The Knightside Chronicles Introduction Draft 3.2.1

Introduction 

The Knightside Chronicles: Caruso’s Journey is set on a Galactic  

stage in a far flung future where space travel has become as trivial as air  

travel is today. Humanity has expanded into the far reaches of the Galaxy  

with colonies ranging from prosperous resort worlds where the most  

wealthy spend fortunes in exquisite decadence to back water mining  

colonies where major corporations employ the most destitute and  

desperate individuals to exploit their hard work for pitiful pay and a  

meager existence.  

Caruso Mendes is an odd job gun for hire with aspirations of once again  

attaining the glory days of his late teens where he basked in the life of a  

music superstar. Having split from his former band due to creative  

differences. Caruso subsequently blew through his newly attained wealth  

almost as quickly as he acquired it in a wholly typical affair of  

unrestrained extreme decadence, further added to by his wallowing in self  

sorrow due to two short lived marriages in his early twenties ruined by his 

self destructive behavior and a failed solo album which resulted in the 

studio on which he had signed dropping him due to substantial losses.  

  

Once Heralded as a legend in the making. Caruso now largely forgotten,  

tours the fringes of the Galaxy playing any gig he can get as well as  

taking odd gun for hire jobs just to make ends meat. 

Prologue 

After being arrested for taking part in a botched raid on a supply 

shipment en-route to one of the newly colonized resort worlds in the far 

reaches of the Galaxy, Caruso is woken by the sound of 2 voices. Barely 

able to hear the two voices through his cells thick walls and protective 

shield glass he can faintly hear two men discussing what seem to be 

terms of a release. With no friends willing to bail him out again or 

anybody willing to lend him any money for anything anymore he figures 

that he is well and truly done for this time.  

Caruso had pinned everything on this last Job in the hopes of launching 

himself out of the depths of debt and despair he found himself sinking 

further and further into, and this Job like everything else in his life (of 

what he can now remember) seemed to end in tragic failure. To top it off 

he couldn’t see himself charming or improvising his way out of this 

situation… not with this lot. If found guilty of raiding a resort-world 

shipment; the punishment would be severe. If not death then one could 

find themselves on one of the many mining planets that scattered the 

galaxy. Suffering a miserable life of squalid conditions and hard labour 

until finally released only by the grim hand of death.  

Being caught red handed didn’t help his case much. Undoubtedly 

betrayed by one of his fellow mercenary “brothers” Caruso curses his lack 

of an opportunity having presented itself for him to do the same. Turning 

towards the wall that the bed on which he lays is fasted to; Caruso lets 

out an anxious sigh in anticipation of what the universe may have in store 

for him next…  

Just as He shuts his eyes to try and block out the sensation of nausea 

induced by withdrawal from any of the multitude of substances he had 

been taking before his arrest. The door to his cell slides open with an all 

too familiar swoosh and by the time he has turned and opened his eyes 

mumbling profanities in anticipation of it being one of the guards come to 

drag him to a quick trial, or just beat him for the hell of it. He Instead  

is not only presented with a guard, but a relatively older looking smartly 

dressed man with quite dark skin and greying tightly curled hair, probably 

of African descent. Though from what Caruso can make out through the 

sudden glare of bright lights is that there seem to be hints of other races 

in his facial structure too. The man smelling of expensive Cologne unlike 

Caruso who at this point stinks mostly of Body odour looks down for a 

moment at Caruso, who squints up at him still trying to adjust to the 

sudden illumination of the room. 

 Turning to the Guard the man exclaims in a sophisticated British Accent “ 

Aha!... Yes this is the one I was looking for.” 

“Looks like you’ve hit rock bottom Mr Mendes… if I may be so rude to say 

so…? 

“Kick me while I’m down why don’t you” Caruso thinks to himself bitterly while struggling to keep his eyes in focus against the spinning room. 

 Well lets see if we can get you back on your feet, shall we?...” Continues 

the strange man 

His mouth parched and his tongue feeling like cotton wool Caruso 

responds in a low crackled whisper: “who’re you?”  

“Me?... answers the strange man; I’m your Salvation Mr Mendes… or 

Sponsor could be another way of putting it.”  

“Rehab!?” Caruso retorts followed by a fit coughs; 

“Sure I guess you could call it that.” 

“Yeah I don’t think so… Mr?” Caruso dismissively replies. 

“Would you rather take your chances in the courts?” Rhetorically states 

the man. “I’m not sure that I would recommend such a decision given the 

charges held against you.” 

Clearly Frustrated with Caruso’s manner the guard angrily slams a release 

form on Caruso chest and bluntly states: “Look Scum you either sign this 

form and go with this Gentleman or its to the mines with you!” 

Calmly The mysterious man asks Caruso “So what will it be Mr Mendes?” 

Caruso not having much of an option silently signs the form and hands it 

back to the Guard. 

The Mysterious man lets out a sympathetic smile and formally introduces himself. 

“I remember when you were greatly admired by many for your remarkable musical talents Mr Mendes. It seems that you yourself somewhere along the way lost or forgot what it was that gave you that special spark. I think I may be able to help you in that regard.”

“My name Mr Mendes is Dr Syndau… Maximilian von Syndau to be 

precise, but you can just call me Max.” 

Chapter 1 

A Few Days Later 

- Uncharted Galactic Fringe Sector- Subject 0 –Mendes; Caruso.  

Caruso opens his eyes Having shut them in anticipation of the worst. Mere 

Moments before now he had been subjected to intensely bright lights and 

a flash of stifling heat when sitting inside a strange spherical machine.  

Suddenly He finds himself sitting atop a cliff top in a meadow looking out 

on a tranquil scene of a beautiful sunset on a strange looking world 

covered with giant crystals surrounded by large sky blue lakes. Floating 

islands that have smaller crystals of equal beauty protruding from them 

float in a circular formation around the giant central crystal structures 

while small crystal lined creatures frolic all around him. Only seconds into 

witnessing the tranquil scene that suddenly appeared before him there is 

another flash and Caruso is left sitting in a dead wasteland where the 

crystal structures no longer radiate bright awe inspiring illuminating 

colours, but contain dark looking hues that seems to match the overall 

sense of hopelessness and despair now seeping into the core of 

everything on this once momentarily beautiful strange world. The skyline 

now replaced with a menacing swirl of clouds and thunderstorms in the 

distance echoes a sombre tone across the ravaged landscape. The small 

frolicking creatures are no longer small, but have transformed into large 

lurking phantom like crystalline beasts with menacing glares that seem to 

be protecting the dark coloured crystals that they’re crudely armoured 

bodies seem to reflect.  

A small spherical floating robotic drone bobs gently on it’s thrusters from 

just out if Caruso’s view and from it he can hear max’s voice. 

 “and Prepare for a full diagnostics che… ah Good Mr Mendes! Apologies 

for the slight delay in the world updating to your subconscious. It must be 

a bit jarring to go from one extreme to the other like that; but I guess it’s 

good you got an opportunity to compare the two states… if only briefly.” 

“The first scene you witnessed was what the physical manifestation of your 

subconscious should look like, and the second unfortunately is what your 

subconscious physically manifested currently looks like… not pretty is it?” 

How do you feel…physically I mean? 

“I’m fine…” Caruso answers flatly; 

 “So how do I get it back to the lakes and the sunset and… ynkow, all the 

nice stuff?”  

That’s the spirit Mr Mendes! Yes well first things first you will need to get 

up on your feet so we can run some diagnostics before we can set you on 

your merry way…  

To be continued…