During the early decades of the 21st century, rapidly diminishing oil resources polarize the world. An initially localized skirmish over the last remaining oil rich region escalates and eventually culminates in a devastating nuclear war. The subsequent inevitable radiation turns the world into an uninhabitable wasteland that is caught fast in the grip of nuclear winter; ice sheets from the northern and southern poles extend far into the temperate zones, locking up most of the world's water. This drop in sea levels makes the Earth unrecognizable.

Close to the equator is a city that acts as the Earth-bound anchor for the end of a massive cable - a Tether. At the other end far out in space is a counterweight. Between them Earth's only large-scale self supporting environment - a Platform - is perfectly positioned. Still unfinished, this space Platform is designed to support thousands of scientists as a base for space exploration and possible colonization of the Moon and Earth's closest planets.

Miraculously, as if planned, none of the ballistic missiles impact close to this city and the nuclear war leaves it unscathed. Predictably, during and immediately after the exchange, VIP refugees from all over the world arrive in their hundreds desperate to secure a place in one of the Space Elevator Capsules that shuttle between the city and the Platform far above. The powerful and wealthy - using any means possible - successfully obtain the coveted places on the Space Elevator Capsules. Then, from inside the safety of the Platform, they organize themselves. All of a sudden old corporate enemies find themselves on the same side, their feuds forgotten in the face of looming catastrophe. They unify the security forces they have brought with them, imposing a lock down and expelling those who have nothing to contribute to the Platform's future survival back to the surface. There the outcasts join the other hundreds of millions condemned to almost certain death from radiation and other after effects of the nuclear war.

Over time the old city around the base of the Space Elevator is destroyed in the continuous but futile struggle for refuge. The Platform inhabitants, now known as 'Purists', transform the ruins into an impregnable fortress to serve two purposes: it will guard the extremely important and vulnerable base of the Tether and Space Elevator and also protect its small but permanent defense force from the radioactive wasteland outside. The Purists name this fortress-bunker 'Terminus'.

Elsewhere on Earth the years pass, bringing pain and sorrow as the various clans all witness their children suffering increasingly terrible mutations. This flawed genetic legacy continues through the decades, and the permanently scarred Mutant survivors eke out a sparse existence.

Below the massive walls of Terminus the crowds of mutated refugees wait, praying for access to the Platform. The most cunning see that there is advantage to be gained from this situation. They proclaim themselves "prophets", and create numerous cults, promising their followers admittance to the Platform, claiming secret access that will allow a 'chosen few' to become part of the saved. In return the prophets live well; ruling as despots, worshipped; the masses hanging on their every word. Inter-cult strife becomes commonplace as each prophet leader greedily tries to gain more power and territory. It is total anarchy.

Hundreds of kilometers above, the Platform inhabitants live out the radiation years in cramped conditions. Life is hard - but even though the founders have done their work well and left their children an efficient and stable environment, development has to accelerate as the Platform lacks the living space, necessary technology and materials to sustain it indefinitely. The Purists are restricted to whatever is at hand, and many times total system collapse seems imminent. They gaze at the poisonous wasteland below: it has everything they need - but radiation levels and a hostile, well-armed Mutant population make access an impossibility.

With no other option the Purists become scavengers, learning how to retrieve old orbital space junk. Over time they become proficient, launching small robot craft which intercept numerous near-Earth asteroids, providing minerals and metals. Their basic resources are assured.

Now the Purists are able to concentrate on maximizing the lives and productivity of the Platform's still small population. They focus on experimental research into augmenting their human bodies - doing more with less.

Working on the surface of the brain stem they eventually manage to create a digital interface that allows the subject to interact directly with computer systems and the machines they control. This technology is extended and complemented by the ability to also grow artificial tissue - which strengthens and even replaces the original organic tissue.

Once the Biological Augmentation Units are tried and tested the Council makes them available to the whole population, boosting their physical abilities to incredible levels and allowing every Purist to contribute to the utmost. Production capability and general well-being rapidly improve. Soon they are totally dependent on this technology - and it becomes the cornerstone of the Purist way of life.

By the beginning of the 22nd century the Purist population has exploded. They have expanded their Platform tremendously by constructing countless new space-tethers that support the enormous weight. However, they have now reached the point where further expansion is neither viable nor feasible. Radiation levels on the surface have fallen somewhat, and the Purists' deepest desire - returning to the surface - is now conceivable. Eventually, after much debate in the Council - the Purist ruling body - the decision is taken to upgrade the fortress-bunker of Terminus, and construction plans to extend it into a massive, radiation-proof, domed habitat are begun.

To construct a project of this magnitude the Purists need an enormous, continuous supply of raw materials that can only be found on Earth's surface - still controlled by the resourceful Mutant clans.

The different Mutant clans start small skirmishes trying to stop the Purists from taking over their resources. However the Purists biologically augmented defense forces easily brush these aside. These losses are a terrible shock to the clans and their prophet leaders who realize that they must put their differences aside and band together to prevent the Purists from gaining any more of their valuable territory. They stop their inter-clan feuds, and start to unite under the strongest of the clan leaders who calls himself 'the One Prophet'. He promises the Purists' complete destruction and begins an orchestrated campaign to take and destroy Terminus. The Purists are unprepared - and to their horror and surprise the now-united Mutants almost succeed.

This close shave forces the Purists into action. They begin intensive military research into a new concept called 'Dynamic Armor' - massive exoskeleton suits that not only protect the occupying pilots but also, through their augmented implants, allow direct mental control.

This merging of man and machine into a single fighting unit dramatically increases their combat strength despite their smaller numbers. With these 'ExoSuits' they can now repel the Mutants' advances and push them back.

As the Purists gain territory they construct small military strongholds called Citadels which protect access to Terminus - and their resource gathering. These heavily fortified outposts are deep in the radioactive wasteland, each guarding a different region and monitoring the Mutants movements.

The Citadels are an unpopular assignment. The only way to cross the intervening hostile land between them and Terminus is via a network of small VTOL air transport craft carrying all staff and supplies. All too often these vulnerable aircraft are shot down or inventively attacked by Mutants.

To the Purists horror, one of the craft that is shot down is carrying a Biological Augmentation Unit for installation at a newly constructed Citadel. The Purists do everything in their power to recover it before the Mutants get it - but they are too late.

By sheer luck the Mutants have got their hands on the Purist's most vital piece of technology. The Biological Augmentation Unit offers the Mutants the possibility of enhancing their own warriors. Very soon they are able to compete with the Purist soldiers on the same level.

But the One Prophet doesn't stop here. After much trial and error he selects the largest and fittest children, augmenting them in many small stages. This drawn out method pays off. The subjects experience rapid growth spurts after every application, and in only a few years have developed into inhumanly powerful massive creations that can directly compete with the Purist's ExoSuits - thus creating their own class of Dynamic Armor.

When they have amassed enough augmented warriors the Mutants launch a concerted attack. The Purists lose citadel after citadel as the Mutants advance claiming back their valuable resources. Eventually the Purists manage to stabilize the situation but the Mutants are clever, and constantly find new weak points to attack. From this point on the evenly matched struggle for resources is continuous.

Years pass, till one day late in the 22nd century a Purist scientific expedition is trying to locate new rare metals in the asteroid belt when it makes an unexpected discovery. Deep inside one of the larger samples brought back is an ancient-looking Alien Machine. Nothing like this has ever been seen before. The mainly conservative Council, led by Council Executive Tuart, is frightened - but retired General Vargas, a progressive, and Head of the Council's Scientific Arm, eventually persuades them to hand-pick a team of experts to uncover its mysteries. After many months, when the Alien Machine refuses to give up its secrets, Vargas loses face. The Council terminates the research - but Vargas, convinced that a breakthrough is only months away, uses his links with the scientific community to keep it going in secret.

Only weeks later the Alien Machine's most rudimentary function is deciphered. Vargas is vindicated. It appears to be some kind of construction device. Vargas schedules a test run. The test commences; the Alien Machine powers up and shoots a beam of energy into one area of the lab. Instantaneously, almost magically, a bubble of darkness appears out of nowhere expanding around the impact area, converting and replacing the existing matter. The bubble expands so rapidly that it encroaches on the spectators, consuming Vargas and several of his allies and totally enclosing them. In panic the power is immediately cut.

The 'bubble' is examined and analyzed. It appears to be some type of self-sustaining anomaly - almost like looking into a miniature universe. The part of the lab inside the bubble looks similar - but different. It has become a semi-transparent three dimensional replacement - and so have Vargas and the others. They are unharmed and can move and converse as normal - but when any of them try to leave the bubble for more than a few minutes they begin to fade. Fortunately when they return inside they regain their life energy.

The Alien Machine has created a matterless energy world where people exist in a digital form - pure energy; no body. Vargas classifies his anomaly 'Nihility' and himself and the other first inhabitants as 'Incorporeal'. He feels re-born; revitalized - and totally euphoric - at his advanced age he has been given the gift of immortality.

The Council learns of this within hours. They are furious that the research was carried out in secret, but immediately see its possibilities. They reveal the existence of Nihility and the Alien Machine to the general population and order further tests.

Over time some of the Alien Machine's functionality is decrypted - it is a matter re-arranger. Even though its workings appear far too complex to understand, it seems to be able to create much more than just Nihility Space. The scientists discover that there are many more settings the Alien Machine can be switched to, each of which produces a totally different environment bubble. As they learn even more they find out that billions of pre-set worlds are stored - almost as if the Alien Machine has a scientific purpose: to create and simulate different worlds for testing and exploration.

Tuart and the conservative Council members are delighted, convinced that the Alien Machine will be able to create an Earth-like environment, enabling them to turn back the radioactive wastelands into what they used to be. They hold out the promise of the ultimate Purist dream: healing the Earth and returning life to how it was before the war. The public are ecstatic and call for the search to begin as quickly as possible. Trials begin immediately and the population eagerly follows every step.

To the utter shock of the Incorporeals this means the end of any further Nihility research, condemning them to eternal life imprisonment inside a tiny bubble of Nihility Space.

But Vargas is one step ahead and using his scientific connections. He begins a series of illegal experiments on Mutant prisoners of war with the eventual aim of creating a container; a body that Vargas can inhabit via an interface so he can return to the real world whenever he wants.

Vargas looks for support for Nihility and finds it among some of his former commanders. They pledge their allegiance. In return, Vargas assures them that they will be Nihility's ruling elite. However, he still lacks the numbers he requires. He does the unthinkable and sends a messenger to the One Prophet suggesting an alliance. The Mutant leader is astonished at this apparent rift within the Purists and quickly accepts.

Meanwhile the search for an Earth-like environment is not progressing well. The public, frustrated, insist that the program is speeded up and the Council reluctantly moves the research from the small high-security area in Terminus to one of the Geoponics Trays. Each individual Tray is an enormous agricultural area; together, scattered across the different tethers below the Platform, they provide all the food for the Purists. With this increase in space the search accelerates and soon the Tray is dotted with different environment bubbles - most of them extremely hostile and inimical to human life. Some of them are so deadly that they immediately have to be re-transformed.

What the Council doesn't realize is that moving the Alien Machine into a civilian area is exactly what Vargas and his supporters have been waiting for. In a bold move they seize their chance, slipping through one of the trays many access points and skillfully making their way past the guards. Once they have control of the Alien Machine they swiftly reposition it; aim it down at Terminus - and power it up. A Nihility bubble appears and continues to grow until Vargas' men are overwhelmed by the Tray's security forces. The power is cut - but it's too late ... and now a part of Terminus has become Nihility Space.