Very good comments, although part of the bare bones background includes hints that there is more to the setting (what alien device extinguished the sun and why? why are there still bases on Canada, Mongolia, and Deimos?) The goal when expanding this out wouldn't be to lean away from tropes, but to lean away from heavily prescriptive settings and into a more evocative Moorcockian style where things are labeled but seldom described. This to me isn't an often enough explored area of game design, where a lot of words get spilt on prescriptive settings that have less interest than the designer might expect to the players. I'd be curious to see what you think of Version 2, which is shaping up to be about 50 words longer in the main text and have several "Obstacle Tables" that are used to bring out some tone in the flesh of the universe.

Thanks and the word "HOTSHOTS" really did a lot of work in my entry! I'm not sure if it's common parlance, but in logistics a HOTSHOT is a very expensive (generally unplanned) movement of freight. HOTSHOT couriers in the real world can be pretty colorful characters.

Thanks very much. I have a file started for version 2, and some ideas for single-page expansions to give the GM and players more options. (and squad rules!) I would love to get feedback to incorporate if anyone is generous enough to run a playthrough.

Thanks that's pretty much what I was going for and also Canada needs more RPG love. I picture the Canada base being a descendant of SNOLAB.

Thanks! I think if you mishandle a terminal you might Retire after almost costing your crew their lives, versus Perishing which might be more suitable for a failed roll against a carnivorous rock or such. :) I think if I went further with this I'd probably let a squad develop based on characters being "out of commission" for X missions so that the people who lost their nerve on mission 1 could come back on mission 3.