The Holocene

The pinnacle of human achievement, the Holocene project is a global effort with the lofty aim of making mankind an interstellar race. It is the largest vessel ever constructed, on Earth or in space, and its purpose is bold; to leave our star and claim another. Carrying hundreds of researchers and scientists alike along with decades worth of supplies, the Holocene was built to conquer the Lithic System, to unravel its mysteries, and exploit its wealth. Though all the world watches, the Holocene is shrouded in secrecy, Intele Co keeping a tight lid on the technologies aboard the ship. This evasiveness leaves many questioning whether Intele Co alone could have devised such a craft, and some doubt even their motivation, questioning whether they could have been driven to such ends for the sake of exploration alone. While the depression rages on, the Holocene embarks, racing across the cosmos to the Lithic System, and slowly fading from contact, and the world waits.

The Holocene II
A great vessel floats lifelessly on the outskirts of the Lithic System. Cold, forgotten and unmanned, it is the ghost of a ship called the Holocene II. Hundreds of destroyed stasis pods line its halls, filled with death, but one begins to stir. Its timer reaches zero and revival begins, releasing a man named Ira to a strange and desolate place, though he is shaken and without memory of how he got there. Memories return, beggining with his childhood, recalling a first Holocene that left when he was a boy, but he has no knowledge of this ship or it’s mission. At the helm is an unusually intelligent AI system, the Z-120. Stranded in the Lithic System, the ship is Ira’s only hope at survival, and on it he travels the system, searching for answers and for hope. The first Holocene was Ira’s dream, but the Holocene II is proving itself to be his tomb.