IN THE BEGINNING
In the year 2163, human scientists built engineering marvels that created shortcuts through space ... Jumpgates.
Supporters of this innovative technology triumphed in their ability to unite the universe.
Critics denounced these tears in space as the ultimate crime against the environment, and prophesied a reckoning of destruction.
Both critics and proponents were right.
The Jumpgates brought worlds together, but the cost was high.
Rather than ports of call for free trade and exchange of ideas, Jumpgates became military bases used to control the known universe.
The Great Intergalactic War broke out in the year 2518. The coveted new fuel resource, Core, quickly became the focus of each conquest. Entire planets were destroyed in the pursuit, and hundreds of alien races annihilated.
In an effort to restore order, weary planetary leaders united and pledged that a single race would never again control the Jumpgates.
They created a congressional Alliance to address interplanetary disputes. A code of strict guidelines was established for Jumpgate protocol. Most importantly, Core became regulated like currency.
Peace was sustained for hundreds of years, but the desire for dominance surfaced in the form of galactic unrest and interplanetary battles.
The Alliance sought a productive way to harness this desire for supremacy.
The STAR CAR 5000 was the answer; an interplanetary race to match warrior against warrior, planet against planet. A good will event for worlds to unite and see their team tested against the best in the universe.
The Star Car 5000 generated the first super stars of the universe. Racers were celebrities. Winners were heroes.
For the sponsors who fielded the winning teams, their superiority in the universe was a proven commodity.
The Star Car 5000 championship was the ultimate pinnacle of success.
The bitter bi product of ultimate success came the need to win at any cost.
Foul play ensured a strong finish in a race. Failed drivers were forced into retirement, or worse. Alliance Ambassadors became recipients of corporate kickbacks; their own judgment compromised in favor of sponsor pressures.
Once an Ambassador proved his willingness to look the other way, the Jumpgates were again a vulnerable and attainable conquest.
One Leader knew that.
Helter.
