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<THE CORPORATIONS> <THE EYEN SPHERE> <MDC> <THE EIGHT GENEMATRIX> <THE SINKHA>
INTRODUCTION
Over two million years ago, the Galaxy was dominated by a
race of merciless warriors, the Khahaek.
They were the undisputed masters, at a time when the other
civilizations that populate the planetary systems of our arm
of the Galaxy did not yet exist.
But then, suddenly, the Khahaek disappeared as did almost
all traces of their old civilization.
Only two archaeological ruins were left, ruins of
inestimable value. These were the two Metaports which taught
the Kehiti how to travel around the stars.
After fifty thousand years many cultures have spread
throughout this arm of the Spiral including humans, although
officially the earth is not aware of all this.
The events narrated in “Sinkha” are of our own time.
The universe that the Sinkha and the Great Corporations
inhabit is our own universe. And although it boasts a
several million year history it has not yet become part of
the past but nor is it a vision of the future.
The earth bestowed on this, for her unknown, universe the
power of the fourth biological matrix.
It is now over ten thousand years since the Kehiti, founders
of the MDC, one of the biggest Corporations, first began to
take human beings off the Earth as part of the preliminary
operations for the execution of their great project - to
support and watch over the evolution of the incipient yet
promising human race. But the Kehiti’s hopes were answered
by the human beings who constituted the fourth matrix in
ways that were at best confusing and often none too
positive.
So finally, after much deliberation, the Kehiti decided to
abandon the project, a decision which was to have negative
consequences for the Earth. Meanwhile the human beings who
had been whisked away from their native planet were evolving
and spreading throughout the Contact Zone. Today, over 30%
of the population of the galactic area controlled by the MDC
is of human origin, and many of these humanoids have
important roles working with the Kehiti aliens.
The Earth, on the other hand was left abandoned and almost
completely forgotten.
While our planet is embarking on a new millennium, the
living fossils have returned to vindicate their old
dominion. Not far from our world terror lurks.
Only the Immortals, the Sinkha, have the power to face the
oldest and most ferocious civilization in the known
universe.
However, for the Sinkha the Khahaek are not the only
problem: millions of inhabited planets continue to create
problems... and for Darcron’s Travelers there is no end to
this strife.
<INTRODUCTION> <THE EYEN SPHERE> <MDC> <THE EIGHT GENEMATRIX> <THE SINKHA>
THE CORPORATIONS
The Corporations are the
vast socio-economic structures into which the beings that
have evolved from the 8 genematrix and who live on the
planets situated in our galaxy’s external arm, after an
initial period of contact, have gradually subdivided. The
birth of the great Corporations is largely the result of the
various pacts, scissions and occasional wars which have
marked the Galaxy’s history. For over 10,000 years, despite
the uneasy peace that has been maintained through hard-won
treaties and detentes, the various parties still refuse to
accept the idea of common social, political and economic structures. Moreover in some cases the biological
differences are such as to render unworkable any notion of
shared social values. There are currently five Corporations,
excluding the Eyen sphere, each comprising several genetic matrices. There follows a brief description of each of the
corporations while the map shows the distribution across the
galaxy of the various planetary systems and star clusters of
which these corporations are composed.
Eyen
The Eyen sphere includes both the Sinkha and beings from all
8 genetic matrices who have attained a highly evolved
status, as well as synthetic beings.
(See The
Eyen Sphere)
1st Corporation
MDC - Metaport Development Corporation
(SCD - Speetris Coohr Droptok)
The largest and most powerful of the five Corporations, the
MDC extends over a large portion of the Galaxy arm and
includes Humans, Kehiti, Cetidi and Synthetic beings.
(See MDC)
2nd Corporation
CWC - Closed Worlds Corporation
(TDD Tyuni Darhon Droptok)
This corporation was founded by a group of Kehiti xenophobes
who broke off from the MDC, unable to tolerate the presence
in the corporation of earthlings. In reality it wasn’t only
the earthlings whom the Kehiti group considered undesirable
but also all the other genetic matrices. Indeed the only
beings deemed acceptable for inclusion in the corporation
were the synthetics.
3rd Corporation
Genetika
(Getnky)
This corporation is composed principally of the Escemorphs
as well as other matrices which have been absorbed and
genetically modified. These beings decided to form an
independent corporation mainly for legal and ethical reasons.
4th Corporation
EPC - External Planet Corporation
(THD Tyuasac Hon Droptok)
This corporation was formed by the inhabitants of the
outermost planets in the galaxy whose living conditions are
less than ideal, thanks to their hydrocarbon-saturated atmospheres. With the exception of the Pneumopods who are
indigenous to this system the inhabitants of these planets
have been genetically modified to suit the environment. Thus
the corporation is actually formed by a mix of genetically
modified Kehiti and Humans along with the Pneumopods and Synthetics.
5th Corporation
Independent
(Tyont)
Comprising mainly the Akxidi and the Dir-Ark, this
corporation is subdivided into thousands of small regions
with their own autonomous laws and social structures which
can vary greatly and in some places may even be almost
completely absent, resulting in a form of anarchy.
<INTRODUCTION> <THE CORPORATIONS> <MDC> <THE EIGHT GENEMATRIX> <THE SINKHA>
THE EYEN SPHERE
PAHARSEN - One of the
artificial worlds build by the Sinkha
The word sphere is intended
purely metaphorically and refers both to the strong bond
that links its peoples and to the concept of a shell or
protective surround, an indestructible protective
surround.
Indeed from a strictly geographical perspective, Eyen
appears fragmented, it’s realm stretching across the five
regions governed by the Corporations to the very frontiers
of the Contact Zone.
However, Eyen does have a central nucleus comprising 84 star
systems, all of which are inhabited, thanks to the
construction of artificial planets or the colonization of
uninhabited natural planet, as well as two planets with
indigenous life. One of these is the thinking planet Arahon,
the origin of all the Sinkha.
A further 120 planets are to be found some distance from the
nucleus, and the number continues to grow, but these still
lie within the Eyen sphere.
Eyen was constructed by the Sinkha as a kind of paradise
whose inhabitants live a highly privileged existence,
receiving countless benefits. Entering this pseudo-paradise,
however, is not easy and, for individuals and entire
civilizations alike, to be accepted one must have attained
an extremely high degree of social and mental evolution.
The Eyen are a collection of planets and artificial worlds
conceived and created by the Sinkha, a civilization of
sorts, spread over the interior of the Contact Zone, where
an elite group of beings belonging to all eight of the known
genetic matrices bask in luxury and high privilege. The Eyen
is a civilization with more than 900 billion beings. It’s
open and in continuous expansion, but it’s not accessible to
everyone. Only those individuals whose philosophy have
exceeded a well-defined evolutionary phase are accepted.
<INTRODUCTION> <THE CORPORATIONS> <THE EYEN SPHERE>
<THE EIGHT GENEMATRIX> <THE SINKHA>
MDC
Founded over 500 centuries
ago by the Kehiti, the MDC is the largest and most open of
the great corporations.
Its principal inhabitants are the Kehiti, humans and
synthetic beings who, according to MDC laws, have equal
rights and civic duties.
The structure of government is organized like that of a
commercial business.
The law restricts the use of virtual hallucinogenics and
oneiric immersion devices. Genetic engineering too is
strictly regulated compared to the other corporations.
Culture varies greatly from planet to planet and according
to local laws which naturally must not contradict the
corporate statute.
The large population of humans, both citizens and MDC governors, originally derives from Earth
where, especially
in the past, a considerable number of individuals of this
genetic matrix were generated.
The humans brought to other planets by the Kehiti (who had
always been fascinated by the human psyche) rapidly reproduced, while the aliens’ highly sophisticated medicine
gradually increased their lifespan. In this way the then
prehistoric humans from Earth became, in the space of the
following 10,000 years, much more evolved than those
actually living on the planet now.
But more importantly they continued to increase in number,
with the new generations overlapping the old, whose own
lifespans have come to resemble something approaching
biological immortality.
<INTRODUCTION> <THE CORPORATIONS> <THE EYEN SPHERE> <MDC> <THE SINKHA>
THE EIGHT
GENEMATRIX
By genematrix we refer to the genetic patterns which lie at
the origin of sentient and evolved civilizations.
The eight known genematrix,
which would appear to be the only ones present in the galaxy, are the
following:
1st. Kehiti.
This was one of the
first genematrices to develop and evolve and is the most
significant and widespread in the galaxy. It is above all
thanks to the discovery of the metaports and to the past
monopolization of their management that the Kehiti have
acquired enormous power. Superficially similar to human beings, their height varies according to the gravity of the
planet on which they developed, from 90cm up to 2.3m.
2nd. Cetidi.
These are beings
whose morphology has adapted them to aquatic life. Their
planet of origin is in effect completely covered by an
immense ocean. As a result of continuous growth, the
dominant race produces adults of dimensions which vary from
1 to 12m, depending on age. Other less evolved races of this
genematrix may reach lengths of up to 200m. It should be
noted that this genematrix has a continuous evolutive scale
and that therefore the various races it produces are less
and less intelligent.
3rd. Sinkha.
For information on
this genematrix see the entry for “Sinkha”
contained in this archive.
4th. Human.
Supported by the
Kehiti since prehistoric times, the genetic matrix of the
earthlings has spread throughout the Contact Zone. Today,
apart from the Sinkha, it is in terms of power and expansion, second only to the
Kehiti, and accounts for over
30% of the staff of the great corporations. What is strange
is that the humans’ planet of origin, Earth, has been
completely marginalized, and remains oblivious to its real situation. To this day the planet’s inhabitants have managed
to travel only to their own moon and have no idea that the
planet they call Jupiter conceals a metaport. Earth’s
situation is further complicated by the fact that the planet
finds itself within the territory controlled by the second Corporation,
which, it is noted, is composed of xenophobic Kehiti.
5th. Pneumopods.
These are
atmospheric beings: their lungs other than as a breathing
apparatus also function as actual balloons. Including their
long ribbonlike tentacles they are about 3m in height. Their
planet of origin is an enormous gaseous mass, consisting
essentially of atmosphere. This genematrix which has
developed and proliferated on planets whose atmosphere is
rich in hydrocarbons, has constructed fantastic aerial cities, the most ancient of which have no gravital
sustainers and which are an outstanding example of balloon architecture.
6th. Akxidi.
These exoskeletoned
beings have evolved into three separate races each with its
own form and dimensions. All feature eight limbs and a head
which contains an organ for chromatic communication. Their
dimensions vary from around 30 cm up to 5 m, depending on
the planet’s gravity and on the race in question.
7th. Exemorphs.
These beings have
developed great competence in the field of genetic engineering, a field whose secrets they jealously
guard. In
reality they fall within the only corporation that has no
fixed ethical code on the question of genetic manipulation.
For this reason they may assume the most unpredictable forms
and varied dimensions. The large variation which appears in
their cerebral capacity, also calibrated in function of the
activity to which the individual in question is assigned
even before birth, renders the dominant racial groups
indistinguishable from their inferiors. To the extent that
their form and dimensions is adapted to their particular
function they may be considered disturbing imitations of the Sinkha.
8th. Dir-Ark.
Beings which hail
from this genematrix are exoskeletoned and their height
varies from 3 to 8 m, depending on the gravity of the planet
where they were born. They typically have four spindly legs
which extend from a horizontal abdomen from which juts an
erect chest with two arms.
The above genetic
matrices are described in terms of their most evolved
species.
With the exception of the 3rd and the 7th , each is based on
unicellular organisms and grows across a wide range of flora
and fauna.
<INTRODUCTION> <THE CORPORATIONS> <THE EYEN SPHERE>
<MDC> <THE EIGHT GENEMATRIX>
THE SINKHA
Immortal Beings at the Confines of Physics
Despite the philosophical
umbilicus that links them to Arahon, the Sinkha have their
own autonomous psyche, while their varying physical
structure renders each suitable for a different
function.
Darcron, for instance, is a Sinkha structured to be an
enormous starship. Even the rigid material that forms its
external body shell belongs, despite appearances, to the
third biological matrix.
Entire tracts have been written on the Sinkha. Many esteemed
scholars have tried to explain the reason for their
immortality, speaking of how the material of which they are
composed is itself formed from unusual subatomic molecules,
and much else besides.
But the truth is no one knows exactly who the Sinkha are,
since scientists have never had the opportunity to examine one.
Even their appearance is mysterious and deceptive; they may
take the shape of humans or even spaceships. It is said that
their form is rigid, that they cannot transform themselves
from one state to another, but even this is by no means
certain.
Even towards the humans, synthetic beings, Kehiti and other
aliens who inhabit the Eyen Sphere the Sinkha maintain a
stony silence.
The only thing we know for sure about the Sinkha is that
they really are immortal, not only biologically but also
physically, and that their powers are such that we have to
acknowledge them as the real masters of the Contact
Zone. <INTRODUCTION> <THE CORPORATIONS> <THE EYEN SPHERE>
<MDC> <THE EIGHT GENEMATRIX>
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