In 2186, a crew of thirteen was sent by the World Space Alliance to survey the surface of the distant planet Orinoco. The survey itself was uneventful but, on the return journey the ship passed through a diffuse nebula cloud. The composition of the cloud contained elements unknown to Earth and the crew was not able to obtain a sample for further study. When they returned home, the crew passed the regulation health inspection and was not put into quarantine. However, scientists discovered a startling commonality in all of the offspring that came from the crew post-mission: they had extra-sensory perception abilities. The children were studied and it was concluded that the condition was genetic and not contagious.
The military made a mad grab for these children the moment they came of age, knowing their abilities were very valuable. They were dubbed ‘Ghosts’, named after the description of the nebula given by crewman Elsie Patile. Each of these children passed on their abilities to their own children. Even if the other parent was not a Ghost, the offpring would still have the same abilities as the parent.
The abilities varied in strength and type; some possessed telekinesis, while others showed an aptitude for astral projection. Psychometry, empathic ability, telepathy and clairvoyance were also among the recorded abilities in the Ghosts working for the military.
The fourth generation of Ghosts brought a resistance to the idea of working for the military, and several families refused to cooperate, establishing themselves outside the jurisdiction of the armed forces. They began to develop their own culture, one rooted fundamentally in the Zen ideals of harmony and peace.
By the sixth generation, the Ghosts had a fixed and well-established counter-culture. Their philosophical and religious ideals stated that there could be either peace without or peace within, but never both. Using their abilities for the good of mankind meant that they must shoulder the burden of being alone, and never integrate themselves with non-Ghost cultures. To do so invited disaster. The called their communes ‘oubliettes’ and rarely traveled from them unless necessary.
While these isolationist Ghosts built up their culture, the Ghosts in the military served to assist in missions and explorations. They were invaluable in many situations, though most people were unnerved and uncertain of them – their abilities tended to make them behave distant and aloof.
Twelve generations or so since the first Ghosts were born, the first Ghost ever was appointed to the post of Global Administrator. Estee Auber was a champion of her culture, and was determined to discern the science behind the fantastic abilities of her people. She began a research foundation – the Celestial Campaign – headed by Nova Hazard, the counselor and chaplain aboard the famous Valdosta. Nova spent decades pursuing the truth of Ghost origins and, finally, discovered the neural pathways that had been opened due to a pulsar current inside the nebula, allowing for the genetic imprint to be passed on to Ghost children.
When Nova Hazard succeeded Estee Auber as Global Administrator, she campaigned and won the battle to ensure all research on replicating the nebula’s effects was banned and illegal. The process was both too dangerous and too ethically ambiguous.
The military made a mad grab for these children the moment they came of age, knowing their abilities were very valuable. They were dubbed ‘Ghosts’, named after the description of the nebula given by crewman Elsie Patile. Each of these children passed on their abilities to their own children. Even if the other parent was not a Ghost, the offpring would still have the same abilities as the parent.
The abilities varied in strength and type; some possessed telekinesis, while others showed an aptitude for astral projection. Psychometry, empathic ability, telepathy and clairvoyance were also among the recorded abilities in the Ghosts working for the military.
The fourth generation of Ghosts brought a resistance to the idea of working for the military, and several families refused to cooperate, establishing themselves outside the jurisdiction of the armed forces. They began to develop their own culture, one rooted fundamentally in the Zen ideals of harmony and peace.
By the sixth generation, the Ghosts had a fixed and well-established counter-culture. Their philosophical and religious ideals stated that there could be either peace without or peace within, but never both. Using their abilities for the good of mankind meant that they must shoulder the burden of being alone, and never integrate themselves with non-Ghost cultures. To do so invited disaster. The called their communes ‘oubliettes’ and rarely traveled from them unless necessary.
While these isolationist Ghosts built up their culture, the Ghosts in the military served to assist in missions and explorations. They were invaluable in many situations, though most people were unnerved and uncertain of them – their abilities tended to make them behave distant and aloof.
Twelve generations or so since the first Ghosts were born, the first Ghost ever was appointed to the post of Global Administrator. Estee Auber was a champion of her culture, and was determined to discern the science behind the fantastic abilities of her people. She began a research foundation – the Celestial Campaign – headed by Nova Hazard, the counselor and chaplain aboard the famous Valdosta. Nova spent decades pursuing the truth of Ghost origins and, finally, discovered the neural pathways that had been opened due to a pulsar current inside the nebula, allowing for the genetic imprint to be passed on to Ghost children.
When Nova Hazard succeeded Estee Auber as Global Administrator, she campaigned and won the battle to ensure all research on replicating the nebula’s effects was banned and illegal. The process was both too dangerous and too ethically ambiguous.
