Rage

The Rage was a powerful gestalt entity created from the innocent inmates of Cyberia.

History

Creation

The Great GELF State was determined to survive the black hole that was slowly sucking the asteroid belt towards destruction. Realising that only vast planetary bodies could survive the crossing, they determined to terraform a planet for colonisation. The Government initiated the Reco Programme, where volunteers were asked to give their bodies to make up a new primordial soup. They used the prisoners of Cyberia to create a gestalt being that could reshape the planet, but the gestalt was created from hardened criminals who cared little for peace or justice. The gestalt created a world populated by evil beings, which then passed through the Omnizone.

The government the came up with a plan B. The new gestalt was created only from the innocent inmates, falsely imprisoned specifically for this project. Unfortunately, the innocent gestalt was filled with righteous fury at being unjustly coerced. It manifested itself as The Rage, a swirling electrical storm of pure resentment that ranged around the surface of the planet. It destroyed the ships of the new settlers and entered the minds of all the sentient beings it encountered. It filled them with its fury and hatred, forcing them to kill each other.

Settlement

The first group of settlers, including Michael McGruder, numbered 2000. By the time a second ship arrived, which contained Dave Lister and Reketrebn among its passengers, only 40 of the original settlers were left alive. McGruder had discovered a way to overcome The Rage's influence by making The Circle of Sacer Facere. The settlers had to sit in a circle and, when The Rage entered them, the energy would find its way into just one person. That person would then be immolated, saving the survivors.

When the Starbug crew landed, The Rage bore down upon them. They formed The Circle and Lister's evil doppelganger was destroyed. The Rage then tried to block their escape into the caves which would protect them from the Omnizone. Kryten tried to sacrifice himself by delivering the Oblivion Virus, which destroyed electrical activity, to The Rage. Lister refused him permission to die for them, but the damaged Rimmer then insisted on taking the virus in his light bee. He delivered the virus to The Rage storm, destroying it and himself. The survivors could then escape into the caves.

Characteristics

The Rage manifested itself as a violent orange storm that lashed the untamed wilderness. It did not follow normal weather patterns, but travelled at incredible speed wherever it wished. It sought out the settlers to fill them with its anger, following them across vast distances. The Rage could also anticipate their movements, blocking their path.