A/N: Hello there! If you're reading this, then I thank you for reading this far! This is an AU story based around the story of a popular game known as Subnautica (I don't know why people call it SubNautica on the FanFiction site). If you haven't heard of it, it is a survival game in its beta stages mid-development circulating around a shipwrecked survivor on an alien ocean planet. I highly recommend checking it out on Steam. Other than that, please feel free to leave a review or comment and tell me what you think (though, since it's a prologue, there isn't much to look at story-wise, but whatever). Constructive criticism is always welcome! Enjoy!
Prologue
2134: Humanity has just discovered interstellar propulsion technology in the form of dark matter-powered quantum dual flux repulsion engines. The United Earth governments begin investing large amounts of money into interstellar travel production companies, transportation corporations, and engineering firms in hopes of developing more efficient ways to traverse the known galaxy.
2137: Two engineering firms emerge as the dominant starship producers. They are the Alterra Corporation and Misriah Industries. These two companies begin semi-mass production of new starships for use in extra-terrestrial exploration and colonization.
2138: Alterra Sciences' first official exploration vessel, the Romulus, begins active service in exoatmospheric travel, beginning with the nearest star system, Alpha Centauri, and its sister star, Beta Centauri. The first organized mission to the dual star system is expected to take approximately 30 years.
2141: Misriah completes research and begins production of the Phoenix-class starship, a 2.5 km long vessel capable of sustaining a large population in deep space for up to twenty years.
2145: Establishment of a long term habitat on Luna sparks prototypes in interstellar power technology, as well as testing for life-supporting terraformation set to be mounted on ships.
2152: Misriah and Alterra establish a joint-production operation on Luna to produce starships for exploration, terraforming and colonization, as well as produce equipment and technology vital for space travel.
2154: Alterra introduces the Stasis Rifle, an ion battery-powered generator in the shape of a rifle designed to hold objects and possibly hostile life forms in temporary stasis. The weapon is designed to, on charge, fire a glowing ball of plasma energy that disrupts local electrical currents, essentially "freezing" anything caught in the field of fire, whose size is dependent on how long the trigger is held.
2156: Alterra introduces the Propulsion Cannon, as well as the upgraded version, the Repulsion Cannon. Similar to the "Gravity Gun" produced by 20th-21st century company Black Mesa, the Propulsion Cannon can carry objects up to 15 times its size and weight in an artificial gravitational field.
2157: Alterra introduces the Seamoth personal submersible, a water-borne vehicle designed for localized deep-sea exploration and documentation. It is designed to be released from a shuttle into open waters, whether the carrier be submerged or not, to map out local sea life at limited range due to a small power supply.
2159: Alterra introduces the Seamoth Mk. II, an improved version of the Mk. I with a larger battery size, a thicker, more rugged hull, and enhanced sonar and communication instruments due to issues found in the design of the original.
2159: Alterra introduces the Cyclops deep-sea submarine. The Cyclops is designed for extreme oceanic environment several hundred meters below the surface. The Mark 1 includes a V16 cylinder ion propeller drive, segmented compartments, an enameled glass canopy on the bridge, a dive chamber, and an enhanced version of the Seamoth Mk. 2's sonar system. This submersible can hold up to 6 occupants and a single Seamoth personal submersible and is suitable for deep-sea exploration and research as well as ferrying of passengers to underwater habitats.
2161: Misriah introduces the D77-TCH Pelican, an upper orbit capable personnel and equipment transport, and the D96-TCE Albatross, a sub-orbital capable transport used for large equipment ferrying to and from orbital stations, elevators, and platforms and starships.
2162: Luna's large-scale production facility, TYRANT 2, expands to house thousands of tourists and citizens in a city-like hub based around an oxygen generator that provides an Earth-like atmosphere. It is expected that future colonies will use the technology employed here.
2162: HRUNTING, Misriah's largest sub-division, officially branches off from Misriah to begin their own standalone corporation. HRUNTING's first product, the Mark II Powered Exoskeleton, nicknamed the Mantis, begins mass production in July. The Mantis will be carried on mining and exploration vessels to extract ores and minerals and to carry cargo between locations.
2164: The Mark III Exosuit is introduced by Alterra as an official exosuit make and model just months after announcing the Mark I. Designed for exoatmospheric or oceanic activity, the Exosuit features two fully articulated arms and a thruster pack that can be configured for space or oceanic travel at the flip of a switch. The single user has a large viewport made of the same glass-type material used in the Cyclops.
2165: The Idolageian, a Phoenix-class starship, is officially commissioned for interstellar exploration and colonization. Its first assignment is to accompany the Degasi mining ship to Alpha Gabriel, where a new element, Unsobtinium, is discovered in an orbiting moon. This new element in its unrefined state contains immense energy. One ton can power a dark matter engine for up to 4 weeks.
2167: The Shaw-Fukijawa Translight Dark Matter Drive is introduced.
2167: The Mako is introduced by Alterra Sciences. While the Cyclops has already proven itself as a formidable and effective oceanic vehicle, the Mako takes many of the same parts from the Cyclops and places them on a slightly larger scale inside of a hull that is 7 times larger than that of the Cyclops. Outfitted with twin Seamoth-Exosuit moon pools with sealable hatches, two dedicated docking ports on either side of the submarine, two decks, fully stocked living quarters for the crew of 10 and an extra 15 passengers, enhanced dedicated sonar from 5 hubs located all around the outer hull, and a full 210 degree viewport of the surrounding ocean from the bridge and the observation deck on the lower deck just below the bridge, all powered by a miniaturized dark matter repulsor drive. The viewing glass on the bridge and the observation deck have been upgraded from the Cyclops design, now with built-in hologram projectors on an atomic scale, able to present high resolution images in real time, whether they be static or moving, at a constant 5120-by-2880 pixel display resolution. The new glass also has been strengthened atomically and thickened, making the Mako capable of depths of up to 3000 meters.
2168: The Aurora terraforming vessel is commissioned by the Alterra Corporation.
2168: HRUNTING formulates a new version of the Mantis, refitted for potential transport inside the Cyclops submersible or the Mako deep-sea submarine, similar to the Mark III Exosuit. This new model also has a variant capable of oceanic travel at depths up to 600 meters.
2170: First contact from the Romulus in orbit around Beta Centauri's fourth satellite. Received scans indicate possible dihydrogen monoxide deposits in solidified form near the southern pole.
2171: A previously unknown and unidentified planet, labeled 4546-B, is located and named in the Hydrus system.
2172: The Spirit of Fire colony ship arrives in Beta Centauri to begin colonization efforts alongside the Aurora's terraforming efforts.
2173: The Aurora is sent to Beta Centauri to assist in terraforming efforts on the fourth moon.
2174: Beta Gabriel's first colony, Harvest, is established.
2174: During long-range scans, it is determined that Planet 4546-B is an ocean planet, with habitable conditions for humans, including an oxygen and nitrogen rich atmosphere and luscious flora. Massive subterranean deposits of Unsobtinium are revealed in subsequent scans.
2175: The Epsilon Eridani star system is discovered.
2176: New Harmony is established in the Epsilon Eridani system.
2177: Reach is terraformed and colonized in the Epsilon Eridani system. Large titanium deposits
2178: The sister planets Harmony and Tribute are established in the Epsilon Eridani system
2179: Radio contact is lost with the Degasi mining vessel near planet 4546-B, and the ship's beacon is lost mere minutes later during an off-record visit to the planet. No distress signal is recorded, and the documented conversations are wiped from all mainframes involved.
2181: HRUNTING introduces a new form of Artificial Intelligence decades ahead of its time. The AI is able to run thousands of tasks and algorithms at once and is able to hold intelligent conversations with real emotion and thought processes. The first official non-beta AI, Alyx, is installed in the Idolageian with access to all WiFi-capable electronic devices on the ship.
2183: The Idolageian is refitted for mining and terraforming, and receives a complement of both Albatrosses and Pelicans, as well as Mantisi.
2186: The Aurora and the Idolageian are assigned to Planet 4546-B for a terraforming mission.