[center][h1][color=black]BLACK[/color] [color=dimgray]VELVET[/color] [color=steelblue]SKY[/color][/h1]If we can see the horizon, we want to know what's beyond.
[color=gray][i]- Edwin Eugene "Buzz" Aldrin[/i][/color][/center][color=steelblue][h2]Introduction[/h2][/color][indent]In geosynchronous orbit above Seattle, Washington looms Boeing's massive Capital Ship Assembly Array (CSAA) where the NSS Eidolon, the first spacecraft with an axis exceeding one kilometer in length, nears completion. The massive ship marks a milestone for humanity's conquest of the stars, inspiring both triumph and fear. 54.6 million kilometers away, tense meetings are held on the partially terraformed Mars. Ever since a successful war for independence, the planet's inhabitants, colonists united as the Martian Free Republic, have nervously anticipated and prepared for retaliation by the de facto government of Earth, NATO. Even though the two organizations have formed a tenuous peace, military escalation on both sides continues.

And now, a new discovery threatens to plunge the Sol system into turmoil once again. NATO SIGINT organizations have intercepted covert interplanetary communications between the MFR and the independent Russian Federation. Partial decryption of these messages reveals heavy interest in a region of space previously thought to be of little importance. It is possible that whatever lies in this system offers a strategic advantage - one compelling enough to spur discussion of the possibility of an alliance. Investigation of these coordinates is now a top priority. That's where you come in.

As a top performer in your field, you are one of the best at what you do. Perhaps you work for a megacorporation, a nation state, or maybe you're a lone wolf freelancer. Regardless, you're needed for what could be one of the most delicate deep space exploration missions ever undertaken. NATO recruiters have contacted you directly to inquire about your interest in a classified operation involving revolutionary new technology just now becoming reality: the FTL drive. You are one of the few offered the chance to travel outside this solar system and explore the stars and planets in the galaxy beyond. Do you accept? Just sign on the dotted line, and we'll give you all the details...[/indent][color=steelblue][h2]Overview[/h2][/color][indent]Black Velvet Sky takes place within a universe both familiar and alien. I don't want to pin down our narrative by providing specific dates, but the initial setting is a relatively near-future Earth. Several important events have shaped the political and technological landscape. Firstly, the western world has united under the banner of NATO, turning a once military organization into a quasi-global government. As a result of this globalization, increases in computing power, and valuable asteroid mining, technological progress has continued to accelerate. Private space travel is now commonplace. Colonization began on the Moon, where a thriving community resides. The most ambitious, and tragic, of recent ventures has been the Mars project. 1/16th of the planet's surface has been terraformed into a verdant colony. Making a new home on Mars has been the dream of many until recent decades - until the Revolution. Tired of perceived slights from the NATO administration, a faction on the planet called the Martian Free Republic took advantage of the fact that spacefaring fleets, at the time, remained largely unarmed. By arming spacecraft and employing guerrilla tactics as well as terroristic planetary bombardment of Earth, public opinion forced NATO to capitulate and grant independence to the MFR. Unfortunately, the innocence of the space age was over. NATO handed over control of its fleets from NASA and other scientific organizations to the military and signed thousands of deals with prominent defense contractors. This funding allowed Sandia National Laboratories to build a functioning Casimir negative energy generator: the main component required for the, until now, purely hypothetical Alcubierre drive. FTL travel had almost instantly switched from a faint possibility to real technology. Now this new innovation will be put to the test.[/indent][color=steelblue][h2]Rules[/h2][/color][indent]These are here so you can make sure this game will be a good fit for you before investing your valuable time.

[b]Interaction:[/b][list][*] We will treat each other like we are all in the same room sitting at a table trying to have fun. Anonyminity is not an excuse for assholery.
[*] We are all partners in creating a collaborative fiction with equally valid contributions. Everyone (including the GM) will make their best effort to respect the choices a character makes. In return, everyone (including the GM) will make their best effort to have their characters behave in a way consistent with their personality and environment. Please no god-modding or metagaming, unless your character is actually a god. Then go for it.
[*] Please try to keep as much interaction as possible in public. If scheming must be done in private, by all means, start a PM. But it works better if we can call stay up to speed on what's going on.
[/list]
[b]Posting:[/b][list][*] A post order will be enforced.
[*] On your turn, you will have one week (seven 24-hour days) to make a post.
[*] If there is something your character must absolutely respond to out of order, immediately make a post indicating you're going to interject, then edit it ASAP with actual content. Please have this content done within 12 hours to avoid slowing things down.[/list]
[b]Content:[/b][list][*] The following subjects should be avoided: anything prohibited by forum rules, obviously. Fair warning: I like to offer my players difficult ethical choices in the course of the game. At risk of being trite, if watching the evening news bothers you, this may not be the game for you. However, explicit violence, language, etc. should be the exception, not the rule. The majority of this game should be right around PG-13. If something bothers you, send me a PM - we can work it out one way or another.
[*] Reading text in long, semi-comprehensible, unpunctuated blocks makes me do irrational things like quitting roleplays and committing myself to a life of isolation and self-denial as a monk in a Benedictine abbey. Please have mercy, as I will read everything you post. Use punctuation, separate your text into paragraphs, and use spellcheck if you need it.
[*] I encourage romance. Fade anything unredeemably saccharine to black.[/list]
I think that pretty much covers it. Please ask if you need clarification about anything.[/indent][color=steelblue][h2]Characters[/h2][/color][indent]I will be posting my character as the first post in the character tab. This is a guideline for what I expect: an overview of your character's basic physical attributes, a history of their education and work/life experience, and a vignette establishing them in the world. Feel free to diverge/expand if it will enrich your character. Please post your work in this tab (OOC) for review. I'd like to keep the Characters tab for final sheets only please. After your character is posted and accepted they will be contacted privately for a NATO psych evaluation and transportation will be arranged to a classified location for initial briefing with the other members of the crew.[/indent][hr][b]DISCLAIMER:[/b] I'm not a physicist/astronomer/very smart person. I just write code. I'm aiming for hard SF here but there's bound to be some stuff that just doesn't make sense. Please don't hate me too much.