///From the author: in the early 23rd century, as unrest arising from crackdowns by ICA peacekeeping forces sparked nationalist uprisings in the vein of the Draconist movement, a pair of likeminded visionaries came together to forge a new method of conducting war, one which would either bring an end to future outbursts of violence or prevent them altogether. This is the story of the program forged between the unstoppable force of frontier extremism and the immovable object of ICA military policy. This is the story of Project ALPHA
(Digital memo from CMDR Wastani detailing initiation of Project ALPHA)
Operational background:
Project ALPHA (the acronym stands for “Advanced Learning Program for Heuristic Adaptation”) was a top-secret AEROCOM-sanctioned military black project aimed at training elite commandos under the jurisdiction of SOCOM to fight asymmetric conflicts in the turbulent post-Draconist era. The project was the brainchild of Colonel Khalid Wastani, himself a veteran of the First Draconist Crisis; and Doctor Irina Tlaloc, a researcher in the field of neuroengineering who escaped imprisonment for her role in the Crisis by partnering with the ICA and Spacer Corps to continue her research and creating special mentally adept commandos.
The basic concept behind the project involves training specially-selected children, chosen from a pool of about half a million candidates, to enhance their intuitive senses and grant them preternatural abilities akin to precognition and mental telepathy. This is meant to allow them to better infiltrate local populations on worlds affected by turmoil, and to grant the commandos a supreme advantage: the ability to sense the enemy’s thoughts, predict future events, and preempt enemy actions on an evolving battlefield.
The project had its genesis on Titan in the early to mid-2230s, where Doctor Tlaloc and a team of Draconist-funded scientists conducted an illicit bioengineering project to create "super soldiers" for the war against ICA. Following her capture by then-Captain Wastani, Doctor Tlaloc reads him in on her research, leading him to shop the potential project around for the next five years. He ultimately pitched it to a who's-who of important AEROCOM brass in 2247, leading to a sponsorship by infamous INTELCOM spook Major General Corinne Sanchez. With her backing, the project is greenlit in May 2248 and fast tracked for execution, with newly promoted Commander Wastani as Sanchez's eyes and ears in the field.
The first cohort of candidates was trained between 2262 and 2269, first in the military arts, and then in the skills of mental adaptation that were to be their bread and butter in the field. When the Riots of 2269 threatened to plunge the solar system back into chaos, their "graduation" was moved up, and they were deployed to a host of frontier hotspots to infiltrate, observe, and report on enemy operations. Ultimately, however, the real test of their skills would come not from the Alliance of Free Worlds, but from within their own ranks...
Project timeline:
2236: Khalid Wastani is deployed to Titan for the first time as a SOCOM officer
2241: Captain Wastani meets Irina Tlaloc while scouting a Draconist hideout
2247: Major Wastani presents his pitch to the AEROCOM brass in Mars orbit
2248: Project ALPHA is greenlit as part of AEROCOM's "Spacer 200" initiative
2251: Sanchez tasks Cmdr. Wastani with being her personal eyes in the field
2254: the process of narrowing down 500 thousand possible candidates begins
2257: the Zharan Uprising begins, intensifying the chaos of the Draconist Crisis
2261: the Second Draconist Crisis ends and the zharans depart for Kuiper Space
2262: the first candidates arrive on Titania mere months after peace is restored
2265: Col. Wastani arrives to assume command of the facility as Phase 3 begins
2269: a Martian protest leads to riots, and an early graduation for the Alphas
2271: the Frontier Wars begin after a team of Alphas are captured on Callisto
2273: the Alphas discover that their mental abilities have been compromised
2274: Alpha-087 kills Alpha-071 after questions arise over the latter’s loyalties
2275: following his sister’s death, Alpha-087 accepts a dangerous assignment
2276: Alpha-087 is captured by the Alliance after a botched rescue attempt
2278: the Alphas learn that the Alliance has a way to track their mental abilities
2279: a traitor within their number leads to the near elimination of the Alphas
2281: the Frontier Wars end with the Alliance & Zharans on a strong footing
2283: Project ALPHA is canceled as the few survivors return to civilian life
Key Players:
Khalid Wastani
Born 2211 on Mars, to a modest family (police father and lawyer mother)
Went to the Spacer Corps Leadership Academy at Aldrin City at age 19
Trained as a SOCOM operations leader, first deployed to Titan in 2233
Took up the cause of Project ALPHA after meeting Dr. Tlaloc on Titan
Leads the Alphas as a surrogate father during their time in the program
Irina Tlaloc
Born 2203 on Callisto; joined Draconist front out of political necessity
Specialized in neuroengineering, and hoped to revolutionize medicine
Captured by the IDC, she was freed by Wastani to continue her research
Pioneered the training techniques which gave the Alphas their abilities
A sort of mother to the trainees, who hopes they will retain their humanity
Margaret Atembo
Born 2214 on Mars; raised in a large, poor family of industrial workers
Enlisted at the Spacer Corps at 18 to avoid a career in Martian industry
Served with distinction through the First and Second Draconist Crises
Handpicked by Wastani to be the Alphas’ head cadre & drill instructor
A harsh mother figure, she is a counterbalance to Dr. Tlaloc’s compassion
Corinne Sanchez
Born 2194 on Vesta; parents split up when she was only 6 years old
Went to the Leadership Academy on Ceres when she was just 17
Gained a reputation as a covert operator during the First Draconist Crisis
Sponsors Wastani’s project in the interest of winning the next conflict
Looms over the Alphas as their patron, and later as head of INTELCOM
Tobias Yates
Born 2235 on Earth, he joined the IDC to escape the Gaian doldrums
Showed aptitude as a tactical & logistical commander at the Academy
Recruited into Project ALPHA in 2264 as a senior leader of the cadre
Helps the Alphas by giving advice and acting as a field ops commander
Becomes a confidant for Jon, Damian, and the other primary Alphas
Jon (Alpha-098)
Born 2251 on Ganymede; younger brother of Max (Alpha-099)
Orphaned during the 2nd Draconist Crisis, he survived thanks to Max
Main character in the story, he is our narrator for much of the story
Best friends with Damian, and watches him spiral out of control
One of the few Alphas to survive the war and see peace restored
Max (Alpha-099)
Born 2249 on Ganymede; older brother of Jon (Alpha-098)
Orphaned during the Second Draconist Crisis, he grew up young
A natural leader, he is used to watching out for those around him
Starts a relationship with Kaya, and has a child with her in 2269
Takes the brunt of it when Kaya dies and Damian is captured
Damian (Alpha-087)
Born 2251 on Titan; older twin brother of Kaya (Alpha-086)
Never knew his parents; survived the streets by keeping his sister safe
Has a thirst to prove himself, but also a caustic wit and a mean streak
Goes on a downward spiral of anger and self-doubt as the war intensifies
Accepts a dangerous mission after his sister’s death and disappears
Kaya (Alpha-086)
Born 2251 on Titan; younger twin sister of Damian (Alpha-087)
Never knew her parents; survived the streets by keeping her brother sane
Has a deep sense of compassion, but shares her brother’s acerbic wit
Has a son with Max, and leaves duty for a time due to the toll it takes
Dies in a botched mission in 2275, sparking her brother’s final spiral
Tanya (Alpha-065)
Born 2251 on Callisto; separated from her parents due to the war
Part of Unit 41, a frequent partner of Unit 37 on missions during the war
Becomes close friends with Jon during their time working together
Their budding relationship dies young thanks to the violence of the war
Survives the betrayal massacre, and enters civilian life along with Jon
Henrik (Alpha-071)
Born 2249 on Mars, where he lived in a more or less regular household
Snatched from his parents at age 9, he harbors resentment of ALPHA
Becomes friends with Jon and Max early on in their time in the program
Possibly compromised by Alliance agents during the first half of the war
Damian kills him during a confrontation over his possible enemy ties
Kayden (Alpha-102)
Born 2250 in a Jovian L5 station; separated from his parents by the Crisis
Has a wisecracking, easygoing attitude; makes fast friends with Damian
An original member of Unit 37, along with Damian, Jon, and Max
Permanently crippled by side effects of the Alphas’ special training
Left a disabled husk by the end of the war, requiring constant care
More to come, when it's ready...
This is great!