Forever Zero : Chapter VIII
It is the year 090 of the Colony Century (CC), nine decades since humanity began its migration to the stars. As generations of pollution, overpopulation, and natural abuse took their toll upon the Earth, the human race has sought to balance its own survival with that of its birthplace. Now, millions of people have been relocated to gigantic orbiting space colonies called Arks, preserving themselves within artificial replicas of Earth environments. From bustling cities, to sprawling fields, to arid deserts, the Arks are filled with transplanted memories of home that have been brought into reality. As expected, however, nostalgia has not been the only thing brought along into space.
The creation of the Arks, and the declaration of the Earth Sphere, began as a peaceful and cooperative initiative of the United Alliance of Nations (UA). The Alliance, for the first time in its existence, had a common goal to work towards; none could deny the importance of preserving the Earth or humanity. However, in time, what began as simple overseeing of the colonies grew into virtual domination. With no government of their own, and no recognized culture, the colonies were treated as police states. Soon, they turned from institutions of science into dumping grounds for the poverty-stricken and "undesirables" of the human race.
In the past twenty years, the attitude towards the colonies has gotten worse. The Alliance government, following a fanatical environmental policy, has uprooted nearly half the human race, and transplanted it to the Arks. Those living in colonies, however, have not stood by idly. They have grown impatient and angry. Many are among the first generations to be born in space, and have never set foot on the planet that has controlled their lives. With the increasing abuses of the Earth and the rise of Newtypes, it was only a matter of time before open rebellion began.
A year ago, CC 089, the first shots were fired. The Grand Cross, a mysterious military organization originating from the colonies,
publicly declared that it had liberated two Arks from the tyranny of the Alliance. Its leaders called upon other colonists to rebel, setting off a chain-reaction as decades of pent-up anger exploded over space. The Grand Cross swept through colony after colony, their wide public support making opposition almost non-existent. When armed opposition actually arose, they would make short work of it with their teams of Newtype soldiers, and advanced weapons called mobile suits.
Though its military was far larger, the Alliance was unable to halt the Grand Cross rebellion. The UA's fleet of warships, mobile armors and walkers were no match for the human-like versatility of mobile suits. What began as a random series of uprisings has grown into a full-fledged war as the Alliance struggles to retake the Arks. Yet, even as battlefields
erupt across space, there are those who remain totally outside them. In barely a year, the war has grown long and hard for both sides, but some areas have not been touched by it at all.
Ark Nova is such a place.
Since the opening days of the fighting, Nova has declared itself neutral. Its administrators took advantage of the turmoil to separate it from both the Alliance and the Grand Cross, forming an independent "nation" until things calm down. Unfortunately, Nova is literally in the middle of the war's path, between the core of the Grand Cross colonies and the planet Earth. Surprisingly, both sides have recognized Nova's neutrality, declaring the Ark a no-man's-land that shall be excluded from all operations. Alliance and Grand Cross ships often
dock at it, coming in for supplies, or simply recreation, but always under the obligation to leave the war outside.
The colony is one of the largest in existence, a closed cylinder measuring almost forty miles in length and ten in diameter. Most of its interior is dedicated to either the thriving city or lush wilderness, which is as well-balanced as the people. Its population has managed to live in relative peace, Naturals and Newtypes working together with little prejudice. Though, like in every society, a negative element does exist, few living on Nova have any desire to get involved in the conflict. Most are content to live their lives, tending to their daily routines, and indulge in a little fun now and then.
But what might seem real is only one layer of the truth. Beneath it, lies another story, and another, and another, each more profound than the tale they hide behind. When taken in perspective, even the encompassing force of total war cannot drown out the potential nor the significance of a single human being. The life of an individual can mean more than an entire society, telling more in half a lifetime than generations of history could ever offer. Nova is a place where such rich, hidden stories thrive, and where your life may be even more incredible than even you realize.
Over the course of its story, Forever Zero has pushed the original vision of the Gundam Wing After Colony universe beyond its limits. We have allowed it to grow and thrive into something that is totally our own; something to be proud of. Yet, even growth, in the most positive sense, has its drawbacks. There are times when, as the size of the playing field has increased, so has the difficulty in telling our stories. With interaction being the very foundation of this RPG, it is vital that we maintain an environment that
nurtures it to the fullest extent.
Chapter 8 takes our contribution to the Gundam saga to a place never fully explored before. Though set in a new continuity, ripe with conflict and grandiose events, our focus is not on interplanetary war, or even the troubles of the Earth Sphere. Instead, we look inward,
focusing our attention upon a single space colony. Ark Nova begins as the world of Chapter 8, providing an environment that is constructed by the player characters. They are the residents, the workers, the business owners, the police officers, the criminals... the people of this colony. Their stories grow and evolve alone and with one another, with the threat of war nurturing details as they please.
Is this world too small? By no means. Ark Nova itself is a gigantic colony, expanded further by the benefits of its cyberspace network. Worlds exist within this one world, offering the capacity for new stories. Our traditional war story remains at its core, but is by no means an obligation, or a straightjacket. It is more of a wild card element, tossed in to make things even more interesting than they already are.
