In the annals of history, 2025 is remembered as the dawn of humanity's darkest hour. It began with a rift—a tear in the very fabric of space and time—appearing off the coast of Japan. The rift grew steadily, an ominous force that defied all attempts at containment. As years passed, the rift's expansion became unstoppable, and Earth was eventually torn apart, reduced to a fractured remnant of its former self.

The survivors were left with no choice but to flee. In the desperate exodus that followed, humanity scattered across the cosmos. They built colossal space habitats, forging new lives in the void of space. These space dwellers were united by their shared struggle and the hope of finding a new home. However, as the realities of their harsh existence set in, old divisions and new conflicts began to emerge.

For centuries, Humanity struggled against the harsh realities of their new existence. The Dark Age of Exile, as it came to be known, was a period marked by relentless conflict and hardship. Wars over resources, political strife, and internal divisions plagued their society. Yet, from these ashes, a new order emerged—a unified coalition determined to transcend their turbulent past.

By the end of the 23rd century, technological advancements brought about the dawn of a new era. Humanity has discovered methods to upload human consciousness into digital form, allowing them to overcome physical limitations and unite in a shared network. This revolutionary leap, known as ConscTransfer, paved the way for new possibilities.

The 24th century saw the emergence of the Outer Frontier Coalition, a coalition dedicated to exploring beyond their confined space habitats. The construction of the Dyson Swarm around the Sun marked humanity's determination to harness the full potential of their solar system and secure their place in the cosmos. It is this time around that the Lunaris Ark started to be constructed, a massive space settlement using the Moon as a premise. Serve as a symbol of unity and prosperity for the entire human race.

The population in the Solar System was growing exponentially. With hundreds of billions of humans now living and working across hundreds of thousands of space settlements, and few hundred billions more live on million of quantum computer, thus form the MindStream network. The once-vital dream of terraforming planets had become an outdated concept. Terraforming, though once considered the key to creating new homes, was now seen as an inefficient and resource-draining endeavor. Instead, humanity turned its focus inward, perfecting the construction of massive orbital habitats and mining colonies that floated in the cold vacuum of space.

These space settlements, each a marvel of engineering, varied in size and purpose—from sprawling urban centers to specialized research stations. They were interconnected by vast networks of transport hubs and communication relays, ensuring the flow of goods, information, and people across the entire Solar System.

Yet, with the burgeoning population came an insatiable demand for resources. The energy extracted from the Dyson Swarm around the Sun was immense, but even that had its limits. The asteroid belts, once considered infinite sources of raw materials, were being rapidly depleted. Humanity's ambitions had outgrown the confines of their solar system.

In response, the Outer Frontier Coalition—the governing body of Humanity—began to look beyond their solar cradle. With the invention of the Alcubierre drive, humans had truly become a species of space dwellers. No longer tethered to a single planet, their existence now spread across the stars. The Alpha Centauri was the first to be colonized, marking the beginning of humanity's expansion into the galaxy. Up until the 31st century, humanity has control over hundreds of light-years of space, with Sol at the center.

During this era of fevered exploration, humanity achieved another monumental feat: the creation of the Voidcraft—gigantic ships capable of housing entire civilizations. These colossal vessels, each with the capacity to hold billions, were more than just modes of transport. Within their immense hulls, they carried entire worlds, complete with full ecosystems, advanced infrastructures, and formidable weapons. Each Voidcraft was a self-sustaining microcosm, equipped with Alcubierre engines that allowed them to traverse the galaxy at faster-than-light speeds.

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As humanity spread further into the cosmos, the Voidcraft became not just a means of survival but a way of life. These mobile worlds allowed humanity to thrive in the vastness of space, unbound by the limitations of planets. They represented the pinnacle of human ingenuity, offering a glimpse into a future where humanity's home was not a single world, but the endless expanse of the universe.

But the true turning point came in the 27th century with the discovery of the Rift's origins. The Rift had not been a natural anomaly, but a creation of the other dimensions, potentially thriving with sentient life. Humanity fears what awaits them beyond it, research is conducted, and defensive positions are constructed. This revelation led to an unprecedented quest to understand and confront these forces.

The culmination of this quest was the creation of Terra Nova based on the remnants of Earth. Here, humanity's greatest minds worked tirelessly to unlock the mysteries of the Rift and its connection to other dimensions. This effort gave rise to Operation Beyonder, a mission designed to explore these dimensions and uncover the truth behind the cosmic forces that had shaped their destiny.

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Year 3,001.

Earth's northernmost orbit

Terra Nova Space station

The remnants of Earth lay beneath the cold twilight sky, a scarred and barren landscape where life once thrived. Amidst the ruins of what was once Canada and North Pole, Terra Nova's base stood as a beacon of humanity's resilience and ambition. It was here that the final preparations for Operation Beyonder were taking place—a mission that would push the boundaries of human knowledge and exploration like never before.

Inside the nerve center of the base, the air was electric with anticipation. Holographic displays flickered with streams of data, and the hum of advanced machinery filled the room. At the end of it all was an open space that showed a part of the gigantic rift, contained inside 2 massive platforms on both heads, an attempt to control the rift. But it was not mere machines that would venture through this rift; it was the minds of humanity's finest, transferred into a ship that would carry them beyond the known universe.

Anna's consciousness resided within the heart of this ship, along with her fellow explorers. Their bodies, left behind in the physical world, were of little consequence now. They had become something more—digital entities, their minds uploaded into a spacecraft designed to traverse the unknown. The ship was their new body, their new home, and through it, they would experience the vastness of the multiverse.

Anna's thoughts were sharp, clear, and intertwined with the ship's systems. She could feel the vibrations of the engines, sense the flow of power through the circuits, and perceive the intricate calculations that prepared them for the journey ahead. It was a sensation that was both exhilarating and terrifying—being one with the very vessel that would carry them into the unknown.

"All systems are green," a voice echoed through the network, but it was more than a voice—it was another explorer, another mind linked to the ship. They were all connected, a collective of consciousnesses ready to take the first step into a new frontier.

"The rift is stable and ready for activation," another voice, calm and precise, confirmed.

Anna's thoughts drifted to the Rift, the mysterious force that had torn Earth apart millennia ago. The very existence of this mission was a response to that catastrophe, an effort to understand and perhaps even reverse the damage that had been done. But more than that, it was a journey into the unknown—a chance to discover what lay beyond the familiar confines of their universe.

"Operation Beyonder, commence," Anna's voice resonated through the ship's network, her will guiding the ship as the gate began to pulse with energy.

The ship moved forward, drawn toward the gate's swirling vortex. The sensation was surreal—there was no physical motion, only the mental command and the instant response of the ship. As they approached the gate, the vortex stabilized into a shimmering portal, the boundary between their reality and another.

One by one, the minds of the explorers passed through, their consciousnesses leaving the familiar and entering the unknown. The ship followed its form dissolving into the gate's energy, transporting them all to the other side.

For a moment, there was nothing but darkness—a void where time and space seemed to lose all meaning. Then, slowly, sensations began to return: new data, new environments, new experiences flooding into their collective consciousness. They had crossed the threshold, and now they were somewhere else, in a dimension unlike any they had ever known.

Anna's thoughts surged with curiosity and determination. This was the moment she had prepared for, the beginning of a journey that could redefine humanity's understanding of the universe. They were no longer just explorers—they were pioneers, venturing into the heart of the unknown.

And whatever awaited them on the other side, they are ready to face it.