The STORY

On an ancient, isolated planet, the first flickers of war began, a war that would come to last thousands of years. It was so brutal that the generations born into it knew little of compassion. Kidnapping, murder, and torture were everyday occurrences. Children were sold into slavery, and the earth became a graveyard for those that had fallen. It was a perilous, ravaged world. As the centuries passed, the reasons behind the war were forgotten. Yet the disharmony did not cease. There seemed to be no end, no salvation.

Then, an unheard of event occurred. Both warring sides were divided onto each hemisphere of the planet and it was torn into two separate halves. They stood facing one another and aligning their rotation as if still whole. They were named Lotherial and Oren.

The facts behind this event are shrouded in history. It is told this division was created to bring about peace. Each side could not reach one another, so could no longer fight. Some say the gods, angry with the discordant world, split it in two. Others claim each side agreed to share their world and divided it using forgotten technology. It is uncertain if anyone now living knows the truth.

Time passed and a new era began. Gods were lost to memory and the tools of science expanded. The first ship was built to travel across the uncertain gap of space and reach its neighboring hemisphere, then slowly another came, and another. Knowledge was shared between the two and each was fascinated by the others customs and culture. There was a tentative peace, but it was to be short lived. A new war began. This prompted the creation of Ions, large robots which can reach across the space between the two hemispheres with ease. So our story begins today… on the hemisphere of Oren.

The Great OREN

The hemisphere of Oren is a place heavily controlled by the government. The great Oren rose to power three hundred years ago during a time of great strife. He promised to create a world of safety and peace that had never been realized before. He became a hero, revered everywhere in clothing, signs and propaganda. But the price paid for stability was freedom. The Oren deemed that humans were naturally chaotic and unpredictable. Only by living under severe restrictions could humans coexist peacefully. Shortly after the Oren’s rise to power, war broke out with the Lotherial. The Orenian government claimed these new enemies stood in the way of peace. They were monstrous creatures incapable of following the Orenian decrees. War was the only solution. When a Lotherian is killed on Orenian lands, “Cleaners” quickly come to dispose of the body. No mercy was to be shown to any Lotherian. The war incited nationalistic fervor and the Oren’s controlling grip tightened.

The ORENIAN Hemisphere

Schooling and military training on Oren are one and the same. Every Orenian receives a cell number at birth which identifies them throughout their life. Tests are run which place the Orenian youth into whichever job or department the government decides would best utilize their skills. The only jobs allowing you to avoid a life of violent battle would be The Medical and Scientific Division or Husbandry. If a student performs particularly poorly they might be sent to work in one of the mines until they can return much stronger. At age five the first Ormether is implanted in the lower arm; a hollow metal container which holds vials. It rises from underneath the skin. Its purpose is to administer medicines and regulate neurotransmitters. Some citizens may even go to the local bar to purchase vials which provide mild effects such as relaxation or alertness. The Government also decides which apartments or housing Orenians live in, usually based on military rank. They control when they can be married and how long they work. Disloyalty to the Orenian government may result in your untimely death or painful reprogramming.

Oren is very technologically advanced. Cites practically run themselves, furniture rises and sinks from the floors. Plants, trees and any natural wildlife are rarely seen in cities since they are seen as unattractively chaotic. All parks that exist are manufactured in the sterile fashion preferred by the Government.

KEL

Kel is a respected pilot on Oren. He is one of the first to try out a new prototype Ion called The Dark Labyrinth. Older Ions are controlled inside by a pilot through a series of panels and switches. The Dark Labyrinth is a revolutionary achievement. Wires attach to the brain allowing you to control it with your own thoughts, essentially becoming one with the machine. Kel is warned that he may suffer side effects while he adjusts to its use. However Kel's memories of the present seem to be fading while those of the past begin occurring vividly, in dreams and soon in his waking life. He is not sure who to trust and who to tell of these events.

Soon others around him become affected by this strange machine. He goes on a journey, risking everything to find the truth, which may turn out to be the last thing he expected.