The Colonists
You were frozen twenty years ago and now you wake up in a foreign planet several light-years away from Sol, ready to begin your life as one of the first colonists of this new world. How did you get there, exactly?
The First Colonists or The Wakers is the name given to a group of people that were embarked on the Artemis Expeditor, frozen for twenty years to land at Artemis, with the goal of colonizing it for future generations of humans.
Background
In the year 2145, two decades before your story begins, holographic screens saturated every conceivable space on Earth, illuminating the urban landscape as citizens navigated their corporate-dominated world.
These projections incessantly promoted the impending mission to Artemis, a newly discovered planet, and the face of Professor Callysto, the scientist overseeing the project, his visage burned into the collective consciousness of the planet's inhabitants, marking the inception of a vigorous recruitment campaign for prospective colonists.
Individuals from the most diverse backgrounds eagerly submitted their applications for the missions, with recruitment centers sprouting in the most unexpected places: town halls, educational institutions, malls and even hospitals.
Endless queues wound around the blocks as holographic displays extolled the advantages of enlistment to any willing listener. Among them, desperate individuals eager to sacrifice familial ties for the promise of substantial financial compensation to be bestowed upon those left behind. Unwitting students, uncertain about their life paths and career-orientated corporate aspirants, determined to carve a niche for themselves joined the ranks of enthusiastic applicants.
Stringent medical examinations were conducted, with rejections being the norm rather than the exception. Comprehensive DNA testing was employed, barring all but the most robust and genetically resilient individuals, emphasizing both genetic vitality and physical fitness.
The massive undertaking of sending colonists to Artemis was at first considered a novelty or some kind of overly-ambitious plan, and those who signed up were either desperate or early adopters.
As the project continued, candidates were informed about the cryogenic process and its risks – there's a group of people who undergo cryogenic sleep who never wake up from it. The preparation also involves various uncomfortable steps.
For instance, candidates are informed that the day of the mission, they will need to undergo a procedure to replace their blood with a special cryoprotectant solution designed to prevent ice crystal formation and cellular damage during the freezing process. This would involves a gradual replacement of blood through an intravenous drip while, simultaneously, drugs are administered to reduce the metabollism and prepare it for its long rest.
Many bow out at this stage after this information, pressured by their families or their own fears of the procedure. But a healthy group remain.
The risks of the mission and its implication in the fate of humanity begin to get serious debate around the world. Several congresses become divided, arguing that their countries should ban participation in the process or not, with corporate interests thickly in the line. Some of these conversations turn violent.
Finally, the days of the missions are close.
For the colonists, this is the time to say good-bye to their loved ones and friends. With promises that they will stay in touch, nevertheless, they know it is likely they will never see each other again.
And so, after the procedures that they were warned about, the colonists are transported to the Artemis Mission Control set in Houston, and put to sleep.
And they went to the stars.
The Application Process
Colonists that joined the Artemis project were subjected to long queues, physical examinations and security clearance. In general, people with criminal records would be turned away, although some people might be able to get their records cleared in their respective home-town to be able to pass this test.
Professional Background
Many colonists joined the program because they had no other chance; they might be unemployed in their planet, might have had really bad luck and were looking for a second chance, or were simply looking for a change.
While there were some of the colonists joined Artemis already employed by one of the established factions, many of those who wake up need to find employment. You can read about some of the established factions in the section below:
Keep in mind that in Untold Dawn, there might be many player-led factions emerging. We recommend going in game and exploring what is available before committing!
