Farside City

In a crater on the far side of Earth’s moon is a hidden city, thousands of years old. Its inhabitants, the Farsiders (also known as Selunites or “Moon People”), are the descendants of humans taken from Earth by the alien Preservers, the same race that seeded humanity across the galaxy.
The Preservers built Farside City in a deep crater, along with atmospheric generators, and settled a number of humans there. Apparently, they used the city as some sort of outpost or perhaps a “living laboratory” to study humanity. They may have also intended the city to ensure the survival of various species (including humans) if something happened to wipe out life on Earth. Certainly, some of the Farsiders’ myths suggest their home was intended as “the Last Refuge.” Whatever the case, the Preservers disappeared long ago, leaving the Farsiders to develop on their own.
The inhabitants of the lunar city advanced faster than their Earth-bound cousins, achieving a high level of scientific and technological sophistication, given a “leg-up” by studying the remnants of the technology the Preservers left behind. They also developed psionic abilities among a minority of their population, which soon became the ruling class. Generally, the Farsiders led an idyllic existence with little reason to change their way of life. A strong xenophobic streak, perhaps encouraged or engineered by the Preservers, kept them from returning to Earth, even when they had the means to do so. This limitation—along with the environmental dangers—also kept them from exploring their lunar home much beyond the bounds of their city. Their society peaked centuries ago and has remained largely the same since.
Things changed when humans from Earth began to leave their planet and explore space. The Farsiders learned much about the mother-world from intercepted radio and TV transmissions. They knew Earthlings were primitive and warlike, and they feared the possibility of a conflict, even more so once humanity developed arsenals of atomic- and space-based weapons.
Fear and ambition drove Selene, a member of the Farsider royal family, to lead a coup against her relations. She seized control of Farside City and used its technology to hide all evidence of the city from technological or biological sensors. The only other member of the royal family to survive was a boy named Mentac, who escaped to Earth and was adopted by humans.
Selene took the title Lady Lunar and turned the city into a dictatorship under her rule. She used the power of the Moonstone, an alien artifact left by the Preservers, to increase her powers and exert influence over the Farsiders. Rather than be destroyed by Earthlings, Lady Lunar planned to build a space fleet and eventually seize control of Earth, ruling from her city on the Moon.
Years later, Mentac returned to Farside City as one of the Atom Family. They overthrew Lady Lunar and freed the Farsiders from her influence. Mentac refused to take his aunt’s place, not wishing to exchange one dictator for another, no matter how benevolent. He encouraged his people to institute a democratic form of government, and the elected Farside Council now rules the city.
Most people on Earth still do not know of Farside City’s existence, although it is a popular urban legend. Farsider technology hides them from satellites and space probes, although several major Earth governments know about the city and its location. Many people in the superhuman community are aware of or have even visited Farside City, particularly the current generation of the Atom Family, who are children of Mentac and his wife Andrea Atom and are half Farsider themselves. The Farsiders are of human stock, still almost genetically identical to Earth humans. They have the same traits as ordinary humans, although they tend to be taller, with thinner builds. (Farside City has artificial gravity, but not quite as strong as Earth’s normal 1G.) Some Farsiders still manifest psionic abilities, although such powers have become even less common since Lady Lunar wiped out the rest of the royal family (the Farsiders with the strongest psionic genes). Farside technology is quite advanced, including gravity control, genetic engineering, and supercomputers.

Natural Resources

THE MOONSTONE

The Moonstone is a mysterious alien artifact, created or discovered by the Preservers and left behind in Farside City when they departed Earth’s solar system. It is a fistsized, faceted piece of translucent crystal with a pearly luster that glows softly from inside. The Moonstone is a potentially limitless power-source, and has provided most of the energy needs of Farside City for thousands of years.
The Moonstone is also a powerful psionic amplifier. Its energy can boost the abilities of a psychic through physical contact, and even grant access to abilities they don’t normally have. The mentats of Farside occasionally used the Moonstone to enhance their powers, and held the crystal in trust for the entire community. When Lady Lunar overthrew the royal family, she seized the Moonstone’s power for herself. The Atom Family returned it to the custody of the Farsiders when they, in turn, deposed Lady Lunar.
There appears to be some sort of psychic link between the Moonstone and Chase Atom. Chase has been able to override another’s control of the stone in the past with great mental effort. It may be because he is descended from one of the last survivors of the royal family, because of his unique human/Farsider heritage, his unusually strong psionic powers, or some combination thereof.

Type

City

Inhabitant Demonym

Farsider