Children of the Stars

It is 1983.

The space shuttle has been flying for two years. Michael Jackson’s Thriller tops the US album charts. W and Z particles discovered at CERN.  The last-ever episode of M*A*S*H is screened. The CD player player is released. Pioneer 10 crosses the orbit of Pluto. Return of the Jedi completes the Star Wars trilogy.  Over a million people demonstrate against nuclear weapons at a Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament march in London, England. A baboon embryo is successfully ‘conceived’ in a laboratory dish in San Antonio, Texas. ARPANET is moves to TCP/IP. The Soviet shuttle Soyuz T-10 explodes on launch. The first version of Microsoft Word is released.

And in December, the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) is holding a space science convention in Geneva, Switzerland.

But will UNOOSA discuss the mysterious golden-eyed children?

Children of the Stars is a science-based first-contact freeform set in an alternate timeline where aliens are secretly on Earth. Decisions made during the game will affect future games – and maybe even the future of humanity itself!

The story so far

1947: Despite persistent rumours, the US government categorically denies that a flying saucer crashed near Roswell, New Mexico, during the test of a secret weapon.

1965:  Something happens in Millville, Wisconsin. (See All Flesh is Grass for how this plays out.)

1983: Now.

Children of the Stars is a 2.5-hour freeform larp for 13 players by Steve Hatherley.

Cast of characters (alphabetical order)

Dr Abdaluni: NASA’s Chief Scientist.

Dr Bakker: An American scientist working for the US defence contractor Shark Systems Inc.

General Billings: Nearing retirement and assigned to the Pentagon.

 Dr Chén: Administrator in the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology.

 Johnson: American operations officer.

 McDonald: Newly-appointed US government Chief Science Director.

 Dr Norris: American intelligence officer assigned to the Pentagon.

Dr Russo: US science adviser.

Saito: Japanese Hosata Manufacturing executive.

Sánchez: Mexican intern at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at Caltech.

Dr Trattner: German physicist and UNOOSA Deputy Director.

Dr Vostok: Director at the USSR Academy of Sciences.

Dr Wescott: UK science adviser.