General Massive Systems

The Galactic Standard

General Massive Systems (GMS) is one of the oldest fabricators in the galaxy, first getting its start in the early days of the colonization rush. The manufacturer hails from Cradle, the home of Union – and humanity – and thus its designs reflect the sensibilities of the first pioneers to seek the stars. Today, GMS products are available anywhere there is access to the omninet.
GMS is the all-purpose galactic-standard supplier of just about everything to all persons in Union territory. From mech chassis to casual clothing, from prefab station bulkheads to coffee beans, GMS’s catalogue contains a universe of goods, materials, and services. GMS products, whether consumer, specialty, or military, are widely considered the reliable baseline throughout the galaxy: anything worse than GMS is junk; anything better tends to be unique or luxury.
GMS developed the first mechs from up-armored hardsuits in 4500u, on Ras Shamra, the world that would become the capital of Harrison Armory; now, GMS’s flagship Everest line of mechs sets the galactic standard. Reliable, sturdy, solidly built, and available in countless localized patterns, there are so many variants on the Everest pattern that it has become totally ubiquitous and faded into the background. With universally compatible components, full radiation and environmental shielding, and tens of thousands of preloaded languages, a pilot in their Everest has everything they need to get the job done.
GMS came to prominence as an independent outfitter during the First Expansion Period and quickly grew to ubiquity as the development of nearlight drives pushed colonial efforts further and further. Seeing value in controlling an influential supplier, Union quickly nationalized GMS. The corporate entity became another arm of Union’s ever-expanding bureaucracy: a tool for standardizing the equipment and consumables used by the rapidly growing class of explorers, colonists, and scientists venturing out into the stars.
The importance of maintaining a galactic standard continued to grow as colonial expansion persisted and corporate competitors emerged. A basic line of tested equipment was needed to assess the improvements required for Cradle-designed gear; similarly, the consequences of time dilation were far more dramatic at the time, and standard, legacy compatible equipment was needed to assure compliance across disparate eras.
With the incredible wealth of Union behind it, GMS became that standard. Over the millennia, it has grown to become a massive department within Union and the standard against which all other manufacturers are measured. Today, GMS is an economic engine, one tool among many, that Union uses to promote its “brand” across the galaxy. Distinct from Union’s political and military organs, GMS provides an eternal reminder of soft power: GMS is everywhere – it is normal.
GMS doesn’t engage in world-building, colonial ventures, or expeditions – instead, it sets the standard upon which all others build, then supplies them with the gear they need. It creates the world of goods, services, equipment, and habitations most humans think of as “normal”. GMS’s power comes from its ability to unilaterally define what is acceptable everywhere in Union space: by nudging the bar ever upwards, it forces other manufacturers to develop alternatives that benefit humanity as a whole, even if they are developed for selfish, profit-driven reasons.
GMS rarely employs external contractors. Its headquarters is on Cradle, like the rest of Union’s central apparatus, and it has offices throughout the inhabited galaxy.

"From Cradle to the Stars, GMS: Assured Quality, Universal Licensing, Total Coverage."

Type

Corporation, Conglomerate

Alternative Names

GMS

Parent Organization

Union

Location

Cradle