The Reluctant: Chapters 1-6 (Act I)

Legacy of the Orb

from JoeUser Forums

As I've mentioned previously, the universe that Galactic Civilizations exists in has been swishing around for a very long time. Back before I could even program, I always hoped to write it. I never thought that the way that the story and characters would manifest themselves would be in a computer game. But that is how it has gone so far.

Galactic Civilizations I barely touched on it other than through random events. The expansion pack, Altarian Prophecy, touched on it a bit more. And GalCiv II: Dread Lords borrows heavily from the existing universe.

A number of users asked that more of the back story be written. I don't want to give away too much of what will be in future versions of the game other than to say that any future GalCiv III (and we're talking YEARS from now) would have "heroes" (characters) in them and one such character is DL Bradley. I think he is mentioned in the Dread Lords campaign actually and (spoiler warning) at the end of GalCiv II: Dread Lords he is in a pocket dimension.

One series of short stories I had outlined long ago was entitled "Legacy of the Orb" which deals with what happens to many of the characters long after the events of the main series of stories. One of those stories deals with DL Bradley and is called "The Reluctant". In my spare time, I've been tweaking the original and putting it up.

If you're interested in reading them, the first 6 chapters are now available:

Chapter 1: https://www.galciv2.com/Journals.aspx?AID=124063

Chapter 2: https://www.galciv2.com/Journals.aspx?AID=124513

Chapter 3: https://www.galciv2.com/Journals.aspx?AID=124598

Chapter 4: https://www.galciv2.com/Journals.aspx?AID=124749

Chapter 5: https://www.galciv2.com/Journals.aspx?AID=124830

Chapter 6: https://www.galciv2.com/Journals.aspx?AID=124919

Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar, will start to unravel some of the origins of the Dread Lords and Arnor for those interested in the back story.

The main enemy of humanity and by humanity I don't mean mankind but rather compassion and the stuff that makes us connect with each other -- what makes us "human" -- is time. Make a man live forever and you will eventually strip him of his humanity. Make a thing that can sense the passing of time live long enough and eventually it'll become totally alien to us and its actions seemingly evil and cruel -- to us.


Edit: Chapter 7 and Chapter 8.
155,870 views 28 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Wow. Brilliant, if somewhat unpolished, storyline here. I would love to see more of these stories or plot elucidations - and not just in the Galactic Civilizations games, either. You have me hooked (I was already hooked, but nevertheless); keep up the great work!  
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I am wondering: is DL a short form for DraginoL
Offworld Trading Company
Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
"Make a thing that can sense the passing of time live long enough and eventually it'll become totally alien to us and its actions seemingly evil and cruel -- to us."

That is so totally true. This summer I've been working nightshift at the government's printing room and 80% of the time is spent on waiting for the end of the shift. Heck, I'm at "work" right now waiting for it to end. I'm gonna turn mad very soon.
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
great work i realy liked the story and would love to read more
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Damn good read, but i'm curius, is there any relation between DL Bradley and the defualt human leader in the game, Alan Bradley?
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Give Me More!
Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Ok, in the description, it says that the stories happened to
many of the characters long after the events of the main series of stories


It also says that
one such character is DL Bradley. I think he is mentioned in the Dread Lords campaign actually and (spoiler warning) at the end of GalCiv II: Dread Lords he is in a pocket dimension.
(Dread Lord Bradley?)

Now, the stories seem to take place in a modern time frame (it mentions China, the U.S., nuclear weapons, etc.) There seems to be a time line problem then. Unless, Bradly is in the future, goes back in time, and winds up there. But, if the "invaders" do hit earth in the past (Bradly specifically mentions dread lords, but could be referencing his own past since no one else calls the invaders such)why did the humans not mention it in the game? Unless our own existance happens eons after GalCiv takes place (or if the timeline just hasn't been ironed out).

But Bradly mentioned "differant planes of time", so would that mean that maybe he saw the destruction cuased by the humans coming out of the pocket dimension, and fled to avoid the impending destruction of the galaxy, winding up in the one that the story takes place in?

Maybe I'm just over thinking this.

Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Interesting read, keep it coming!
Reply #10 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Now, the stories seem to take place in a modern time frame (it mentions China, the U.S., nuclear weapons, etc.) There seems to be a time line problem then. Unless, Bradly is in the future, goes back in time, and winds up there. But, if the "invaders" do hit earth in the past (Bradly specifically mentions dread lords, but could be referencing his own past since no one else calls the invaders such)why did the humans not mention it in the game? Unless our own existance happens eons after GalCiv takes place (or if the timeline just hasn't been ironed out).

It'll be explained.

Reply #11 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
It'll be explained.


Good! I was thinking that I had made an idiot of myself by going too deep.
Reply #12 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I have just checked the galciv1 site. There is a nice link in the encyclopedia https://www.galciv1.com/encyclopedia/history.html . Worth to be checked


Reply #13 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I found nice inconstencies between the various chapters. Namely, from how long is Earth invaded by intruders:

Chapter 1:
I don’t know when they came. They’ve been here as long as I have. They came to our world and toppled regimes and overthrew governments. Some fought back while others capitulated.

Unless I am mistaken, but this sentence gives the feeling that the intruders are here for at least the same length than DL Bradley

In the United States, the government was less…pragmatic. They fought, taking obscene levels of casualties and still continued. It is believed they even managed to kill one – by dropping a 50 megaton nuclear bomb on them on US soil. Americans don’t like to lose.

So USA had nuclear weapons when the intruders came. BTW, I note mention of China but no mention of USSR/russia. So USSR/Russia must have been a lesser nation when the intruders came.

This is the third attack by the reconstituted US military this month.

In retaliation, an Intruder wiped out what was left of Edwards Airforce base which included.

I guess that if the Us military is considered as reconsistued and the Edwards Airforce wasn't wipped sooner, that not many years have passed since the invasion.

There are rumors of course. One rumor in particular concerns me but only at a distance. It is that they come for the children. They come for them and take them away never to be seen again.

If it is a rumor, then it should be something relatively new. I don't thing something could be called a rumor if there are lots of witnesses for a long period.

Chapter 3:
Agent: You will have to forgive our skepticism. In the 65 years that these beings have been here only one has been killed and that involved the United States air force dropping a multi-megaton nuclear bomb on him.

First time we got a duration. But that seems a pretty long duration

Agent: I want to know who you really are. You don’t exist. I checked. You appeared 15 years ago out of nowhere in the records. You have no birth certificate, no childhood records, nothing.

If prologue talk about the presence of DL Bradley and the intruders on Earth, then one would expect the intruders came 15 years ago

Chapter 5:
In the decades the vile Intruders had been on this world killing millions of people, only 1 of them had ever died.

What is the unit associated with decades? days, weeks, years?

Frank Miller had served in World War II and in Korea. He had seen war at its worst.

I guess WWII and Korea happened before the intruders came since US governement decimated by the war with intruders. If we suppose that Frank Miller was 30 years old at the end of the Korea and that intruders came after that and it was 65 years ago, it means that Frank Miller is 95 years old at least. Not what you would really picture when reading the chapter.








Reply #14 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
What happened with Chapter 6?
Reply #15 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Peace Phoenix, there is no inconsistency.

The Intruders have been on Earth over 60 years.  Only the government knows the exact date. A civilian (such as DL) would not know exactly how long they've been there. DL says they have been there as long as he has been there.  All we know is that DL has been there for at least 15 years.

A lot of countries aren't mentioned (such as the Soviets) but that has little to do with how important they are overall but rather the story.  China is mentioned because, as we later learn, the Intruders make Shangai their main base.

In addition, it makes no statement on whether the Americans had nuclear weapons or not when the Intruders came.  It only says that the US government has used nuclear weapons on the Intruders.  Since it won't really come up in this story, I can tell you that the US didn't use a nuclear weapon for nearly a decade after they arrived (mid 50s).

Reply #16 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Here is Chapter 6:

https://forums.galciv2.com/?forumid=162&aid=124921

 

Reply #17 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Peace Phoenix, there is no inconsistency.
The Intruders have been on Earth over 60 years. Only the government knows the exact date.

Noted

Since it won't really come up in this story, I can tell you that the US didn't use a nuclear weapon for nearly a decade after they arrived (mid 50s).

Then the poor french I am have problem to correctly understood this sentence: mid 50s refers to the arrival time or the time when the US did use a nuclear weapon?
If it is the first case, then Frank Miller who have served in WWII and Korea has near 100 years. I am wondering how old he was when his daughter Amanda was born and how old was Amanda when she meet DL Bradley and give birth to Ethan (from what I understand , 2-3 years after meeting DL Bradley). BTW, when asked, DL Bradley told that he is 45 years old.

But even if I have some problems with the background timeline, nice novel
Reply #18 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Beautiful chapter 6, now where is seven????
Reply #19 from JoeUser Forums Top

You got me!  It is on my Christmas list.  (But you have a typo - you State the First 5 chapters, and then list 6).

No wonder Stardock is on our pillage list!

Reply #21 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Then the poor French I am have problem to correctly understood this sentence: mid 50s refers to the arrival time or the time when the US did use a nuclear weapon?

The Intruders arrived around the end of WWII but did not do much until after the Korean War. In this alternate history the Americans kill one of the Intruders with a 50 Megaton Nuclear bomb, in the mid 1950s, and the Vietnam War never happens.
Reply #23 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
So, is chapter seven going to be up anytime soon?
Reply #24 from JoeUser Forums Top

Just put out chapter 7. Had to take a brief pause due to the birth of my daughter.

The original outline of this story from the notes during the creation of the GalCiv universe but I still have to write out the concept into an actual readable form.