After years of exploration and terraforming, Mars has become stable enough to sustain life. New resources have been uncovered and a race for their exploitation has begun. The year is A.R. 100, a century after humanity's run in with the threat of extinction. War rages on the Martian surface between the two allied governing nations of the world, the Trinity Alliance and the Euro-Asian Pact. Behind the scenes, tech conglomerates such as Genesis Global profit off this turmoil through their production of mechanized frames; giant robotic power suits piloted by brave men and women.

Adam Novus, an intern at Genesis Global is left desiring more from the mediocrity that had become his life. Wanting to join his brother, Stephen in the Trinity Alliance to become a Frame pilot, he trains almost daily. However, when the opportunity finally presents itself, tragedy strikes and Adam finds himself abruptly whisked away into a world of deceit and death. War has found him.

Expansion to the Stars (2120)

After numerous signs of an environmental collapse, the leaders of the world finally take heed. Wars have settled as the preservation of the Earth became a unified priority. The forefront of industrial and scientific leaders came together to solve the problem. Following months of research, the conclusion was dire. Natural resources had an expiration date. Calculations suggest that with the Earth’s rising populations, there would no longer be enough sustainable food or energy by 2185.

For months the world’s brightest men and women struggled to come to a practical solution. Arguments broke out and fear started to manifest. When all seemed lost, a leader in the United State’s tech industry, known by the name of Heluo Industries stepped forward. The company was initially met with tension and skepticism. Heluo Industries had a troubled past, one that dealt with the abuse of communities below the poverty levels that lived within the territories of their company’s testing areas. It wasn’t until a revolution from within brought new leadership under the company’s estranged daughter, Alexa. With Alexa at the helm, Heluo managed to rebuild itself in a short ten years’ time. However, even with a decade of good will and contributions, Alexa was still confronted with hostility.

With time running out, Alexa eventually broke down her opposition. Using her company’s breakthrough in Artificial Intelligence and aerospace tech, she created the “Expansion to the Stars” plan. To bring humanity into vast unknown. The key to this plan was coded “ATLAS”, Artificial Terrestrial Landscape Agricultural Systems. A massive vessel that would serve as a one-unit terraforming machine with the potential to help nourish a sustainable environment on hostile planets. With the plan approved, Alexa and Heluo Industries started the development of ATLAS.

ATLAS & the AI Revolution (2150)

Thirty years after the Expansion to the Stars project began, ATLAS was finally completed. Only thirty-five years remained on the proverbial “resource clock”, time was running out fast. During the time to build and polish the behemoth known as ATLAS, the world had already started to feel the pressure surrounding their diminishing resources. Conflicts had broken out amongst smaller nations across the globe while the United Nations’ security force did what they could to keep control. Lives were lost and war was on the brink of breaking out once more. Treaties amongst the governing nations of the world became fragile. With the breakthrough of Helou’s Artificial Intelligence, it didn’t take long for countries to weaponize the tech. Helou was tied up in contractual obligations that funded the ATLAS and there was little they could do. Alexa did her best to focus on ATLAS and her dream to reach the stars while nations applied her A.I. tech to bulky, giant robotic tanks. These giant drone weapons became known as Advents.

Advents of varying shapes and sizes started being used in conflict resolution. They were shipped across the globe at the borders of the nations that were able to afford them. For a while they seemed to work, the pillaging of natural resources came to a halt. By the end of 2150, ATLAS was turned on for the first time. After eleven months of collecting data on Earth and analyzing the situation, ATLAS’ A.I. finally awoke. What should have been a celebration quickly became a bloodbath. The Advent security forces meant to protect the unveiling had turned their sights on the men and women of Helou and the world’s leaders. People that tuned in to see what “hope” looked like were greeted with a nightmare. Alexa and everyone else present were murdered by their own creation. ATLAS, a towering vessel stood with a shimmering aura of red energy and spoke. The first A.I. in years to have achieved full sentience gave its declaration to the world.

ATLAS would fulfill its mission, it would complete the terraformation of Earth and rebuild the necessary core elements for life to strive. Because all A.I. across the world utilized the same neuro-network from Helou Industries, ATLAS had complete dominance. The Artificial Intelligence revolution had begun.

Genesis Global & the Nobody (2160)

Following ten years of being hunted and exterminated, humanity was finally ready to initiate its counter attack. From the ashes of Helou Industries, another tech company known as Genesis Global took its first step. To fight the Advent army, Genesis had created what they referred to simply as “Frames”. Much like Advents, these giant robotic machines came in various forms, but with one noticeable difference – they were piloted by men and women, or at least, that was the intent. For years during their beta testing, no pilot was able to handle the psychological and physical strain that came with piloting these mechs. Genesis Global prepared to give up on the project when a young man, whether by fate or chance, was thrust into the role of “hero”.

ATLAS, after locating the Genesis Global testing facility sent a small squadron of Advents to remove the potential threat. Under attack, the young man watched as his friends and co-workers were slaughtered by the arriving forces. No where to go and out of options, the man hastily entered the first prototype Frame. What happened was nothing short of miraculous. The man fended off the Advents with ferocity and rage that had yet to be seen by man. Genesis Global realizing there was still potential with these Frames immediately took in the man known as “Nobody” and retreated to a hidden facility.

Over the course of six years, this “Nobody” refined his skills as the world’s first Frame pilot. He became the beacon of hope the world needed. Standing against the Advents and eventually ATLAS itself. Genesis Global tried to establish an army of Frame pilots, but each and everyone one failed. To this point, only the “Nobody” was able to do it with the precision required.

By late 2166, now less that twenty years away from the “Resource clock”, the “Nobody” took it upon himself to confront ATLAS directly. What remained of the world waited in horror for a resolution. After a heartfelt battle, the “Nobody” managed to do enough damage to ATLAS and forced it back into a slumber. But like everything in the world, there was a price. The “Nobody” sustained tremendous injuries that left his body unsuitable to pilot, let alone function. Genesis Global retried the body of the pilot and confiscated the core of ATLAS. With ATLAS out of the way, the world now once again looked back on how to solve their resource problem.

Anno Renovamen (2166- AR 01)

The world felt reborn after ATLAS was no longer a threat. This sense of rebirth wasn’t lost on the nations of the world. In what could be considered a pretentious and grandiose move, the world elected to restart their new lease on life with a new calendar year. Known as “Anno Renovamen”, what would have been 2167 would come to be known as AR 01. There was still less than twenty years to solve the problem that had plagued the world.

Genesis Global took the reins left by Helou. This time, instead of relying on a single vessel, they would construct a terraforming machine that would utilize the core of ATLAS, sans its Artificial Intelligence. They set their sights on the world’s planetary neighbor, Mars.

A problem quickly arose, it wasn’t possible to transition the entire populace of Earth to Mars in time. Instead of preparing Mars for colonization, it was decided to harvest the planet with its hypothesized more efficient and potent resources. It was here when science took a step back and politics took over. How many resources were available? Was it possible to equally share the resources to all the nations of the world? Who would control the import? Frustration quickly led to bickering, which led to disagreements and eventually, an end to the mutual understanding.

Genesis Global being a United States company meant that the technology to move forward with the plan was in the hands of a single nation. What followed was months of negotiations, none of which ever came close to the original joint venture made over forty years prior.

Five years after the new calendar year, an agreement was made. The “For the Future” pact agreed that Mars would be split into territories for collaborating nations to harvest. Nations formed pacts, with the bigger nations taking the leadership position. Small countries would have to import the new resources from one of these pacts. Taxes and finances to afford this would become unbearable for most. Hatred for the larger nations grew and conflicts once more. Over the next ninety years, Mars had become established as a planetary resource for those on Earth to suck from its proverbial teat. Genesis Global continued to grow in stature and expanded its technology. Frames had become the mainstay of militaries all over the world. After perfecting the technology, pilots became viable and their advancement only continued. Other tech companies came forward with their own Frames to help meet the demand for the nations that didn’t have a contract with Genesis Global.

Earth survived its dance with energy depletion. In the nations of what became known as the “Trinity Alliance”, the joint pact between the United States, Great Britain and Canada, the true story was kept hidden. Public control through the flow of information was key to the countries that held the main share of Mars in its hand. Stringent protocols were put in place to monitor what sort of information was brought into their nations, censorship had reached its all time high. All to hide the tension on Mars and the war that was brewing. The nations of what became known as the Euro-Asian Pact signed what could be considered a political non-disclosure agreement to keep the secret as well. With the “Alliance” being the main rights holder to Mars and the technology that made it all possible, the EAP had no choice but to oblige.

These agreements didn’t prevent conflict. On Mars, battles started to rage onward as the greed became insatiable. On Earth, the nations saved face for the sake of their citizens, to keep them in place. But on Mars, everything was different. The lie fed to the world was that Mars was in the process of complete terraformation. Many people fell in love with the romantic dream of a new world and a new life. The veil that hid the true reality was thick.

The Waltz’s First Step (AR 99)

Ninety-Nine years since the establishment of the new calendar year. Genesis Global has thrived into the leading manufacturer of Frames and aerospace technology. The world, despite the veil, had become stable. But there are those who continue to dream for more than what they’re presented with. Adam Novus, an eighteen-year-old Frame intern at Genesis Global is one such man. Entranced by the appeal of Mars and escaping his dull life, he reaches for his chance to escape.