History

The Way to the Apocalypse

2005

Holographic mass storage media are introduced to the world market. The holodisc is scanned with a laser and even the introductory model stores well in excess of 100 times more data than conventional mass media based on magnetic fields.

2008

NASA successfully conducts the first manned mission to Mars.

2010

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) launches the Ceres Project, which is designated to take 20 years to complete. The goal of this project is to store the entire stock of human knowledge on holodisc in an easily accessible manner. Publicly available science data of the present are reviewed and collected by a group of 250 professors and students from all over the world. Ceres is the Roman name of the Greek goddess Demeter, who was worshipped in ancient Greece as the mother of the earth and the goddess of fertility. The name was chosen because the knowledge of mankind is considered the seed (physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, etc.) as well as the fruit (technology, architecture, medicine, agriculture, etc.) of planet Earth.

2018

At the very beginning of the fourth mission to Mars an accident during takeoff claims the lives of the entire crew.

2028

During a press conference, Dr. Karmann, leader of the Ceres Project, explains that if a primitive civilization were to gain access to all the information the Ceres Project contains, it would be able to build nuclear plants after a few decades. This remark focuses public attention on the project.

2029

Dr. Karmann is found murdered. The Ceres Project is withdrawn from the MIT and is classified as a top-secret state affair.

2031

The sixth mission to Mars is a huge success, considerable amounts of a hitherto unknown metal with amazing properties being found on the red planet. Thorough scientific investigation reveals that this material will not become radioactive, even after an extended and intense exposure to neutrons resulting from the fusion of tritium and deuterium. Due to these unique qualities of the newly discovered metal that make it ideally suited for coating nuclear facilities, it is suggested that the funding of nuclear fusion research be doubled. Reactors based on nuclear fusion can only become a viable source of mass energy production if radioactive side effects can be eliminated. As the new material does precisely this, it will provide the perfect shielding for nuclear plants.

2035

According to certain rumors, the Ceres Project has been completed by the NSA after introducing classified military and scientific information. Numerous NSA agents are assigned to attend to the project in the future and to help update it continually. The project is relocated, presumably to an isolated, hermetically sealed laboratory compound, where it will be safe in case of an environmental catastrophe or a war.

2046

The US conclude a fifteen-year preparatory stage for establishing a Mars colony and begin operations on the red planet. The installation is partly used for scientific purposes, but its main function is mining the metal that was discovered there in 2031.

2047

After the fossil fuels of Asia have been exhausted, the continent is reduced to poverty and chaos. Grim battles over the last oil reserves rage between Russia, Japan, and China.

2049

In an American research center, deuterium-tritium plasma is held stable over a critical period of time. The commercial exploitation of nuclear fusion is close at hand.

2051

While Japan becomes an ally of the US and is supplied with arms and reinforcements by the superpower, China subdues the former Soviet splinter states, whose defensive potential is weakened by corruption, anarchic uprisings, and Mafia activity. After collaborators have sabotaged Russia's desperate final attempts to recover from the aftermath of a nuclear strike, Russia surrenders and most of Asia is united under the Chinese flag.

Through this victory, China becomes the most powerful nation of the world, an empire reaching from Poland to the Pacific.

2052

The first deuterium-tritium fusion plants are put into operation in the US and parts of Europe. Efforts of the western world to use the newly acquired findings on nuclear fusion for weapons research and the production of a plasma weapon yield no practicable results.

2053

Following the subjection of Asia, China begins to re-establish communism in the conquered countries. While Singapore, Thailand, and South Korea, which were neutral up to this point, enter an alliance with Japan, the remaining countries anxiously flock to the banner of the Chinese Empire.

2054

The Arab Emirates sign a mutual assistance pact with the Chinese Empire and provide it with oil. In turn, China grants the Emirates military protection from the US.

2055

Because of the Japanese arsenal of high-tech weaponry, the Chinese Empire fails to occupy Japan. This leads to the signing of a non-aggression treaty. The border between Japan and the Empire becomes a highly guarded demarcation line. Diplomatic relations between Western Europe, the US, and Japan as one party and the Chinese Empire as the other are at an all-time low.

2060

Representatives of the western world and Japan sign the article of agreement on the ‘Federation of the Free World’. This alliance will protect the member states from the mighty Empire.

2063

While the efforts to design plasma weapons are still not leading anywhere, the use of bundled energy/particle rays for weapons in air- and ground-based vehicles are successfully introduced by the western industrial nations.

2066

The last power plant based on nuclear fission is shut down in Europe. This concludes the transition from conventional nuclear power resources to fusion power within the Federation.

2068

The Federation establishes a colony on Mars, ensuring its mineral supply for the future.

2075

China puts the 62nd nuclear fission plant into operation to power the rural areas of former Russia. Nuclear power now has completely replaced fossil fuels and alternative power sources in the Empire. Although China has obtained theoretical knowledge of nuclear fusion by means of espionage, trade agreements prevent the Empire from initiating its own research, what with the sheathing material from Mars being under Federation control.

2080

Even the oil resources of the Arab Emirates run low. The most important Arabian cities will be connected to the Chinese power supplies in the following decade.

2095

The first cold nuclear fusion process is accomplished in a German nuclear research center. The development of compact high-performance energy generators draws nearer. At the same time, the development of new kinds of fusion plants will further improve the efficiency of this type of energy.

2098

At Xian, a metropolis situated south of Beijing, a jet fighter crashes into an outdated nuclear fission plant. The sheathing of the reactor is destroyed by the power of the impact, which results in an uncontrolled nuclear meltdown. Not only Xian is contaminated by the radiation released, but also nearby Beijing. Millions die of exposure to radiation in the following years. Although radioactive dust is blown eastward by the wind, towards Japan, the neighboring state remains largely unharmed.

2100

Alarmed by the Xian disaster, the Japanese government decides to build radiation protection domes above and around the nation's major cities.

2102

The Chinese Empire discovers a way to hide conventional missiles from radar sensors. The Kerolin stealth missile is able to deliver any kind of warhead to its target unnoticed. The Federation claims to be in possession of this type of stealth technology but to have kept it secret until now.

2104

China and the Federation sign the SALT-17 treaty, which prohibits both parties to station and especially deploy stealth missiles.

2108

Conversion of the existing fusion plants within the Federation to utilize cold nuclear fusion for energy production begins.

2113

Red Terra is established as the first civil colony on Mars. The settlement consists of seven domes and is the new home to 3,000 people. This measure initiates the extraterrestrial colonization program of the Federation of the Free World. The plan is to relocate 400,000 people to Mars by the end of the century.

2120

Scientists discover that they can trigger a chemical reaction by adding a complex gas mixture to the atmosphere of Mars. The process will make the planet's atmosphere breathable within 300 years. Meanwhile, the pioneers begin to terraform the red planet. The gas mixture is called Gabanium for its developer, Dr. Gloria Gaban.

2124

Technologically backward China surprises the world as it puts up a sea blockade around neutral Australia in no time it all. Australia now is totally isolated from the rest of the world. The Federation determines not to intervene, in hopes of averting World War III.

2125

The Empire attacks Australia after having blockaded the continent for nine months. Demoralized Australia surrenders to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, as the Federation obviously won't support the country. In the past, the Federation had tried many times to convince Australia to join it, but to no avail. The continent, which has always cherished its independence and neutrality, was not to be convinced.

2126

Extremist Chinese dictator Kong Jieshi is found murdered in his private mansion. An army of bodyguards was unable to protect him. China officially proclaims that counter-revolutionary troops had, in a surprise attack, shot the dictator in his sleep. This explanation notwithstanding, the citizens of the Federation are convinced that free world special squads had infiltrated the villa in an effort to correct China’s extremist political course. The latter version is, of course, never confirmed by the Federation government.

2130

The political situation has been stabilized. New Chinese dictator Xu Derui knows of the technological inferiority of the Empire compared with the Federation and dampens the imperialistic drive of his people.

Japanese scientists develop the prototype of a small fusion-powered engine for use in vehicles (Furytec drive). Furytec-powered vehicles are as responsive as helicopters, with a maximum speed equal to that of small sports airplanes. Thus, they are the ideal means of transportation for the large cities brimming with skyscrapers. Since the fusion reaction inside the Furytec drive creates close to no pollutants at all, these drives are also ideally suited for use within the Japanese city domes.

2136

Astronomers discover that the third planet of the solar system Irata, 80 light years away, is very similar to Mars. Even the chemical composition of the atmosphere is nearly identical.

2137

Hoping to be able to colonize this planet sometime in the future, the Federation sends a probe to Irata III, featuring a new second-generation fusion drive. After its arrival, the probe will release a finely measured quantity of Gabanium into the atmosphere of Irata III.

The probe will take approximately 100 years to reach the planet. The atmosphere should be breathable 300 years after that, if everything goes according to plan.

2140

China surprisingly presents the prototype of a generation spaceship to cover distances of several hundred light years. Project Starcruiser is based on the fusion drive of the probe sent to Irata III by the Federation three years ago, and has room for up to 3,000 passengers. Until now, the Federation was assuming that China did not even possess knowledge of cold nuclear fusion technology, much less a second-generation fusion drive. It's suspected that China brought the technology into its possession by means of espionage. But the spaceship boasts even more technical highlights the Federation either didn't know of or which are still at an experimental stage and therefore classified. The inertia absorbers in particular should be mentioned in this context. These allow the ship to accelerate using maximum power without harming the crew or damaging the equipment. The Starcruiser reaches a baffling maximum speed of 80% of the speed of light.

Towards the end of the year the president of the Federation, Eva Goreman, accuses the Chinese Empire of industrial espionage by asking publicly how a nation that produces 80% of its power by the antiquated means of nuclear fission could suddenly present a spaceship with a modified fusion drive. The governing Chinese dictator, Xu Derui, strictly rejects this accusation.

2141

The technical advances made in the field of nuclear fusion within the last years are also utilized in arms development. As a result, the Federation has manufactured large numbers of advanced hydrogen bombs. These set free a mind-boggling concentration of radioactivity combined with a huge explosive effect and a large impact radius. The new warheads are used by the Federation mainly for long-range cold fusion missiles.

February 11th, 2143

In the morning hours of February 11th the Starcruiser embarks on its first and last voyage. 3,000 colonists from all population strata of the Chinese Empire are aboard. The destination of this voyage is kept secret. So is the technology that was installed during the last six months to enhance the fusion drive.

February 13th, 2143

Two days following the launch of the Starcruiser the ship disappears from the screens of Imperial ground control. After a short search a Chinese flight squadron finds debris which probably originates from the Starcruiser.

February 14th, 2143

China accuses the Federation of being unable to accept the technological advancements of the Empire and implies that the Starcruiser was destroyed by a Federation fighter squadron for this reason. Hot-tempered Chinese dictator Xu Derui threatens the Federation with vengeance for the death of the 3,000 colonists.

February 15th, 2143

President Eva Goreman announces that the Federation is not interested in Chinese plans for colonization and that the states had never planned to sabotage them. Furthermore, she considers China's claims to a leading technological position arrogant and provocative. China could only rightfully claim this if they were in possession of detailed information on Federation technology. Has China, therefore, indirectly admitted to industrial espionage? Furthermore, Goreman announces that she deeply regrets the Starcruiser incident and expresses her condolences to the remaining relatives of the 3,000 colonists – although the destruction of the ship would seem to prove that the Empire has overestimated its own abilities.

February 16th, 2143

Xu Derui declares that further proof has been found for the presence of Federation fighters shortly before the disappearance of the Starcruiser near the last known position of the ship. Enraged, he once again threatens with vengeance.

That very day, Goreman announces that the Federation will no longer tolerate these repeated and unfounded threats.

February 17th, 2143, 06:40 a.m.

The sensors of a German radar station pick up three shadows above the English Channel, which are only visible for a few seconds.

February 17th, 2143, 06:58 a.m.

On a rainy morning in London, England, the city is suddenly bathed in a bright white light. Seconds later eight million people are dead.

February 17th, 2143, 07:45 a.m.

A meting of the crisis committee at Federation HQ, New York, is held. It is decided to tune the sensors of all radar installations to the frequencies of the German station which detected the missiles that destroyed London.

February 17th, 2143, 08:02 a.m.

Two Kerolin stealth missiles hit Berlin, Germany, and destroy the city. Since the sensors of the Federation satellites were aligned to the navigation frequency of the missiles, they were able to detect the missiles 40 seconds prior to impact. In addition, 27 other missiles approach other major Federation cities.

February 17th, 2143, 08:07 a.m.

With the SALT-17 treaty of 2104, both the Federation and the Empire had agreed neither to produce nor to launch any Kerolin stealth missiles. The deployment of this treacherous weapon by the Empire will now destroy all densely populated portions of the Federation within the next 20 minutes.

At 08:07 a.m., minutes prior to the total destruction of the Federation, President Eva Goreman gives the command to counter-strike with cold fusion long-distance missiles. 85 of these missiles are launched from Federation platforms, targeting Imperial cities. President Goreman and more than 90% of the Federation's population will not live to see the moment of impact.

February 17th, 2143, 14:00 p.m.

In the last six hours approximately 23 of 24 billion human lives have been eradicated.

End of February 2143

Triggered by the enormous detonations, volcanoes erupt, earthquakes ripple through the ruins of the cities, and the waters of giant flood waves mix with the blood of the fallen victims. Those still alive fear that this is the end of the world, and for most of them it will indeed be.

	Copyright 2006 ReaKKtor
	Permission from Nidhogg to Delphi