for the next six hours massacred the Cartel, soaking the streets with their blood and sanitizing every building the Cartel had occupied. The cartel had been wiped out in a matter of hours. Once that task was done, the lockdown was lifted and life carried on. There was never an official reason for such an action which led to wild speculation.

Less than a week after this event, the first records of Hidden Demon presence on Mars were recorded, with several Demons led by Kusanagi Akio. They established themselves in Hades Colony and started to work on spreading their influence, it’s unclear how fast were they accepted into the community, but the Demons started to uncover many secrets that Hades Colony, and Mars as a whole keep hidden.

The Safe Home Program And Martian Citizenship.

A month later, Advanced Research and Experimental Systems presented the Safe Home Program. Essentially, they were transferring every criminal of moderate to high level to Hades Colony and offering residents without criminal records of convictions a safe transfer to any other safer colony. The idea of this program was to remove the criminal element from all the colonies and send it to one colony in which they would be kept under watch. It wasn’t a prison, it was even cheaper than jailing the criminal elements. The Safe Home Program was a resounding success, effectively lowering criminality all over Mars in the coming months. The Hidden Demons increased their numbers almost at the same time.

As ARES consolidated its power over Mars, the Martian Citizenship Program was also introduced, it invited the corporate society to establish their businesses on Mars, and in return, they would receive exclusive privileges only attained by being a Citizen. Martians didn’t see this program with good eyes, as it changed the meaning of what being a Martian was, their identity was slowly but surely being erased. While ARES was the only authorized entity to grant citizenships on the planet, there were reports of many non-corporate entities being actually granted those citizenships and gaining access to privileges reserved for citizens.

Corporate Brutality And Improvements On Hades Colony.

A hologram statue of EREBOS, standing tall in the center of Hades Colony.

Through all the changes, ARES’ tactics against rebellious Martians continued unabated. As much as the Martians had grown with strategy and tactics, ARES had numbers and superior technology. Every day news with more dead or missing Martians would fill the media, and every day the corporate world would praise ARES for their efforts of keeping Mars under control and under corporate rule.

At the same time, changes and enhancements started to appear in Hades Colony. Improved streets and paths, and eventual changes like different protocols on surveillance equipment, even the AI that resides in the heart of the Colony seemed to have changed. Originally known as ADAM and a product of ARES, it was now known as EREBOS and had changed its appearance. People in Hades Colony would say that every now and then they would hear a whisper in the back of their minds and the closer they got to EREBOS, the louder the whispers became. It was as if EREBOS was trying to communicate somehow. For years, different people have tried to decipher what the AI is trying to say, whether anyone has succeeded or not remains unclear.

Clan Unification And War.

Aerial drone view of Hades Colony.

As time went on, and ARES carried on with the Martian Genocide, the main Clans of Mars were approached by the Hidden Demons multiple times. While the exact matter of these approaches is not known, what is known is that after several trials and tribulations, the Clans rekindled their alliances and remembered their origin as well. Even if they were all Martians, they had been living under a tribal mentality, separated from their brothers and sisters. Once the Clans were once again united, they looked to the Hidden Demons and named them the fifth main Clan on Mars, considering every Demon a true Martian.

For several weeks, things went on relatively quiet, until June 18th, 2490, when Kusanagi Akio hijacked the feeds and directed the ShadowNET to a message: He had been chosen to be the face of Martian Independence, calling out to ARES to relinquish their control over Mars, to pay reparations for the atrocities they had committed, and to New Geneva to remove all corporate presence from the planet. In the end, Kusanagi Akio gave ARES and New Geneva 24 hours to respond.

As the deadline came, New Geneva responded with mockery, and ARES set their sights on both the Hidden Demons and all of the Clans that decided to join them: The Martian War of Independence had begun.

The first thing ARES did was set a blockade and call for reinforcements, taking some of their fleets from active contracts and sending them to the Red Planet. The Orbital Defense Network was also changed to aim at the planet in case unauthorized ships attempted to leave it. Water and food were extremely restricted and means of leaving Mars were offered only to corporate figures and personalities.

The situation was dire, but as the Martians started to win encounters against ARES forces, those watching from different places in the Sol System started to think that the Martians actually had a shot, and if ARES was defeated, then New Geneva would be weakened, and in a new order in a liberated Mars, they wanted to be the first to profit off of the inexperienced leadership. Many corporations started to plot in secret how to send aid to Mars in exchange for the promise of consideration in the future. Unfortunately, ARES caught wind of this and started scouting the system for corporations that were sending aid to Mars, these efforts culminated in the destruction of two space stations, the disbanding of three corporations, and a refugee crisis. The destruction of two space stations meant that there were hundreds of thousands of panicked refugees in space shuttles looking for safe harbor, and while most sky cities and space stations looked forward to receiving them, they didn’t have much room for them, and most stations closed their doors, forcing these shuttles to keep circulating looking for open port. Some of these refugees ended up on Earth, which eventually proved to be lethal as none of them were prepared for the radiation in the atmosphere and the quality of the water and food. To make matters worse, Anthony Bancroft, now former Governor of Luna Colony, authorized billions of Sol Credits of their yearly budget to secure 90% of the food the synthetic farms in the system were producing and proceeded to close the doors of Luna Colony until the crisis had abated, creating yet another crisis.

Many started to call the Martian War of Independence the “War to burn the Sol System”. Its effects were brutal not only on the Red Planet but everywhere between the Belt and Venus.