ICARO

After centuries of unchecked expansion, humanity exhausted the natural resources of every world it touched. The seas were drained, the skies poisoned, and the lands transformed into industrial wastelands. When the last habitable planet collapsed under its own ecological weight, governments fell one by one, unable to sustain civilizations doomed by their own excess.

From the ruins arose a new era: that of the Nation-Ships. Interstellar colossi designed not only for travel, but to sustain human life independently. Each became a roving nation, with its own culture, laws, and hierarchies. Some traded with one another; others waged war for the few remaining resources at the edges of known space.

After the interstellar exodus, humanity reorganized itself into gigantic, self-sufficient structures known as nation-ships. Each was designed to house entire populations and preserve the cultural, scientific, or military identity of the former Earth states. Over time, these ships evolved into sovereign entities, with their own governments, internal economies, and militaries, maintaining a fragile balance through the Intergalactic Navigation Council (INC).

Nation-ships travel through designated star corridors, where resources, trade routes, and information are precisely controlled. Alliances, tensions, and treaties exist between them, but so do rivalries that have led to diplomatic conflicts and silent wars.

Each ship is a self-contained world: artificial ecosystems, vertical cities, total recycling systems, and artificial intelligence networks that maintain the balance of millions of lives. Some focus on exploration, others on war, science, or trade. The Erebus, however, is a ship of a mixed nature—a wandering nation that combines advanced technology with a peculiar secrecy—respected and feared for its independence from the rest of the Council.

The Intergalactic Navigation Council (INC) is the highest authority in the twenty sectors of the known universe. It was born in the aftermath of the chaos following the Exodus, when the first nation-ships began claiming interstellar territories and resources. In order to prevent all-out war, the leaders of the founding fleets established the Council as a neutral body tasked with regulating interstellar borders, treaties, and laws.

Each sector of the known universe—designated by a Greek letter—is home to multiple nation-ships and is represented by a delegate on the Council. The Council's decisions affect everything from opening trade routes to authorizing the colonization of new systems or the development of high-impact technology. However, the Council's neutrality is sometimes questioned: behind its votes and sanctions lie political alliances, espionage, and diplomatic pressure between rival ships.

The Erebus belongs to the β-Andromeda sector, one of the oldest and most contested. Ten ships share its jurisdiction, maintaining a tense balance between cooperation and competition. Despite this, the Erebus has maintained its independence and distinct voice on the Council, a position earned through years of prudence, advanced technology, and a reputation few dare openly challenge.