While Erudessa had signed up to join the first ever colonization effort, the selection process seemed more like a speed dating system than an emigration interview. At first, the interviewers focused on her science credentials, and they appeared impressed by her research in olfactory healing, but they revealed their true colors shortly after their eyes glazed over. Their questions turned to her personality - "What do you find attractive in a man?" "Tell us about an average day in your life." "How are you with children?" Her answers must have been adequate, because she got an email notice of acceptance a few days later.

The launch ceremony began a week later. She almost didn't make it in time - the lab director gave her cleanup duty before closing time, and she arrived five minutes early panting and out of breath. Unfortunately, the lines were not as kind to her, and she found herself standing awkwardly during the speaker's introduction until a kind group of people ushered her into a seat.
"Thank you," she whispered to the pretty redhead next to her.
"A pleasure. Name's Judy. Judy Rawling. Nice to meet you."
"My name is Erudessa Durvain. The pleasure is all mine."
They bumped fists and directed their attention up front.

The speaker had just finished telling a flat joke, earning similarly flat laughs. "...so anyway, I suppose you're all wondering about last week's interview. This Colony Project, hosted by our amazing sponsors at SpaceRoid Incorporated, will tackle three goals: To test the effectiveness of the Council's terraforming efforts, to show that Crescent citizens can adapt to any environment they find themselves, and to establish a firm cultural foothold for the future. To that end, we have taken the liberty of matchmaking single men and women who are compatible in both personality and career. You are, of course, free not to enter into any relationship, but you will still be paired with a partner for the duration of your stay, and the Ministry of Culture recommends entering a union for pragmatic purposes. Return transports will be provided in case you ever wish to return. I'll let our other speaker fill you in on the details."

As the next speaker made his points, Erudessa couldn't help feeling a little excited. God knew how long she'd been looking for a spouse. She'd employed dating sites and professional matchmakers, but until now, she'd been unable to find a single promising man who wasn't either turned off by her intellect or her high social status. But here, not only would all that work be done for her, but he was likely to have similar employment. Erudessa and Judy shared a hi-five.

"...and that's all, folks! A psi-com will issue you a number, and your match will have the same number. When a staff member calls your number, step forward and board the shuttle."

The psi-com droned out a number in her mind. [i]Number twelve.[/i]

An attendant called out the first couple. "Number One! Step forward Number One!" A man and a woman stepped out of the crowd. Erudessa bounced on her toes as she awaited the fateful number twelve. [i]Here goes forever![/i]
__________

Welcome to The Faraway Land, an original sci-fi/fantasy series set in the far future. This scenario will lean toward sci-fi. Both our characters are citizens of the Crescent Empire, an advanced spacefaring superpower that recently gained independence from the United Nations and settled a habitable world on Alpha Centauri. The Immortal Council is the highest ruling body in the republic, made up of the seven most powerful men and women in the universe (whom we will NOT be playing in this RP). Each Immortal can wield incredible magic, able to shape whole worlds to their whims. One such Immortal terraformed Aion into a habitable world over the span of about ten years. However, terraforming is thought to draw the attention of higher powers, because it always pans out unpredictably, and brand new species of plants and animals appear that no one introduced to the environment. For this reason, settling a newly terraformed world is fraught with unforeseen hazards, and our characters are among the first colonists to set foot on the world.

The challenges of frontier life are best tackled with a trustworthy partner, which is why the Ministry of Culture recommends bringing a spouse. You will play the role of a male selected to match with Erudessa Durvain.

Erudessa Durvain is a scientist, as you may have guessed from the intro. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Percille University with a doctorate in Arcane Healing (so in D&D terms, she's a cleric), and is employed as a researcher in Luther & Von's R&D divison (a prominent Disease Management corporation). You'll find her to be mildly sassy, cheerful on most days (even without coffee), and a stubborn lover.

I should probably discuss politics briefly, but I know the subject is touchy these days, so it's entirely optional if you're interested. This is where most of the real sci-fi kicks in, and may or may not be reflective of how real life operates.
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The Crescent Empire is a Federation, divided into States by continent. The federal government tries to keep as low a profile as possible, involving itself in state and individual affairs only when absolutely necessary. State governments, however, vary wildly in public policy, ranging from small-government capitalist to outright communist. People are free to live under whatever state government they choose, so long as they're willing to pack up and move there. Public debates are a popular form of entertainment, made considerably more exciting by the recent legalization of dueling. This is the main reason politicians tend to be upstanding citizens - if they're not, they get called out and shot in the Central Arena on Crescent Prime (Alpha Centauri b).

In the gaps where municipal, state, and federal governments lack control, corporations run the show. Unlike in 21st century America, where corporations were thought to be puppeteers corrupting politics for their own gains, here in the Empire, they hold little sway in the political sphere, thanks to a few judicious amendments to the constitution. Because of their tremendous positive impact on the national economy, they enjoy a largely positive reputation in the empire, and are responsible for running most of the empire's functions. The colonization program is sponsored by a corporation, SpaceRoid Inc., and their partners at Tron Aerodynamics are responsible for providing the shuttlecraft.
[/hider]

Technology is so advanced that it strays into the realm of magic. With a vivid imagination and a handful of psionic dust (dubbed "Seed"), one can create anything with only a thought. In practice, however, this is considerably harder than it sounds, and a combination of high-level artificial intelligence and molecular computing simplifies the creation process to manageable levels. Some intrepid businesses have turned a profit by creating stand-alone programs and devices that automate magecraft entirely. For example, there's a phone app that cleans your clothes for you. You get the idea.

Out on the frontier, there's no telling what hazards we'll face, and all the trappings of civilization we've come to know and love will not last. Our characters will be forced to rough it without the support of their mother nation, and may come to depend entirely on each other for survival. The ending, should we reach it, will be the dawn of a new civilization.

Who's down for romance?