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Serpens Region
Serpens Region
Image from Steve Bowers
A volume several hundred light years in extent beyond NGC 6633 and IC 4756 in the Serpens Cauda direction is sometimes called the Serpens Frontier. Although the Mutual Progress Association expanded into this volume many millennia ago, it has not been systematically explored or settled. The region extends from the Middle Regions outwards towards the Outer Volumes and Periphery; in this region the Periphery is largely unexplored.

The reason is mainly the somewhat haphazard way the MPA expanded outwards and the disruption of the wormholes during the Version War. Due to an accident of transport-political geography the wormhole links towards this volume from both the MPA and Sagittarius Sphere were in the region attacked by the Negentropy Alliance. As a precaution the links were closed and the whole region was cut off.

Due to the slow rebuilding and political uncertainties among the neighbours it has taken many millennia to continue the linelaying projects. In addition the region around the Surreal Rash has also been isolated deliberately for many millennia. Finally the Keterist cultures to the galactic south have chosen not to expand into the region, keeping below the symmetry plane in accordance with old MPA-Keter treaties.

Recently the Sagittarius Transcultural Cooperation has become very active in the area, extending a number of wormholes into the region.

The region contains many unusual cultures and alien artifacts, various divergent To'ul'h clades, The Cooperative Venture, the Surreal Rash and countless other wonders. Some have expressed worry that there also lurks dangers like the Dawn Hunters or alien or mainbrain nanoweapons from the Reserve.

At present there is great excitement about the Serpens Frontier. A vast volume containing many fascinating cultures and objects is being rediscovered. Many societies that have been isolated for millennia re-connect to the Wormhole Nexus and several alien species will come into contact with the mainstream of humanity.

 
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Development Notes
Text by Anders Sandberg
Initially published on 31 December 2001.

 
 
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