It was called The Stream. The tiny, infinite space between the dimensions of space and time; the last frontier of unexplored beauty. It was utterly impossible, yet it stood there, open for access, calling for man to enter it. The Stream became the passage between nations of frightening similarity, yet astonishing differences. And at the expense of this discovery, war soon brewed.

On the Primary, the dimension which first discovered The Stream, there was a small planet called Earth. On Earth, there had been a devastating war known by its inhabitants as World War Three. Billions of humans perished, and those who survived lived in complete confusion and anarchy. During World War Three, there was a group of humans known as the Conglomerate. The Conglomerate was composed of the planet’s most dangerous terrorist factions. In the eve of the War, the United Allied Nations and its counterpart, the United Continents of America, launched nuclear missiles that effectively destroyed the Conglomerate, at the cost of nuclear malfunctions destroying much of the land.

In 61 dimensions, the Conglomerate had won. In another 43, a much different war, known as World War Two was won by a group of nations known as the Axis. When the Stream began its dimensional traffic, these nations strived to dominate other dimensions. When they all discovered each other, they joined forces until the Conglomeration of the Axis Powers of the Interdimensional Nations or CAPTION was formed.

The different versions of the newly created United Nations of Earth and Her Colonies (UNEHC) and the other Earth governments joined together along with extra-terrestrial life forms that inhabited the galaxies of the “Good Dimensions”. This new joint government was called the Interdimensional Planets (IP).

CAPTION quickly launched an effective attack against Dimension 73A5, completely wiping out all life in the galaxy there. IP retaliated and a long and tedious war ensued, threatening to destroy the dimensions themselves. After 153 years and 800 Quintillion lives lost, the war ended with the final destruction of the last remaining CAPTION base, in Former San Francisco, California on the North American Continent, on Earth in Dimension 46F2.

IP was disbanded and the Intergalactic Treaty Organization was formed. The ITO ensured trade and migration between every dimension possible. Its headquarters are located in the Stream on the New Michigan City Orb. Also created at this time was the Rift Advancing Technicians, also known as Rats.

Rats were actually mercenaries hired by the ITO’s Dimensional Intelligence Agency. Rats lived on City Orbs, large crystalline rocks located in the Stream that serve as cities for Stream travelers. Rats traveled on specialized Feline ships, which are standard for traveling through the Stream. Cognitive Attack Transports (CAT)-class Felines are super smart ships that automatically plot a Swim Course through the Stream to a dimension. Coordinates are generally just D#(Whatever numerical value each dimension is given). Each dimension has a Spoken Name, or a name that is specific like the Xenon Universe or the Divine Federation.

Rats track down threats to the ITO and either capture or terminate them. They receive anywhere between 40,000 to 1,000,000 Intercredits per mark.