The fragmented capital of a union of human colonies has been slowly recovering from the wars it has scarred into itself. These colonies made a power grab. Colonial activists cheered and vast invasion fleets were created all to bring formal political control into safer hands.
They failed. They failed against a ravaged planet of under a billion people with no collective military. They failed because they underestimated the fundamental driving force which drove humanity from their home world all those years ago: determination.
Eventually nations were reborn. They still threw petty fits over whose land belongs to whom or why heretics have sprouted like weeds but eventually the old notions of global war manifested again in Final Conflict from 1054-1067.
Capricorn dares to do what others do not. The other colonies are independent yet slothful; they don’t answer the existential questions of humanity.
In 1820, Capricorn saw relative peace: Psionic humans were extinct and thanks to them, the soul was confirmed to exist. Religions have risen and fallen across generations but this information proved vital in answering the one question on one man’s lips:
In 1845, this question was answered. For the first time, humanity was spiritually crushed. The colonies fell silent, countries broke apart and people fell into an intense state anguish as they felt the pressure of all the damned souls press on their backs.
A new global government was pieced together in the attempt to minimise or prevent death. It was a futile cause: no matter how many cybernetics they fused into the flesh, no matter how much privacy was invaded, they could not stop it. Rivalries returned and humanity was on a fast-track to eternal damnation by 2100.
This was the greatest existential crisis that they had ever faced. From this: new religions formed, sapient robots were created and adored, bonds were forged over global networks and a growing sense of purpose glowed within them. You may not see them having children, you may not see them enjoying life but you will see them laugh a little.
In 1972, this collective spirit manifested in the human transcendence project called “Project Epsilon” tasked to immortalise humanity.
By late 2005, it was nearly complete but the public heard about it and rebelled. Fear was the final obstacle. Few were tasked to defend their last hope and to prevent subverts from exploiting it for their own ends. They will overcome death and themselves one last time in their:
“FINAL PROJECT.”