Beyond Kuiper: The Galactic Star Alliance
Page 32
4.5 Million Turns Ago
The GSA passes 100,000 planetary members.
2.25 Million Turns Ago
The GSA passes 400,000 planetary members.
.75 Million Turns Ago
The GSA passes 570,000 planetary members.
380,000 Turns Ago
The GSA meets and discovers the Kaleans.
367-330,000 Turns Ago
The great Kalean galactic survey transpires.
300,000 Turns Ago
The GSA amends the TAOTA to include Kalean Safe guards.
113,000 Turns Ago
The GSA reaches 595,000 planetary members and covers about 1/3 of the galaxy.
PLANET DESCRIPTIONS
Mijorn
Radius = 1.3X earth radius
Mass = 2.10X earth mass
Surface Gravity = 1.25g
Moons: 3 small (metallic)
A verdant world covered in 50% water oceans and 50% land, dominated by very high mountains, fjords, and plateaus. Its plants are mostly green, it has a purple tinged atmosphere, and it orbits a yellow G class star. There is a massive alien built ring that encircles the planet, containing its own habitable inner surface.
Azoeleo
Radius = .99X earth radius
Mass = .96X earth mass
Surface Gravity = .98g
Moons: 2 small (rocky)
The middle of five rocky planets orbiting a M class red dwarf star. It is a very old world, formed at least 10 billions turns ago. The surface oceans evaporated off long ago, and there is little tectonic activity. The perfect gravitational resonance between the five planets maintains Azoeleo’s rotation, despite it being well within the tidal locked zone of its star. There are vast, arid deserts circumferencing the equator, giving way to plains and then polar jungles, fed by subterranean lakes.
Valkürin
Radius = .90X earth radius
Mass = .598X earth mass
Surface Gravity = .74g
Moons: 1 large (high albedo)
A lush, temperate planet orbiting a binary star system with a rare F class yellow-white dwarf star and a M class red dwarf star. Due to its relatively young age, the planet’s large moon still orbits closely, producing large tides. With green oceans full of phytoplankton like microbes, the planet has a powerful ozone layer that shields it from the high UV radiation emitted by its larger sun. There are five continents covered in rich forests and grasslands, and the poles have small icecaps. The Valkon worked tirelessly to repair the biosphere after it was significantly damaged by nuclear bombardment in the Saaryki War.
Epiko
Radius = .7X earth radius
Mass = .26X earth mass
Surface Gravity = .54g
Moons: 1 large (rocky)
A small planet blanketed by a thick, humid atmosphere. The surface consists of steep mountain ridges, divided by planet spanning rivers, and no oceans. Giant swamps and marshes nestle between peaks. The Rakilla chose it as their new homeworld, during the Reclamation Era, because it’s low gravity and dense air support their flight capability.
Yallaweh
Radius = .93X earth radius
Mass = .726X earth mass
Surface Gravity = .84g
Moons: 1 medium (icy)
A water world. The entire surface is covered in deep, azure oceans, full of marine life. Underwater mountains and volcanoes provide oases, but most creatures exist in or near giant, floating coral like biomass continents constructed from millions of turns of skeletons, shells, and carapaces. Because there are no continents to dissipate them, hypercanes frequently form, feeding on the warm equatorial oceans. These storms can cover over 20% of the planet. Similarly, the uninhibited tides are enormous, gradually building over the eons. Its first underwater civilizations were founded on the sunken ruins of a Builder space elevator that collapsed before recorded time.
Anduuz
Radius = 1.6X earth radius
Mass = 4.59X earth mass
Surface Gravity = 1.80g
Moons: 1 small (icy)
A large, cold planet where life has adapted to harsh conditions. Due to its 79 degree axis tilt, coupled with its wide orbit, the planet experiences extreme seasons that last over an Earth year. Granite continents continuously support little life except near the equator, and much of the surface is rocky tundra. Giant ice caps form on the poles in the winter, and give way to searing polar deserts in the summer. Most species on this world are migratory, with the notable exception of the Anduuzil.
Neruda 8
Radius = 1.10X earth radius
Mass = 1.34X Earth mass
Surface Gravity = 1.11g
Moons: none
A nurturing, living world. Originally seeded with life from an impact on nearby Neruda 7, 99% of all Ulron are born here, requiring very specific environmental conditions to sustain their nascent forms. Most of the surface is covered in huge, continent size blue biomes that heal, shelter, provide food and longevity for its native species. These biomes also balance the surface temperature across the entire planet, and build a biodigital network. infrastructure is built high above the surface in raised platforms or floating cities to respect nature.
Dragsa
Radius = .80X Earth radius
Mass = .51X earth mass
Surface Gravity = .79g
Moons: 1 medium (low albedo)
A dry, rocky world with pockets of blue seas. It orbits a trinary star system, consisting of 2 orange K class stars and a neutron star. The neutron star went supernova 587 million turns ago, stripping Dragsa of most of its oceans, and seeding the planet with an enormous quantity of rare elements. The neutron star radiation contributed to the evolution of Dragsan Recall.
Kramer De La Ku
Radius = .90X Earth Radius
Mass = .598X Earth Mass
Surface Gravity = .74g
Moons: 1 small (metallic)
A terrestrial moon of the gas giant Ku. It possesses a small moon, made almost entirely of iron, which maintains Kramer de la Ku’s rotation, and thus its magnetic field, which shields the world from the intense radiation of it’s parent planet. It is covered in volcanic activity and lots of jungles and swamps. Kramer has a small, metallic looking moon of its own.
About the Artists
Utku Özden
- Illustrator and Graphic Designer
Utku graduated from Bilkent University Department of Graphic Design and began working in the industry in 2006, where he designed logos, brochures, book covers, CD covers, and unique corporate identity, while specializing in character design and conceptual art development. Most recently, Uktu was the creative powerhouse of the wildly successful Kickstarter campaign for the game Oathsworn: Into the Deepwood, which surpassed its goal of 50,000 USD and reached 1.95 Million dollars. “Currently working on the Beyond Kuiper series with Matt and John has proven to be one of the most challenging and rewarding projects I’ve ever been a part of. The world isn’t prepared for what we have in store for this series.”
Pete “voodoo Bownz” Russo
- Creative Director, Designer & Visual Artist
Pete, who is known by the artistic pseudonym “Voodoo Bownz,” is a brand strategist and multi-disciplinary visual artist in the form of design, illustration, animation, typography, and more. He is Co-Founder and Executive Creative Director of Herø Projects and the Founder and Executive Creative Director of Skeleton Agency. A graduate of New York’s School of Visual Arts, Pete quickly built a name for himself within the music industry by launching his business as a freshman and relentlessly attending shows to hand out business cards to the artists that performed. His perserverance has led him to create for prominent entities including IBM, (RED), MTV, Tony Awards, AT&T, NCAA, Bad Bunny, A$AP Ferg, Monster Energy, Deadmau5, Iggy Pop, John Oates of Hall & Oates, Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park, Rivers Cuomo of Weezer, and speak on his experience to audiences at SXSW, Pace University, and NYU.
Stefan Petrucha
- Edito
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Stefan Petrucha has written over 20 novels and hundreds of graphic novels for adults, young adults and tweens. His work has sold over a million copies worldwide. He also teaches online classes through the University of Massachusetts and proudly works as a Writer/Editor for Center for Responsive Classrooms in Turner Falls, MA.
Born in the Bronx, he spent his formative years moving between the big city and the suburbs, both of which made him prefer escapism. A fan of comic books, science fiction and horror since learning to read, in high school and college he added a love for all sorts of literary work, eventually learning that the very best fiction always brings you back to reality, so, really, there’s no way out. Much more on him and whatever madness he’s currently perpetrating can be had at www.petrucha.com.
About the Authors
Matthew Medney
- is a Storyteller
A writer above all, Matthew is the CEO of the generational and legendary Heavy Metal Magazine. In addition, he co-founded boutique storytelling company Herø Projects, where he presides as CEO. A 2011 graduate of the University of Massachusetts’ Isenberg School of Management, Matthew quickly moved into live events where he operated as a tour and production manager for nearly a decade for artists, such as Cheat Codes and Kayzo, while traveling across 45 countries. Of the 200+ shows Matthew produced, Coachella, Ultra Music Festival, Electric Daisy Carnival, and Lollapalooza top the list. In 2011, at Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas, Matthew met John Connelly and instantly grew a kinship that would last a lifetime. In 2015, they began the Beyond Kuiper Universe by asking the simple question, “What if they didn’t find us worthy?” In 2016, Matthew, along with Pete “Voodoo Bownz” Russo, founded Herø Records, a Transversive Storytelling company. Two years later, Matthew and Pete met Morgan Rosenblum and Jonny Handler, and Herø Projects was founded. With a decade of relationships in music, Matthew reached out to the industry with a unique product. Now, two years later, prolific brands, such as Music Festivals Rolling Loud and Insomniac’s Project Z, as well as musicians, such as Shaggy, 311, and A$AP Ferg, have a Herø comic. In 2019, Matthew was met with the opportunity to take the helm at the world’s greatest science fiction, fantasy and horror brand, Heavy Metal. Leading the charge at two genre focused brands, Matthew spends most of his time thinking about the unknown. With dozens of stories published, as well as two brands, Matthew’s first novel looks to bring us closer to the pure excitement for the great beyond that courses through his life-force everyday.
Explore more with Matt at MatthewMedney.com
John Connelly
- Builds spaceships.
John is a Mechanical Engineer for Lockheed Martin Space, who contributes to numerous NASA missions, including Mars 2020, LUCY, Deep Space Gateway, and Orion; however, space and the unknown don’t occupy his entire being. Following his dreams to work in the aerospace industry, John moved to Denver, Colorado where he met Tony, his amazing wine slinging partner, who is a Chef and Sommelier. John’s expansive mind and energetic curiosity led him to enjoy a myriad of creative outlets, such as boulder scrambling, disc golf, searching for the perfect wave to body surf, gardening peppers too hot to eat, and gloving. Between delving into these fine activities, he honors his Irish heritage and cardio needs by participating in Ireland’s true traditional sport: hurling (look it up). Beyond all this, he is an artist, an acrylic painter, whose strokes transcribe exotic dreamscapes to canvas and bring a vibrant lush palette to illuminate new worlds. Throughout all of these diverse facets of life, his affinity for words never wavered. Transcribed and translated from existential questions to tangible adventure, his and Matt’s world building and galactic lore span a lifetime of curiosity.