Once again, I can't stress this enough: NO ALIENS! Don't like it? Well, life's tough; buy a helmet. If you want a character to look vaguely alien-esque, you'd better have a damn good explanation for it.
In the intro, I mentioned that there are some characters with superhuman abilities. There aren't any Supermen or Silver Surfer-level powers; generally, they're just low-level powers from various sci-fi sources (cybernetics, nanomachines, genetic engineering, and so forth). If you need inspiration, look up "Transmetropolitan".
Fashions have changed a bit; while many people wear Fantastic Four/X-Men-style jumpsuits in various colors (usually with a couple of mild decorations, such as jewelry, a trenchcoat, a utility belt or the like), a lot of modern-day and archaic fashions as well. Hey, it worked on Firefly; why not here?
Virtually everybody wears a P.E.G. (Personal Environmental Generator), either clipped to a belt or on the wrist. Its functions:
* A communicator with a planetwide range
* A language chip
* An adaptor (for instance, in a blizzard, it'll generate a heat field around the wearer, provide them oxygen if they're underwater, etc.)
* GPS/PDA unit/multi-band radio/clock
* "Programmable clothing": the PEG allows you to select up to ten outfits that you can switch to in a second. For instance, clad in an FF-style jumpsuit, but you're attending a formal occasion? A press of the button, and now you're in a black suit!
It was created originally for individuals who work outside a ship or near an airlock. The idea was that it'd keep them alive and allow them to make contact with any nearby ships (if necessary). The upgrades were other people's ideas. By 2759, they're as common as cellphones.
Faster-than-light travel doesn't exist. A rough idea of the length of time it takes to travel to various places:
* Inner System: 6 hours (in-system), 1 day (Jovian system), 2.5 days (Saturnian system), 4 days (Outland)
* Jovian System: 12 hours (in-system), 1 day (Inner system), 2 days (Saturnian system), 4 days (Outland)
* Saturnian System: 1 day (in-system), 2.5 days (Inner system), 2 days (Jovian system), 2 days (Outland)
* Outland Colonies: 2 days (in-system), 4 days (Inner system), 4 days (Jovian system), 2 days (Saturnian system)
Most ships have the "Used Future" look, like the Millennium Falcon or the Nostromo. There aren't than many sleek and shiny Star Trek ships in this world. |