From the Game Manual:
A Historic Competition
London, 1873. The British Royal Academy of Space Exploration has been charged by Her Majesty the Queen with launching a mission to Mars by year’s end. In the coming months, the Academy will be holding competitions to find a talented crew for the H.M.S. Victoria VII on her journey to the great red planet.
As one of the British Empire’s foremost Aether Mechanics, you have been invited to compete for the position of Royal Astronautical Engineer. You will have to prove your resourcefulness, efficiency, mastery of mechanisms, and ingenuity to earn your place in history. Good luck to
you and Godspeed.
The Objective
The British Royal Academy of Space Exploration has put together a competition that it feels embodies the spirit of this momentous opportunity. In order to be victorious, contestants
will need to earn the most cogs by competition’s end.