Firefall Timeline 2177.8

Entry 2177.8 - "The Golden Age"
"Transcribed interview aired by Entertainment Programme de Network Sports with Holmgang champion Svald Joergen in 2177. The comments made during this interview about Battleframe duels show a representative naïveté given that the Firefall was only two months away. Although this is a sports interview, it captures very well the energy and focus of the time: the so-called ""Golden Age"" of Earth. Therefore, I have included it in the archives for cataloging."

-Aris Holden - Historian

"Svald, you are three time consecutive champion for the Shanghai annual extreme holmgang challenge. What does it take to keep winning the way you do? Do you do anything special?"

Really, it's not easy, as you know. You need a total commitment to excellence and a hard work ethic. These days, now that poverty is basically wiped out and everything is provided for you, why work for anything? I'm not saying that's a bad thing, the world is much better off. But I'm lucky to have a grandfather who reminded me not to take these things for granted, and to find something I really enjoyed, and to pursue it as hard and as fast as I could. Without that drive, what I do would not be possible.

I understand you train very hard, but that you also have a dedicated crew to keep things running and who help with the very special modifications on your frames?

I love my crew. Let me say it again, I love them! I'm not a scientist, so what they do is like magic to me. They take these industrial and commercial frames, stuff that was never meant to be pushed as fast and hard as what we do to them, and then they gut the thing, strip it all they way down to drop the weight. Then they bolt on the tech, the jump jets, the ability modules and concussive weapon systems. And the whole thing transforms from a clunky loader to an agile extension of an athlete and a warrior. We can't get our hands on the military models, but we get very very close. We're just limited by our power supplies, really. Once we figure out something like a portable fusion reactor, you'll see what we can do!

'''I love the designs and the warpaint. It really makes the sport seems like tribal warfare or two samurai armies clashing. Do you think the pageantry and glitz detracts in any way from the sport being more recognized more officially, say, by the Olympics?'''

Honestly, its not the colors and flash. Our sport just reminds people a little too much that we still have wars, even in this age. The battles are sporadic and often clandestine, but the Olympics doesn't want anything to do with something like stylized or ritual combat. They have an agenda to promote the peace we are enjoying and I respect that. That said, I think that the commercial success of Battleframe Holmgang is hard to ignore. Maybe we will find a way, someday, to come together.

'''What next for the season? I heard there might be some interesting plans to expand the sport?'''

Yeah, for the first time we're going to try and do this in space, up on one of the orbital tethers. Honestly, its more like an exhibition than a real game. We're just trying to show our support of the expansion of the human race into space. Everyone is talking about the Canis Code, that's its some kind of encrypted sign of something "out there." I think its important that we do what we can to encourage the world to move beyond the planet, finally colonize Mars, whatever. Something to reach out to whoever is out there beaming signals at us. I've never competed in zero G before, so it should probably be fun to watch too!

'''Thank you, Svald. I'm looking forward to seeing you compete in space! One more question. Is it true you and Elana Mei are dating now? I know many of our female readers would be heartbroken, but as a journalist, you can appreciate my quest for the truth.'''

(Laughing). No comment, no comment! (fade to black)

''Elana Mei, the famous pop star, and Svald Joergen were never to attend the Holmgang match in space due to Firefall. They both survived and eventually married, but withdrew from the public and eventually emigrated to Alpha Prime in their latter years.''