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Wow, being a completely unproductive member of Newgrounds is hard work. Then again, so is having a sinus infection/throat cold which could be swine flu is also hard. Since it's going to be a while before I can do any respectable things on Newgrounds (digital/traditional art, flash) I might as well contribute something. Without further ado, a plot that I'm making up as I continue...

Once, there was a King who, for his title, did not hold any holding upon any earthen sphere. No, instead, he held the one thing more important: the space around the Planets of his System, and the metallic machinations enclosed in this vacuum. Of all of the corporations brought up to end the monopoly, none survived; before their time, these corporations were lost, bought up by the broad assets of the King, or barring that, physically eliminated by the mercenaries and pilots under this King's employ. And so, for decades, none opposed the King or his stranglehold upon the space age economy. Almost a century passed, and three generations of Kings sat upon the iridium-silicon throne, unopposed by any.

One day, however, a Stranger came into being, a mutant among its kind, but revered for its ambition: to topple a dynasty. Nobody knew much about the Stranger, not its name, not its form, not its gender, but only that it accepted no bribes, and when the King's fighters came with malicious intent, not one reported back to their master. The Stranger was supported by a Cabal of scientists, the best that the worlds of the System could offer, and without them, its life would have ended much sooner than it did. Economies grew upon the singular station inhabited by the Stranger and company, those stalwart of disposition, strong of body, and perceptive of sense filled the small army of the Stranger. These Elite of the System, coupled with the technological superiority of the Cabal, were unmatched. In the coming wars, less than 100 of the 1452 Elite had been killed, and 203 of them had been wounded, with rapid recovery. Of the King's army, 21,756 of the 30,000 mercenaries are either dead, or still missing.

The Stranger besieged each station, claiming each within the span of ten hours, and scarcely a year passed 'till the elite station was under siege. Two of the dead, as well as all twelve of the wounded, were among the casualties of the battle. The King's grandson, the last holder of the title, was captured , and upon that event, the entire battle stopped. The dethroned King was given mercy, allowed to live if he surrendered his holdings and power, and was banished from space travel, granted a pension for his life's remains. The survivors of his army, as well as the dead, were also given good treatment. Those that survived were given hot meals, medical attention, and the dignity they deserved. Those of the dead were either sent to their families, or given a soldier's burial in the cold depths of space. Long were the weeks of mourning for the dead, and each was given respect and honor.

In the end, a birth defect shortened the Stranger's life. In its final days, the most trustworthy and honorable among the residents of its station were given the chance to supervise the new holdings after the Stranger's death. Afterward, the Stranger itself was given the burial that it requested: a silent, solemn ejection into space, mourned privately and marked, namelessly and without extravagance, upon the walls of the King's former chief station. Though the Stranger is remembered by few in today's age, none can forget its legacy: the Freetraders.

The Freetraders were noble, they were without title and addressed only by the courtesies of whomever spoke to them. They were all rulers of stature, and though each had their quirks, were respectable people thoroughly. Within a generation, however, much of the Freetraders retired, and power struggles erupted, disrupting the harmony which the Freetraders fought to keep. In the end, five Corporations, headed by Directors of varying corruption and reliability, were enacted, splitting apart the System. Today, five years after each corporation had been founded, is where our true story begins...

I currently have no names for any of the Corporations, however, if anyone wishes, suggestions will be considered. I might be naming them in future posts, but for now, here are their specialties:

Corporation 1 - This corporation is headed specifically for one lucrative purpose: asteroid mining. The most labor-free and guaranteed way to fatten wallets is the trademark of this corporation, and due to the grand scale on which they engineer their mining operations, Corp 1 is a friend of Corp 2 and 4, who respectively run the Militant and Technological arms of the economy. Due to "alleged dumping of mining waste upon fragile ecosystems", Corp 3 is an ostensible enemy of Corp 1.

Corporation 2 - Corp 2 is not the friendliest of the corps. Indeed, you cannot have a good public image when your main exports are used to kill people. While Corp 2 is reviled for things such as weaponry, it is grudgingly held acceptable, since the majority of the exports is not weaponry, but more utilitarian goods such as ship hulls and quick-heating meals prepared by the in-house technicians, as well as a steady stream of security personell. Due to its dependence upon an abundant supply of ores and food supplies, Corp 2 has made friends with Corps 1 and 3, as well as running security for Corp 4. However, the more culturally-aligned Corp 5 sees their militant and rigid philosophies as "distasteful".

Corporation 3 - Corporation 3 is equipped with the most simplistic objective: organic farming. A good portion of the space on Corp 3 stations is fitted with ecological systems that go far beyond simply atmosphere, temperature and gravity. Though very few Directors in Corp 3 are capable of being corrupt, due to their humble living, some grow less wholesome goods in their organic gardens. No matter the amount of corruption, the fact is that large amounts of people get hungry quickly, and plants are rather useful in experiments. Ergo, Corp 3 is rather cordial with Corporations 2 and 4, however, the original seed plants have to come from somewhere. If people dump their waste on agricultural planets -- such as their enemy, Corp 1 -- then that's bad for business.

Corporation 4 - Life is stressful as a scientist, and a good deal of resources go into making the newest technology possible. Sure, life as you know it rests upon each discovery you make, and the grants that are given to you are good, but it isn't easy, devoting thousands of hours of your life so the rest of the galaxy can gaze in awe at your work before taking it for granted, and then eventually forgetting about you. Corporation 4 is made wholly of scientists, going so far as to be comparable to the Cabal of the Stranger's time. Due to the resources involved, Corporations 1 and 3 are on commission frequently from the organization of scientists, and while they maintain peace and trade with Corporations 1, 2 and 3, Corporation 4 is not truly friends with any of them. Instead, Corp 4 is more devoted to personal comfort, and for that, they turn to the final Corporation: Corp 5.

Corp 5 - Corp 5 is not the same as Corporations 1-3. It only has one friend, Corp 4, and even though they are slightly less cordial towards Corp 2, they don't make a habit of it. Corporation 5 deals in the everlasting, undying commodity for the entire System: pleasure. The majority of this pleasure is gained through fancy accommodations, social hot spots, and a variety of entertainment. While this is the mainstay of Corp 5, none of the Directors are above running more... seedy establishments. Loved or hated, Corp 5 is still regarded as necessary by the other corporations, and probably will be for many decades.