Research Monkey

[Distance_warrior@hotmail.com]

Primus was discovered by a privately financed deep space recon expedition in 490 A.S. First explorers were amazed by weird wildlife species inhabiting the planet and lack of any large plants. Air was fine for breathing, and soon several thousands of colonists settled the planet. In 40 years time, many of them died of unknown causes. The colonists conducted further research that revealed strong radiation sources inside the planet that were harmful to human beings planetside. Transports were sent to Primus in hope to evacuate the planet's population before it's too late. However the transports were destroyed by unknown alien ships. Afterwards, aliens (that were later called "Nomads") took the system under their control, and Primus became unreachable for humans. Communications with planet were lost, and after the only jump hole into Omicron Theta collapsed, inhabitants of Primus - if any of them survived - were completely isolated from Sirius sector... for a time.

For a time the survivors of the calamity continued their existence while their bodies regressed (or developed if you ask the colonists themselves) to that of a monkey. In the some 400 years between settlement and now they remained untouched and undisturbed. Technology made few advancements as any attempt at space flight ended in a grizzly end at the hands of the nomads. Any attempt to design an orbital craft was always at the behest of some starry eyed dreamer intoxicated on tale of infinite space and prosperity that had fallen into the realm of myth and legend. Dr Horace Worblehat was one such dreamer and this is his story.