A family sci-fi adventure series

CREATED

BY

Holog Post

@cosmicflymax (Shane Ramsey) 

Date June 18, 2349

Hey Earthies, this’ll be my last post for a while. Dad’s still MIA. It’s been 3 months since he left for some secret job in the Belt. That’s right, the place he said he’d never go back to. 

 

We’ve heard nothing. I know the comms are dodgy out there but it’s been too long. The Space Marshals know zip. So Tyla and I are ditching our aunt’s and school to find him. We’re hitching a ride on a transport ship to Mars where I’ll get a flying job no problem, so we can go to the Belt and search for him (I’m the undefeated junior Earth orbit champion, so they will have heard of me, right?). You can’t tell anyone. And this holog will delete itself anyway.
GTG Shane

Private e-diary of Tyla Ramsey

Age 14 and 5 months, Vol XII

Date June 18, 2349

Penultimate Final Departure List (sublist A of Major Departure List dated June 15)

Commence Operation Gone (see sublist D of Major Departure List) to delay discovery by family/friends that we have left Earth
Encrypt all communication so we cannot be followed from Earth
Triple check bookings on Mars Transport Vessel EM15.
Triple check luggage including first aid kit, emergency rations, water and power banks.
Triple check backup emergency power bank to charge emergency power bank for charging power banks
Cyber arm repair kit and spare parts
Keep trying to crack Dad’s private comms for info on where he went and why
Once cracked, locate all known contacts and friends of Dad on Mars and in the Belt
Rate/review all plans to get from Mars to the Asteroid Belt
Plan A: Shane gets a pilot job. Probability of success: 13%
Plan B: Stowaway on an asteroid hopper. Probability of success: 27.6%
Plan C: Join Space Marshals as a junior cadet. Probability of success: 2%
Plan D: Find any work on any vessel headed to the Belt. Probability of success: 75%
Plan Z: We get lucky and find dad on Mars. Probability of success 0.01%
Remind Shane of the odds against Plan A. Often.

WHERE 

OUR STORY 

BEGINS

2324 CE

 
 
 

By the 23rd century, humanity’s future on Earth hangs in the balance. Exhausted energy resources have pushed civilization to the brink of collapse. After several expeditions to the Asteroid Belt in search of new energy resources, the one led by brilliant young scientist “Doc” Ramsey returns to Earth with samples of a new mineral with unusual properties. He named it roidicyte after its place of origin, the Asteroid Belt, between Mars and Jupiter. Extensive lab studies conducted by Doc’s team discovered that, if properly processed, roidicyte is a source of clean energy capable of changing humanity’s future on Earth.

The new roidicyte industry, bankrolled by the wealthy family of Doc’s university mate “JD” Cromwell, soon becomes a monopoly controlled by the Cromwell Corporation – since roidicyte is highly unstable in its raw form and Cromwell is the only corporation with the technology able to transport roidicyte to Earth. That doesn’t stop pirates, prospectors, and fortune hunters who, like during the California Gold Rush of 1849, scramble out to the asteroids hoping to get rich quickly. Following the prospectors and pioneers are those eager to make their own fortunes by exploiting them. But none are exploited more than the alien inhabitants of the Belt, the Centauri, living a subsistence life with the docile Veerluk. These diaphanous species evolved eons ago to survive in the Asteroid Belt and graze on roidicyte. Veerluk do not die but can be killed, and the arrival of colonizing humans decimates their delicately balanced ecosystem. 

 
Taking advantage of the vastness of space and the impossible odds faced by law enforcement, unscrupulous individuals and mega-corporations alike operate with impunity, ruthlessly pursuing their own nefarious agendas, challenged by only a handful of brave rebels – in what has historically become the… 

Planet 

Alignment Map

Also discovered on the asteroids are the Centauri, an alien species descended from Alpha Centauri explorers stranded in the Asteroid Belt. After they visited Earth in ancient times, catastrophic damage to their ships stranded them in the Asteroid Belt. Survivors evolved to adapt to the harsh conditions of the Asteroid Belt, benefiting from a symbiotic relationship with the Veerluk, creatures who graze on roidicyte, producing oxygen and nutrients for the Centauri. Roidicyte mining decimated this delicately balanced ecosystem, wiping out Veerluk colonies which forced the Centauri into mining roidicyte for Cromwell Corp in order to survive. There are stirrings of rebellion, aided by sympathetic human miners, but so far, Cromwell has been quick to suppress the agitators.

Centauri  Spiritual Leader 

Krell

Centauri Asteroid Colony

The exploitation of the vulnerable Centauri led to a spectacular falling out between Doc and JD. Doc returned to Earth, married, built a family – Shane and Tyla – and sought ways to break the Cromwell monopoly. Doc’s protests over the impacts of roidicyte mining saw JD publicly denounce him, damaging his reputation. Tyla and Shane grew up well aware their family are pariahs, instilling in both a strong sense of justice. Losing their mother several years ago was another challenge to face, as was Doc suddenly announcing he was returning to the Asteroid Belt.

Doc told them nothing, but they guessed he’d found a way to challenge Cromwell Corp. As months pass without word and with no help from authorities, Tyla and Shane decide to find Doc. En route to Ceres, their ship is attacked by pirates. Help comes from a rundown craft made from a hollowed-out asteroid, White Lightning, helmed by Jackson Lockwood and his outcast crew. On Ceres, the siblings find a small spacecraft Doc had hidden – a super-fast shape-changing vessel, the Slingshot. Their plans to search for Doc independently alarms Jackson, who invites them to join the White Lightning’s crew, which becomes Shane and Tyla’s new home – and family, in the Asteroid Belt.

WHY THIS STORY NOW?

For Shane and Tyla’s generation, the name Greta Thunberg is etched into history as the teen who dared stand up to the leaders of the world, warning them of the cataclysmic path humanity was on and demanding change before it was too late. Greta ushered in the age of powerful youth alliances, which arose in the decades and centuries after her. However, none were powerful enough to prevent Earth’s climate and energy crises (although they vociferously predicted both). As humanity turns to space, not only to save civilization back on Earth but also to forge new frontiers and colonies, the mistakes of the past are being repeated – and once again, the youth alliances are sounding the alarm. The difference this time is that humanity is out of options. Over 300 years ago, Greta could not have realized there was a viable Plan B – space – and a second chance to save a civilization so intent on destroying itself and everything around it. But for Shane and Tyla’s generation, there is no third chance. Enough is enough. They can’t just react to a future created by others; it’s time to invent their own on their own terms. So they’re taking over.

The hope of the future for humanity lies in Shane, Tyla, and their friends in the Belt showing the adults what being responsible citizens of the universe means: compassion, respect, and tolerance for other species; sustainable consumption of renewable resources; and an end to the havoc and destruction of colonization and slaveryThe wild frontier of the Belt is where the final battle to save humanity will be fought – and won – by those with the most to lose: the next generation. Finding Doc is only the first step for Shane and Tyla to inspire their generation to become the honorable leaders of today, not just tomorrow.

THE WHITE

LIGHTNING

CREW

SHANE RAMSEY 18

Shane is a freakishly talented young pilot who uses his extraordinary ability to counter the notoriety of the Ramsey name. 

His reckless, audacious talents are a direct challenge to anyone who dares cast slurs on him, his sister, or the dad he idolizes. He’s inherited his father’s sharp, enquiring mind, but in a different way; not through hitting the schoolbooks (he’s an average student at best who can never sit still or concentrate), but through his fearless, adventurous spirit, embracing anything unknown with curiosity, awe, and zeal. In the lawless, harsh frontier of the Belt, youthful mistakes become a matter of life and death, but like a kid who’s just got his licence and a car, Shane only knows the thrill of getting behind the wheel. In time he will become a top pilot able to outrun, outmaneuver, and hide better than anyone else. 

His other talent is the electric guitar (although others on the White Lightning will debate this). Shredding in zero-g’s is a whole new experience! Deep down, Shane is terrified – of never finding his dad, of something happening to Tyla, and of never returning home to Earth – but covers his vulnerabilities with bravado and wit. His impetuous risk-taking (including speaking his mind regardless of the consequences) gets him into plenty of trouble. But he has his resourcefulness, sense of humor, space-smarts – not to mention his sister – to help get him out of it.

TYLA RAMSEY 16

Tyla takes after her mother (whom she misses deeply), the more cautious, introspective thinker rather than doer of the siblings. 

A techno whizz who loves studying, there is (almost) nothing she can’t fix, work out how to fix, or know who to ask to fix. Engineering is, simply, her natural talent. Perhaps this comes from the childhood accident that left her with a disabled arm, for which Doc designed a cyber prosthetic replacement capable of many tasks; from the family who let her believe she could do and be anything, or from her whip smart intelligence. Probably all three. She has a sharp, sassy tongue that cuts down anyone maligning her or her family, a diplomat’s loquaciousness to talk them out of trouble (when Shane can’t fly them out of it). And, if all that fails, she’s a phenomenal virtual sharpshooter (First Officer Curtis tells her she’s a cosmic Annie Oakley, not that that means anything to Tyla until she looks up the legendary shooter). If Shane’s the action guy, the one who comes up with the crazy plan (like flying to the Belt to find their father), Tyla is the one who plans the trip, deciding what to take to be ready for anything. She also judiciously records all their experiences in her hologram diary (stored in her cyber arm), hoping that her galactic chronicles will eventually yield clues and a trail to finding Doc.

She can tend to stick to her planning and scheduling like a security blanket and has difficulty letting go and being spontaneous, just as Shane has difficulty embracing her next level organizing – it’s the source of most of their arguments. They find common ground playing music together, revealing Tyla’s surprising creative side, using her cyber arm’s “music mode” to accompany Shane’s guitar.

ERIDANI

Life Support Officer   – 16 
Hybrid Human-Centauri

De [pronounce dee] / hir [hiɹ] / hirs [hiɹ’s] / Hirself [hiɹˈsɛlf]

A hybrid, born of human and Centauri parents, de is an orphan after both parents died – one from the toxic environment of roidicyte mining, the other during a failed miners’ strike when Cromwell security forcibly removed protestors blocking the mine. Jackson was caught up in the same protest, trying to smuggle supplies to the striking miners, and found young Eridani lost and frightened in the chaos, and immediately adopted hir. Hybrids are rare beings, gender non-specific, with a mix of Centauri and human features – faint lilac skin, large eyes, and tympanum ears – but their limbs are less elongated than the Centauri. Eridani is well aware of hirs outsider status, rejected by the Centauri (for being the progeny of traitors who bred with their human oppressors) but also not belonging in the human world either. 

This creates a complex combination of self-loathing, resentment, but also superiority because hybrids exhibit some of the best of both genetic strains, manifesting in superior intelligence, the ability to communicate with the Veerluk, and superior senses (especially sight, sound, and smell). The Centauri are not naturally confrontational beings; neither are the Veerluk. Eons of living symbiotically in the Belt without natural predators created peaceful species who do not understand war. Eridani presents as quiet, observant, and brusque, with a disarming, self-deprecating sense of humor. De has built a wall around hirself. It will take a lot to make that wall finally crumble.

VEERLUK: FIDELIO

Named for the asteroid Eridani is from (translated from Centauri). Bonded to Eridani but will form an attachment to Shane and Tyla in time. Separated from its family group just as Eridani was separated from hirs parents due to the brutality of Cromwell Corp. Eridani lived in a symbiotic relationship with Fidelio, who provides essential nutrients as well as oxygen as a by-product. It is how the Centauri and Veerluk survived in harmony for so long until Cromwell Corp disrupted their ecosystem. 

Veerluk are loyal to the Centauri and will defend them if need be, but as docile creatures with no natural predators (until humans arrived), they are not naturally aggressive. Ephemeral transparent beings (like jellyfish with mutable bodies like amoeba), they propel and maneuver themselves in a vacuum with no gravity via visible energy pulses moving over their constantly changing bodies. They can morph their outer membrane to change shape, to fit through small narrow spaces, or any other physical challenge. Condensing into tight shapes and changing their surface patterns to resemble asteroids are camouflage techniques to escape danger. 

They express affection by wrapping their body in a “hug” around another being and communicate via bioluminescent light patterns in what constitutes their face. Fidelio is basically a baby animal on board White Lightning, endearing, delightful, and creating hilarious havoc on the ship, forever getting into places he shouldn’t be.  

They “feed” on the roidicyte using energy waves extracted from asteroids with a physical reaction of kinetic energy running over the surface and inside their bodies, absorbing roidicyte energy in an osmosis-like process. They reproduce asexually like amoeba through binary fission, dividing when reaching a certain size with visible kinetic energy underscoring the event that produces a new smaller “bud” offshoot creature.

The surface of their ephemeral bodies communicates with kinetic light patterns (there is no sound in the vacuum of space). Eridani communicates with them by “reading” the light patterns, while the Veerluk communicate with each other via energy waves (a form of telepathy that unites the herds across the Belt). They are harmless grazers that float among the asteroids in peaceful family groups, making their decimation by the greed-driven Cromwell Corp all the more despicable. 

 

JACKSON LOCKWOOD

Captain    – 30s

Jackson is a crusader with a strong sense of justice who rails against the ruthless domination of the Cromwell Corp. He has a lot in common with Doc on that point but never had the opportunities that Doc did to finish his education and gain a profession. Jackson always had to carve his own path in life, giving him a large chip on his shoulder which translates into deliberate defiance and contempt for authority figures (or anyone who tells him what to do) and a cutting remark that may take the recipient a while to realize the insult. Principled, stubborn, and passionate, he’s prepared to break the rules to achieve good ends. A space-age Robin Hood, he is a fearless champion of the Centauri, Veerluk, or anyone exploited by those in power. The White Lightning is a cargo vessel in the Belt, transporting supplies between outer-lying asteroids, Ceres City, and even Mars. Jackson may have begun in this line of work as a fortune hunter, eking out an existence however he could, but now he’s focused on helping the Centauri, and anyone opposed to the Cromwell Corp circumvent their monopoly on supplies and fuel and exposing their corruption and exploitation of miners – funded by all the deals he still cuts on the side. Justice comes at a high price, especially in the Belt.

CURTIS BOOKER

First Officer/Medic       – 30s

Curtis’ imposing physical presence and superhuman agility belie the philosopher within. A self-taught Renaissance man, Curtis takes pride in his ancient Samoan heritage. He’s an expert on Earth literature, arts, and history, which is ironic because, as a first-generation child born to the original expeditioners who came to the Belt, he can never visit Earth – due to his lack of immunity to terrestrial biological hazards. Jackson needs Curtis’ tempering influence – the friendlier voice of reason who thinks before he acts, calming Jackson’s volatility, often with a well-aimed quip. Not that Jackson would ever admit this. Curtis is in a long-distance relationship with his childhood sweetheart BlueIris (hologramatic hookups are a thing in the Belt). Curtis cultivates plants on board to produce oxygen and food and forms a special bond with Shane and Tyla, wanting to know about all things Earth, their home. In turn, he introduces them to the mysteries of his home, the Asteroid Belt. He’s an expert on the Veerluk.

ITZEL POLT (CENTAURI)

Comms Officer    – 20s

A rebellious daughter of a Centauri miner who, like Jackson, is determined to bring down Cromwell Corp. She’s well known to the Space Marshals as she has spent a bit of time in Ceres City Detention Centre (like many Centauri she frequently falls afoul of the law), and is a fierce, kick-ass, take-no-prisoners “skraggy” (the insulting term for a Centauri that triggers Itzel’s fearsome temper), with a dry biting wit. Her sophisticated comms skills are highly prized in the Belt because one of the drawbacks of roidicyte mining is that it interferes with communication technologies. She’s also a martial arts expert in F2-do (Free Fall-do), a zero-gravity discipline developed for fighting in spacecraft, on asteroid surfaces or even in the roidicyte mines (against Cromwell cronies), involving maneuvers with combatants bouncing off walls and flipping and spinning. Even though it evolved to take advantage of Centauri physiology, Itzel insists on teaching it to Shane and Tyla. Out here, everyone needs to learn self-defence—even humans.

She’s also got the jack-of-all-trades know-how that most Centauri must have, from a life of making do on the outer Belt where most of the roidicyte mines are located. Her vulnerability? Realizing she’s becoming an older sister figure to Tyla and the responsibility that comes with that when she’s told herself that every human is ultimately not to be trusted.

DILOC CHAIWAT 

Ship’s Engineer      20s

Jackson’s nephew, raised by Jackson and Curtis since his own parents vanished years ago when they went to seek their fortune in the Outer Belt and were never heard from again. The life-defining moment taught Diloc the perils of adventure, making him wary ever since of heading into the great unknown. Better to stick to what you know and be happy with your lot than want more and pay the ultimate price. His droll catastrophizing may be the butt of ship jokes, but there’s an element of truth (and deep pain) to his warnings about staying safe. Like all the crew, he’s self-taught. Jackson rarely enforced space school when Diloc was growing up, so Curtis was left to impart his knowledge instead, including what he knew of Diloc’s Thai heritage. That was the only part Diloc did not find boring, along with becoming a skilled martial artist in the Muay Thai discipline. Diloc’s preference for tinkering over reading bonds him with Tyla, and his goal of “upgrading” her cyber prosthetic arm and the constant repairs on the Slingshot (courtesy of Shane’s latest reckless flight) – it’s not long before Tyla has a serious crush on him. 

Shane does not approve, which is difficult for him because he considers Diloc a friend, in no small part because he is extremely adept at repairing the regular damage to the Slingshot. Diloc is blind to Tyla’s crush until it’s pointed out to him, and then must awkwardly explain it’s not reciprocated. It’s why he prefers to focus on machines – way less complicated than people.

THE CROMWELL

CORPORATION

JD CROMWELL

CEO Crom. Corp.      – 40s

Charming and gracious, JD is a shrewd businesswoman and brilliant scientist (who hates her real name Jasmine, so goes by JD). She believes her intellect and business acumen in establishing the roidicyte industry rescued humanity from an energy crisis that would have otherwise doomed mankind’s future. She is determined to prevent another energy crisis that thrusts civilization to the brink of collapse. JD believes that catastrophe can only be averted by her absolute leadership and Cromwell Corporation’s unchallenged monopoly. Permitting free market principles in the Belt would never guarantee supply, so draconian enforcement of the monopoly is the price paid for stability and progress. She is frustrated that Doc never understood these harsher realities. His idealism was admirable but impractical. Her wealth continues to grow as a result of the monopoly, but maintaining it is a costly, vital task. She doesn’t allow her monopoly to be destabilized by any activity that threatens it. 

A reliable energy source is far better than wasting money and time gambling on alternative possible fuels. For the same reasons, she must ensure a dependable mining workforce – the Centauri and human miners in the Outer Belt, where the majority of roidicyte is found. All of them undeniably benefit from her leadership and the progress Cromwell Corp brings. She is grooming her son Brock (the result of a pregnancy courtesy of a specially engineered genetic code to guarantee the best possible progeny) to inherit the Cromwell empire one day. A complex, ambitious woman who firmly believes she is saving humanity and, to do so, “the ends justify the means.” Her vulnerability is that she dares not let anyone close in case they try to take over. JD trusts no one, believes everyone is out to get something from her, but yearns for true friendship her paranoia will always destroy, and deep down, for the child she bore but gave away years ago. Success is a lonely place, especially in space.

BROCK CROMWELL

JD’s son and heir   – 16

Shane’s nemesis. Brock is everything Shane is not and has never had and everything Jackson despises about wealth and privilege. The problem is, Brock is just about as freakishly talented a pilot as Shane, and that’s not something money can buy (although it can buy endless replacement ships for Brock, whereas Shane is always forced to patch up the Slingshot). Brock knows that his mother would love to put the White Lightning and its crew out of business – it’s the perfect way to earn his stripes in her eyes. So, he’s set his sights on doing just that until Shane and Tyla turned up. Shane is more than a match for Brock in the cockpit if Brock was honest, but he’s not. He has a snide humor, is cocky, entitled, good with a quick comeback… and deep-down wonders if his mother will ever love him just for who he is, not who he will be (in her eyes). Because what she wants for his future and what Brock wants are not the same thing at all.

ROBOTIC DOG: QUASI

Just as JD designed her own son, Brock designed his own dog – no need to earn this faithful companion’s loyalty and respect; Quasi has been programmed to do everything for Brock and provide unconditional love and support, even if it is of the electronic chip variety. Manufactured to meet certain parameters and serve specific purposes, Quasi is bionic, a mixture of genetically engineered biological material and robotics. His main function is bodyguard and defender of Brock – he is armed with vicious steel teeth and a concealed knife in his tail, as well as numerous other “attack” functions. Given he’s a Cromwell, Brock isn’t always sure who he can trust, who is a genuine friend, and who is just with him because of who his mother is. With Quasi, he’s uncensored, unloading exactly what he thinks and feels. So, if Quasi’s memory chip ever fell into other hands (let alone the wrong ones…), Brock is in big trouble!

WRIGHT

JD’s enforcer/Right-hand man     – 40s

JD’s enforcer/right-hand man/spy/whatever – Wright is a man of many tasks since JD never gets her hands dirty with the more unpleasant aspects of protecting the roidicyte monopoly her corporation controls. Wright is married but attracted to JD, which JD knows and exploits. Wright’s past is shady, and JD knows all his secrets, which means he’s dependent on her for work to keep those secrets – just as he knows a lot about her that needs to stay hidden. He also benefits from the power and wealth that comes from being in the inner Cromwell circle. It’s an uncomfortable co-dependent relationship between them, founded on mutual need. Wright is a fearsome and effective enforcer of the Cromwell Corp rule, but deep down he grows more conflicted over what he does – and resentful he has no choice about it. One day, when that resentment will inevitably explode, JD better watch out. Ultimately, she has a lot more to lose than Wright.

MIA WRIGHT

Wright’s Daughter    – 16

Wright’s daughter and Tyla’s nemesis, a privileged, entitled Belt teen who benefits from all the advantages her father working for JD brings: attending the top Ceres City school, leader of the pack of the other “Belt Brats,” and, due to her connections, the one who can get anything for anyone (legal or not) despite the privations of supply chains in the Belt. She and Tyla will cross paths in Ceres City, on the transport shuttle taking them to and from there (and Mars when they head there), and anywhere else space teens congregate. Mia doesn’t like Tyla because she knows Tyla can see right through her, to the insecure, troubled teen she is, well aware her own reputation only rests on what her father does for a living.

OTHER

CHARACHTERS

SPACE MARSHAL KENDRA SILVA

20s

A tough frontier woman and first-generation child of Ceres City settlers, Asteroid Belt pioneers. She is familiar with even the farthest inhabited reaches of the Belt, as well as many of the Belt’s residents who respect her sense of justice and even-handedness. She is highly-principled from growing up during the beginning of the space rush, seeing firsthand the societal effects of that, and was determined to right the inequalities that led to crime and violence – but now finds herself conflicted about her role in doing so. She’s suspicious of Cromwell Corp’s strong-arm tactics but also obliged to uphold the law – regardless of whether the crime committed is in response to Cromwell’s dubious corporate behavior. This means she is often in the position of dealing with disgruntled, exploited miners and Centauri, preparing to defuse tension with subtle humor rather than force; and often in pursuit of the White Lightning crew, who frequently stray to the wrong side of the law. On one hand, she sympathizes with Jackson and his struggle against corporate greed, but on the other, she is obliged to arrest them all on sight. Over the course of the series, they will find ways to help each other without betraying their own loyalties, but eventually, Kendra must face that her sense of justice will outweigh her obedience to the letter of the law.

COMMANDING OFFICER

MBOQWA MWANAMWAMBA

20s

Commanding officer in the Space Marshal unit in which Kendra Silva serves. Mboqwa is a strictly by-the-book leader and is dedicated to justice and the rule of law. He has great empathy for the independent miners and the Centauri.  He and Kendra sometimes clash as she is more willing to bend the law.  She sometimes bristles at his authority, but both share frustration at their limited resources and the impossibility of their task.  He occasionally looks the other way when the crew of White lightning goes on a rescue mission. He is a proud descendant of Sundiata, the legendary Lion King of Mali.

Sian Clay

LEADER OF THE MINERS’ REBELLION – 40s

Inspired by real-life astronaut and artist Dr. Sian Proctor, adventurer Sian Clay’s dream of getting rich quickly in the space rush for roidicyte didn’t work out as she dreamed. Soon, she understood that even as an independent miner, she would be subject to the virtual servitude of Cromwell’s authority.

Sian accepts an offer to act as negotiator between Cromwell and the Miners Alliance, making a deal in good faith. When JD Cromwell reneges, and instead launches even tighter controls that would not only worsen the conditions of the miners but decimate the herds of harmless Veerluk —arguing that the creatures were parasites consuming roidicyte and affecting the company’s profits, Sian realizes she’s been betrayed and secretly decides to take on the leadership of the miners’ rebellion while maintaining her business relationship as an independent miner with Crom. Corp. as a convenient front.

A long-time friend of Doc Ramsey and supporter of anyone fighting for social justice, Sian develops a special mentor relationship with Shane, and especially Tyla, as both share the experience of having a bionic arm (Sian lost an arm in a mining accident) and Tyla helps Sian improve the capabilities of her more primitive device.

TARGET

AUDIENCE

SPACE RUSH’s multi-tiered approach to characters, story structure, and distinctive diversity signature engages a broad range of demographics, from teens to adults. Aside from the enduring appeal of the science fiction genre to enormous international audiences, the visual spectacle, action sequences, and exciting new worlds captivate all age groups, as do universal themes of family loyalty and battling oppression, prejudice, and inequality. Humor is a key element of the series, ranging from Itzel’s drier than the vacuum of space wit to Tyla’s sassy retorts and Shane’s bold, comebacks. The relevance of the energy crisis, which forms the series’ catalyst, is particularly timely. The stories and themes for each character tier are intended to resonate with and be readily identifiable for particular demographics. Shane and Tyla’s quest to find their father, the missions of White Lightning, and conflict with the powerful elite, provide plenty of suspense, action, and intrigue while also incorporating familiar teen themes of first love, self-identity, values, rivalries, and ambitions, all of which are writ large in the future untamed world of space. The twenty-something characters appeal to a young adult demographic by exploring life choices, career disillusionment, and self-fulfillment. Older characters will resonate with mature audiences in exploring parenting and family dynamics, long-term relationships, and life goals within the exciting context of Jackson Lockwood’s crusade to bring down a brutal monopoly on the edge of human civilization in space.

 

EPISODE

STRUCTURE

Each episode of Space Rush will have a clearly defined, self-contained mission-centered “A” story that forms the narrative spine of the episode. Examples include confrontations with ruthless pirates wanting valuable cargo, running a Cromwell blockade of an outer asteroid to deliver lifesaving supplies to striking miners, or rescue missions from an unstable fuel supply ship. Pursuing clues that may lead to locating Doc will also be the focus of several episodes, sending Shane and Tyla into the far reaches of the belt as well as the depths of Ceres City, where they will become the focus of stand alone stories such as helping a rebel Centauri leader escape authorities, or exposing a plot to frame Jackson and ground the White Lightning permanently. The series story and character arcs will play out as subplots within the self-contained “A” stories, providing a context for revealing and developing the serialized content of the series. Each episode will end on questions and mysteries for the audience to maximize the binge appeal of the series.

 

SEASON 1 

STORY ARCS

THE WHITE LIGHTNING “FAMILY” RELATIONSHIPS

Relationships on board the hero ship will evolve and develop after Shane and Tyla join the crew:

Jackson and Curtis eventually become parent figures to Shane and Tyla. They will clash like all kids do with parents, as Jackson’s goals are not always compatible with the search for Doc. The siblings will also find support and help from them as Jackson and Curtis become mentors and teachers and, like all parents, argue over what’s best for their kids. So much so that Tyla begins to think maybe Jackson and Curtis’ ideal partner is, in fact, each other

Tyla and Shane will prove themselves as valuable members of the crew, when:

Shane flies the Slingshot as a decoy, allowing the White Lightning to make a last-minute escape

Tyla space walks to use her cyber arm for life saving ship repairs when the S.P.U.D breaks down

Tyla/Itzel develop a sisterly relationship, Tyla yearning for a guiding mother figure; ironic that this should be a Centauri, with an inbuilt mistrust of everyone human

Shane/Itzel have a prickly, combative relationship fuelled by Shane always siding with Eridani, who Itzel distrusts; but tempered by mutual respect for each other’s vital skills

Shane and Diloc develop a brotherly relationship with all the usual rivalry, bickering, but also deep bond

Enduring suspicion and wariness between Itzel and Eridani leading to complications and problems when the crew need to work together; in caring for Fidelio, the Veerluk; or when they suspect there is a traitor to the Cromwell Corp in their midst

URST COUPLES 

Force of nature Shane meets force of will Eridani; wariness and mistrust eventually giving way to respect, admiration and understanding

Diloc delights in finding new ways for the White Lightning to outsmart Kendra’s Space Marshal ship; for someone determined to avoid her, why does his path always seem to end up crossing hers?

Tyla is the sister of Brock’s nemesis Shane, and the daughter of his mother’s nemesis Doc Ramsey. That’s why she gets under Brock's skin, he tells himself. And why she tells herself she feels exactly the same way about him.

THE SEARCH FOR DOC

While working for Jackson as a cargo runner and agitator against Cromwell Corp and helping to evade Space Marshal Kendra, Shane and Tyla continue to track down and follow any clue they find that might lead to their father. Whilst not the focus of every episode, the trail of clues soon suggests that Doc is alive and doing what he always said he would, finding a way to bring down the Cromwell monopoly. Shane and Tyla debate whether continuing to locate him will jeopardize that mission. Eventually, they will be shocked to realize that he is working for JD! Despite Brock’s misgivings about Doc’s turnaround, JD is convinced that Doc has finally seen the error of his ways. Doc appears to prove his loyalty with a shocking act that stuns Shane and Tyla. They cannot believe their father has sided with JD and are then faced with the terrible dilemma of fighting their father with Jackson and his crew.  What will they do? In the nick of time, they decrypt a message from Doc, to realize that he’s actually a double agent working inside the Cromwell Corp to bring it down – in a gripping climax to Season 1 they must stop Jackson from attacking Doc’s ship, urged on by Itzel and Eridani who refuse to lose their chance to destroy JD.

The Youth Alliance – the Centauri and Miners rebellion

Jackson’s Robin Hood quests bring Shane and Tyla into contact with the Centauri and miners in the Outer Belt, where they see the consequences of the Cromwell Corp’s brutal monopoly first-hand, becoming involved in Jackson’s attempts to circumvent and challenge the authoritarian rule, aided and abetted by Itzel especially. Eridani is often caught in such conflicts, rejected by the Centauri, and mistrusted by the humans. On the outer Belt, Eridani’s deepest desire will become apparent: to find another hybrid like hir threatening the bond with Shane if de does.

Shane and Tyla will become frustrated with Jackson’s approach – circumventing the status quo in the Belt will never actually change it. Jackson is cynical about the prospects of that, as many have tried, but none have succeeded. So undermining Cromwell is the best they can do. They will fight JD because they have nothing to lose. But how to find fellow supporters, scattered and isolated throughout the Belt, and band together in this wild frontier? Forming an alliance is thwarted by distance and the roidicyte’s interference with comms (JD being well aware of the advantages of this to her rule). No hologram social media out here to drive a youth protest… until they realize they have something better. Courtesy of Eridani, they have the Veerluk. Telepathic beings, they provide an instant communication network across the Belt, one which JD remains oblivious to. With Centauri youth keen to join forces, Tyla and Shane, supported by Sian Clay, find themselves leading an underground youth alliance dedicated to toppling Cromwell rule and the tyranny of colonization. Their goals are justice and respect, not slavery and destruction. 

They take their name from their favorite historical figure, Greta Thunberg, and call themselves the Thunders. Their catch cry, of course is, “How dare you?!”. 

SHANE AND ERIDANI URST

Shane and Eridani develop an URST relationship, leading to Shane behaving recklessly to defend Eridani, and Eridani being equally reckless to help Shane find his father (since Eridani knows what it’s like to not have parents). Jackson, Tyla and the White Lightning crew will have to help extract them more than once from such scenarios.

BROCK AND MIA

Shane and Tyla meet their nemeses in Brock and Mia who will complicate their search for Doc and drive teen dilemmas – the search for identity, a feeling of belonging, rivalries and jealousies – in their new life in the Belt.

SEASON 2 

STORY ARCS

Shane, Tyla and Jackson and the White Lightning crew help to extract Doc from the Cromwell Corporation in a showdown that damages but does not end JD’s exploitative operations

Despite being reunited with their father, Shane and Tyla’s world collapses anew when Shane is shocked to learn that JD is in fact, his real mom – pitting him even further against Brock, who is his half-brother and determined not to let this late comer usurp his position as favored son

Tyla is also devastated to realize that Shane is only her half-brother, and that Doc and JD were once a couple. Feeling deeply betrayed by Doc, she turns to Itzel and pursues a reckless and dangerous plan to bring down JD, from which Jackson and his crew will risk their lives to save them both

As Shane and Tyla suspected, Doc has discovered a way to challenge the roidicyte monopoly of Cromwell Corp. This immediately threatens anyone with knowledge of it, as JD and Wright are determined to stamp out any threat to the corporation

The Thunders grow in size and strength, but competition for leadership emerges

Eridani is under threat from all sections of the Belt society when it is discovered that de carries a gene which can destroy humanity.

THE HERO SHIPS

Technology Note: Pioneers in The Asteroid Belt make use of resources available to them. Asteroids are plentiful and available in any size from a pebble all the way up to Ceres, classified as a dwarf planet 580 miles (940 km) in diameter. Using mining technology asteroids are hollowed out to serve as dwellings, workplaces, agricultural facilities, and when mounted with drives and thrusters, as vessels.  Certain compounds found in some asteroids become transparent when processed and are used as airtight windows.

White Lightning

A large hollowed-out asteroid fitted with propulsion systems, chambers, and compartments for work and (cramped) living spaces, cargo, and supplies. Its small hangar is capable of containing smaller ships, such as the Slingshot. It is armed with powerful space weapons, including a mag-lev rail gun that allows it to shoot small asteroids as projectiles with devastating effects. But its best defense is the powerful propulsion system enabling incredible speeds to outrun pursuers.

Slingshot

A small ship built for speed and agility constructed by Doc Ramsey from a hollowed-out asteroid, it can draw its thrusters inside to disguise itself as a non-remarkable floating rock among trillions. Shane will use it to draw pursuers away from the White Lightning, allowing the larger ship to escape with its bounty. Shane’s smaller maneuverable ship can evade attackers and rendezvous with the Lightning later.

S.P.U.D.

A work pod with room for a couple of crew that all aboard the White Lightning, including Tyla, can fly. It has multiple thrusters for maneuverability and robotic arms for tasks including prospecting and extra vehicular repairs. It has the advantage of being able to go where larger craft cannot.

Cyclops

A large craft, virtually a heavily armed flying city, that is the luxurious home and center of operations for JD Cromwell. It houses a powerful communications center that monitors and can jam messages throughout the system. Cyclops also carries a variety of smaller crafts that can be used for prospecting, mining activities, and forcefully controlling the flow of goods and roidicyte between Earth, Mars, the Asteroid Belt, and other human outposts.

Manta

Brock’s ship. Built for speed, so a match for the Slingshot. Manta is the Lamborghini of personal space craft that can be flown by a single pilot but can also carry a small crew. JD spared no expense to build the hottest craft for her privileged son. It is designed to travel in space and in a planet’s atmosphere. Manta is also equipped with a variety of armaments should the need arise.

Patrol Cruiser

Geometric in design, Kendra’s Space Marshal government-issue utility craft can serve a variety of purposes ranging from law enforcement to search and rescue. The cruiser is armed and is also equipped with special rescue gear. It is designed to carry 12 crew members or passengers.

Typhoon

Wright’s state of the art heavily armed craft used to intimidate, and enforce Cromwell domination. It was designed for stealth since Wright frequently breaks what few rules there are in the Asteroid Belt but can’t ever be caught doing so.

THE WORLD 

OF THE 

ASTEROID BELT

THE CAPITAL

CERES CITY

Ceres is the largest asteroid in the Belt, center of Cromwell Corporation’s offices, and the retail, residential (for the wealthy and top end of society), business, and recreational hub of Belt society. JD divides her time between an executive residence and her own spacecraft, Cyclops. Head Office for the Space Marshals is also located here. 

The builders of Ceres City (Cromwell Corporation) and the authorities that oversee it intended it to be the crossroads for human activity in the Belt. Light and heat are generated by a plasma beam running through the zero-g core of the planetoid. A 12-hour day / 12-hour night cycle has been established to provide residents and visitors with an instinctive circadian rhythm, all under the control of a master computer with AI capabilities. There is a 45-minute magic hour at the end of each cycle to simulate dawn and sunset. The day shift is dominated by business and commercial activities, while the night presents opportunities for recreation that are limited only by the penchants of those pursuing it.

Ceres is the place teens come to hang out at the space version of a mall – complete with recreational flying course for small vessels, where impromptu and official flying competitions take place (Brock and Shane often go head-to-head here) as well as other past times, like a virtual firing range where Tyla proves herself the best shot in the Belt.

Annual Zero-G Air Surfing Championship Race

ORBITING SPACE STATIONS

SHUTTLE
AND
LOCAL TRANSPORT

The White Lightning and similar craft are designed and built for inter-asteroid travel but not for landing on planetary or asteroid surfaces. At the bigger settlements, such as Ceres City and Mars, orbiting space stations permit large craft to dock, with shuttles conveying passengers to the mini cities below. As such, the orbiting space stations are like any large transport interchange hub: lots of people coming and going, a retail and food hub, accommodation, and plenty of legitimate – as well as not-so-legitimate – deals being done. A haven for pickpockets, thieves, hustlers and opportunists.

INNER ASTEROIDS

Less densely populated, where employees of the Cromwell Corp and subsidiary/ancillary businesses reside.

OUTER ASTEROIDS

Home to the Centauri, Veerluk and human miners, and where the roidicyte is mainly located. Mining outposts with minimal infrastructure apart from the mines. This is also where the outlaws of the space rush come to hide, live, or refuel and repair. Many, like Jackson and his crew, live on their craft to more easily avoid capture.

MARS

The closest planet where the Cromwell Corp’s roidicyte refining facility is located. The trip between the asteroids and Mars is effectively a busy high-speed highway transporting the roidicyte (and its refined version back as fuel to the Belt), as well as supplies to the Belt. It is the seat of the Earth Controlled Council, an extension of Earth’s government ruling Mars and the Belt, but the distance means effective reach of government in the Belt is tenuous at best.

SPACE RUSH MUSIC

Music is an important element of Space Rush. Audiences will follow Shane and Tyla’s passion to create music from the traditional sounds and electronic music of today into what music and instrumentation can be in the 24th Century. Unique instruments will also be designed for the show, in line with Shane’s ergonomic guitar designed by Dan Curry and Brandon McDougall.

CREATIVE TEAM

Dan Curry, VES, DGA, ASC, ADG 

Co-Creator

Veteran of 118 feature films and numerous TV productions Dan Curry, VES, worked with some of the industry’s most acclaimed filmmakers. 7-time Emmy winner (19 nominations) Curry served as Visual Effects Supervisor/Producer, Conceptual Designer, Director, and 2nd Unit Director for Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise. He also designed noted title sequences for feature films and television including Top Gun, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Three Amigos, Back to School, and Star Trek DS9 and Voyager. He invented the iconic Klingon weapons and the Klingon martial arts style for Star Trek. Dan is a former Peace Corps Volunteer in Thailand, and remained in country working in film, art, architecture, and production design. Clients included the Bangkok Opera and the United States Information Service. He won the commission as production designer for the King’s Royal Charity Ball. He holds an MFA in Film and Theatre and is a past Governor of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, a member of the Director’s Guild of America, the American Society of Cinematographers, the Art Directors Guild, and is a Fellow of the International Visual Effects Society. Past experience includes teaching on the university level, presenting at various international venues, and thrice serving as commencement speaker. Dan currently collaborates with White House Teams promoting the study of Quantum and Space Science.

Lina Foti

Co-Creator

Lina is an Executive Producer and Award-winning writer-creator with 20+ years of experience globally. Throughout her career, she has successfully created original IP for international audiences, arranged global co-productions, and localized animation and live-action shows across Spanish, Portuguese, and English-speaking territories. In her work, she has collaborated with artists, producers, publishers, and broadcasters around the world, including Sony Pictures Television, Disney, Nickelodeon, EBS, HBOMax, Discovery +, RAI, Dreamworks, NatGeo Kids, DeAPlaneta, Studio100, KidsMe, Jonathan M. Shiff, NBCU’s Matchbox Pictures, and Cybergroup, among others. Lina was instrumental in facilitating 2020 Academy Award-winning company Lion Forge Animation’s global setup and a key player in subsequent accolades. In 2021 she was awarded an AWGIE (Australian Writers’ Guild Award for Excellence in Storytelling) in the Children’s TV Preschool category.  Lina holds a BA in Public Relations (magna cum laude) from IULM University in Milan, Italy, a  MA in Diplomacy and International Relations, and a Dip. in Project Management. Lina has also undertaken tertiary studies in media and various studies in scriptwriting.

Devin Curry

Co-Creator

Devin Curry is a second-generation filmmaker originally from Los Angeles. His 2015 short film The Moneymaker, which he directed, produced, and co-wrote, premiered at the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival and won the Best Action Short Film Award. Curry earned a Bachelor’s degree from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts and his Masters from NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP), where he focused on tech-driven multidisciplinary art. As a music composer, he scored the award-winning multimedia project Tapis Roulant for American Ballet Theatre and Chanel, as well as the Guggenheim-commissioned dance film Fuir by Lloyd Knight, Bessie Award-nominated principal dancer of the Martha Graham Dance Company. A rising electronic music artist and DJ, Curry has produced tracks featured in Mixmag and Nylon and heard in the sets of respected DJs across the world.

Alexa Wyatt 

Developed with

Alexa has worked as a script producer, writer, editor and story consultant on hundreds of hours of Australian TV drama including Janet King, Rescue Special Ops, All Saints, and McLeod’s Daughters (on all 8 series from co-writing the bible to writing episode 224, the series finale), Water Rats, E Street, and Heartbreak High. She has worked extensively in children’s drama including all series of top ten Netflix shows Mako Mermaids and The Bureau of Magical Things, and as story consultant for numerous international children’s series. She is the recipient of a Distinctly Australian Script Editing Fellowship, and has worked as a scriptwriter and script editor on feature film projects, as a script assessor for Screen Tasmania, the South Australian Film Corporation, and the Australian Writer’s Guild. She is also a playwright with productions at the Adelaide Fringe Festival, the Stables Theatre, Sydney, Melbourne Writer’s Festival, Bridewell Theatre, London, and Northern Light Theatre Company, Canada in 2021.

Rockne O’Bannon 

Development Consultant / Showrunner

Rockne began his screenwriting career as Story Editor on CBS’s 1980s revival of The Twilight Zone and writer on NBC’s Amazing Stories. Since then he has created/showrun five highly-regarded speculative-fiction series — Alien Nation (based on his 1988 film), Farscape, SeaQuest DSV (with Steven Spielberg), Defiance, and Cult. He has served as Executive Producer on the NBC series Revolution and Constantine and is currently in his fourth year as an Executive Producer on the Paramount+ series Evil. For his work in film and TV, he has won an unprecedented nine Saturn Awards, presented by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror. His work has also received nominations for the Hugo Award, cable Ace Award and from the Writers Guild of America.

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0639328

CONTACT

Lina Foti

Managing Director

Kreiworks 

lina@kreiworks.com 

Dan Curry, VES

DGA, ASC, ADG

President

evergreen.prod.llc@gmail.com

 

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