ExoSquad is set in the early 22nd century, and by that time humanity has made two major advancements. They have developed terraforming methods, which has made it possible for humans to inhabit not only Earth, but Venus and Mars as well. The second major achievement was in the field of genetic engineering, which enabled the creation of a new race, called Neo sapiens. This new race, since it was to be used as slave labor in the mines on Mars, was created to be physically superior to Homo sapiens (referred to as Terrans). A Neo sapien is stronger, larger, and can survive in harsher conditions that his human counterpart. A Neo sapien requires less food and no sleep. One feature denied to the Neo sapien race was the ability to procreate, thus the only way for a new Neo sapien to be created is in a brood chamber. Despite this shortcoming, some Neo sapiens resemble males, while others tend to be considered female. Mentally and psychologically Neo sapiens are similar to Terrans, for they are not any more intelligent and they do experience emotions (although they often seem tempered or dulled).
Neo sapiens had been created decades before ExoSquad epic begins. Fifty years beforehand the Neo sapiens rebelled against their masters, in an attempt to win their own freedom. A new Terran invention, the e-frame, was instrumental in the suppression of the revolt. The exo-frame is a machine that the user climbs into an operates in part by a cybernetic link. The e-frame becomes a larger, stronger extension of the human body (normally 8'-12' tall with two arms and two legs). When equipped with weaponry, such as missiles or machine guns, it becomes a potent weapon. In battle it can act similar to a tank, in that it is heavily armored and carries more firepower than an infantry soldier. Because e-frames have flight capability they are effective in providing air support for ground troops. They are also used in a manner similar to fighters when two opposing space fleets engage each other. An exosquad is, as the name suggests, a squadron of these exo-frames. The Neo sapiens did not have this technology during their first rebellion, and it led to their downfall.
Apparently the revolt was not restricted to only Mars, although that is where the uprising was centered. The rebellion was organized by a Neo sapien named Marsala, who later joins the ExoFleet and is a member during the second rebellion. This first Neo sapien revolt was finally supressed by his capture, after his whereabouts were revealed when his captured (by Winfield?) brood brother Phaeton was threatened with death.
Although Neo sapiens were granted some rights, as well as control of the planet Mars, they were by no means equal, de jure or de facto, to their Terran counterparts. Many Terrans continued to harbor prejudice against the Neo sapiens, while others did consider Neo sapiens as equals. The First Neo sapien Rebellion actually did little to change the status of Neo sapiens, and many of them hoped to eventually achieve equality.
The Neo sapiens were not the only disenfranchised people in the solar system. The Pirates are descendants of Earth criminals that were sentenced to hard labor, and were sent to mining operations on the moons of the outer planets. With the creation of Neo sapiens, whose physical abilities made them better slaves, the pirate ancestors were abandoned on those moons. They survived, however, and were able to build spaceships of their own, so that they could attack other (mostly Earth) ships and steal whatever they needed or wanted. Many of them developed a sense of hatred for the Terrans (who lived in luxury) and the ExoFleet (whose sole purpose seemed to be to hunt them), and often the feeling was mutual.
ExoSquad is set in the early 22nd century, and by that time humanity has made two major advancements. They have developed terraforming methods, which has made it possible for humans to inhabit not only Earth, but Venus and Mars as well. The second major achievement was in the field of genetic engineering, which enabled the creation of a new race, called Neo sapiens. This new race, since it was to be used as slave labor in the mines on Mars, was created to be physically superior to Homo sapiens (referred to as Terrans). A Neo sapien is stronger, larger, and can survive in harsher conditions that his human counterpart. A Neo sapien requires less food and no sleep. One feature denied to the Neo sapien race was the ability to procreate, thus the only way for a new Neo sapien to be created is in a brood chamber. Despite this shortcoming, some Neo sapiens resemble males, while others tend to be considered female. Mentally and psychologically Neo sapiens are similar to Terrans, for they are not any more intelligent and they do experience emotions (although they often seem tempered or dulled).
Neo sapiens had been created decades before ExoSquad epic begins. Fifty years beforehand the Neo sapiens rebelled against their masters, in an attempt to win their own freedom. A new Terran invention, the e-frame, was instrumental in the suppression of the revolt. The exo-frame is a machine that the user climbs into an operates in part by a cybernetic link. The e-frame becomes a larger, stronger extension of the human body (normally 8'-12' tall with two arms and two legs). When equipped with weaponry, such as missiles or machine guns, it becomes a potent weapon. In battle it can act similar to a tank, in that it is heavily armored and carries more firepower than an infantry soldier. Because e-frames have flight capability they are effective in providing air support for ground troops. They are also used in a manner similar to fighters when two opposing space fleets engage each other. An exosquad is, as the name suggests, a squadron of these exo-frames. The Neo sapiens did not have this technology during their first rebellion, and it led to their downfall.
Apparently the revolt was not restricted to only Mars, although that is where the uprising was centered. The rebellion was organized by a Neo sapien named Marsala, who later joins the ExoFleet and is a member during the second rebellion. This first Neo sapien revolt was finally supressed by his capture, after his whereabouts were revealed when his captured (by Winfield?) brood brother Phaeton was threatened with death.
Although Neo sapiens were granted some rights, as well as control of the planet Mars, they were by no means equal, de jure or de facto, to their Terran counterparts. Many Terrans continued to harbor prejudice against the Neo sapiens, while others did consider Neo sapiens as equals. The First Neo sapien Rebellion actually did little to change the status of Neo sapiens, and many of them hoped to eventually achieve equality.
The Neo sapiens were not the only disenfranchised people in the solar system. The Pirates are descendants of Earth criminals that were sentenced to hard labor, and were sent to mining operations on the moons of the outer planets. With the creation of Neo sapiens, whose physical abilities made them better slaves, the pirate ancestors were abandoned on those moons. They survived, however, and were able to build spaceships of their own, so that they could attack other (mostly Earth) ships and steal whatever they needed or wanted. Many of them developed a sense of hatred for the Terrans (who lived in luxury) and the ExoFleet (whose sole purpose seemed to be to hunt them), and often the feeling was mutual.
