Summary

What follows is a summary of the universe in which the Zora’s Aurora stories are based. It’s more or less an information dump. I will edit and add to this summary as I go. Currently, I’ve only written the first story in the universe. It’s not necessary to have read this summary before reading Zora’s Aurora 1 – Glory’s Shadow. Moving forward, the same applies - I intend to write each individual story in a way that does not require you to have read this summary. But if you wish to know about the universe that ties the stories together, here it is. There’s a character list at the end.

Protagonist(s)

The stories are set in the early part of the 23^rd century. The first story takes place in the year 2208. The protagonist is a woman in her late twenties named Zora Zephyr. Zora’s most defining physical feature is her long, bright, natural blue hair, the result of a unique genetic abnormality. She is the lead vocalist in a band called – you guessed it – Zora’s Aurora. The band is, to sum it up, an oldies band – as in very, very old. They stylize themselves around the popular music of the late twentieth century, with a lean toward 70s and 80s rock. They do a lot of original material, but they also perform twenty-third century versions of songs from the 1960’s through the 1990’s. They have even gone so far as to reproduce the instruments from the twentieth century – guitar, keyboard, drums – and have learned to play them. Technological advances had rendered those instruments obsolete for more than a hundred years. Although they are not at the level of international superstars, the band does quite well for themselves – they have carved themselves a nice little niche.

The lead guitarist is a woman, also in her late twenties, named Sophie Klimova. She, Zora and Brian Montero, their keyboardist, do all of the songwriting.

If Zora is the #1 protagonist, Sophie is #1a. Zora and Sophie are roommates, best friends, and business partners.

It’s not all music for Zora and Sophie – far from it. They work as private investigators, taking on contract assignments for well-connected PI firms, and their work takes them throughout the entire inner solar system. Sometimes, the band’s gigs are partial covers for their investigative activities. They are not only PI’s, but occasionally spies as well. They have obtained all of the necessary security clearances.

They are based in Colorado and room together. The interactions between the two of them and their inner circle of associates and friends will be a driving point in the story. They are joint owners of an animal sanctuary near their home – both are animal lovers. They are rock goddesses, shrewd businesswomen and skilled detectives. And when the mood strikes them, they are more than capable of displaying the humor of juvenile schoolgirls.

Events Between the Present and the Year 2208

In the intervening years between the present time and the midpoint of the twenty-second century, life for the human race on Planet Earth followed the same pattern as it had for the past several centuries. Wars were fought, and peace overtures were made, sometimes successful, sometimes not. Natural disasters occurred. Differences in social class, religion and politics were constant sources of conflict. In other words – pretty much business as usual.

That all changed around the year 2150. Overpopulation in developing areas had made those regions almost unlivable. At the same time, technology had advanced to the point where interplanetary travel was not only feasible, but relatively inexpensive. On top of that, the actual creation of livable environments on inhospitable solar system bodies became a reality. Soon, a migration of humans from Planet Earth was underway. This relieved the overpopulation problem.