• Nobles of Null is a forum based roleplay site where sci-fi and magic collide. Here, Earth remains fractured and divided despite humanity reaching out to the stars. Worse still, the trans-human slaves of one major power have escaped, only to establish their own Empire, seething with resentment at abuses of the past. Even the discovery of aliens, though medieval in development, has failed to rally these squabbling children of Earth together with its far darker implications. Worse still, is the discovery of the impossible - magic. Practiced by the alien locals, nearly depleted and therefore rare, its reality warping abilities remains abstract and distant to the general populace. All the while, unseen in the darkness of space, forces from without threaten to press in. For those with eyes opened by insight, it is clear that an era is about to end, and that a new age will dawn.

Chapter 1: Freedom

Ray of Meep

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Wiki Moderator
Co-authored by: Ray of Meep (GM), Uso

Mid November, 2320

Sol System, Luna, Noah's Ark Medium Level Security Prison

Noah's Ark was a concrete box buried beneath the Lunar regolith, a few kilometers out from the nearest spaceport. It was only accessible by rover, and an anti-air turret was in place to shoot down any rescue attemept from orbit.

Alex Clyborne grunted as he pulled on heavy duty exercise springs in the facilities gym. The man was unusually tall, nearly 7 feet, pale, and required glasses, thanks to the long years travelling through space, much of it in the absence of any gravity. However, an attentiveness to exercise kept his bones healthy and his muscles strong. As he exercised in the clear, plastic box with other prisoners, two guards stood watch outside with non-lethal firearms, chemical sprays, and batons.

"ALEX CLYBORNE," One of the guards shouted, opening up a small hatch into the plastic box so that he could put his wrists through, "You know how this works, show us your wrists. Looks like you've got a visitor today." A visitor was certainly something out of the ordinary for him, but it meant a trip to the much nicer visitor's section of the prison.

Clyborne had no choice but to oblige, setting down his equipment and allowing the guard to take control of him.

The process was slow, but methodical, the guards clipping a plastic restrainer cuff around his wrists before letting him walk into the transparent 'airlock' that allowed one prisoner through at a time. A guard would then lead him toward the visitor's area, taking him up a lift and into another chamber that was closer to the lunar surface. Just like the rest of the facility there were no windows to provide light, just a strip of illuminated material along the ceiling to provide a harsh white light to the cylindrical chamber.

"Alex Clyborne correct?" The room he was brought to had a single well dressed woman, pencil skirt, black suit-jacket, and some subdued purple accents from her undershirt. The woman looked to be in her 30s, only about 5' 10" with a few extra pounds around the midsection. A lanyard around her nerk indicating some kind of elaborate security clerance via a number of cards, photos, and dongles hanging off of it. She had Her short dark brownish/purple hair sorta matched her lanyard and eyes, both of which looked jaded. "You're being offered a conditional pardon," She said, reaching down to her side where a rolling luggage cart was holding a box full of folders, one of which she plucked out and sat on the table, opening it up to expose a large number of documents detailing Alex's history, "Conditionality is dependant on completing a 4 year contract with the Preatorian Martial Corporation. Compensation and Insurance information is included in the documentation as well as an initial signing bonus and materials package." She explained, reaching down to her right and picking up a bag from a different set of boxes on a different luggage case. Thin, clear, plastic baggy had within it a spray-on body cleaner 'Shower-in-a-can' along with de-oderant, a small roll of $20s, shoes, and a suit in his size minus the belt, tie, and shoelaces. She would then place a small datapad down beside the documentation and add, "Acceptance can be verified by placing your thumbprint down on the pad here. Doing so confirms that you accept the terms and conditions of the conditional agreement."

Alex looked up at the woman. He wasn't sure if he met her before, but it didn't matter at this point. What she offered was too enticing, even if it meant bounding himself to a contract for unknown reasons. Without much hesitation, he put his thumbprint down, then took the plastic bag while eyeing the guards. Alex then looked back at the woman. "Where do we start?"

"The guards will take you to release processing. You'll be remanded your things and have a chance to clean up. When you've cleared processing you'll be released by exit B3 where you will meet up with our group for travel." She said, her voice monotone and disinterested, checking the fingerprint on the pad and cross checking it using her avalible software before turning her eyes directly to him, "Do read the documentation Mr. Clyborne and congradulations on your new employment."

Before she was even finished speaking, this woman was reaching for another packaed set of clothing and documentation to hand out to the next person.
 
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