Theme

''' This is a provisional draft document. Details may change prior reaching the final version. '''

Introduction
When role-playing on Champions Mush characters will be interacting with each other and with the campaign world. Champions MUSH Theme provides the information needed for the latter. Our Theme describes what Colonial Bay City, and the campaign world, is like in the future of Champions MUSH. What sort of political entities exist, which agencies and organizations characters will encounter, who the important and significiant persons in the campaign are, the history of a world fifty years ahead of our own that has been shaped by the presence of superhuman heroes and villains.

The information in our Theme is necessarily brief and paints the campaign world in broad strokes of the artist's brush. It is not possible to describe fifty years of future history in any detail without this document becoming excessively long to write, and tediously long to read. So our aim here is just to show the framework of future history, the events which have shaped the campaign world as the characters know it, and to provide sufficient detail of the world in which your characters will be role-playing to let you immerse yourself into the campaign setting.

Some incidents, in particular some of the relatively recent incidents, have sufficient continuing influence on the campaign world that a more detailed look at them is sometimes warranted. Such incidents may get a mention in Theme but the detailed account of such incidents will usually be found in scene logs.

The history of the campaign is that of an alternative world. The very existence of superhumans ensures that is going to be the case. Champions MUSH is set on the world of Earth, fifty years ahead of our own world. The general history of Earth-1 is virtually identical to that of the world you really live in, until about the year 1900. After that, there is a divergence, because in the world of Champions MUSH, superheroes and supervillains appeared on the scene.

The term Meta-Human is used in the world of Champions MUSH to refer to anyone with extra-ordinary powers and abilities. This term is synonymous with Superhuman. In the world of CM, people with such powers are usually referred to in-character as Metas. This is true even for someone who's not actually a biological human being, for example someone alien to Earth. It's also used, technically inaccurately, to refer to those who use external means to provide their powers, such as an Ironman type power armor suited hero, or an exceptional skilled normal with martial arts training, etc.. Basically, in game terms, if your character is built on the standard point allocation he or she is classed as a Meta.

History
No one knows for sure how long superhumans have walked our planet. It is suspected that some of the great legends of the past, those about Hercules and King Arthur for instance, may have been inspired by the actions of early superhumans. What is certain is that the first documented superhumans appeared during World War II. The Nazis were the first to use "capes" - sending them in ahead of their blitzkrieg attacks and using them to help keep the conquered populations in line.

Fortunately, it wasn't long before superhumans began springing up to help the Allied cause. At first, they kept their actions as secretive as possible. Rumors and guesses were all that was known about these first heroes, until one of them, Captain Star, finally stepped forward to speak. What he said changed the world forever.


 * "Do not be afraid of us, or of what we can do. We are not perfect by any means. We are human, just like anyone else. And like anyone else, we can make mistakes. Some of us will not always choose the best path; that you've already seen. But I can promise you that I and all of those who share my vision will always put our abilities to use on behalf of all of mankind. We are here. We are here to stay." 

The Captain's words would prove to be accurate. He and his companions fought long and hard, and at great sacrifice, to help defeat the Nazis. Following the war, more and more superhumans began to spring up, most of them falling in line with Captain Star, although a few, unfortunately, decided to put their powers to use for themselves and became the world's first supervillains.

Some of the most notorious and powerful organizations ever known to man were being created just as Hitler was being defeated. One of these was VIPER. Hoping to take advantage of a new and chaotic world, several of the planet's richest, most ruthless, and powerful businesmen came together and laid the foundations for VIPER. Their goal was nothing short of world domination. The plan was to pool their resources to create a global financial empire, and to then use those monies to fund their own army of agents and hired villains.

For almost a decade, VIPER prepared, and planned, and then planned some more. Largely independently operating VIPER Nests were established in major cities. Giant international cartels were established. Before long, VIPER was wealthier than all but the largest nations. VIPER agents had infiltrated the governments of several nations, including the United States.

Fortunately for the world, VIPER hadn't taken into account the superheroes. Teams of superhumans, organized by an aging Captain Star, had gotten wind of the plot and launched their own first strike against VIPER. Many VIPER Nests were smashed, the plot collapsed, and more than one VIPER leader was captured.

Although the day was saved, the world was shaken. People realized how close VIPER had come to victory. Although grateful to the heroes, no one wanted to come that close ever again. An emergency meeting of the United Nations to discuss the matter resulted in the creation of UNTIL. It's purpose, to combat all forms of international crime, specifically terrorists on the level of VIPER. Before too long, UNTIL's role was expanded to include the monitoring and control of supervillains as well.

During World War II, superhumans had taken part in the fighting of the war on both sides. Now though, everyone seemed more interested in staying out of such things. The Vietnam war had pretty much turned off many heroes from wars in general. Villains began to see more profit in working for themselves, rather than risking their lives in some government's cause. More and more, superhumans were creating their own culture. The villains were out to use their powers for personal gain, and the heroes were out to stop them.

The 1980's saw a dramatic upswing in active superhero population, as it became 'cool' to be a hero once again. Unforunately, along with the increase in the number of heroes, the number of villains also increased, and apparently much more rapidly. Perhaps the "decade of greed" caused those who had super-powers to decide to be greedy rather than noble. Perhaps the return of VIPER to the scene, apparently more organized and under better leadership than before, had something to do with it.

Whatever the cause, by the late 1990s, there were many super-villains abroad, and only a handful of heroes, in relative numbers, to stop them. Heroes often banded together into "teams" for protection against these villains, and to more efficiently cooperate to stop them.

Timeline 2000 - 2064
2001 - Terrorists hi-jack four airliners in the United States. Superhero teams with fast flyers or teleporters in their ranks converge on the incident and deal with the hi-jackings before the news even reaches the public. The terrorists are tried as criminals, convicted, and sentenced to life imprisonment. In a major policy speech after the incident President Bush rejects calls by hard-liners to declare a War on Terror and states that terrorists are criminals to be dealt with by the rule of law.

2004 - Substantial resources are discovered in the Siberian wastelands by a hired team of Japanese geological consultants. With remarkable foresight, the Russian Confederation auction the rights to exploit the resources on the open market while retaining a major stock-holding in the new developments. The financial rewards go a long way to solving many of the structural problems faced by the Russian Confederation. Separatist movements in the Russian states effectively collapse when the Russian Bear becomes wealthy, with several of the break-away states rejoining the Confederation. Russia once again becomes a major power in the world.

2005 - Attempting to fulfill his 'Walk among the Stars' campaign promise, President Bush substantially increases NASA funding and fuels private industry's interest in space with the announcement of a series of Presidential Prizes to be awarded for achieving certain milestones in space exploration and development. Later in the year Harriman Industries wins one of the Presidential Prizes by reaching orbit in Spacecraft-1 using an experimental plasma drive propulsion system.

2008 - The European Consortium officially ends. Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Iceland form the Scandanavian Trade Union. Because of the cultural similarities in the STU it succeeds where the EC failed. STU launches a major intiative in underwater exploration after the discovery of substanial off-shore deposits of rhodium and palladium.

2009 - Ireland is reunited into a single independent nation. That is not the end of the sectarian problems in that troubled land however. The dissolution of the EC has left Ireland without its previous primary trading partner. IBM moves its development division to Ireland when the Irish government make the offer of tax-free status for a decade. This triggers the start of an information technology Renaissance in Ireland eventually rivalling the East Asian region.

2013 - Shortly after a new Emir takes the throne in Saudi Arabia, the 'Unification War' rages across most of the Middle East. Israel is not attacked during the war and remains uninvolved in it. The Middle East is united under the flag of the United Arab Empire. The war officially concludes in six months with less than a million total casualties. However violence continues at a lower level with sectarian militias fighting each other for resources and power within the new governing regime. The UN Security Council remains deadlocked during the period of the war with Russia vetoing any unified response.

Award-winning blockbuster motion picture 'Eternal Friend' stars Haley Joel Osment as an alien who visits a world not prepared to accept his existence. Told from Jaquaal's (Osment's) point of view, he befriends the inhabitants despite heavy odds. In the classic Osment twist ending, the unforgiving world is revealed to be Earth.

2014 - NASA shuttle Delivery successfully tests a fusion engine which has been licenced from Harriman Industries. . This achievement is overshadowed however when a few months later a private firm, Outreach Inc., manages to achieve two seconds of FTL travel before the spacecraft explodes killing its test pilot, Jack Russell. Further development of the FTL drive comes to a stop when the United States Air Force tries to classify and take control of the FTL technology on the grounds of National Security. The legal action resulting from this threatens to continue for several years.

2015 - First Contact with extraterrestrials is established when an alien spacecraft lands in Colonial Bay City, Virginia. Local superhero StarDancer is the first inhabitant of Earth to speak to the aliens. Interested individuals should read Earth and the Guild by the noted Yale historian Hubert Schulein for the definitive account. Five years of 'alien mania' sweeps the planet before the fad finally comes to an end. During all this time the aliens remain extremely reclusive and restrict contact with Earth to the United Nations.

2017 - The first 'Cold Fusion' reactors begin operating and providing power. These are hugely expensive to construct and only economical when used to replace full sized power plants. The science-fiction vision of unlimited power from a small box hasn't been achieved yet. The cost is so great that only a few countries can afford them. However it's precisely these large industrized countries that have the highest power consumption. Oil market prices drop dramatically when the first cold fusion plants go into operation.

2018 - In the face of economic collapses, nations in Central and South America turn to each other for mutual support. The trend continues for several years, leading to the formation of a regional governmental body in 2024.

2019 - With the establishment, finally, of a permanent orbital space station, NASA begins yearly shuttle trips to the asteroid belt to transport raw materials back to Earth. Smelting and refining of most of these raw materials is carried out in orbit to reduce environmental impact on Earth. Some processes require a gravity field and so a facility is established on the Moon for this purpose. Economically this is a break-even proposition at best due to the small quantity of raw material that can be returned from the asteroids but it's considered as a research project rather than a commercial one.

2021 - Four years of development work on cold fusion technology has brought the cost of a cold fusion power plant down a level that is affordable by a large city. With abundant electrical energy available at low price per kilowatt-hour, electrical vehicles become the norm in urban areas, while rural and long distance routes are served by hydrogen powered fuel-cell vehicles, the hydrogen coming from cheap electrolysis of water.

The refining facility on Earth's Moon has grown into a colony with a population of several hundred. On Mars a few hardy individuals have set up a martian colony, naming the settlement Barsoom City, after hiring space capable metas to transport themselves and their supplies to the red planet.

The United Nations sets up a prison on the far side of the moon for the worse and most powerful super criminals. The prison is named Tranquillity and run by UNTIL.

2023 - Casablanca, in West Africa, is destroyed in a nuclear accident. West Africa, impoverished and beset by an incompetent and corrupt governance, was still using fission reactors for power. The accident also contaminated the area around the city with highly radioactive fallout. The region is quarantined for fifty years.

The tragic accident that destroyed Casablanca is cynically used by media tycoon Robert Westwood. Media outlets owned by the tycoon promote an anti-science campaign seemingly intended to boost the corporation's ratings. When the campaign seems to strike a chord with many people who are fearful and ignorant of science a number of political opportunists jump onto the bandwagon. This becomes known as the Neo-Luddite Movement. (note: The author of the controversial book - Guilded Promises, Alien Lies - claims the Guild instigated and supported the Neo-Luddites with the intention of slowing Earth's scientific progess.)

Funding for science research is slashed dramatically. Tax breaks for private companies investing in research are cancelled. Repressive laws are passed in many countries banning AIs, cloning, genetic engineering, and other scientific activities. By the time the hysteria starts to diminish it's estimated that almost a decade of technological development has been lost. Many of the repressive laws remain in force to this current day. Westwood's name enters the lexion beside that of Joe McCarthy.

2025 - The multiple treaties in South and Central America are reformed into the CDA, for Confederacion de Americas, an economic alliance of the member nations.

2028 - In a well planned and executed coup, a VIPER splinter group captures multiple diamond mines in Southern Africa, along with assassinating several national leaders. Although it is suspected by UNTIL that the assassinations were originally intended merely to disrupt any organized opposition to the take-over of the diamond mines, popular uprisings occur in the region in support of the VIPER splinter group due to the extreme degree of corruption of the assassinated leaders. Almost by accident the VIPER splinter group find themselves in control of much of Southern Africa. Most of the remainder of VIPER joins the successful splinter group. The new nation of Zu is formed.

2032 - A devastating earthquake originating in China strikes much of Asia. China is hit worst with Beijing effectively being leveled to the ground and the entire government and administration killed. The new leadership of the nation closes its borders and refuses outside aid. Other nations, especially Japan and Taiwan, are also badly hit by the massive earthquake.

2034 - Rebuilding after the devastating 2032 earthquake, Japan and Taiwan use the disaster relief aid provided to modernize their infrastructures and then quickly becomes even more highly technologically advanced, setting standards that the rest of the world cannot match.

2037 - United States President Patrick O'Reilly is assassinated by a team of supervillains. Those captured at the scene, and others tracked down later, were tried, convicted, and executed. Several US laws relating to dealing with superhumans and superpowers are passed shortly after the assassination. These laws become collectively known as the O'Reilly Laws in the United States.

2050 - The United Nations officially becomes United Earth, although a few nations refuse to join United Earth, authorized by member nations as the official organization for all extraterrestrial affairs. The Guild representative informs the new organization the formation of a global authority accomplishes criteria #3 of the requirements for galactic acceptance. No information is provided regarding the remaining criteria.

As part of the transformation of the United Nations (UN) into United Earth (UE) the UNTIL agency is split into two new agencies: United Earth Marshal's Service (UEMS) is responsible for terrorism and meta-criminal activities, and Starguard is given responsibility for alien affairs.

2058 - In a major reorganisation of its law enforcement agencies, United Earth has removed all responsibility for alien affairs on Earth and assigned them to UEMS. Starguard is now tasked only with alien issues in space. This reorganisation has been accompanied by a substantial cut in funding for Starguard, resulting in local Starguard branches closing across the world. One such branch to face closure is the Colonial Bay Starguard, leaving no Starguard presence in the city where first contact was made forty-four years ago.

United States Presidents
What follows is the list of US presidents in the Champions MUSH timeline. Remember, this is what happened on Earth-1, not in the real world. Three parties (after 2010) are represented, R – Republican, D – Democrat, F – Federalist (founded by Maxwell Lord in 2010).

2000 – 2004 George W. Bush (R) Despite historians eventually declaring George W Bush as being one of the 'Great Presidents' he has a difficult and troubled first term after the attack on 9/11. The more hawkish of his own party harshly criticize the president over his statesmanlike response to the incident.

2004 – 2008 George W. Bush (R) Narrowly defeats John Kerry after Osama Bin Laden is captured days before balloting. Bush pushes American businesses to expand on all frontiers, including space.

2008 – 2012 Elizabeth Dole (R) Elizabeth Dole becomes the first woman president. Her term is unremarkable other than the election, in which both parties selected African-American Vice Presidential candidates.

Maxwell Lord is elected to the US Senate in 2010 as the first Federalist in 200 years. His split from the Republican party launches a new powerful third party in American politics, devoted to de-centralizing government power and returning it to states and municipalities.

2012 – 2016 Hillary Clinton (D) Hillary pushes through major changes to health care and welfare, resulting in improved standards of living across the board, despite a sluggish economy and taxation at levels never seen before.

2016 – 2020 Maxwell Lord (F) As president, Lord manages to maintain normalcy despite massive upheavals, and the spectre of a second Great Depression is averted. Lord comes to be known as the great de-regulator.

2020 – 2024 Maxwell Lord (F) An uneventful second presidential term.

2024 – 2028 Dean Smith (R) An uneventful first presidential term.

2028 – 2032 Dean Smith (R) Despite a brilliant re-election campaign, mediocrity was was Smith's watchword during his second term. He is blamed for the VIPER incident in Africa and failure to help China after the Asian earthquake.

2032 – 2036 Daniel O'Reilly (D) O'Reilly was a tough anti-crime advocate, both regular and metahuman, championing a number of tough criminal law bills.

2036 – 2037 Daniel O'Reilly (D) He was assassinated in 2037 by a team of supervillains. Those captured at the scene, and others tracked down later were executed. The body of laws dealing with superhumans and superpowers becomes collectively known as the O'Reilly Laws.

2037 – 2040 Constance Vance (D) Daniel O'Reilly's Vice President assumes office.

2040 – 2044 Frederick J. Purvis (F) Purvis wins based on a strong military/defense platform, pointing back to the Smith administration, and the first American generation that doesn't have a war in living memory.

2044 – 2048 William Cavanaugh (D) Overspending by Purvis and a slow economy brings Cavanaugh into office. Economy begins rising again.

2048 – 2052 William Cavanaugh (D) Cavanaugh is re-elected. However increased taxes due to a renewed slowing of the economy plague his presidency.

2052 – 2056 Allen Illom (R) Allen Illom, a dark-horse in the runnings, surprises both Democrats and Fedralists by winning the election based on reducing taxes. Some feel that Allen Illom is not human but actually an android. He speaks with a monotone voice and is brilliant with figures in debates.

2056 - 2060 Allen Illom (R) Several rather pragmatic metahumans discover Allen Illom, the then current president of the United States, was being mind-controlled by an unknown person or group. Given that Illom has been one of the most successful and effective presidents of recent times during the period he has been under mind control they take no action regarding this discovery.

2060 - 2064

Metahumans and Society
The attitude of most governments and the public towards metahumans, aliens, etc., is one of profound neutrality. The world of Champions MUSH is not like that of the X-Men. There is no overall hostility towards mutants, metas, and aliens. A superhero might be admired and respected, a supervillain feared and reviled, but these attitudes will be formed because of their actions and not because they are metahumans.

Individuals can be biased and bigoted. The mere existence of the Allied Champions of Earth (ACE) group is proof of that. Such individuals, in positions of power, may be able to subvert some small part of an official organisation into hostility. Other such individuals might band together in active support of their particular insanity. These incidences are exceptions, however, not the rule. There is no global organisation dedicated to hunting down metahumans, no mainstream political party running on a program of hatred towards metahumans and aliens.

Although there is nothing in United Earth law that requires it, and the same is true for the laws of virtually all regional governments, the majority of metahumans stay well clear of involvement in politics. It's almost as if there is an unwritten agreement; normal human society does not discriminate against metahumans as a group and metahumans as a group make no attempt to control the affairs of normal humans. Supervillains do tend to break this unwritten agreement however.

Over the last hundred years superpowers have become considerably more common. As such, rules and regulations concerning their use were passed. Public outcry and legal battles ensued, finally resolving into situations that both sides could more or less live with.

Superpowers may be voluntarily registered, with policies and procedures similar to registering firearms. Using a superpower in the commission of a crime increases the severity of the crime; more so if the superpower is unregistered. Legal code defines the use of any superpower against the unwilling as a crime equivalent to assault. If the superpower in question is mental or does physical harm, the charge increases accordingly.

Magic and Magicians
Magic is a unique force in the world of CM. It can cover MANY different applications and uses, from a blast of freezing cold, to a fireball, to healing a person, to opening a gate to another world. We understand that magic is a rather ... undefined force, and would like to ask all players to make it a point to define their character's style of magic and role-play within that style. Is your character a voodoo witch doctor that animates the dead? Then don't buy a fireball spell. Or instead a master of the elemental forces of nature? Then shy away from Necromancy and dimensional travel spells.

We do not impose any one interpretation of magic on Champions MUSH. One player's character may summon his magical power from another dimension. Another character may have signed a pact with powerful ancient beings, or draw their power from a divine source, manipulate the ambient forces of nature, derive power from meditation, or create magical effects from the sheer power of her mind, etc..

Magic can be benign, malevolent, or neutral. As can those who wield it. Magicians may conform to the nature of their magical power, using benign magic for good and malevolent magic for evil. They might instead twist the nature of their magic to different ends, struggling to balance the use of dark magic with good intentions.

Most, but not all, non-player character magicians will fit in one of the following three categories.

White Magi - They work for the common good of the people, often putting themselves on the line to save or benefit others.

Gray Magi - They usually study magic for the sake of the knowledge. They may intervene on the behalf of others, or may just as readily strike down white and black magi alike. Always wild cards, gray magicians tend to be self-absorbed.

Black Magi - The dark ones. Many Black Magi have gained their powers through a treaty with an entity or other extra-dimensional being. Others have learned the hard way through years of training and study. One common thread unites all both types. They lust for forbidden power, and the ability to exert it over the common man.

There are several magical groups in the game world of Champions MUSH. These groups are described in detail in the Organizations pages. Some of the more powerful and influential of these groups are:

Coven - A group of witches, both male and female, who's sole purpose is attainment of personal power and self-gratification.

Demon - A group of apparently techo-wizards that champion the cause of their dark lords re-entering the world.

The Cabal - A breakaway group of Demon whose apparent goal is the destruction of its parent organization. Unfortunately the methods employed tend to be destructive and corrupting.

The Lodge - A group of magicians that see control of mortal institutions as essential as the mastering of arcane arts. They seek control of the world, if only to be its shepherds.

The White Council - A loose association of white magicians who fight magical threats to the safety and security of the world.

Supernatural Creatures
Mythological and supernatural creatures, such as vampires, werewolves, etc., do exist in the game world. However, each one is a unique individual. Forget the World of Darkness, Anne Rice, and other film and novel sources. There is no parallel secret civilization of supernatural/mythological creatures. This means there are no vast ancient vampire clans, large werewolf packs, no secret vampire masters that really run everything, and so on. Each such creature is simply a superhuman/alien/supernatural entity, just like any other super powered character. Like other super powered characters they might band together in teams or groups. But those groupings are on a par with the average hero or villain team, and not secretive powerful organizations of hundreds or thousands of individuals.

Throughout history certain superhuman abilities have become associated with certain myths. So any superhuman that is supernaturally strong with mental powers, a dependence on blood and an aversion to sunlight tends to get called a Vampire. Similarly shape-shifting supers that turn into large animal forms get identified as Lycanthropes. The important point is that each such creature has a unique origin and may or may not exhibit the various powers and weakness popularized in various myths and legends. They may be from another dimension, suffering from a family curse, been bitten by a radioactive wolf, have a traditional origin, or whatever.

In the eyes of the law and society as a whole, they are judged just like any other superhuman. If they act heroic, they are considered heroes, if they act villainous and embrace their darker mythic elements, they are considered villains. The dividing line between shootable zombies and arrestable vampires is the possession of sentience. Killing a lycanthrope or a vampire is no different in the eyes of the law than killing any other character in the game. If you cannot justify the killing of a normal villain in the same circumstances, killing Dracula will see your character charged with murder, convicted, and imprisoned.

Each supernatural character is a unique case. One vampire may have been bitten by another superhuman with a transformation attack. Another may have been cursed by witch. Another may have made a pact with an extra-dimensional entity. Yet another may have been infected with a techno-virus that reconfigured their metabolism. So what makes a person a Vampire, Werewolf, Lich, etc.?

Self identification for the most part, and a set of powers that overlap with the mythological picture of a vampire. So if you have superhuman strength and agility and mind control but dress like a matador and call yourself Captain Cassanova, you're not a vampire. But if you dressed like a stereotypical goth-dude and called yourself Alucard Bloodcaller, most folks would think you were a vampire, even if you were not.

How are they different from any other superhuman? The short answer is -- there is no difference. The longer answer is, they effectively have a 0 point Reputation complication - thought of as a mythological vampire, which is usually good for a negative opinion from your average normal. Of course, if you're a leprechaun instead of a vampire, people might think better of you, or at least pester you about your pot of gold instead of wanting to drive a stake through your heart.

Such characters are just as much people as any other superhuman. And they are as alive as any other superhuman. (Depending on Physical Complications, may not be able to do everything a normal could, but that doesn't make them less alive.)

What about that Vampire Dude PC who's making all sorts of wild claims about Master Vampires and Vampire Clans and Vampire Credit Unions? Well, he's deluded, mistaken, or lying, or all of the above. Characters can believe whatever they like. That doesn't make it true within the game world.

Sentient Primates
Since early 2055, sentient monkeys live and work amongst humans in some areas in the United States. They live in small communities and their population is minute compared to humanity. However, there is a large concentration of sentient monkeys and primates in Colonial Bay because of their origin there. Sentient monkeys have almost the same rights as most humans in the United States. If they turn to crime they are treated like criminals. Sentient monkeys usually perform manual labor and work jobs with low pay. They are often times treated like illegal immigrants.

Space Monkey, alias Chester, was an experimental test monkey chosen to ‘pilot’ one of the first experimental faster-than-life drives to test whether the stresses involved would be too much for a human being. However, his crude vessel was detected in mid-flight by a passing alien vessel.

Unfortunately, their sensor scan destabilized Chester’s delicate engine and caused a cascade failure. Chester was teleported to safety within the alien craft just as his own vessel tore itself apart. Chester was badly injured, and his alien rescuers blamed themselves for his apparent loss of intelligence. After years of effort, they devised the Evolite Serum designed to supercharge his remaining brain function, vastly increasing his intelligence and reaction speed. As a result, Space Monkey was born.

To show their regret over the destruction of his craft, the aliens had their massive ship construct a new small Sentient Saucer for him to return in. However, in their grief, they forgot to remove the new ship’s limited manufacturing capacity or purge its memory banks of the formula for the special serum and some defensive weaponry. As a result, Chester returned home with the capacity to manufacture the tools of liberation in which to lead his monkey brethren in a revolt against their human oppressors. The revolt failed spectacularly, and the Space Monkey was quickly apprehended.

However, by that time, the Evolite Serum had been used on dozens of other monkeys and the Sentient Saucer was able to find a number of new monkey figureheads to continue the campaign, only to have each of their schemes fail in turn due to a lack of the necessary ruthlessness and the superior numbers of the humans. Numerous samples of the Evolite Serum have since fallen into human hands and attempts to replicate the Serum have met with success.

Monkey Island
Monkey Island is a small heavily forested island off Colonial Bay’s coast. It was once a minor Star Guard research outpost. It has since been reconfigured as a home for roughly a third of the known sentient monkey population. With a skeleton crew of Star Guard personnel to assist in maintaining order, the primate residents largely govern themselves under the leadership of Tumbles.

While some consider it a prison, the residents have access to educational materials and human volunteers regularly visit to host classes designed to allow them to one day integrate themselves. The remaining sentient primate population works in small groups scattered throughout Colonial Bay, primarily in low-paying low-status jobs in the janitorial and fast food industries. A small number of sentient monkeys and other primates remain imprisoned by unethical organizations and corporations, either as test subjects or as enslaved researchers and inventors on illegal projects.

The island is home to a small number of mentalist monkeys (See Evolite Serum, effects of) including at least three of notable capability. The inhabitants of Monkey Island fought off an alien invasion with the assistance of Starguard Gamma and a Starguard Delta Squad, the efforts of the monkey mentalists being pivotal in that success. Despite the general low esteem in which sentient monkeys are regarded, there is a close working relationship and mutual respect between the sentient monkeys and Starguard personnel.

Links to Other Theme Pages
Science and Technology - Technology World Overview - Time Travel - Time Travel