Backstory Timeline

* May 1987 - The extradimensional entity known as Varaxas entered proximal V-space and began to observe humanity. Dr. Smith is already on the Apex Vector staff, as their lead Laser Scientist. The CIA Office of Technical Intelligence is already in collaboration with Apex Vector because of the expected technical applications of advanced laser science.
* July 1987 - Varaxas started to trans-dimensionally hack Raleigh’s computer system at the Mauch Chunk Campus
* October 1987 - Varaxas impersonated Raleigh, claiming to be his future self transformed into a pure energy being.
* November 1987 to March 1988 - Varaxas gains his trust by gifting him with scientific breakthroughs using knowledge that was readily accessible on his plane (even though Varaxas had never bothered to learn it himself). Varaxas provides the designs for the compression field and dimensional vortex projection apparatus.  Dr. Hendricks and Dr. Durning are brought on board at the Mauch Chunk campus.
* April 1988 - Varaxas gets Raleigh to build a robot body, initiating Project Promethean. Dr. Gelman is hired.
* June 1988 - Power Lifter suit constructed. Dr. Smith begins to have private concerns about the artificial intelligence being developed, and contacts Lisa Flag in the CIA.
* Sept 1988 - The first attempt, P.P. Mark I (“Kris”), is completed.  Kris has hard-wired ethical behavior parameters. The Project Promethean team wanted all three classical laws of robotics. At Varaxas’ insistence, Raleigh talked his team down to just the first. Varaxas is not satisfied, and convinces Raleigh to handle it personally and build the positronic brain to Varaxas’ exact specifications. Dr. Gelman is re-assigned to focus on the development of neural controls.
* October 1988 - Per CIA request, Agent Lisa Flag begins regular visits to Mauch Chunk.
* November 1988 - Raleigh’s absence from the day-to-day running of Apex Vector Corp starts to be felt, and operations begin to suffer.
* December 1988 -  Struggling with her CEO Raleigh Kane’s refusal to participate in public appearance, Apex Vector Head of PR Brenda Murphy decides to spin his eccentricity as mystique. Struck by the passion that her ex-husband’s nephew shows for the Hyperion game system,  pitches a tournament that would have a tour of Apex Vector facilities and meeting MYSTERIOUS GENIUS Raleigh Kane as part of the grand prize. Raleigh distractedly signs off on it among a stack of other memos.
* January 1989 - Raleigh hits a wall with the construction of the Mark II.  Tensions build as Varaxas is unable to explain his directions in a way Raleigh can understand.  In his frustration, Varaxas starts to let slip small things that Raleigh finds suspicious.
* April: 1989 - Raleigh has Dr. Smith begin work on a laser detection array. (Needed to advance the positronic brain construction)  When Smith presses him for explanations on its application, and the underlying theory behind its construction, Raleigh was evasive or brusque.
* June 1989: By this point, Raleigh had seen through the ruse of Varaxas claiming to be his future self, but was too fascinated by the discoveries the entity was providing to stop. Instead he plays into Varaxas’ ruse, hoping to eventually deduce for himself what he was dealing with. Raleigh realizes he needs to include safety measures in the hardware of the Mark II shell.
* July 1989: Construction P.P. Mark II is complete, and Raleigh allowed Varaxas to download himself into a shell.
* August 1989: Varaxas adopts the persona of RJ (“Raleigh Junior”) Cool, Raleigh’s ward and mysterious international playboy.
* August 1989: Alex Striker wins the national Hyperion tournament’s final round in Houston, taking home the coveted Golden Joystick, a tour of Apex Vector facilities and a chance to meet Raleigh Kane. Brenda Murphy finally gets a hold of her boss and he agrees that the kid can come along to the October Launch Party.
* September: The Hendricks Compression Field Stabilizer makes safe prolonged miniaturization of organic materials possible.
* September: RJ Cool begins dating popstar Heather Hart.
* October: The Launch Party