Smoking Gun Interactive, formed by ex-Relic people, launched the next installment of the graphic novel series titled “X”. Written by controversial, award-winning author and social critic Douglas Rushkoff, the series is illustrated by Smoking Gun’s lead concept artist Cheoljoo Lee and Younger Yang.

The preview can be experienced online and provides a first glimpse into the universe and characters of Smoking Gun’s as-of-yet undisclosed debut franchise. With a focus on real-world mystery, ancient locations, and deep conspiracy, X promises to explore the secret history of mankind in a way that has never been done before.

As a small, scattered group of people stumble onto the truth, they find that they are too late: every great power on earth has already aligned itself against humanity.  The war is all but over. Their struggle to discover the truth will lead them into a massive conspiracy that predates humanity itself - from the world's most ancient sites to the global centers of power.

Last week, the community found something hidden within page thirteen of the online graphic novel - a portal to a Resistance “Darknet”” that itself serves as a window into the gaming universe that Smoking Gun Interactive is currently developing. To join this “underground” network, visitors take a few steps through an old-school text adventure, then ”patch” their genetic records in order to disable surveillance systems tracking them. It is only once they are inside the Darknet that the “X” universe really begins to reveal itself. As NASA scientists are being rounded up, the online community has responded by hacking into government computers and surveillance networks. In doing so, they have begun unraveling a story in which obelisks, ancient temples and the Knights of Malta all play a role in a “one step from reality” web of conspiracies.

With this new release, a military test creates chaos and confusion in LA as the community finds itself confronted with a greater challenge – to build the Darknet into a global powerhouse, a home for their newly resurgent “Resistance”. Using a stolen military network-warfare technology called “FORAGER”, their ultimate goal is to seize control of government satellites, and learn what a missing NASA scientist was trying to reveal to them.

All of this plays out through a unique and simple strategy game where each individual’s victories contribute to the global effort to build the Darknet. With the world divided into twelve regions, each player contributes to bringing their own “home” region online. After this, they can help out in other regions, until the entire planet has been “liberated”, at which point the Resistance is expected to seize control of the satellites.

For those few brave enough to resist, reckless enough to see, and foolish enough to fight history itself, the war has never been over. For those few, the struggle will not be complete until the old prophecy has been fulfilled:

“FROM OUR BONES WILL ARISE AN AVENGER

FROM OUR WAR WILL ARISE THE TRUTH”

The first novel is scheduled to be released next year and is the first in a series of stories that will continue to expand the X universe.