Many a RPG world has broken down when simple questions, such as "how do these people survive in such conditions?" or "where do their get their food from?" are asked. Not in INSOMNIA’s case :). Today we reveal some more of the game’s lore to help you better understand the complex world that you will get to interact with.
The Big Sleep
Despite the fact that resource management was a priority for Object 6’s administration, the station’s production capacities were unable to fully supply the population with food. The problem was finally solved with the help of the Big Sleep procedure, which allowed citizens to spend from 5 to 10 years in stasis, depending on their status and qualifications. A colossal repository of delta modules called Limb was created, where three quarters of the station’s official population were suspended in cryosleep.
But what about those unfortunate souls that managed to sneak onto the station illegally and couldn’t be a part of the Big Sleep program? How did they survive without access to regular food supplies?
Crioma
The abandoned sectors of the station have been populated with the descendants of illegal refugees over the course of years. The only way for them to survive was stealing, killing and practicing cannibalism. With time, they have also discovered crioma - a plant that could spread across the station’s tunnels and various sections at incredible pace, mutating constantly and producing "fruits" of various shapes and with strange properties.
Eventually, these illegal refugees learned to consume crioma as food and use the plant as raw material for a large number of goods.
After Object 6’s officials became aware of the "wonder-plant", it was discovered that crioma was developed prior to the war as an experimental food product able to survive in a variety of conditions. The genetic basis of crioma was algae and several moss species.
How exactly the mutated crioma colonies have spread throughout the station remains unknown to this day. The wild culture quickly adapted to harsh conditions and developed a number of adaptive mechanisms - in particular, it began to reproduce by toxic volatile spores, hazardous to humans. Those working at the Cleaning Service’s border brigades are tasked with destroying the spreading crioma sprouts every day.
The long term effects of crioma’s toxicity was also believed to cause Schizophreniform Anar’s disorder - a mental illness also known as “somnia”. The main symptoms of this disease include psychosis, impaired perception and emotional distress. However, somnia still plagued the population of the station even after the plant breeders of Object 6 managed to create a safe analogue of the plant called "oma".
Was crioma’s toxic influence the real reason behind somnia? Or was it a more complex problem hidden by the officials of the space metropolis? You will have to embark on an epic journey later next month with INSOMNIA: The Ark to find the answers...