Once upon a time, there was a dream. A dream of an empire - an empire of enlightenment. The dream came vividly to the proud people of Outreach, as they named themselves, the pioneers of modern technology. We will overthrow our outdated masters, ruling from their thrones of ignorance, we will establish a new order, an order that makes sense! The people, no longer hindered by policies of darkness, will govern themselves, for the good of all. All will contribute to the cause, and none will be left behind.
 
In time, the dream was troubled - cities quickly grew overpopulated, prices rose, and the crime rate, which became virtually non-existent after the revolution, began rising again in a disturbing manner. The Outreach government, ever dedicated to the people, invested heavily into founding new cities and expanding the old ones, and helping farmers and ranchers increase their yield to keep food affordable, and at their back were the famous Outreach engineers, working tirelessly. This well-remembered initiative certainly helped, but the true solution came as suddenly as the sun in a thunderstorm.
 
The exact date when the first large portal began construction will be forever kept in history books, as well as the minds of every educated citizen of Outreach - who were numerous indeed. A week after construction has ended, a crowd so large and so dense you could lose yourself inside of it gathered in the town square, ready to behold the great wonder in action. The first activation! If there's a sight every man can be proud to remember, it was that. The Outreach engineers milled about, yelling at each other, while a group of two men and two women slowly made their way through the crowd, in front of the great portal. Dressed in government uniform and with bags on their backs, the crowd could easily ascertain their role in all this. The first explorers. They must have gotten a signal from the engineers, because they slowly began walking towards the portal who fired up meanwhile, making crackling noises and showing a faint, blue vortex in the center. One minute the party was here, and the next they were gone.
 
The roar that came from the crowd was truly tremendous, and in the following months it was like it never subsided. A feeling of euphoria came upon the people of Outreach, as the Guild of Explorers was founded to regulate the discovery and exploration of new worlds, and scores of experts were trained and sent to make the worlds suitable for human expansion. The crime rate, already steadily dropping, plummeted again as new jobs and careers were opened by the dozens. The dream was reaching fulfillment, as a true empire was being born, an empire of enlightenment.
 
Unfortunately, fate is never quite so kind. The proud rulers of Outreach, hellbent on maintaining their momentum, soon began abusing this golden age. The heroic image attached to explorers made them impose taxes on explorer training, and soon enough pioneers were faced with demands to find the riches of these alien worlds and return with them. Those who returned with empty hands weren't sent again - instead, they were labelled as enemies of the people, and were shamed publicly. No honest job, no matter how bad, would be given to an enemy of the people. Given the choice between starvation, begging and crime, most would choose the obvious. For the first time in many, many years, the rulers have been forced to establish a police force. Even when masked as protectors of the people, all knew they were simply brutish enforcers. As the crime rate steadily rose and the newly-built prisons filled, the Outreach government has decided to place the blame on alcohol - and laws of maximum alcohol content and heavy taxation were imposed, further agitating the populace. Those years saw the beginning of organized crime - centered around anti-governmental activity as well as the production of illegal beverages, as well as first casualties in clashes between citizens and the police.
 
What lies ahead for the people of Outreach is hidden by the fogs of time, but for now, the dream is almost snuffed out. Today, the empire is in grave danger of sinking into troubled sleep, devoid of dreams.