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WormQuest is set far into
the future when space travel is both possible and commonplace. Several
technilogical firms are in competition to build bigger, better and
faster spacecrafts. Less than one hundred years ago, scientists have
discovered a network of hidden wormholes that connect our Sun with
many nearby stars. Because of this, space travelers have been able to
visit and study many of the bright stars that we often see in the sky as
we look up at night.
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A large, interstellar economy has risen out of this new technology of
wormhole travel. You, the player, will be captain
of one of the many starships that act as vehicles for trade in this futuristic
economy. To make money, you must visit planets surrounding these stars and
extract commodities, either mineral, or the unsurprisingly rare alien lifeform.
Other than the everending struggle to make money, you, the player, also have
a mission. (Otherwise, we wouldn't have a game, would we?) Much commotion
has gone through the interstellar communitiy lately -- what's left of it at least,
as our home planet,
Mother Earth, has been "kidnapped." Nearly two Sun-years ago, the planet
simply vanished. After the initial uproar died down, scientists have speculated
on many theories of the Earth's dissapearance. Recently, scientific teams
have discovered a strange trace that has been left behind, revealing the
trail of the kidnappers. Obviously, the apparent alien intellegence that
pilfered our planet earth also use the wormholes as a way of travel. However,
they seemed to have some kind of "Cloaking device", that they have used to
hide themselves as they dragged our homeworld across the neighboring stars.
The strangest thing about this trail is that it seems to have ended at a
particular point in space. Interstellar travellers such as yourself have
searched for a "hidden" wormhole, but none has been found. New developments
have taken place lately that have started rumors leading many to belive that
the earth has been taken to the center of the galaxy! None of these rumors
have been confirmed, but there are those who believe that there is hard,
scientific evidence supporting this fact. As yet, the whole thing has been
quite a mystery, indeed!
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Of  late, many space travellers such as yourself have considered it their
primary objective to uncover whatever or whoever is behind the mysterious
disspearance of our planet Earth. The search has been difficult, as many of
the top scientists and starship captains were on the planet when it dissapeared!
There have been quite a few fingers pointed at the technically advanced
alien races that inhabit our region of the galaxy.
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There are two of these spacefaring
races that man knows of in the galaxy. Both are very enigmatic and much is
still left to be known about them. One, called the Alphoids, as they were
the first discovered by man, are quite warlike and nearly all encounters
with them have been hostile. They seem to have no form of radio communication.
From examining the rubble of their ships, scientists have found only instruments
of war and destruction. Strangely, they seem to have no interest
in science and technology except for the purpose of warring and destruction
of other living things. Although, they do seem to have strangely advanced
ships and weaponry that scientists have been unable to completely figure
out. It is currently illegal to enter their space without extreme caution
and international approval, as the destruction of any of our ships may
lead to the Alphoids discovering our advanced technology, which could lead
to unknown disaster.
Their ships are typically green and yellow in color, and donned
with hard, skeletal, and horn-like objects. They have been described as
appearing such as "rotting corpses of interstellar lizard-like creatures
whose twisted skeletal system serves no rhyme or reason, nor purpose but
to confuse and entrap the unwary." Very strange beasts!
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The other spacefaring
race is a strange and seemingly very powerful and technologically advanced
people known as the Betoids. They are so elusive that their existence is still
a subject of dispute in the scientific community. They have been "sighted"
in many parts of the galaxy and theorists believe that they possess a warp
technology that surpasses our own. Many scientific sects have been attempting
to come in contact with this strange race. They hope to profit from their
advanced technology. Their "units" are characterized as both
crystalline and smooth, "flying saucer" shaped vessels. Many
believe that they have made repeated visits to earth, perhaps throughout
our history. There are also a few freakish sects that believe that the
"Betoids" have influenced us since the dawn of civilization.
Others believe that they are the ones responsible for taking our planet
captive.
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