Children of the Strings
One of the biggest religious movements in the HIA, Federal and neutral space. In the Empire, Children of the Strings are seen as the most dangerous terrorist organization. By Imperial Decree any affiliation with Children of the Strings is forbidden under the death penalty.
Conception
Children of the Strings started as a small sect on planet Azor, soon after the invention of interstellar travel in Federal space. The main pillar of their belief is that while the whole universe is made of sacred strings, and every time a spaceship folds space and time, these strings get broken forever. So Children`s main agenda is that humans should stop tearing the sacred strings of space with hyperjumps and cease use of many interstellar engines.
Ironically, it was affordability of interstellar travel that spread Children`s teachings like a wildfire over the Allied Worlds. Interstellar globalization and economic integration created a turmoil which brought uncertainty and fear to the hearts of most vulnerable folks. It led to the rise of conservative sentiments that became a fertile ground for Children`s teachings. Soon ultra conservative forces and anti globalist organizations on every planet of the fledgling Human Interstellar Alliance started to pledge loyalty to Children of the Strings.
Era of the Human Interstellar Alliance
First, progressive local governments tried to push back against interstellar sceptics, but soon they realized that this belief about harm that space-time folding is inflicting on the universe is way too deeply rooted in the minds of disadvantaged citizens. Governmental irritation changed to tolerance and Children of the Strings became a small religion covering roughly 2% of the population on planets and moons of HIA.
In order to survive and propagate their teachings, Children of the Strings switched their focus from militant resistance towards constructive development of local communities. Together with global trade and prosperity for the few rich, the unification under Human Interstellar Alliance meant also rapid growth of inefficient bureaucracy. As a result of longer decision chains, neglect and governmental mismanagement, the key infrastructure in rural places of the Allied Worlds started to fall into dismay.
Children of the Strings saw this opportunity and stepped in with their power of collective solidarity. For every oversight by the interstellar government, Children have built roads, schools and hospitals. Most devoted members of the sect were willing to work for free in order to make the planets self-sufficient and thereby eliminate the need for space travel between them. As a result of this hard opportunistic endeavor, the appreciation for Children of the Strings rose immensely over all allied worlds. Once a marginalized sect of few retrograde and ultra conservative outcasts became a praised household religion.
Millions of new followers made Children of the Strings more tolerant towards interplanetary travel, so that their most moderate members got an opportunity even to skip the Oath of Death, which was still mandatory to more orthodox acolytes. Furthermore, moderate rhetoric, common appreciation and follower growth have elevated Children of the Strings to be recognized as a religion by the Parliament of Human interstellar Alliance. This has allowed Children of the Strings to have one permanent representative in the Parliament, lobby laws and shape policies that control interstellar travel between allied worlds.
Era of the Federation
At the dawn of the Federation, the idea of abolishing interstellar travel became a mere gimmick that defined Children of the Strings. When religious leaders have tasted power on the interstellar scale, they conceived ambitions that go far beyond Federal space. As a loud secret, the next goal of their leadership became full dominance over the federal space and beyond.
During the Mirror Wars Children of the Strings have tried to send missionaries and smuggle their literature into Imperial space. Their emissaries were immediately caught and tortured without a trial by Imperial Naval Intelligence. As a result of that, Empress Khan has forbidden all interactions with Children of the Strings by the fear of death.
Failure to infiltrate the Imperial territory outraged the leadership of the Children. Wanting to do a statement they have acquired samples of Black Rage from the corrupt federal servicemen and orchestrated an outbreak on a giant casino cruiser Golden Purity Ascended. Despite the cruiser operating in neutral space, away from the skirmishes of Mirror Wars, there were plenty of Imperial elites that were coping with stress by enjoying the gambling and lavishness of the cruiser. Only ten people survived the outbreak and the Children of the Strings have unofficially taken responsibility for causing the incident.
The Federal government deemed this viral outbreak as an act of terror and condemned that it was conducted with use of extremely dangerous, strictly forbidden bioweapons. So the backlash on the Children of the Strings seemed to be inevitable, but it never happened. Citizens of the Federation were exhausted by war and stood behind Children`s apparent strike “…in the rotten gold plated heart of corrupt Empire!” as the Federal News Network cites one of the citizens. Furthermore, the approaching election cycle and widespread support among voters made Children of the Strings blatantly dangerous to confront for the Federal government.
Children of the Strings marching on the street of the Federal Governmental District.
As a result of that the incident was officially condemned, but no action was ever taken. Consequently further tensions arose between the Federation and the Empire when the Empress Khan accused federation of using mutually banned bioweapons and the Federal Government had nothing to counter that accusation. The Imperial government issued an even stricter policy on contraband of anything in order to protect its citizens from any possible outbreaks, and against a mutual convention, created enormous mine clouds on the brink of Federal space. These tensions only helped thriving Children of the Strings to grab even more influence over frightened federal citizens.
Future
Currently Children of the Strings is an interstellar religious conglomerate that is extremely influential both in the Federal and Independent space. Surprisingly, while being highly regarded in the Federation, Children of the Strings also fund the Council of Free People, an independent state which is not officially recognized either by the Federation, or the Empire. The Council of Free People tends to openly challenge the Federation over its bureaucratic inefficiency and corruption. There is a conspiracy theory going on that Children of the Strings secretly undermine Federal authority and empower rebellion in order to start a civil war and seize power over Federal space. According to the official spokesperson for Children of the strings, these rumors are utterly ridiculous, because the sole official ambition of the Children is to become the first galactic religion and bring peace to all Children of the Lost Terra.
Sources:
- Unclassified archives of INI
- Federal News Network
- Who are the Children of the Strings by Dmitry Yusuf, 1032 COTS Publishing
