"The discovery of the gates marks a turning point in our maturation as a species. We should not think about this moment in history as the time when we lost our innocence, believing that we were the first of our kind in the galaxy, but rather as the time when we boldly stepped outside of the Sol System and began our rise to adulthood with arms and eyes wide open!" -- President Tiriq Asandi, 2172 The Gorgon Gates were discovered in 2171. This breakthrough discovery showed that there must have been intelligent life in our galaxy before us, because someone had to be around to build the gates, which are believed to be at least 17,000 years old. Scientists today are only beginning to scratch the surface of the technology that created them. To date, 17 confirmed gates have been discovered, and another 15 are believed to lie dormant in unreachable systems. With each new gate activation comes waves of breakthroughs in medicine, astrophysics, biological sciences, chemistry and propulsion, just to name a few. Many members of the New Kingdom Orthodoxy believe the fact that no other evidence of a previous galactic civilization exists seems to indicate that the gates were manifested by a divine creator, to allow humankind to traverse the stars despite physical laws preventing FTL travel. Some Indi Futurists believe that the gates were constructed by mankind in our enlightened future, and sent back in time or constructed in the past by time travelers. The monks of Ordon Hai believe that the gates are home to demons, and that phasing through our space is how they travel long distances across theirs. Whatever their origins, the gates remain a mystery. Syrus Olson, the pioneer captain of the ship who originally discovered, and -later - first past through, the gates, named the gates after passing through deeply disturbed his crew. His pilot and close friend, Ethan Thompson, was afflicted with Gorgon Syndrome, a mental disorder which effectively causes the subject to become psychologically paralyzed, which he suffered from for more than a decade before committing suicide. Their brave sacrifices have permitted us to safely travel through the gates thanks to Brownine, a specially formulated sedative that combats the effects of the gates. This is why it is mandatory, for your safety, to take the sedatives and strap yourself securely in your seats as we enter the gate. Our attendants will be with you shortly to administer your dose. For a very small percentage of passengers, nightmares and other neurological side effects are still possible, even with the sedative. If you feel uncomfortable with the effects of the gate transition, please notify an attendant, and our onboard doctors will see you as soon as possible. Thank you for flying Huxley. At Huxley Shuttles, Every Passenger Is Family!