Phoenix Foundation / PFRD

In the 1990’s, human space travel was thought of as science fiction. NASA’s Mars Pathfinder mission, which would land a small rover on the surface of Mars, was considered a marvel of technology. Little did the public know, a dark space program was well underway. “Of course it was secret!” exclaimed an anonymous source. “If anyone knew what we were doing, the Russians, the Chinese, everyone would have demanded regulation. The people would have cried about transparency or wasted spending, and bureaucracy would have gotten involved and dragged advancement to a standstill. No. The people didn’t need to know about the USS Intrepid that patrolled the SOL sector. It was better for them to look at low-res pictures from the little Mars rover and think that that was the pinnacle of technology. Ignorance is bliss.”

The project, codenamed “TradeWars2002,” recruited pilots to explore hundreds of sectors surrounding SOL, in a competition for resources, contact, and trade. Although it began peacefully, skirmishes did erupt as greed took hold.

At the forefront was the Phoenix Foundation, a 2-pilot organization that grew in membership when more of a presence was needed as the verse grew more confrontational. Although they found themselves involved in a conflict or two, they never lost sight of their principles, or the reasons why they yearned for involvement in the project. They wanted to explore, and see what was out there.

Never declassified, project TradeWars2002 is thought of a myth or a conspiracy theory, sometimes talked about on the old internet. Direct descendants of those pioneers say otherwise. Tales passed down from generation to generation never wavered. It was those stories that sparked the imagination of the latest generation. With advancements in technology making it easier for Citizens to voyage into space, the Phoenix Foundation is rising from the ashes. Why? Because they want to explore, and see what’s out there.