Campaign notes
Timeline recent events:
2034 Mars colony established
2086 asteroid mining established
2130 Jupiter and Saturn's moons colonised
2180 Uranus, Neptune, Pluto have outposts established
2255 Intra-system tourism in full-swing
2288 Jumpdrive technology developed
2308 Ships depart for Wolf 359, Alpha Centauri, Tau Ceti, Sirius, Barnard's Star, Epsilon Eridani
2446 <Current Year>
Short range, intra-system personal spaceships are expensive but there are plenty around.
Inter-system ships (Goliaths) are currently the sole purview of the corporations and givernments, being the only ones with the resources to build the gigantic space-bending drives required to cross the gulf of space quicker then light-speed.
The Sol (home system) is pretty safe, it's well-patrolled and well-developed. SolSys is the government entity that looks after the 'inner colonies' as they're called. There are colonies out as far as Jupiter's moons, though currently the few way stations further out are resource limited compared to the inner systems, due to scarcity of solar power reaching out that far. Most colonies are set up under domes to protect against radiation, and terraforming happens under the domes, which are expanded every year.
The outer colonies are more of a frontier-space, humanity is sending out people as fast as they'll go. There are half a dozen star systems currently being settled, and safety is less assured as corporations and governments stake their claims on asteroids and moons, and there are far fewer SolSys protection vessels around to make sure everyone is playing by the rules.
Crime and piracy do exist, but it would be rare for a Goliath to be attacked as they're well-defended due to the heavy investment the owners make in them.
Transit-wise, it's cheaper to freeze a passenger then ship them on a short-range ship to one of the departure points, so you could all have left different colonies and been placed on the same Goliath for the trip. The cryo-units are independently powered so can be transferred between ships.
Humanity remains humanity, there is no panacea brought about by the advance of technology, the system-wide economy is still a capitalist structure, with the exception of some few colonies that are attempting to go it on their own, but it is difficult to be self-sustaining. Medical technology has advanced markedly, but people still die of old age, disease and 'misadventure'.
Each inner colony has nominal authority but tithes to SolSys to cover law enforcement and administration. In an effort to encourage the spread of humanity between the stars, the outer colonies are currently not beholden to SolSys, so those wishing to make their own fortunes and carve out their own piece of sky tend to head there. Unfortunately the same holds true of criminals and other ne'er-do-wells who seek a new life away from their old. Additionally it has become a 'thing' for Sol criminals to be sentenced to indentured servitude in the outer colonies.
In a nutshell, think Wild West...IN SPACE!!! Or the exile of British criminals/colonisation of Australia...IN SPACE!!!
Player participation is encouraged, so if you want your character to come from 'Geno station, orbiting Io, the renowned holiday destination for discerning scientists' then go for it! I'm accepting of you adding to the universe's lore, there's something of a good feel to the idea that you are helping to flesh out a universe that others will later play in (pending all goes well with the adventure :)
As potentially the most important note...there are no psychotic and/or religious extremist/Cenobite/sanity-challenged groups known to exist at present, so no nasty Reavers to be quaking in your boots about ;)
