Magic and Space Stations

by A.R.Gay (cs6004@WLV.AC.UK), J.Moore, L.Bryant, M.Archer

Space Stations

Something that is only hinted at in any of the Shadowrun material is SPACE STATIONS. Sure the Zurich orbitals are mentioned, but what are they apart from well defended banks? No, what I am talking about is proper colony space stations. What about settlement on other planets? With magic around for somewhere in the region of the next 5000 years, mankind is bound to be able to get somewhere on that. It only took 2000 years to get from the rabble who once lived in mud huts and caves to a high tech society with optical computer technology. As we already have a good backing as far as space travel goes it is more than feasible that before the cycle turns and magic is only myth again that mankind will be inhabiting space stations and other planets.

With the problems with overcrowding on this planet, metahumans will definitely want a bit of the action. The Elves will probably want their own terraformed world full of forests and dandelions (well they need to eat as well, even if they do think they are immortal). A planet that has been terraformed would have its own gaia-sphere. As would a large space station.

There is evidence to suggest that the mana field that covers the earth, and astral space as people think of it, is in fact created by the people and animals that live there:

Everyone has an Aura, of magical presence.
The emotions of people IMMEDIATELY affect the area of astral space around them. The example given in the rules is that of a love letter. The emotional content can be felt in astral space.
Emotions of non-awakened people can affect astral space. The concentration camps in Germany have a very high background count, this is due to the strong emotion present within them.

If this is the case, then all you need is a lot of happy strong willed people trying to make a go of it. This is the colonial attitude, and weak willed, or easily scared people, would not go for this sort of opportunity. Therefore their emotions and willpower will begin to weave together a new part of astral space.

This would take some time, and there would be a minimum number of people necessary, say around 10,000. But after about five years there would be a new portion of astral space.

Spirits of Astral “Space”

The spirits present in space stations and other colonies would probably be different from those present on earth. After all, the attitudes of the people present would attract a different kind of spirit. Spirits make their home in the Metaplanes, some of them like earth, but some are going to prefer a different environment.

The Metaplanes existed a long time before the rise of magic. The m-planes are not really connected to the real world except through astral space, they are so to speak at right angles to reality. It is quite conceivable that spirits could move through the m-planes from one portion of astral space to another even if several hundred light years separated them, this would make communications between new colonies very easy. Magicians and shamans would have a lot of power to deal with. Certain kinds of shamen would make very good communications specialists, these are dog, wolf and bear. Cat, Coyote and Raven shamen would be some of the first Shamen to go into space, as they are curious. The possibilities present in new worlds and colonies would be amazing.

Meta Planes and Space travel

Would other planets have a magical aura? If the astral plane is a product of humans, then yes they would, but if the history of SR holds true to the Mayan calendar after a couple of thousand years, the entire empire is going to collapse as the magic withdraws and leaves all of the other colonies and space stations stranded with no magical way to contact each other, so we had better hope that we have a good electronic or scientific way of interstellar communication. The corporations would have a field day with this one.

This does raise the question of WHY?

Why does the mana cycle in a set pattern? Where does this power come from? Is there a source inside our own dimension? Or is it caused by an alignment of this world with the meta planes? If so, why does this happen? There must be a reason why, but we have not found it yet.

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* JackFrost (cs6004@ccub.wlv.ac.uk)  For all your shadowtech requirements.*
* "If at first you don't succeed, use Magic..."                           *
*                                         -- Shifter, Street Mage         *
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