The Frontier begins on the leading edge of the Outer Veil, crosses through the Outer Rim of the known territories, and stretches on into deep space. Located between the core systems and the Outer Rim, the Outer Veil is a vast region of space that is abundantly rich in mineral resources. The Outer Rim is extensively colonized, and the Colonial Navy operates there. Past the Outer Rim is anyone’s guess—and that thrill of the unknown is what draws pioneers here. Settlers have likened the sometimes lawless Frontier to the Old West of the United States.
Here, life is harsh and cheap. On many worlds, atmospheric processors have been brought in to convert the air into something passably breathable. The majority of settlers here are prospectors, entrepreneurs, farmers, and homesteaders. Mining worlds refine ores and fuel, while agri and aquatic worlds harvest food and algae. Space stations such as Anchorpoint serve as a neutral staging ground for expeditions into deep space.
Neighboring colonies don’t always get along, and armed conflicts over stakes and claims are not uncommon—often requiring the Colonial Marines to step in and restore order. The boundaries of the Frontier are ever-shifting, and sometimes colonies switch hands as border disputes redefine the map.
TERRITORIES OF THE FRONTIER
While dominated by the United Americas, the Frontier is an area intersected by several nation-states. An uneasy alliance exists between them, yet territorial disputes are not unheard of. What follows is a listing of the major government players vying for resources there.
Three World Empire: Consisting of the former United Kingdom, Japan, and several developing countries, the Weyland-Yutani corporation itself is a result of the formation of the Three World Empire—created when the UK company Weyland Corp merged with the Japanese Yutani Corporation. The Three World Empire pioneered space exploration, controls many long-established inner colonies, and only maintains a limited presence on the Frontier—allowing Weyland-Yutani to take the lead there.
The United Americas: Created in the early 2100s to compete with the expanding Three World Empire, the United Americas was formed by the merger of North, Central, and South America into one nation. The United Americas is a major colonizing and starfaring power, constantly expanding the Frontier. They operate both the Colonial Marines and the Colonial Navy—the most powerful peace-keeping forces on the Frontier.
The Union of Progressive Peoples: The UPP is a powerful socialist block of systems that control a vast but resource poor sector of space. Formed from a coalition of countries that includes Russia and Vietnam, the UPP is the only government that is not influenced by corporate concerns—a fact that sometimes puts them in opposition to Weyland-Yutani. While they are behind in the arms race, the UPP still maintains a formidable fighting force. A state of cold war has existed between the United Americas and the UPP for decades, but with recent events on the Frontier, all that seems poised to change.
The Independent Core System Colonies: The ICSC is a loose conglomerate of privately-owned worlds. Each colony in the ICSC has its own government—many of which are corporate-owned. In addition to its operations within the colonies of the United Americas and the Three World Empire, Weyland-Yutani is known to maintain private interests in the ICSC—where they can conduct business as they see fit, far from the prying eyes of government control.
DOMINION OVER THE STARS
While governments control the colonies, they aren’t the only ones with influence there.
CORPORATE DOMINANCE
Although nation-states dominate the stars, it is important to note that the real power lies in the corporations that exist across them. Companies like Weyland-Yutani, Lasalle Bionational, and Seegson are not limited by borders. In fact, they produce and control the technologies necessary for the continued existence of these star empires. The unwillingness of nation-states like the UPP to work with the private sector has left them behind in the space race.
GOD AT THE ASS END OF SPACE
Life in the colonies is rough. After being promised a utopia, settlers instead found a frontier existence of drudgery in harsh environments. To that end, many have turned to God to get them through their daily rigors. While traditional religions are practiced throughout the colonies, sects of apocalyptic millenarian fundamentalists have arisen, as have fanatical cults and zealots driven by charismatic leaders in isolated areas. Recent years have seen the rise of fledgling organizations with questionable motives, such as the Practitioners of the Holy Immolation and the cultish Church of Immaculate Incubation.
THIS IS RUMOR CONTROL
Stories spread faster than light on the Frontier. Some scouts tell tales of priceless artifacts found in ancient ruins on distant moons—ruins that predate humanity by millennia. Others talk of derelict spacecraft—and a race of giants that once stalked the stars in them. Still others whisper about hostile lifeforms that overrun entire worlds—terrifying parasitic creatures that are beyond our comprehension and wholly alien.
Many believe Weyland-Yutani and other corporations are covertly developing new and dangerous biological weapons, ranging from plagues and drug-controlled psychopathic cyborgs to genetically-engineered monsters. If these weapons really are being developed, one has to wonder who the company is designing them for, and if a war is on the horizon.
Over the past century, ships, stations, and even colonies have simply disappeared from the Frontier. Some attribute these losses to natural disasters or acts of God, others believe those involved fell prey to pirates or rival governments. Rumors of entire colonies being wiped out by a plague or nuked off the face of a planet have everyone on the Frontier living on the edge. Some even believe that man was never meant to leave Earth, and that space itself can swallow you whole.
Shutter your storm blinds and seal the airlocks—something alien just might be out there, hiding in the dark.
It’s waiting for you.
HERE ARE THE FACTS
The year is 2183—little more than three years since the destruction of the Hadley’s Hope colony on LV-426, the disappearance of the USS Sulaco, and the closing of the prison and lead works on Fiorina 161. The loss of the Sulaco’s Colonial Marine unit along with these Weyland-Yutani sponsored outposts, and the implications of corporate foul play stemming from these incidents, have created an air of distrust between the company and the United Americas. Many Frontier worlds have found themselves caught in the middle of this rift and have been forced to make do without either the supplies or defenses they need to survive.
CREW EXPENDABLE
The only publicly made exposition of these events deals only with the aftermath on Fiorina 161. The book is titled Space Beast and is convict Robert Morse’s alleged account of an alien “dragon” that overran the facility and brutally slew two dozen double-Y chromo inmates and their custodial staff.
The book gives credence both to talk of monsters and to rumors of Weyland-Yutani experimentation with bioweapons—indicating they were more concerned about securing the creature for further study than saving lives. According to Morse, the hunt to capture the beast had spilled over from the incident on LV-426, and anyone who got in the Company’s way was expendable—be they prisoners, soldiers, employees, or even colonists.
Although banned instantly, copies of Space Beast have been transmitted illegally throughout the colonies. The book has developed a strong following. Some see it as a fantasy, a welcome diversion from their normal lives. Others have embraced Morse’s story and built a millenarian cult around it—believing it to be a religious text and a portent of the Armageddon to come.
THIS TIME IT’S WAR
To add fuel to the fire, conflicts between the rival sectors of space have increased exponentially in the past five years. While unconfirmed, many believe that Hadley’s Hope was a test site for one of Weyland-Yutani’s bioweapons and that an enemy state sent a warship to nuke it from orbit. Others believe that the Company is working with a rogue nation to assume control of the colonies on the Frontier.
As more and more Colonial Marine units are recalled and re-deployed to new campaigns, Frontier colonists are becoming scared. Without the military, there is no-one to protect them from pirates, hostile lifeforms, or invasion. To compensate, many colonies have enacted their own law systems, electing Marshals to oversee daily law enforcement. Some have even hired mercenary forces to protect their interests.
The 2180s are a dangerous time to be alive.
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