World Building Spotlight Archives - Page 2 of 2

What Happened to Earth?

World Building Spotlight / M Pax / April 8, 2025

A Brief History from the Squad 51 Universe

Before the rescue missions, the space barons, and the chaos of Squad 51’s adventures, there was Earth.

The birthplace of humanity wasn’t lost in a spectacular disaster or blown apart by aliens (though it might’ve been cleaner that way). No, Earth faded the way most things do through greed, neglect, and a thousand small cuts over centuries.

We stripped the forests. The oceans died. Oxygen levels fell so low toward the end, breathing came with a price tag. The rich lived under domes. The poor paid for oxygen credits. Earth couldn’t sustain us anymore. Not because she gave up, but because we pushed too far.

That’s when the corporations stepped in. Not to save us, but to make more profits.

The Great Evacuation

The corporations packaged humanity’s survival like a product. Tickets off Earth were sold to the highest bidder. Those without fortunes had two choices: stay behind, or sign away their freedom to labor contracts on off-world colonies.

The first colonies were little more than glorified mining camps scattered across the solar system. The corporations drained them like they drained Earth, forcing generations to live and die in the shadows of profit margins. But people eventually fought back.

The Rise of the Colonies

Over time, the corporate dynasties fell. Some families clung to their wealth and influence—the so-called nobility, like the Baneer family, whose fortunes were built on the backs of those early colonies.

But others rebelled. People broke away from corporate control and built independent colonies on the edges of the known system. They weren’t perfect, but they were free.

Even now, the ripples of that era remain. Inequality lingers, though the gap keeps narrowing. Space Barons, pirates, profiteers, and opportunists still roam, but there are no more corporations officially exploiting entire planets. Progress doesn’t move fast, but it moves.

Earth’s Rebirth

And Earth?

While humanity scattered, Earth healed.

The rain returned. The forests grew back. Species thought lost forever clawed their way back into existence, some with help from scientists. The scars remain, but the planet breathes again.

Now, Earth is no longer humanity’s playground. It’s a sanctuary.

Entry is earned, not bought. Only those who dedicated their lives to restoring the planet—the scientists, ecologists, and environmentalists who spent centuries undoing the damage—are allowed to live there. They’re reseeding the world with rainforests, coral reefs, bears, even sharks.

Earth’s return isn’t a fairy tale. It’s a reminder: We broke it. But we can fix things, too.

🌍 Want to learn more about the Squad 51 universe?
I’ll be sharing more behind-the-scenes worldbuilding posts as I count down to the launch of my next Kickstarter—bringing the full Squad 51 series to life with exclusive editions and bonus content. Stay tuned!

SQUAD 51 LAUNCH

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Mini Suns: The Key to the Outer Sol’s Colonization

World Building Spotlight / M Pax / March 11, 2025

In the Space Squad 51 universe, the Outer Sol—a vast region beyond the gas giants—was once considered a desolate frontier, too cold and dark for colonization. But everything changed with the advent of mini suns, artificial stars capable of bringing light and warmth to some of the inhospitable regions of the solar system. However, the creation of these mini suns didn’t come without shadowy history.

Before the mini suns were even a glimmer of possibility, the Outer Sol was considered a fringe region, too far from the Sun to sustain human life. Colonists lived in freezing darkness, stuck in scattered mining colonies and underdeveloped outposts. When a group of rebellious engineers and rogue colonists decided to steal a piece of cutting-edge technology from the Inner Sol—the heart of human civilization—everything changed.

1. The Theft: A Daring Heist for the Future

The genesis of the mini suns lies in a bold theft orchestrated by the Outer Sol’s earliest settlers. They didn’t have the knowledge to develop the mini suns on their own, but they had the resources and technology. So, they did what any desperate, resourceful colony would do—they stole it.

The technology in question was a piece of revolutionary fusion energy device designed by the most advanced engineers from the Inner Sol. This technology was meant to be the foundation for sustainable energy for deep space travel and megacities. At the time, it was locked away in a secure, heavily guarded facility on Mars—a place where no one from the Outer Sol would have had access.

The Outer Sol wasn’t going to let a little thing like security stop them, though. Using covert operations to steal key blueprints, they also smuggled out a critical energy core—the heart of a mini sun. With this stolen device in hand, the Outer Sol colonists duplicated the core and began constructing mini suns.

While the theft went unnoticed by the Inner Sol for a time, it didn’t take long for the authorities to catch wind of it. By the time the Inner Sol launched an investigation, the Outer Sol had already built their first mini sun. The extra light and warmth benefited the Saturn and Jupiter systems as much as they Outer Sol and they depended upon the mini sun as much as the Outer Sol. So, the mini sun stayed and the Outer Sol manufactured three more, but not without fueling hostilities with the Inner Sol.

2. Mini Suns: The Solution to the Outer Sol’s Desperation

Four artificial stars that were placed in orbit in strategic locations in the solar system, providing heat and light to make worlds far from the natural sun more habitable. Triton, a moon of Neptune’s, became one of the first colonies to benefit. Its ice-crusted surface was warmed and the melt created enormous lakes to provide water to barren, thirsty planetoids and moons. The minor planets, such as Pluto and Eris, could grow more crops and happier colonists led to greater productivity. The Outer Sol, once a desolate place on the fringes of human civilization, became a vital region providing raw rare elements and manufacturing technologies requiring rare elements to work.

3. The Price of Crime

The theft of the fusion technology and the subsequent development of the mini suns didn’t come without consequences. The Inner Sol resented the theft and the Outer Sol getting credit for their invention. Many Innlings considered the theft an outright act of treason. As the first mini sun lit up, the governments of the Inner Sol (from the Sun out to the Saturn system) sent warnings and threats, constantly reminding the Outlings they weren’t worthy of a star or the pursuit of happiness.

4. Mini Suns as Symbols

As the mini suns spread hope throughout the Outer Sol, they became a symbol of equality and independence. But for many, the mini suns were also a constant reminder of the Outer Sol’s inferiority to the Inner Sol. Considered miscreants and criminals, many colonies in the Inner Sol do not welcome Outlings on their worlds for longer than is necessary to unload and load a ship. Yet the Inner and Outer Sol need each other.

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The Power and Mystery of the Lepper System

World Building Spotlight / M Pax / February 11, 2025

Diving into worldbuilding…

The Lepper System: A Gateway to Faster-than-Light Travel in the Backworlds

In the expansive universe of the Backworlds series, one of the most crucial pieces of technology that enables interstellar travel is the mysterious Lepper system. These gateways—often referred to as “Leppers”—serve as the intergalactic highways that connect the various solar systems and allow ships to travel faster than light. If you’ve ever wondered how the people in the Backworlds and Foreworlds manage to zip across vast stretches of space, the answer lies within these shimmering blue bursts of light.

What Is a Lepper?

A Lepper isn’t a physical object in the traditional sense; rather, it’s a space-time phenomenon, more like an artificial wormhole than a simple portal. These “gates” open and close at specific locations, acting as conduits for ships traveling between distant points in space. The process of opening a Lepper is a carefully controlled operation managed by highly skilled Lepper operators.

When a ship needs to travel, it signals the nearest Lepper station with its intended destination. The operators at the station then input the coordinates, essentially telling the Lepper where to open. Once the process is complete, a sudden burst of blue light erupts from the Lepper, signaling its activation. This blue flash is not just a visual cue; it represents the destabilization of the space-time continuum, allowing the ship to pass through.

The Journey Through the Lepper

Once the Lepper opens, the ship enters what can best be described as a “tunnel” of pure energy. As the vessel travels through the Lepper, the crew sees streaks of brilliant blue light, which are the visual manifestation of the space folding around them. These streaks are a constant reminder of the vastness of the distances being traversed in an instant.

While inside the Lepper, the ship doesn’t actually move through normal space. Instead, it’s temporarily within a folded dimension, bypassing the regular constraints of physics that govern how we perceive time and space. The trip from one star system to another, which would normally take years, is condensed into mere moments.

The Origins of the Lepper System

The creation of the Lepper system is shrouded in mystery, but it is believed that its original design came from the Seuks, an ancient alien race who fought a devastating war against the Quassers. Earth, caught in the middle of this war, discovered some of the Seuks’ technology after a few of their ships crashed on Earth. However, humanity lacked the resources to fully develop the Lepper system.

This is where the Cytrans—those who created humanity on other worlds—came into play. When the Cytrans were sent out to establish human colonies on distant worlds, they gathered the necessary resources to build such a system. While the Cytrans began work on the initial stages of the Lepper gates, it was the Foreworlds who ultimately completed it, refining and perfecting the technology.

The Lepper system isn’t just a tool of convenience—it’s a powerful asset, and both the Backworlds and Foreworlds are constantly on alert, ensuring that the gates between their worlds remain secure.

A Symbol of Unity and Tension

The Lepper system is more than just a method of transportation; it represents the tenuous relationship between the Backworlds and the Foreworlds. The gates serve as a bridge between the two worlds, facilitating war, trade, communication, and travel. But they are also heavily guarded and protected, a reminder of the political tensions that simmer beneath the surface. The operators who manage the Lepper gates must be highly trained and trusted, as the gates’ security is paramount to maintaining peace between these two factions.

Wrapping It Up

The Lepper system is a vital and powerful piece of technology that connects the Backworlds and Foreworlds, enabling faster-than-light travel and shaping the political and economic landscape of the galaxy. While its origins may be lost to time, the gates are integral to the daily operations of both worlds, heavily guarded and fiercely contested. The next time you see a blue flash of light in the Backworlds, remember that it’s not just a passage through space—it’s the heartbeat of a galaxy teetering on the edge of tension and cooperation.

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From Philosophy to Sci-Fi: The Haller Mirror’s Unique Inspiration

World Building Spotlight / M Pax / January 7, 2025

In Echoes of Haller Canyon, a new technology was invented. Here is how I came up with it and why I named it the Haller mirror.

The Haller Mirror: A Glimpse Into the Self

In the colony on Triton, technology is a necessity, but trust in artificial intelligence is nearly nonexistent. The residents live with the constant fear that unchecked AI could overrun their lives. To balance the need for advanced tech with their apprehensions, the colony relies on a unique and fascinating invention: the Haller Mirror.

This glass pyramid-shaped device is more than a tool—it’s a safeguard. Beneath its gleaming surface are drawers where users store personalized masks, which connect them to the mirror. The Haller Mirror acts as a mediator, allowing the user to interact with technology while maintaining strict control over the scope of the interaction.

How the Haller Mirror Works

Each session with the Haller Mirror begins by selecting a task—whether it’s repairing external damage to the dome, managing internal systems, or interfacing with a specific robot. The mirror uses stored “reflections” of the user, tailored to particular tasks. These reflections represent specific aspects of the person, frozen and isolated for precision and safety.

For example:

If you’re repairing damage outside the dome, you would activate the repair bot through the Haller Mirror and choose a reflection optimized for diagnosing and fixing structural weaknesses.
Should the task shift, such as moving from inspection to repair, you could select a different reflection suited to that aspect of the job.

In this way, the Haller Mirror ensures that each interaction is focused, efficient, and limited—no single action goes beyond its intended scope.

The Philosophy Behind the Haller Mirror

The concept of the Haller Mirror is rooted in an idea inspired by Hermann Hesse’s Steppenwolf. In the novel, Hesse explores the idea that humans are complex beings with infinite potential. We are selfish, selfless, kind, cruel—all at once. What defines us is not a single trait, but where we place ourselves on the spectrum of each.

The Haller Mirror takes this philosophy and makes it tangible. Each reflection is a slice of the self—an echo of the user locked into a particular attribute or skill. By isolating these echoes, the mirror ensures that no reflection can overreach, keeping its users safe from the unpredictability of AI while allowing them to harness the technology they need.

FYI, the main character’s name in Steppenwolf is Haller.

A Tool for Survival and Self-Reflection

On Triton, the Haller Mirror isn’t just a tool; it’s a symbol of balance. It bridges the gap between human control and technological necessity, empowering colonists to remain self-reliant while avoiding the dangers of over-dependence on AI.

Do you think we need a Haller mirror in reality to restrict AI?

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