As this
Progress Level opens, the invention of two key technologies herald humanity's climb to the stars. The
gravity induction reactor systematically replaces fusion power as an even more efficient source of energy that can be miniaturized with great ease. With the use of the mass reactor, world powers explore, divide, and colonize the entirety of the local
star system. For the most part, life on the home planet is unchanged.
The second advance of the era brings perhaps the greatest upheaval in the history of human civilization. The introduction and integration of
gravity induction technology leads to the creation of the induction engine, which allows
starships to bridge the gap between the stars. Political and economic reorganization occurs as the species spreads far from home.
Projectile
firearms are in their last days, as crude energy
weapons become available. Powered
armor is available to warriors of this age. Personal (melee)
weapons enjoy a resurgence, due in large part to a shift in
military tactics-armed conflict between individuals seldom occurs on an army
scale, but more frequently involves engagements of small units in conditions when
ranged weapons are not necessarily effective.
Computer technology links every society, settlement, and outpost of a
star system in a single information net, creating an unparalleled and expedient exchange of knowledge and data for business, entertainment, and research.