Synopsis
Ichor brings thoughts into reality—but thoughts are volatile and torturous things, perhaps best left in the mind. When the Argonauts descend on The Galaxy they bring with them Ichor as a tool to accomplish their mission of peace, prosperity, and unity. But what happens when one species reacts by immediately assuming offensive capabilities at the sight of an invading alien vessel? When another takes decades to find any channel of communication? When your missions protocols make it impossible to let another know you even exist? As their diplomatic troops stretch thin across The Galaxy their noble goal begins to transform into a suicide mission.
The Argonaut Experiment (TAE) is probably my second favorite project, beaten only by Mysenvar. It’s also my oldest setting in its most basic concept (“What if aliens existed?”) (See: Worldbuilding Origins). TAE is strange because unlike my other projects which have undergone monumental redefining change in short periods of time, TAE has always maintained the same basic themes and setting, with primarily the story and aesthetic have shifted course. It’s hard for me to track how TAE has come to be the way it is, because the changes that made it the way it is are miniscule and honestly not well documented.
For the longest time I did not really keep track of TAE as a setting. That was a major mistake on my part, and in the recent months that I’ve been trying to document the setting and put my notes together it’s really come to bite me in the ass. I’ve had to refigure out so many aspects of the setting that this may be the largest redefining change it’s undergone. Though, that’s probably for the best… (While TAE rivals Mysenvar as my love child, it suffers from not being nearly as polished in identity and theme as Mysenvar is…)
At the moment, I’m not entirely sure what kind of direction I want to take TAE’s content? I have a few ideas floating around my head! A series of digital works that show diegetic social media posts from various parts of the setting’s history is one that I’m quite fond of! I’ve been tossing around the idea of an anthology novel about the Argonauts first contact with each of the sophont species. I’ve also long considered a series of YouTube videos going into detail on The Galaxy’s alien life. My dream goal for TAE is a feature length puppet film.