Indra

Indra
Type: Terrestrial (Martian)
Primary Star: G4V
Gravity: .87 g
Diameter: 11348 km
Atmospheric Pressure: 1.03 atm
Atmospheric Composition: 40% Methane, 40% CO2, 16% Hydrogen, trace other elements
Surface Temperature (Mean): -3 C
Day Length: 23.27 hours
Orbital Period: 489 Days
Satellites: 4
Gate Access: Pandora Gate
Notes: Archaeological Traces, Alien Artifact
To some, Indra is one of the most horrific and terrifying Exoplanets ever discovered. While TITAN remnants, environmental disasters, and the fact that it seems like there are no living extraterrestrial civilizations connected to the Gates, are their own kind of fear, Indra offers its own unique brand of cold, calculating terror. At first, it seems like no unusual planet - a young Martian world outside of the habitable zone, which has enough geological activity to continue stimulating a carbon cycle, giving it a relatively thick atmosphere which even retains liquid water around the equator. It's believed that this cycle has continued for such a relative long time is due to tidal activity of Indra's four small moons, but researchers quickly determined it's much more likely to do with the abnormally high number of deep impact craters on Indra's surface. This is when researchers were in for a huge shock. A survey by experts in colonization found that wherever was considered statistically appropriate to place a colony on the surface of Indra, there was a crater. A survey was done of the crater the Indra Gate was found in, revealing traces of alien civilization buried under the impact site. Exploratory missions found similar traces in the nearest craters. Then TAU simulations modeled the events necessary to form such craters, and came up with the most likely conclusion that it was formed by a kinetic bombardment from orbit, such as with a heavy metal rod. These generated destructive forces in excess of "city-buster" strategic nuclear weapons. While it hasn't been completely proven, it's believed that all of Indra's unusual crater sites contain traces of an alien civilization which were bombed from orbit with a kinetic strike weapon. There are no other archaeological traces in the system, and the Gate's position seems to indicate the gate locale was struck also, though the Gate itself was not completely destroyed or was otherwise able to self-repair. The sheer destructive force involved renders most dating moot, though the best guess is from 500,000 to over a few million years ago based on geologic strata. No organic remains have been found at this time, and structural remnants seem very simplistic, lots of worked stone though some worked metals have been recovered. Lots of questions remain, of course, since Indra has no biosphere to speak of it's incredibly unlikely the population was native, but most carbon-based biology wouldn't have got along well on the surface of Indra either. It's possible that relatively fragile environment domes were placed over these simplistic cities and have since been completely eliminated. Certain elements of Titan Autonomous University are eager to begin extensive archaeological surveys and digs of the planet, but Gatekeeper corporation and Titanian Fleet Intelligence are much more conservative. There are very real concerns that any species advanced enough to wipe out all civilization on a planet may have further countermeasures or even detection methods in the system which a large-scale operation could run afoul of. Rumors even abound that telescopes have picked up inert objects in orbit which could be artificial satellites.

Excerpt from an Interview with Calixte Traverse, former TAU researcher and Gatekeeper contractor - Recorded on Phelan's Recourse
"Ah, such is the life of an exile...  Oh, you're wondering why I'm expatriated? Well, it's a funny story, [humorless laugh]. See, the Commonwealth is so transparent that if I or and of the others from the Indra team actually return home, we'll be legally required to disclose lots of information about the planet Intel or Gatekeeper would rather keep quiet. Not to mention that if we 'officially' return, our employers or home institutions have to disclose what we were doing and file our reports - or admit they lost them. And in the Plurality, there's always some nosy prick who asks these sorts of questions, so just keeping quiet would probably run into some legal tangle which would end up with the Commonwealth embarrassing itself. So it's only the remaining team members who didn't elect for psychosurgery and some deeply buried servers in the Orchestra that know. If you asked the right question, you could probably get the report, but that's up to what the AIs think is 'need to know', huh? So, I just stay here in the Recourse where I can get the news, make a couple votes so my rep doesn't tank to bad, and Gatekeeper can get a hold of me for follow-up questions."
[pause, sounds of drinking from a flask]
"Oh, you want to know what we found? So, it's public knowledge Indra was bombed back pre-stone age, yeah? Not that we can actually figure out what age the original colonists were in, but anyway... there's a lot of public debate in RNA and ExploreNet circles as to what form the kinetic bombardment took. The fact that research teams are pretty sure they've eyeballed what are otherwise very stealthy satellites has led to the most prominent theory that some kind of orbital weapon system was activated, like they were a gate-faring colony that went rogue and was razed, or they experienced a Fall-type scenario and their own weapon systems turned against them. This is the safer answer. I can tell you, since there's no official evidence and nobody will believe my drunken ramblings, that this is abjectly false. I know because I was part of a global survey team that went farther than any teams have officially gone. We were scouting other potential anomalies, and to try and confirm the situation at some of the more far-flung craters. So we got deep in the south, where there are some big glaciers and we found a region relatively devoid of natural phenomena. In the middle of this basin or whatever, there's a big shallow scar, like a canyon but with no flowing water or lava or anything to carve it out. Plus it was huge. We follow the thing for like a day, and come to the end, and find out what caused it."
[pause, sound of another drink]
"There's a structure buried in the crust there. Ground penetrating radar says it's roughly analogous in shape to something like one of the Commonwealth's destroyers, only maybe 3 times the size. Best guess is it's like 1.5 million years old, and it sure as hell looks like some kind of spaceship. Only its top most areas were sticking out above the ground, you'd never tell what it is from a distance. We examined as much of its surface as we could, but couldn't get far. It's made of some very advanced composites, it seemed very resilient. Sensors penetrated very poorly and it seemed like it was almost completely undamaged, at least on the top side. So yeah, whoever fucked up Indra real good did it with fucking huge spaceships. The freakiest thing about the Dreadnought - that's what we called it - was that our instruments picked up very faint neutrino emissions and magnetic field disruptions around the object. So I can tell you, that big girl is not dead, she's just sleeping. That's why nobody tried real hard to crack it open, either. If it really is like a destroyer, and it seems like it still has some kind of power supply, there's a worry that there might be some kind of antimatter containment still left - and a rupture would not be very helpful. But somebody will do it. Once it goes public, somebody will knock her open and go inside. Hell, they pay me enough I might try."
[long pause]
"What I always found most curious about her... the Dreadnought I mean... was that to me, the ship always seemed... organic somehow? I mean, that's not my specialty, I'm mostly maths, a little geo. But there was something about it's design, it's shape. How it felt when you touched it. If felt like something alive. That's why I said it seemed like it was sleeping... it's the only analogy I can think to use. I wonder if she dreams?"

Ute

Ute: also known as “Utility Vehicle”. This four-wheeled car features big tires and a rugged self-adjusting suspension and all wheel drive for maximum handling and utility on rough terrain. This vehicle is most common on Mars and certain Exoplanet colonies, but has variants which are used in other areas. It operates off a nuclear battery for an indefinite operating time. It has an enclosed cab, but not pressurized. The primary selling point of these is the large cargo bed in the back, which offers a high amount of utility between models and designs. Some are just flat beds, while others feature interior or exterior storage containers and other systems, such as seating for passengers. Some models feature netting or other soft covers to protect the materials in the back. Comes equipped with Headlights, Radio Booster, vehicle radar and Heavy Bumper normally. [Expensive]

Redneck Technical variant:
A common sight in the backwoods regions of Mars, the “Technical” version of the Ute features additional armor plating, bulletproof tires, a boosted engine and a turreted weapon mount placed in the back, though that usually restricts the amount of passengers which can be hauled. These are common among Barsoomian groups, rural police forces and scouts or security vehicles for Nomad tribes. Typically they are armed with a Heavy Machine Gun mount, but some of them have even heavier weapons like seekers. They add Heavy Armor, Articulated Weapon Mount and Ablative Patches. [Expensive (30,000+)]

Snowcrawler variant:
A version of the Ute vehicle for colder planets such as Titan, or other Exoplanets. The primary alterations is that the wheels are replaced with a highly flexible track system. This dramatically decreases the max speed of the vehicle, but gives it much better traction and maneuverability on icy surfaces. The Snowcrawler also has a pressurized, enlarged cab which is heated and has other life support functions, and has a T-Ray emitter to help see. Holds 50 hours of Air. [Expensive]

Ute Capacity: 2 (more as cargo) Handling: +0 Movement: 8/32 Speed 40/100/120 AV 26/30 DUR 200 WT 40
-Redneck Technical Capacity: 3 Handling: +0 Movement: 8/40 Speed 40/100/120 AV 42/48 DUR 200 WT 40
Snowcrawler Capacity: 3 Handling: +10 Movement: 4/16 Speed 60 AV 26/30 DUR 200 WT 40

Rust Duster

While a major slice of the population on Mars (particularly in the Outback) is drawn from Asia and North Africa - there's a certain aesthetic to frontier living which has permeated popular culture, not hurt by the media machine of Elysium or influence from the large North American population in the New Pittsburgh neighborhood of Valles-New Shanghai. This is the style of the classical "Western" of twencen films and TV. And, given some parallels, it's easy to see why a definitive genre grasps the minds of local Martians. Some of these considerations are as much practical as aesthetic, however. Smart Clothing (p. 325 EP) is nigh universal in many habitats for it's versatility and limited protections from temperatures, but is not quite so inexpensive as to be in the hands of literally everyone, especially in far flung corners of Mars away from retail stores. Cold Weather Gear (p. 167 Sunward) is a good alternative for many Martian morphs, but is intrinsically suited for Martian mountains and highlands, and in general is suited for those with a focus on working in extremes of temperatures. For those who live in the plains and lowlands, the Nomads of mars have their own variation.

Rust Duster: Variant on Cold Weather Gear, this outfit looks like a hybrid between a long coat and a rain poncho, and usually comes with a hood, mask or other face-covering. Both the way the coat is designed and the material it is made of is intended to protect the wearer from the dust and dirt common on Mars - both blown in storms and which can be kicked up by everyday movement. It also protects for temperatures as low as -40 C, though this is not it's primary purpose. Equipped with some sturdy gloves and boots, protective eyewear and a breather backpack, even non-adaptive morphs in a Duster can brave common conditions on Mars - though not up in the highlands. The material is also fairly heavy and dense, offering an Armor Value of 2/4 [Trivial]

Horizon's First

Posted By: Nephelae, Sentinel

At first brush, Horizon's First is a simple Brinker group who have mixed survivalist memes with an unusual religious or spiritual focus. A couple years after the Fall, they laid claim to 10199 Chariklo, the largest centaur body which lies in-between the orbits of Saturn and Uranus, and is unusual for a minor planet in that it has rings. There they set up a titular settlement, Horizon's First. However, a comprehensive analysis of their activities over the Mesh, and observed remotely by their "neighbors" in the Uranian and Saturnian neighborhoods starts telling a different story. On its surface their belief system as laid out by their leader "The Ascending Master", seems like an odd kitbash of "New Age" beliefs mixed with an extreme cherry-pick of the Baha'i faith's principles like unity of religion and humanity, with a pinch of Xenodeism on top. And while not widely publicized, in certain circles their leader is known to have a bit of a "shopping list" which could be worrisome to Firewall. Combined with a deep dive of their ethos and the fact that Horizon's First is actively interested in not just recruiting, but developing new egos (i/e children) means they should be considered a possibly expanding threat.

ORIGINS AND BACKGROUND

The core beliefs of Horizon's First are laid out in the Ascending Master's seminal work The First Over The Horizon. In it, the Master gives the account that while fleeing the Fall on Earth, he had a cosmic revelation while traveling with some Brinkers. His "limited" mind wasn't capable of fully understanding this insight, but he knew it was his mission to communicate it to the best of his ability. The result is a very esoteric, stream of consciousness work written while he was travelling very far out-system. Parts of it are confusing, nonsensical, or appear contradictory, but are at least all in the same theme.

Roughly, the text communicates that he had a burst of insight from "cosmic energy" that flowed through him, revealing underlying truths of the universe. The "cosmic energy" that binds and flows in all creation spawned vast alien intellect(s) likened unto God, and from them all sapient life in the universe originates. When such life collectively reaches a point of metaphysical or spiritual purity or perfection, they ascend from their physical forms to achieve oneness with the cosmic godhead. Armed with this knowledge (among other beliefs) he took the alias "Ascending Master" and began to disseminate his work among communities as his ship passed, gaining a few new followers here and there. Eventually he realized he would need a home base to continue development of his theology and philosophy, and with his first batch of followers he was able to take hold of the claim on Chariklo.

The early years of the "faith" were fairly uneventful, which is probably why nobody was taking notice of them. As a group, Horizon's First set up on Chariklo and began trading some of the valuable materials extracted from the D-type body, mostly for basic hab supplies and for a decent stockpile of armaments to protect themselves - this is how they got their reputation as "survivalists". They also traded a lot of obscure or specific academic or scientific knowledge in this time, or offered a place for other Brinkers and Out'sters to come study academic works which some habs didn't always have time or effort for. It was at this time that The First Over The Horizon was formally published on the Mesh, which attracted small handfuls of Xenodeists or New Age spiritualists in the neighborhood. The cult grew to a couple hundred adherents in this time, but generally people didn't take them seriously, saying the First was a "bad petal trip".

This is where things start getting weirder. First, the Ascending Master publishes his second work, which is much more solidly written and is less about "cosmic truth" and more about daily practices of the cult. Called Attuning The Aura To the Cosmic Essence, this second work reads somewhere between self-help book and Singularity Seeker manifesto. It talks a lot about "expanding the mind" and "cleansing the spirit" and about how to "let the cosmic energy flow through you". How one does this involves a lot of meditation in time accelerated simulspace, tripping on linkstate, and experimental neural enhancers. Then, data about Cognite's FUTURA project (thanks, corporate moon parents) and the Pandora Gates goes public. It's not well recorded, but apparently the AM had made some broad predictions which could be interpreted as being fulfilled by this information. Combined with his release of a more relatable work, the cult gains following in the neighborhood and even in other regions in the solar system, roughly doubling the size of the group to several hundred.

A few years ago, AM published his next two books, one forming the third of his scriptures. That one is The Coming of the Ultraviolet Children, which outlines a concept of "Ultraviolet Children". It becomes the mission of Horizon's First to locate these children and make sure they have a healthy spiritual upbringing so they may enhance humanity's spiritual perfection - and also to generate as many "ultraviolet" children as possible. The second work, The Fall and the Age of Aquarius is much more akin to a political or philosophical work than a scriptural one. It outlines how the era of the Fall marked the transition to the "Age of Aquarius" and that freedom, technology and enlightenment should spread "unbound" throughout the cosmos - but his ideas on what this "unlimited" spread means sounds a bit more like Exhumanism than Autonomism. This is also when people nearby start getting concerned about Horizon's First. Instead of trading, they start raiding, sending fast ships on attacks against even well hidden enclaves. Scarier is not that they take resources and kill the people - but that they apparently capture children or other young egos and take them back to their hab.

From this point on, Horizon's First are implicated in shadier and shadier business from hereout. Agents are caught trying to break quarantine on Iapetus and Pathfinder. False identities crafted by the group are thrown off of Chat Noir - and based on the Fissure Gate's more lax screening some more probably were able to go through the Gate. Other members have been tagged meeting with Exhuman agents in the fringe, trading their stolen supplies for xenotech samples or TITAN relics. Titanian intelligence pinged they even seem to have build some kind of signals receiver or SIGINT array into Chariklo which is purportedly bigger than their habitation space. I've even heard some talk Horizon's First members have asked about Sibyls. All the while, most "knowledgeable" people dismiss the group as some spiritualist nonsense, but AM's works have spread throughout the solar system, and he still gets new converts. Rough estimates have Horizon's First as holding over 2,000 people in morphs. And room for plenty more.

And these people are not a joke. I was visiting Gerlach for some other Firewall business, and was approached by a couple of guys from the group. They hit me with a drug which temporarily blocked my Psi abilities. They must not have known I was a literal surgeon though, and neither of them had morphs loaded for combat. Picking through the stacks, Firewall says they were little more than suicide forks, sent on esoteric missions to "find lost children".

BELIEFS

As noted above, the core belief outlined in The First Over The Horizon is that the universe was created by a burst of "cosmic energy" from a place even outside this universe, and that confluences of it generated an ultimate cosmic being or beings (the work moves back and forth on plural or singular beings) of pure thought who are akin to what we interpret as "God". From this source, all sentient life in the universe originates. All representation of God or Gods are seen as our reflection of knowledge of the cosmic god, and thus are all one in the same, as are all religions - an ideal cribbed from Baha'i. Out religions and gods appear different because we were not as spiritually evolved as a species as to have the "pure" cosmic knowledge yet. The work explains the Fermi Paradox by saying that all species who ultimately achieve a metaphysical perfection ascend to become one with the cosmic God - leaving only their ruins behind. Those who fail to ascend are destroyed by natural forces of the universe - entropy, evolution, etc. Later editions of The First even cite the Iktomi and ruins of Moravec as examples. The work concludes that transhumans must study and harness the cosmic energy, and spread the ideals of spiritual purity to all members of the species so we might ascend.

The second work, Attuning The Aura To the Cosmic Essence is a much more practical manual of how to actually accomplish these sweeping goals. It posits that humanity entered the period in which they can ascend, as seen by the TITANs, our "children". The TITANs were able to surpass transhuman understanding of the cosmos and elect to ascend - their attempts to include us their creators in this endeavor explains the mass uploading. However, transhuman minds were still "too weak" to appreciate this revelation, causing the chaos and failure of the Fall and the TITANs to finish their ascension and leave transhumanity behind. The work then posits that transhumanity must overcome their weakness and expand their minds so they can focus their minds, and harness cosmic energy and obtain "great revelations" about the understanding of the universe, before finally ascending to join the Cosmic Unity. How one accomplishes this is done through a multitude of paths, the simplest is to study The First, and then moves on to spending high amounts of subjective time to accelerate enlightenment, or share XP and other data from other transhumans to "crowdsource" new revelations - but it ends with concepts of psychosurgery, memory and behavioral editing, nootropics all the way to experimental cognitive enhancements and mind states which are borderline Exhuman. This work also discusses the concept of "Akashic Records", that ascendant civilizations will have left metaphysical repositories of their knowledge and insight, and that accessing these will speed transhumanity on their path to ascension. Of course, Attuning also counts TITANs as "ascended" meaning that their relics should be sought after also.

The last key scripture, The Coming of the Ultraviolet Children outlines a new concept which is vital to enlightenment. This is that children will appear in transhumanity, since we are so close to ascension, who are gifted with high concentrations of the cosmic energy. These children will be gifted and stand apart from their fellows, and it is vital to raise them to speed their enlightenment, so they might guide the rest of us with them. It says these children will be able to wield cosmic energy and make things which seem impossible happen, and if they have the proper will can defy our understanding of physics. It in a less broad sense, the work also states the group Horizon's First must both actively locate "Ultraviolet" children, but also do their best to cultivate their own - using techniques outlined in Attuning to ensure they begin life with elevated levels of cosmic energy.

The Fall and the Age of Aquarius is much less esoteric and spiritual, and more political. It states that in the Ascending Master's opinion, Transhumanity entered the "Age of Aquarius" around the period of the Fall, signaling a transition in the cosmic energy around our solar system and species, stating that as the age culminates we shall achieve "spiritual perfection". How this is done is by spreading ideals of perseverance, freedom, technology, democracy, etc, in accordance with historical spiritual symbolism. However, a critical analysis of this work shows that this "spread" of these ideals is much more self-serving than it would appear. Concepts like freedom and perseverance are vaguely defined and then encouraged to be against persecution and "arbitrary" limitations society puts on itself which stand in the face of ascendant practices. The kinds of technology encouraged not only increase health and longevity, but befit the practices of improvement outlined in their spiritual works. The ideal of democracy naturally assumes the majority of people will desire enlightenment and spiritual health.

Ultimately, it's no surprise that both this faith is small, but that it has had a steady influx of converts. Recontextualizing the Fall as a failed "enlightenment" may help people rationalize the tragedy, and "cosmic unity" suggest some ultimate goal to life which could be "listless" for an otherwise immortal person. Later works contain information and guidance to improve as a person and become "more enlightened", and encourage the development and raising of children - something people think about but rarely do in our current era.

OPERATIONS

The settlement also titled "Horizon's First" is the group's primary center of operation. It's a beehive dug into Chariklo, and the group mostly uses the resources gathered by clearing out living space to supply themselves. The minor planet has enough mass to hold many more than the 2,000+ currently living there, which means the cult also tends to offer decent living space. Comfortable living is important to mental health, after all. No clear intel exists on what Horizon's First is like inside, visitors are limited and tend to be stuck in "public areas". Horizon's First seems to operate a bit like a Mutualist enclave or Scum swarm, they'll spend and take cash for certain things, but internally operate on something resembling collectivist democracy. Some of the members even have respectable rep on RNA or @-List. Of course, since all "citizens" are adherents to the faith of Horizon's First, they "vote" in line with the spiritual works and authority of the Ascending Master.

Sensors and some observant Brinkers who stopped in can make some guesses however. Upper levels seem consistent with habitation, and seem to expand outward from the central dock as they need more space. Here the members of the group live, eat and perform the practices of spiritual cleansing and focus. More "metaphysically pure" members gain access to additional amenities, including better food, better augments, private simulspaces and "companionship" in the form of pods. Otherwise, the lifestyle is pretty ascetic. While they don't discard physical pleasures or enjoyment, the faith encourages they take second-place to mental enjoyments. Deeper is the standard infrastructure, power, life support, all that. But even deeper in the planetoid are the real works. Storage and manufacturing facilities, mini-labs working on simulspaces and neural enhancements, and personal "meditation space" for the Ascending Master. Mercantile Brinkers who have visited guess that the Horizon's First group are gathering organic compounds from the body to be ready to grow a large number of morphs.

The outside of the centaur are also crawling with weapon emplacements. Their exact number and strength, however, isn't nailed down. Some estimates state that a good defensive collective, brinker posse or pirate band could slug it out with them - others say there's enough firepower to take on a Jovian carrier group.

Also of note on Chariklo is the large antenna array they've built into the surface, which has more surface area than their hab does. At first, it seemed like some kind of spying or other SIGINT rig, but based on the ideas laid out in their works and the consistent behavior of the group - it seems more likely Horizon's First is running their own SETI program, hunting for alien or TITAN data transmissions. Theorists in Firewall even say they may be hunting the Solar System for "Bracewell probes", a concept of using autonomous drones for long range, long term communications with other species. Given the nature of Horizon's First, we should hope they don't find anything like this, they'd almost assuredly access it immediately and try and plug their brains into it.

Operations off Horizon's First itself are just as concerning, and frankly, just as unexplored. Without access to their local networks, it's hard to tell exactly who are members coming and going - and the cult's leadership has gotten smarter in the last couple years, contracting out Brinkers and even Exhumans to make acquisitions for them. Even so, Firewall has been able to scope out a couple major and consistent areas of interest to the group, which their members are known to leave the hab for.

First is the standard recruitment and dissemination of their teachings. This is pretty simple for them, but low key. AM's works are circulated on the mesh every once and awhile, and given a large enough readership, always manage to snag at least one or two interested parties. Members also go out and "preach" ideals as well as offer more concrete technical assistance (usually with Simulspace or implant tech). I've been hearing they've been managing to snag small batches of former indentures or infugees out of Long Haul for a few years, even if the local Anarchists disapprove. Suppressing the works would be hard, as the Argonauts and Titanians have both archived them for "cultural purposes".

The next largest operation we can see is their efforts to develop new technologies to enhance simulspace time-dilation and transhuman cognition, closely matched with their search for "Akashic Records". This research is much more diverse. Horizon's First directly or indirectly makes a regular battery of inquiries into xenoarchaeology, cognitive enhancement and computer science across the solar system. We're not sure how much they get back out of this through conventional methods, but there are a lot of groups who mesh with them on this front, especially since The Fall and the Age of Aquarius champions open source technology and technoprogressivism - in it's own way. And, less obviously, Horizon's First occasionally sells some of their tech and services to raise capital to fund efforts to more directly obtain technology, including some limited TITAN and alien tech samples. Best guess, they haven't gotten anything big enough to be real useful or dangerous, but it might have given them an edge on some new developments. Some of their black market contacts have made waves at acquiring child Egos, too.

More recently, reports from very personal circles has it that Horizon's First has gotten very interested in Psi phenomena and asyncs. Parapsychology and quantum mysticism was always referenced in the group's beliefs, but it's only been a couple of years since they've been making overt moves. In addition to gathering together just about all legitimate public data on Psi theories, they've also made aggressive moves to buy up some relics of Cognite's FUTURA project. This includes the original geneline for the Futura morph, samples of the ALET simulspace programs the project used, even some of the original creche servers. Their use of Psi-Inhibitor drugs means they've probably actually garnered some knowledge in these departments. Rumors of capturing or recruiting Asyncs persist in the right networks. It's unknown if they've drawn a connection between Psi and the exsurgent virus - but they aren't actively looking for TITAN nanoplagues. As far as we know.

There's also something we haven't confirmed yet, but it seems like AM is eating his enlightenment wheaties, and has had another burst of insight. This has led to a big push in the group very recently into data forecasting and predictions. Data sniffing has them grabbing up every bit of data they can find on prediction or forecasting systems, from Titan's Orchestra to economic AI used by the Planetary Consortium. There's also whisperings in the deep mesh that people working with or for Horizon's First have started asking questions about something(s) called "Sibyl", but that's outside of my nominal clearance or expertise.

CONCLUSIONS & FINAL THOUGHTS

These guys are bad news in a lot of ways. Their ethos is nonsense, and they may never accomplish anything, but if they actually get a hold of some serious tech or artifacts, this situation could go fractal at any moment.

My best guess from looking at it, the Ascending Master is an Async. He got WML during the Fall and it's stages provided his "cosmic insight". Other members of the senior leadership may also be Asyncs. That's if we're lucky, and he didn't catch a more insidious hack driving him to collect TITAN artifacts. More concerning is their militant aspects. They're armed, and aren't afraid to attack others for resources (including children). Supposedly, Transhumanity can only properly ascend when we all achieve that spiritual purity collectively. This means ultimately everyone will have to be converted or killed off for Cosmic Unity to happen.

Obviously, they can't do that with a couple thousand. But give them more time to develop their enhancement schemes, or start producing new generations of Horizon's First members in accelerated learning, and their numbers could balloon pretty quick. If they get Extrasolar, this could become a situation like we think we're seeing with Rorty. Worse, I think, is if they actually get some novel augmentations going, and they get more acceptance in the system. That'll be a lot harder to cap than a hostile takeover.

They're also clearly interested in the Lost. All these inquiries about FUTURA, and the fact that many qualities exhibited by my (spiritual) brothers and sisters fit the description of "Ultraviolet Children". Being revered as spiritual leaders and guides would play to a lot of Lost too, which could subvert or alter the course of the organization - and not for the better. The sudden interest in forecasting spooks me too. If they get some legs, and use that to enhance their other research, they'll be small but faster moving than us.

I recommend to any Proxy who reads this report working in this area of operations to start actively recruiting assets to try and get a better picture of these guys and what they're doing.

PEOPLE

• The Ascending Master, real name believed to be Andre Villeneuve. A french national, he went to school in the US, probably on the west coast. Apparently funding for his education fell through, forcing him to make a living in cheap cons, usually involving motivational speaking or self-help. He escaped the Fall with a small cadre of Survivalists who apparently organized the takeover of an evac transport, and set course for the brink. His revelatory experience and philosophical musings are well chronicled, and he thinks of himself as a spiritualist guide and an author. He spends a small amount of his "physical" time in introspective meditation, but much more subjective time due to simulspace acceleration. The rest of his time is mostly spent managing the day-to-day functions of the hab, directing their research and inquiries or in private experimentation. He's reported to have 13 "Spiritual Consorts" who live with him in a quite spacious apartment in the bowels of Horizon's First.
• Aquaria Prismarine, real name unknown. An original generation follower, and AM's first "spiritual consort". She was reportedly rendered infertile either by a transhuman bioweapon, or a TITAN nanoplague in the time around the Fall. This explains her deep attachment and connection to the cult as their Sage of Wellness and Learning. Aquaria oversees both the group's mundane medical/augmentation research, and their more esoteric practices such as faith or crystal healing - which are reportedly enhanced with nanotech to actually be more effective. She also is in charge of the oversight and educational planning for all children in the domain of Horizon's First.
• Alexandrite Serpentarius is the "Sage of Personal Defense" and AM's 13th Spiritual Consort. She oversees the personal protection of AM when he appears before visitors, and in general seems to be his enforcer in the habitat, carrying out his personal orders to maintain "security" in the beehive. She also helps train agents in personal combat. Behavioral analysis indicates that Alexandrite is probably an Async, most likely a member of the Lost Generation recruited by AM.
• Kramp is a young up-and-comer in the group, leader of a small subset known as the Factorials. The Factorials believe that the Factors, as representatives of an alien conglomerate and due to their unique biology, are the key to rapid advancement toward enlightenment. They state that Horizon's first should actively pursue technology trade with the Factors. This is a minority view, as most regard the Factors as "failure species" due to their words to avoid Gates and AI. While unpopular, Factorials are allowed to exist due to AM's commitment to the concept of "democracy".
• Sattva, reportedly AM's eldest child with one of his Spiritual Consorts. While their morph appears aged around 8 or 9, it is believed their Ego may have reached a subjective experience of upward of 15 years. Sattva is a "confirmed" Ultraviolet Child, though it is unknown if this means she is an Async like AM is theorized to be. Sattva is the center of another internal movement known as the neoteny or paedocracy movement - which pushes that if Ultraviolet Children are key spiritual guides, then they should begin to shape the future and goals of Horizon's First. So far, these theorists have been internally suppressed by AM's inner circle.

PLOT HOOKS

• Horizon's First has recently imploded, probably after interference from an outside body like Firewall. This has scattered their membership to the winds, but now means they have an angry body of militant singularity seekers armed with experimental cognitive enhancements out in the system, hunting for more alien or TITAN artifacts. And they'll be much harder to stop when spread out so much.
• Horizon's First and the Ascending Master have actually obtained some of the creche servers from Cognite's Futura project. Now he plans on running his own version of the project, but using advances in morphs and time dilation technology. If this plan is successful, the cult could have an army of tens of thousands in a few short years, sweeping through the Outer Fringe
• Horizon's First has managed to ally with or capture a Sibyl AI, and used their massive forecasting power to locate an Akashic Record (actually a Bracewell Probe). While incapable of acting on it, if the Sibyl is exposed to it, it could be a huge calamity for the solar system. Alternatively, if the Titanians are in possession of the probe, this could lead to huge public scandal on the subject.
• The Factorials have actually managed to arrange a meeting with a Factor or one of their transhuman agents, with intent to trade for advanced technology samples. But, in addition to groups like Firewall wanting to subvert this, particularly aggressive members of the paedocracy see the factorials as heretics and seek to stop their efforts.
• Horizon's First is but one cell in a number of Singularity Seeker groups whose leaders are contaminated by the Stockholm virus, forming an ever growing network of TITAN servitors who will ultimately come together for some goal, the details of which are highly inscrutable to the "unenlightened".

Agora server

Agora Server
Mission: Monitor/Analysis
Target: Society/Economics
Mission-focused
Territory: 300,000-1,500,000
12 Proxies
Well-Equipped (HR)
Rich (MR)
Pragmatic
Very Structuralist
Backup Neutral
Hands-off Proxies
Close Ties to another Agency

“Agora” is a small, economics focused Server operated on Progress in Mars Orbit, focuses on long term monitoring of the Planetary Consortium and their economics. While many in Firewall may not approve of the PC, it is generally accepted that it’s sudden collapse could be very harmful to stability in the Solar System. So Agora tracks economic climate at the Consortium HQ, and runs many long-term projections on economic stability - occasionally recommending operations Firewall might undergo or back to keep things static. Agora proxies are fairly evenly split between Firewall’s roles (except Erasers), many of whom are also also are embedded in several other agencies or groups inside the Consortium. To emphasize their neutrality as an economic analysis and tallying group, the various proxies of Agora tend to be hands-off, and feature pragmatic, structuralist leanings due to their association with classical business and government. While not excessively funded, it’s members have access to significant physical resources through personal efforts, and can keep their limited number of Sentinels well equipped.

(This server and all other Firewall servers I may post generated via this random generator)

Brand Name Weapons #4 - Ultimate Security

Ultimate Security Agneyastra Seeker Rifle:
One of the first proprietary weapon systems of Ultimate Security (now just "the Ultimates"), this is a high-power and rapid fire Seeker weapon to deliver damaging payloads of a variety was originally envisioned to fight armored vehicles and drones, but became useful against TITAN warbots and Exhuman invaders, and so is commonly seen in the hands of Rajput and Purifiers. The Agneyastra only fires Minimissiles, but has an expanded magazine and multi-fire capacity. It's also made balanced to be used in multiple environments. It is commonly used with HEAP, Plasmaburst or Thermobaric seekers. [High]
SA/BF Ammo 9

Ultimate Security Indraastra Railgun Automatic Rifle:
The Indraastra is a rifle designed after the Fall specifically for use by Ultimates advanced forces deployed to Exoplanets and other high security sites, such as against rogue TITAN tech. The Indraastra is a powerful, railgun rifle with enhanced range and ammo capacity designed to deliver high armor penetration and kinetic impact to armored targets. These weapons aren't friendly to non-humanoid morphs, and tend to be complex to repair but fairly reliable. On needs skill to fix, but it should function for long periods in the field. Increase maximum range on this weapon by 20%. [High]
AP -9 2d10+10 DV SA/BF/FA  Ammo 36

Ultimate Security Vajra Plasma Rifle:
Another tool common to the Purifiers among the Ultimates based around the Pandora Gates, the Vajra is a powerful model which pushes the capabilities of a Plasma Rifle with cutting edge magnetic focused systems. This gives it a slightly better range and kinetic force when fired. The Vajra also has cutting edge heat sinks, meaning it can be fired in Vacuum for an additional round before needing to cool. Vajras also come equipped with Nuclear Batteries at all times to build back up power at all times. This also makes them maintenance heavy and complex to repair. Increase maximum range on this weapon by 10%. [Expensive (Minimum 30,000)]
AP -8 3d10+22 DV SA  Ammo 10

Lamia pod

Lamia (Pod)
Another Fortean creation, The Lamia pod is less transgenic and rather a clever use of cybernetics. The lower body, where most of the legs would be, is replaced by a long, cybernetic tail shielded in synthetic scales. The tail not only touches the ground, but has enough length to coil around slightly and act as a prehensile limb. This means that generally, the Pod is only about the height of an average transhuman. They are also armed with several snake-like features, like the enhanced sense of smell and taste, the ability to see into IR, and a poison gland located in the mouth. The hands and snake tail are also covered in grip pad material, giving them a great natural ability to climb and slide up and down objects. Lamias are also equipped with digging claws to burrow if they so desire. Additionally, there are more cosmetic alterations, such as the ability to dislocate the jaw, and powerful digestion nanotech which allows them to consume animals whole. Variants of the Lamia both with and without butts exist.
Implants: Basic Biomods, Basic Mesh Inserts, Bioweave Armor (Heavy), Cortical Stack, Cyberbrain, Digging Claws, Enhanced Smell, Enhanced Vision, Grip Pads,  Lateral Line, Mnemonic Augmentation, Muscle Augmentation, Poison Gland (BTX2), Prehensile Tail, Puppet Sock
Movement Rate: 4/16 (Snake)
Aptitude Maximum: 30
Durability: 35
Wound Threshold: 7
Advantages: +10 SOM (w/ Muscle Augmentation), +5 COO, +10 Climbing, Limber (1) traits, Striking Looks (1) trait
Notes: Social Stigma (Pod)
CP Cost: 40
Credit Cost: Expensive (40,000+)

(Another concept which has been through several iterations on the internet, this being my own take. Like others, this was an early design I went through several internal variations on. I wanted this less for the mythological theme, and more just because I wanted to do something interesting with the Snake mobility. From there, it was easy to think about some classically snake-y features which could be incorporated into a morph. The climbing/digging, COO bonus and sensory augs make a Lamia a viable stealth morph (combine with Chameleon Skin for more fun), but the Muscle Augmentation and Poison Gland make it more combat focused, including with an unarmed weapon - so there's some variation of utility. The butts comment harkens back to an old internet discussion about the merits of various snakemen and snakewomen.)