Ah, space: the Black, the Undiscovered Territories, the Final Frontier. A place where humans ventured long ago, exploring, exploiting, and eventually running into something that almost annihilated them. Nobody knows what happened during the Splintering, if it was aliens or just a disagreement between humans that got out of hand, but what is known is that within the span of a few weeks all of the extra-solar colonies had gone dark, and human civilization was reduced to a handful of settlements scattered throughout the System. So, yeah, maybe it wasn't such a great idea to leave good old Terra after all.

Humans were understandably upset about the whole thing, what with almost going extinct and not knowing why, so they spent a great deal of time and energy discussing it, and speculating on what had happened. In fact, they wouldn't shut up about it, so by the time the newly-founded Solar Confederation finally got around to sending a Marine landing party to retrieve me, one of the few operational Pact Era warbots left, I practically welcomed the opportunity to leave Terra and go into the Black myself just to get some peace and quiet.

Now I'm accompanying Lind McClannahan—Field Librarian, Second Class—as she takes her seat in the Confederation Senate to defend the interests of the Unified Highlands and the Highland Library Association from everyone who wants to exploit the remnants of civilization on poor, battered Terra. And while she's doing that, I will find out what caused the Splintering, and ensure that it never happens again.

"Believe it, achieve it" as I always say, and I have no doubt I will because whatever it was that almost exterminated humanity, I seriously doubt it's prepared for a Praetorian Class Light Assault bot with a chain gun and an onboard database of pre-War motivational techniques! It's time to uncover the greatest secret humanity has, regardless of the cost or where it leads because the very survival of human civilization might depend on it.