Wayfarers

Hope

Oracle stared at an open landscape, the ground covered in red dust. He saw nothing, neither flora, nor fauna. This was just another dead rock. His eyes adjusted. The colors slowly faded in, bending through what little atmosphere there was.
He marveled at it, seeing what humans were never meant to see. He wondered how hard it must have been for those before. His life seemed brighter when painted with the impossible colors of invisible light. The silence was heavy, so heavy his ears were ringing.
He almost looked away, jumping at the sound of Argus speaking over the radio, "Oracle, I'm calling it in five."
He took a deep breath, trying to maintain his focus. "I'm almost done."
He made notes on a tablet held in his lap, trying to write without looking away. Minutes passed, and the woman spoke again, "Alright, let's hear it."
The man looked down, and his vision blurred. "Let my eyes adjust, just a sec."
Roadrunner chimed in, laughing before he spoke, "No cheating."
Oracle blinked, slamming his eyes shut and repeating the process to help clear his vision. When he could see again, he read out his notes, "Atmosphere is very thin, and has no oxygen. I'm seeing 30% helium, 20% nitrogen, and I want to say 20% hydrogen. The rest is hard to tell. Probably argon and other trace elements."
The radio stayed quiet for several moments before Argus replied, "Damn. Drones reported 19 nitrogen, 31 helium, and 20 hydrogen. Nice work."

Youth favors rebellion. It has always been and will always be. It's an essential trait of our species. How else would we progress? Tradition leads to stagnation. Humanity can't afford to be set in its ways. Nothing embodies this more than a wayfarer. They are neither of earth, nor the void. They are humans born on our new home, their feet firmly rooted in Safeharbor's soil.
They asked their parents, "Why did the earth die?" They were met with silence and didn't appreciate the cold shoulder. The secrets kept by their elders were a betrayal in their eyes. With wanderlust, and a thirst for truth, they took matters into their own hands, with a dash of help from your's truely.
The Wayfarers are pioneers, those with the courage to journey into the void. They will seek out its wonders, stumble upon its horrors, and will gladly die in pursuit of both. They are explorers venturing into uncharted space. It's a suicide mission, which is a shame. Humans are so scarce now. Even if we wern't, they are the only hope humanity has left.

Who Are The Wayfarers

The wayfarers began shortly after the activation of Caydie's Cradle, but before The Battle of The Pillars . During this time of progress, a group of young men and women, most barely into their 20s, ventured into the void with a mind to explore the Sepia star system. They did so on the best ships the cradle could produce. They mapped the planets, investigated anomalies, and brought back resources, samples, and even technology.
The wayfarers still venture into the ruins here on Safeharbor, as there is always more to find in those deep, dark places. Interestingly enough, the profession only attracts those of younger generations. Earthborn humans, and those born in the void before coming to Safeharbor, are terrified of venturing far from The Three Colonies.
Even if they were so inclined, wayfarers need youth. A strong back is a plus, but those born on Safeharbor are less prone to haphephobia, and tend to be better acclimated to the genetic modifications humanity forced upon itself back on earth. These advantages are not particularly game changing, but it's a step up. These men and women also tend to be particularly skilled, as an upbringing on Safeharbor has allowed an overabundance of education. Apart from learning, there is little else to do with one's time.

Significance

Before we move into specifics, it's important to discuss how one joins, trains, and does their job. Many seek to join the wayfarers, around 50 youths every year. They do so for three important reasons: the newer generations desperately seek to fulfill a wanderlust they've had since birth.
Secondly, they want to know why humanity left earth, a seemingly perfect place. They left billions behind when leaving the origin system. The wayfarers have questions, and they need answers. Finally, the wayfarers yearn for a humanity worth being a part of. Humanity is broken, and that hurts them more than they would ever admit.
Without the Wayfarers, the Eden would never have been able to assist in The Battle of The Pillars. They wouldn't even know we existed. The wayfarers explore unmapped regions of the galaxy in the best ships humanity can build. They seek discoveries, claim bounties, and more. The Eden noticed, and followed them on their way back home.

Diversification

Being so few in numbers, wayfarers must diversify their skills, keeping with the standards used in space programs back on earth. It's not enough to be an expert in biology, or engineering. One must be well versed in both. The survival of their group may depend on it. When you're out in the black, millions of miles away from anyone else, it's a horrible situation if someone dies.
This reality is only made worse if the one who dies happens to be the only one who knows how to repair the ship. What if it's the only one who knows how to operate the vessel? What if it's the only person who knows how to safely take a sample, study alien architecture, or operate The Quantum Telegraph?
Every wayfarer will focus on different fields. They learn everything they can before venturing out, and the learning doesn't stop there. They overlap their skill sets, no two teams being exactly alike. They teach each other what they know, and have access to many sources of learning, such as texts and video lectures from The Archives.

Persephone class frigates

The wayfarers were met with opposition at first. Some were viewed as criminals, and others were even thrown in prison when criticizing their elders. No one wanted the impulsive youth poking about the galaxy. As time passed and their efforts in subpar vessels proved rewarding, the wayfarers were given a single dry dock in Caydie's Cradle to produce vessels that would suit their needs.
I discovered plans for a ship in The Archives. With careful modifications, most focused on efficiency, they began construction on a new class of frigate: The Persephone class. Persephone class frigates are caught between a corvette and a destroyer. They are well armed, but also highly maneuverable. Those in charge gave the these youths what they longed for: their freedom.
The wayfarers effectively travel to hell and back on their long journeys. This is the inspiration behind the name of the ship class. When an elder on Safeharbor equated it to the myth of Persephone, the first ship of this class was christened, The SVN Persephone, and the name stuck. To the elders, it was an ill omen, but to the wayfarers, it was a promise. In the myth, Persephone always returned to Olympus in the spring, even if only for a short time.

Tools of The Trade

Wayfarers are all equipped with weapons, but these weapons vary. They usually carry Rail-gun Rifles. Those who are willing to learn the skill opt out for what they call hand cannons, a coil-gun pistol of Eden design. The skills of the wayfarer will always determine their equipment, but it will always be cutting edge technology, occasionally including prototypes in need of testing.
Their suits are well armored, and have skeletal structures granting increased speed and strength for high gravity exploration. Apart from this, their suits are highly modular, and are modified to suit high risk environments encountered on other worlds. Their life support uses Algae farmed on Safeharbor to recycle CO2. Most of what they carry relies on solar power, and the batteries are small, lightweight, but have much longer lifespans between charges compared to what most work with.
When one joins a team and receives their gear, they take a name, an alias to be used when communicating with one another. These aliases are chosen based on their skill set and personal preferences. Wayfarers are the closest thing to black-ops humanity has. After The Battle of The Pillars , they transformed from rebellious youths and criminals to soldiers, scouting sectors of enemy space and rescuing humans scattered about the galactic community.

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The Many Schools of Thought

Wayfarers actively seek to learn, and this comes with a natural desire to teach. During the first war, lines were drawn on what pursuits were more valuable than others. Some wayfarers valued the gift of their senses, while others valued mechanical knowledge. Some valued exploration, while others valued xenobiology. Others still simply wished to keep their allies alive, and cultivated the skills to do so. These schools of thought highlight the advantages, ideals, and even the degree of excellence in certain skill for each wayfarer.

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Ragtags

Ragtags are veterans. To call them soldiers isn't quite right. They have the skills, and have the knowledge, but there's a reason they left the navy. Maybe they disliked authority and the structure of military life. Maybe they just wanted the truth, or maybe they really didn't like fighting to begin with. Regardless, they've seen action, and know how things work in practice. Pragmatism goes a long way in keeping one alive. They often find themselves being the voice of reason, a logical tactician who sees the big picture. Their name comes from their background. The fleet of safe-harbor is lovingly referred to as "the ragtag fleet," which carried over when they joined the wayfarers.

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Wanderers

The wanderer is there for the discovery. They excel in improvisation and survival. They are curious by nature, and often join on the grounds of wanderlust, alone. They always have a plan, and are more than capable of working under pressure, altering that plan if need be. They think quickly, and act just as fast. Wanderers will keep you alive when trapped on a hostile planet. This is only fair, as their impulsive nature and eager desire to discover likely got you trapped on that planet in the first place.

by Adobe Stock

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Augurs

Augurs are those who took particularly well to the genetic modification of humanity. They still suffer the downsides, but they are the few who can truly benefit from these changes. The best example is their eyes. Human eyes see more the longer they stare, able to pick up some of the slightest things and take in light normally not visible to the naked eye. Most humans avoid staring too long. Augurs refuse to look away, no matter what the cost may be. They can pick up on subtle expressions, making them good at detecting deception. With time and experience, they can even learn how to do it among other species. They are the fewest among the wayfarers, but their skills are essential to any crew.

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Prodigies

The prodigies are gifted with photographic memory, the trait either naturally occuring, or gained through implants. They are driven by a need to know. While all wayfarers must learn, the prodigies go above and beyond. They are skilled with language, science, and other paths of the intellectual. They offer this knowledge to their teams, a walking encyclopedia that is rarely wrong. Many tend to operate drones and handle engineering on a vessel. They spent several extra years in the educational programs offered on Safeharbor, which makes them the most diversified of the wayfarers in matters of skill.

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Factions

Since the wayfarers began, the organization has seen numerous factions rise from both their success and their failures. The most prominent would be The Reclaimers, who solely seek to find earth, believing the other wayfarers have lost their original goal in the excitement of discovering new worlds.
The four archetypes mentioned would also count as factions, as they each tend to learn differently and often stick close to social circles formed during their education until assigned to a team. These teams are chosen by de facto leaders of the organization, usually members with prestige and tremendous amounts of experience.
Other minor factions exist, usually created to focus on goals related to current events or group efforts to explore large sectors of space. Some are gaining traction, however, such as Homebound. They are a faction that isolates its search to Safeharbor and neighboring systems.

Oracle stopped on his way back to the ship. Something pulled his attention toward the sun. It was a nagging feeling at the back of his mind. He was being watched. He hated that feeling, as all augurs do. They stare into the black, and despite their instincts, refuse to avert their gaze. As rare as it is, sometimes they find something that stares back. He lowered the sun shield on his helmet, and his heart started to race as he looked up at the red dwarf in the sky. He saw the faintest silhouette of dark tendrils. It wasn't behind the star, nor was it in front of it. It enveloped the star, embraced it. "What the hell is that?" he asked.
Mouse's voice spoke on the radio, "You okay?"
A panic washed over him. What ever it was, its attention shifted from the star it shrouded and turned to Oracle instead. Maybe it didn't want to be seen. "Eyes to the sky, guys. We gotta go," Oracle shouted, breaking into a sprint as he made his way back to the ship. Roadrunner's voice rang in his ear, "We just got here, what's up."
"Mouse, prep the ship. There's something in the system."
"On it," Mouse replied.
"What is it?" Roadrunner asked, his breathing heavy as he ran for the ship.
"I don't know," Oracle began, acknowledging an unsettling thought, "but I think it saw me."
"That's not possible," Argus began. "There's a ten-minute delay from the star to this planet."
Oracle looked back to the creature and shook his head. "Then it's not after us, but something sure got its attention."