The fringes of humanity hold infinite possibilities, both good and bad. Regular folks fear this, for they cannot bear to lose what they’ve already got, even if they stand to gain much – loss aversion, it’s called. Some people are wired differently, though. Their greed sees only the upside, and a feeling of ecstasy fills them up, much like the good old days of the gold rush. That is the promise of terraforming: being the first, seizing the best opportunities, but also dealing with all the difficulties, both expected and unforeseen. Some of the time, the bet pays off. This time, however, things didn’t go well.
A brave few have ventured beyond the edge of civilization to terraform Kepler-16785d. An intergalactic crisis led to a shortage of capital and supplies for terraforming such a faraway planet, and the settlers have been stranded from the rest of humankind. Much like their ancestors before them, they make do with what they have. Still, society has declined, with many dying, work robots looking for purpose, heroes turning killers, elderly clinging to their past, and technology in desperate need of maintenance.
Everything is about to change – for the worse. The Terraworm have gone berserk, and they are about to level the last pocket of humanity on the planet. That is, unless people put their differences aside and unite under a single banner to protect their homes.
