Knowledge

[TODO explain : - Setting the Factory Post - building - power network - drone - technology xp

A black box containing all flight data up until the crash. Someone might be interested in acquiring it.

Conglomerates are companies with multiple subsidiaries across *multiple industries*. To be recognized as a conglomerate by The Republic, a company must maintain a market share of at least 20% across three or more distinct sectors. Other than *The Company*, only 4 entities are currently considered conglomerates: *IUOB*, *Stellar Engineering*, *Ninmah Group* and *Eris Corp.*

*Eris Corp.* originated from a minor subsidiary of *The Company* formerly known as Star Foods. This branch developed Atlas’s first successful consumer brands, installing vending machines in every public space of the new territory. However, as tensions grew between the subsidiary’s management and The Company’s central authority, a series of conflicts culminated with the complete buyout of *Star Foods* by its own management and workforce. The provenance of the funds that made this buyout possible remains unclear.

*Eris Corp.* is the only conglomerate formed after the war. Though not nearly as powerful as older conglomerates, it is the most familiar to the general public. In addition to its dominance over the food market with household brands like *Star Sip* and *Master Soda*, it is also a media empire and the main organizer of sporting events in Atlas. It is currently headed by *Nasim de Beaumont*.

*Ninmah* never expected any of its *terraforming* projects to succeed. By selling each planet’s land at inflated prices, then buying it back for trivial sums, it raises enough money to finance various new ventures. Each one serves as an open laboratory that bypasses The Republic’s usual regulations on *chemical testing*. In addition, the exoplanet status granted by the Universal Licensing Agency grants Ninmah special authorizations for all mining activities within the surrounding sector.

*IUOB*, formerly controlled by The Federation, gained leverage over other conglomerates by conducting espionage operations. By the end of the war, its subsidiary *Ophanim* had uncovered enough compromising secrets to pose a serious threat to each of them, while also proving especially useful as a consultant for their business strategies. By negotiating non-disclosure agreements on key issues, *IUOB* was able to become an essential actor in the industrial landscape of Atlas, and to regain its independence.

*IUOB*, the Interstellar Union of Banks, was formed during the Milky Way era. Requisitioned by the United Planets Federation during the war, it later regained its autonomy by forming partnerships with other conglomerates and diversifying its activities. Today, it controls the *QUASR* stock market, the surveillance firm *Ophanim*, and several financial institutions, casino chains and luxury restaurants. It is currently headed by *Edith Wei*.

*Ninmah* was founded during the Tripod War, offering affordable food and medical support in crisis situations. At the onset of the Atlas era, it grew into a new spiritual movement promoting the idea that *Earth* can and must be rebuilt. Currently dominating the pharmaceutical, medical and hydroponic sectors, it also controls several media giants and major RSM constructor *Damona*. It is currently headed by *Claudia Katavsky*.

*Bo Zeya*, the best-known and most wanted figure of the Vox Populi pirate federation, has reportedly been hiding in facilities controlled by *Eris Corp.* The conglomerate’s executives will not disclose any information that could lead to his arrest. The hunt for Bo, extensively covered by Eris’ media subsidiaries, turned him into a subject of public interest. Despite its apparent support for him, the conglomerate often employs violent methods against pirates in the sectors it controls.

*Ninmah* and its subsidiary *HydroponInc* were aware of the poisoning risks to their employees on *Sirona IV*, but concealed this information to appease the planet’s landowners. They also received the distress signals sent by on-site teams, but saw the critter attack as an opportunity to get rid of witnesses to the disastrous effects of their terraforming efforts. A militia regiment was later sent on a suicide mission to display Ninmah’s eagerness to save its employees.

*Stellar Engineering* was the largest conglomerate of the Milky Way era. Established on all colonies of the United Planets as *Meitner & Karls*, it achieved tremendous growth during the war. Most of its patents, including the *Reliant Spaceship Module*, were made public during this period to diversify the military’s suppliers, but Stellar was later able to absorb its main competitors *Aegir* and *Luori*. Stellar also dominates the transport sector and computer industry. It is currently led by *Jin Yichen*.

*Stellar Engineering* bore direct responsibility in *Incident H-378*, which caused the disappearance of the extended fleet of the United Planets. The faulty *FTL modules* built by the conglomerate presented risks that had already been documented by its engineers. Stellar subsequently announced that dozens of its facilities had been struck by the *Tripods*. Every single engineer who had raised concerns about the FTL modules was then found dead.

When *Ninmah* emerged as a humanitarian structure during the *Tripods War*, it built its reputation on its ability to produce miraculously effective medical drugs and food supplies at an exceptional pace. In reality, Ninmah’s experiments directly or indirectly caused the fall of *3 out of 8 human colonies* in the Milky Way. In all of these cases, Ninmah managed to hide its responsibility long enough so that the first court cases only emerged shortly before the exodus to Atlas, when all existing institutions disappeared.

This hard disk contains highly sensitive information about at least one conglomerate. That could interest a lot of people, but not all of them would put the same price on it.

This hard disk contains valuable information about at least one conglomerate. That could interest a lot of people, but not all of them would put the same price on it.

This hard disk contains critical information about at least one conglomerate. That could interest a lot of people, but not all of them would put the same price on it.

This hard disk contains valuable information about intelligent non-human life forms. That could interest a lot of people, but not all of them would put the same price on it.

This hard disk contains highly sensitive information about intelligent non-human lifeforms. That could interest a lot of people, but not all of them would put the same price on it.

This hard disk contains critical information about intelligent non-human lifeforms. That could interest a lot of people, but not all of them would put the same price on it.

This hard disk contains highly sensitive information about pirate factions. That could interest a lot of people, but not all of them would put the same price on it.

This hard disk contains valuable information about pirate factions. That could interest a lot of people, but not all of them would put the same price on it.

This hard disk contains critical information about pirate factions. That could interest a lot of people, but not all of them would put the same price on it.

This hard disk contains valuable information about *The Company*. That could interest a lot of people, but not all of them would put the same price on it.

This hard disk contains highly sensitive information about *The Company*. That could interest a lot of people, but not all of them would put the same price on it.

This hard disk contains critical information about *The Company*. That could interest a lot of people, but not all of them would put the same price on it.

This hard disk contains valuable information about *The Republic*. That could interest a lot of people, but not all of them would put the same price on it.

This hard disk contains highly sensitive information about *The Republic*. That could interest a lot of people, but not all of them would put the same price on it.

This hard disk contains critical information about *The Republic*. That could interest a lot of people, but not all of them would put the same price on it.

The distance between two star systems is too large to be conveniently crossed by regular means. The FTL engine is a critical ship module that allows a contractor to cross that gap in seconds. Star that are close enough for a jump appears bigger than star that are further away. To jump there, aim at the star, then hold [key.Travel], the key assigned to the Travel skill. A FTL jump is a dangerous process. To preserve the ship from harm, the contractor should use the mag-plasma shield integrated to its FTL engine. Such a shield consume mag-plasma. It is possible to choose how much mag-plasma to use before jumping with the mouse wheel, but using less than the amount required will almost always result in costly damages. Some path for FTL travel will be under the effect of a jump modifier that alter the way the FTL jump function, and might make travel more difficult. Contractor will have to discover these modifiers themselves. The quadrant is cut into sectors. Each sector has an exploration level, that restricts travel within to contractors having reached this exploration level.

[DEPRECATED explain : - how to find and scan gravite - there exist different kind of gravite that will behave differently

[DEPRECATED explain : - What affect temperature ? - How does it kill you (ship and persona)? - how to get protection ?

[TODO explain : - How and why to land the ship (maybe could be merged with ship controls ?)

[DEPRECATED explain : - How to gather from geyser - how to fill, transfer, and empty reservoir - what about in a base

[DEPRECATED explain : - How to break a shell

With a mining laser equipped on your ship, gather various ores by aiming toward a resource node and holding [key.Mine], the key assigned to the laser mining skill. Each resource node has a mining tier, that determine its toughness. The mining laser mining tier must match the one from the node to be able to mine it effectively. Every node is formed by a unique blend of ore, but it might also contains a few rare finds.

[TODO]

[DEPRECATED explain : - gather organic resources - the basic of farming

*Pirate factions* are numerous, diverse and *decentralized*. In legal terms, they include all individuals and activities *not recognized* by The Republic or contracted by one of its authorized conglomerates. The interests of factions labeled as pirates don't necessarily overlap, but they often collaborate to build alternative networks of trade, information exchange, and pirate space stations.

Although not considered a pirate organization, the *Green Alliance* became increasingly active in pirate sectors after several of its members became fugitives, including the whistleblower *Jeongwol*. Its small presence within *The Republic’s senate* is a frequent subject of controversy, particularly because of its frequent association with *Vox Populi*.

The *Interspecies Communication Agency* is a former public laboratory founded by Lauren Amaechi to study the self-replicating *Tripods* and the extraterrestrial species which created them. Defunded by *The Republic*, it continues its activities outside any legal framework, which has led to its gradual criminalization.

Originally founded by *The Republic*’s Universal Defense Corps, the *Interspecies Communication Agency* saw dramatic cuts in its funding after it uncovered abandoned mines in the *Atlas Galaxy*. In the following years, the laboratory was outlawed for undisclosed reasons, and many of its researchers went into exile on pirate stations. It now continues its operations as a pirate institution.

The *Clousden* pirate station was destroyed after 2 pirate factions competed for control of it. One group associated with *Vox Populi* had provided most of the resources for the station’s construction, while another group linked to *Rallize* initially represented a majority of the inhabitants. To boost its influence, the Vox Populi group encouraged its workers from other stations to move in – leading to overpopulation, but allowing them to secure a majority vote. The conflict culminated with the bombing of the station by Rallize.

*Rallize* was the first pirate group in Atlas. Upon completing the construction of its first space station, it began dedicating a large part of its industrial capabilities to weaponry. Its long-term ambitions shifted from mere survival to the complete destruction of *The Republic*. It was around this time that *Vox Populi* emerged as a peaceful, reformist branch of the pirate resistance. This group has since tried to reconcile pirate interests and integration within The Republic’s institutions.

The first pirate groups emerged during uprisings at *The Company*’s mines, after convicts sentenced to forced labor saw their releases indefinitely delayed without explanation. They took control of some of the mines and extracted enough resources to build their own space stations. They later dismantled the old installations, and still recycle parts of them to this day. These events were the main reason that led The Company to stop building large mines, and instead rely on isolated *Associate Workers*.

*Rallize* is an *armed revolutionary group* whose main purpose is to destabilize the mercantile order of the conglomerates and The Republic. Its guerrilla methods include theft, kidnapping, sabotage, and open conflict with the *Universal Defense Corps*. In the news, the term “pirates” often stands for Rallize, and only its most violent actions are documented. However, it is also a major purveyor of social assistance and protection within pirate sectors.

*Vox Populi* deliberately introduced critters on *Sirona IV* in an attempt to delay Ninmah's terraforming efforts on the planet and prevent more workers from being exposed to its increasingly toxic atmosphere. The group failed to anticipate that the critters would consume the poison, leading them to mutate and become more aggressive. Ultimately, the mutant critters attacked *Ninmah*’s employees, and the conglomerate did not send military help to rescue them.

*Vox Populi* is a political federation that unites a number of pirate *space stations*, mostly organized on a communalist model. Unlike stations controlled by conglomerates, pirate stations are assembled gradually, and individuals can add their own modules to it. After Vox Populi was flagged by The Republic as a terrorist organization, its most renowned spokesperson *Bo Zeya* became a fugitive.

Exploring a planet is the process of identifying all resource nodes present on its surface. Resource nodes will require the use of a scanner the first time they are encountered to be identified. To scan a resource node, aim toward it and hold [key.Scan], the key assigned to the Scan skill. It will then become available to mine with the proper equipment. Most planet have natural Landmarks, that can often been seen from space, and may contains unique resource node that cannot be found anywhere else on the planet. Both exploring a planet and identifying new resource nodes with the scanalyzer give Exploration Experience, that will eventually unlock a new Contractor Level. Each Exploration level allow the contractor to go farther into the quadrant and unlock new recipes and abilities that helps with exploration.

This artifact was dug up on an unknown planet. It doesn’t look natural.

An experimental method of high-speed communication. This device can instantly pick up the position of the beacon it is paired with.

[DEPRECATED explain : - What emit radioactivity ? - How does it kill you ? - how to get protection ?

Contractors might find complexes belonging to various factions on the surface of planets. These mostly buried facilities are accessible through a surface elevator, that may sometimes be locked by an access key. Such area contain restricted data that you need to find to complete the area. Leaving the area without completing it first will reset the contractor's inventory to its state before entering. A completed area can no longer be visited.

Some items can be studied in the laboratory. Depending on the item, several levels of study might be available, each requiring a certain amount of copy of the item. Once the necessary items are delivered, the Laboratory automatically studies them. The contractor has to get back to the laboratory later to obtain the results. Each level of study unlocks new crafting recipes using the item, and gives Science Experience, that will eventually unlock a new contractor level. Science levels give access to the creation of powerful exotic resources used by every contractors in the quadrant.

Orient your ship with the mouse. Hold [key.Forward] to accelerate until your ship reaches its maximum speed. Once at max speed, you can release [key.Forward] and keep steering your ship with the mouse. Hold [key.Booster] to use your ship's booster and reach even higher speeds, at the cost of increased power consumption and increased heat generation. Press [key.Backward] to decelerate or move backwards. In a planet’s atmosphere, hold [key.Descend] and [key.Ascend] to control your ship's altitude and [key.Left] and [key.Right] to strafe left and right.

[TODO explain : - Module tab - Assembly tab -customization tab

[DEPRECATED explain : - How to gather a ship wreck

[NOT IMPL Someone made a doodle]

Most existing space stations in the *Atlas Galaxy* are built and operated by *The Company*. Its affiliate worker program helped it secure a quasi-monopoly on the extraction and processing of natural resources after the buyout of its competitor United Industries. It maintains long-term partnerships with *The Republic* as well as other conglomerates. It is currently headed by *Martin J. Miller*.

The intelligence company *Ophanim*, a subsidiary of banking conglomerate IUOB, was mandated by The Company to provide *surveillance records of all its affiliate workers*. The resulting information is used by The Company to rate their affiliates’ loyalty. The *loyalty score* of an affiliate is kept secret, and determines the rates they are offered by Trading Agents. It can also lead to the termination of their contract, or to their immediate arrest in case of any interactions with pirates.

The Company is creating *artificial shortages* of key resources in order to inflate market prices, while still buying these resources from its affiliate workers at lower rates. A minimum of *167 deadly accidents* have reportedly been caused by companies or contractors having to replace key spaceship materials with cheaper alternatives during shortages. An estimated 19 smaller companies have been forced to shut down as The Company intentionally hoarded a material they heavily relied on.

The affiliate worker program was first developed by *United Industries*, a former subsidiary of the *Laniakea* conglomerate which was later absorbed by The Company. A serious contender in the race for industrial hegemony in *Atlas*, Laniakea was the first to complete a space station there. At that point, The Company adopted a hybrid strategy of espionage, legislative pressure, sabotage and hostile takeovers, allowing it to absorb its competitor and erase every trace of its existence.

The oldest traces of The Company”s presence in the *Atlas Galaxy* are prior to its official discovery. During the *Tripod War*, The Company started exploiting the resources of Atlas to fuel its industrial dominance while concealing this new galaxy from society at large. All workers in the mines of Atlas were forbidden to return to the Milky Way. It was only three years after *Incident H-378* – as humankind was on the brink of annihilation – that The Company revealed the *Atlas Portal*, allowing the exodus to start.

After *Incident H-378* buried all hopes of a human victory in the *Tripod War*, communication engineers working for The Company deciphered the signal that led to the discovery of the *Atlas Galaxy*. The subsequent move of most surviving human citizens to Atlas offered The Company a clean slate, with no remaining institution to counter its monopoly. As a result, it played a central role in shaping the new human society of the Atlas era.

With an insufficient budget to defend all inhabited sectors from pirate attacks, *The Republic* formed an unofficial law enforcement partnership with The Company, allowing it to conduct its own *military operations under the UDC’s flag*. As part of this agreement, The Company is allowed to claim the cargo and scrap parts of every *pirate ship* it takes down, with no legal requirement to prove the pirate affiliation of the target.

Founded when humankind still inhabited the *Milky Way*, The Company was originally a contractor for public services. It gained importance during the *Tripod War*, as the *United Planets Federation* grew increasingly incapable of maintaining its grip on threatened territories and started relying more on its private contractors. By the end of the conflict, The Company had extended its control over most vital services in each of the 8 human colonies.

*The Republic* is a political institution serving as the executor of commercial and territorial law in the *Atlas Galaxy*. Its jurisdiction includes administration of working licenses, the enforcement of land and property rules, piracy prevention, and mediation between private companies. Its senate, currently led by Leni Lehman, convenes at the *Sumer* station and includes representatives of all conglomerates.

In the early days of *The Republic*, a coalition of whistleblowers and former *United Planets* legislators voted to establish universal suffrage, make industrial lobbying illegal, establish corporate taxes and remove the conglomerates’ veto powers. Media groups framed this vote as a pirate insurrection, and militias took control of The Republic’s institutions. The senators behind it disappeared, and were later accused of fleeing aboard pirate ships to avoid prosecution.

*The Company*’s public contracts include the operation and maintenance of *labor camps* for convicts serving long-term sentences. Prior to the associate worker program, most of these camps were mines. Today, they are moving spaceships in which The Company’s *space stations* are assembled. No legislation has ever been passed to regulate work conditions aboard these ships. All convicts who were detained before *Incident H-378* and the subsequent collapse of the United Planets Federation were lost.

The Republic was engineered by the major conglomerates, who still provide most of its budget to this day. The purpose of this institution was to protect their interests in the *Atlas Galaxy*, enable them to solve their territorial disputes, suppress the first pirate rebellions in a way that would avoid public outrage, and quell citizens’ demands for a democratic revival. Its first senators were chosen from among former politicians of the *United Planets Federation* who were loyal to the conglomerates and had lost most of their political authority.

Although conglomerates use private militias to enforce their own laws within the space stations or factories they control, The Republic maintains a police force called the *Universal Civilian Guard*, which is mostly mobilized against pirate factions. It also retains a small armed force, the *Universal Defense Corps*, which guards the portal to the Milky Way, maintains defensive measures against a potential return of the Tripods, and conducts R&D on defense technology.

The Republic flags as piracy all activities that lack an official license, including in cases where the *Universal Licensing Agency* has provided no reason for the repeated denial of a license request. Licenses are often *revoked* without warning, resulting in the associated institution and individuals being immediately flagged as pirates. Victims include journalists, scientists, artists and social workers, who are then forced to move into *pirate sectors* and associate with more radical entities in order to survive.

The Universal Defense Corps signed a long-term contract with *The Company* securing unprecedented quantities of mineral resources to start construction on an undisclosed mega-project codenamed "Project Milky Way". Presented to The Republic’s senate as a defensive measure preparing Atlas for the possibility of a *Tripod* invasion, it is in fact a reproduction of the Tripod’s technology, aimed at reconquering the Milky Way.

Founded at the onset of the Atlas era, The Republic is viewed as a successor to the *United Planets Federation* which oversaw the development of the first FTL engines and became the governing body of the *Milky Way* during its colonization. When the self-replicating machines known as the Tripods were awakened, a decades-long conflict known as the *Tripod War* forced humankind to abandon the Milky Way and put an end to the United Planets Federation’s rule.