The second Ascension

Timeline

2144-2400

Within the following centuries, due to the unnatural tectonic activity, the face of planet Earth changes in a way that would have required millennia under normal circumstances. The North American continent appears to deviate to the east, while Europe drifts away from Asia. Africa and South America have for the most part sunk beneath the waves of the oceans – but for the eastern part of Africa, which splits from the rest of the continent and drifts northward, there to collide with South Asia.

Those few survivors of the war, the radiation, and the ensuing natural disasters form a new kind of ethnic human race. Trained by the ongoing escape from death and hardened by the fight against the overpowering forces of nature, small groups and tribes gather all over a planet slowly coming to rest.

Earth and mankind are now in a state comparable to the early Iron Age. Although some knowledge has been passed on over the generations, there is a lack of any kind of infrastructure that might help put this wisdom to good use. Technical devices surface sporadically from the debris, but people lack the knowledge to repair them. Only occasionally does a tribe gain possession of a functioning technical device, which then is enshrined and worshipped like some kind of deity. Most humans feed on vermin and other small animals. A few plants prove to be nourishing, as well.

~2480

Some tribes begin to trade goods with one another. In regions of less radiation tribes conduct farming and cattle-breeding. Metal-processing trades prosper in the heavily contaminated regions. People living in the latter territories have developed a higher resistance to radiation during the course of generations.

~2500

Some very few people gain electricity from water and wind power, using it to run primitive technical installations. Still, public power supply systems are non-existent.

~2510

The total population of Earth now amounts to approximately 800,000 human beings; 75% of them living in the northern hemisphere. The remembrance of World War III, which only lasted a few hours, has long since found its way into the lore and customs of tribes all over the world. In some tribes people talk about the cleansing white light, in others about the fires of the apocalypse and yet other tribes believe in the breath of the devil, which haunted the earth and banished the human race from paradise.

Although memories of the catastrophe which condemned mankind to its primitive state are kept alive by lore and customs, there are certain tribes that do not specialize in farming or cattle breeding, but in the art of war. On the one hand they raid prosperous tribes in order to obtain their goods and wealth; on the other hand they offer their fighting abilities to other, weaker tribes, giving them the opportunity to deal with unfriendly neighbors.

~2520

Two warlike tribes with strong leaders become widely known: the tribe of Crahn and the tribe of Thor. Both roam contaminated Earth in pursuit of wealth and power. While the people of Thor wander through the northwest of the nameless new continent, the tribe of Crahn has declared the east of the continent its territory. Both tribes gain size and remarkable influence over the years.

2523

While searching for minerals a patrol of the Crahn tribe discovers an entrance hitherto buried beneath rocks. Since they presume an ore mine to be within the cave, ten of the tribe's strongest men begin to excavate the entrance. After working for four solid days they discover a cathedral-sized passage that leads deep into the mountain. Upon clearing the way of all obstacles and venturing deeper into the mountain, the pioneers are dumbfounded by encountering other human beings.

They learn that these people have lived inside the mountain for countless generations, isolated from the outside world. Their ancestors had sought shelter from the forces of nature in the caves centuries ago. After the entrance to the caves had been buried, no other exit remained. A subterranean river supplied the troglodytes with water and food and thus they dwelled in the colossal underground caverns of the mountain range for centuries.

The skin of these people is hardly pigmented and they are extremely thin and lean of stature. They are bald and have big black eyes with virtually no white left. It seems that they don't communicate verbally and are all but blind.

When one of the warriors hits a cave dweller on the head just for fun, his companions witness the assailant being raised nine feet into the air by invisible hands prior to exploding! Afterwards two witnesses confirm that the eyes of the cave dweller glowed red during the incident.

From then on the cave dwellers are treated with great respect. They are led to Crahn, who is immediately fascinated by them. Since he assumes that one day his tribe will benefit from the powers of these people, he decides to admit the cave dwellers into his tribe.

Though they quickly learn to talk, the troglodytes nonetheless keep to themselves. Since they obviously possess telekinetic psi powers, the other tribe members call them Psi Monks.

2525

The tribe of Thor and that of Crahn meet at the Sea of Silence in the heart of the new continent. Both tribes claim the western shore for themselves, which leads to a grim battle eventually won by Crahn's people – through the help of the Psi Monks. Thor's people flee from Crahn's troops and regroup further westward.

2527

Because of the psionic powers at his command, Crahn believes himself invincible and follows Thor's troops. They reach Jeriko, the home town of Thor's people. In a bloody battle Thor's tribe is reduced to a few thousand men, for whom Crahn sets up a prison camp. Here, they are forced to perform heavy labor. One night, Thor and a group of about fifty fellow prisoners manage to escape from the ruins of the city he once ruled. They flee westwards, seeking refuge with the tribe of Ceres. Though Thor and Ceres have never been allies, they always tolerated each other peacefully. Ceres admits the exhausted men into his tribe. Since Ceres is aware of the considerable threat Crahn poses, he proposes an alliance to Thor.

The area around Jeriko, former home of Thor's people, is for the most part only irradiated to a minimal extent and lies strategically well-protected, situated slightly above a river's mouth. The Psi Monks suggest that Crahn build a mighty fortress atop the ruins of Jeriko in order to consolidate his power. Crahn, being the vain person he is, agrees. He declares construction of this fortress the beginning of a new era and therefore calls the fortress Neocron (Greek for: neo = new, cronos = time).

2533

Six years later Jeriko has disappeared. Where the people of Thor once lived, the mighty fortress of the new age is now situated: Neocron. It is ruled by Crahn and the Psi Monks.

2545

One day, Thor and Ceres hear about the arrival of a traveler from afar called Mecando. Curious about him, both leaders visit the outpost to meet Mecando. The old man tells them about the small tribes and their accomplishments, about heroic deeds and tragedies... and about Neocron, the huge fortress where nobody would offer him refuge.

One evening, as Mecando, Ceres, and Thor sit together, Mecando asks Ceres about the origin of his name. Ceres answers that his people once undertook an expedition to the north of the new continent. They advanced into a very cold and inhospitable area. The further they marched to the north, the more men froze to death or starved. When they finally decided to abort the expedition, they discovered the tomb of a great warrior. A huge rock overhang covered the entrance to the tomb and enormous steel doors sealed the tomb itself. The only part discernible from the outside was a black granite slab on which the word 'Ceres' could be read. Upon closer inspection the men also could make out the words 'Wisdom... Power...' and '...Knowledge...'. The rest of the engraved words had been worn away by the elements over time. Ceres presumed that a mighty tribal leader had been buried here. Since the tomb was apparently several hundred years old, he decided to help Ceres rise again by adopting his name. He hoped that by assuming the name of this northern tribal leader, the gods would give him the strength to lead the expedition home safely. And so, indeed, they did.

Mecando tells them that he has encountered the name 'Ceres' before in stories and myths, although he's unable to recall their exact content. But he is sure that there was no connection to any warrior or tribal leader, and he urges Ceres to lead him to the spot where the tomb lies. Ceres, aware of the dangerous terrain up north, is not too eager to give in to the old man. But Thor becomes curious and is prepared to lead an expedition to the tomb. The warnings of Ceres fall upon deaf ears and after he describes the way to the reputed tomb, Thor, Mecando, and a dozen tribesmen journey to the stark landscapes of the north.

2546

Thor's expedition has been underway for nearly eight months and has been reduced to as many men by the time they find the place Ceres told them about. Mecando is convinced that they must enter the tomb to unearth its secret. The men begin to breach the enormous steel doors, and when Thor and Mecando enter the depths of the 'tomb' they sense that nothing will ever again be as it was before their discovery.

And thus the people of Ceres come into possession of mankind's entire knowledge as of the 22nd century. For months, the tribe sages study the Ceres Project. They uncover specific instructions on how to erect workshops, factories, and power plants. Ceres orders a valley in the west to be sealed off and the scholars of his tribe begin to experiment with the newly discovered knowledge. Mecando becomes chief researcher and Thor is usually the first to test the new acquisitions. Since he never stopped dreaming about conquering Neocron and freeing his oppressed people, he urges Mecando to develop new weapons enabling him to accomplish this goal. Despite Ceres' doubts, Mecando is convinced by Thor to work on the development of new weapons.

2550

Of course, the discovery of the Ceres Project cannot be kept secret for long. By now, the monks of Crahn have established an excellent intelligence service. Many of the brightest and most agile citizens of Neocron have been recruited for the NSD (Neocron Security Department). The NSD succeeds in planting some of its members in the Ceres Project, who pass on information to Crahn’s followers. Crahn knows that in the event of war his people cannot come up with anything equivalent to this technological leap. Therefore, he orders the Psi Monks to initiate the elite of the NSD spies into psionic techniques, which will enable them to read the minds of the Ceres Project researchers.

The tribe of Crahn succeeds in acquiring large amounts of knowledge about the Ceres Project by utilizing these methods. However, the NSD spies are discovered and executed in the wake of a failed attempt to steal the Ceres discs. After this incident, only citizens and friends of Ceres' tribe are allowed to participate in the project.

2556

Ten years after the discovery of the project, Ceres decides to begin with the construction of an enormous city in the still sealed-off valley. He wants to realize all the theoretical knowledge gleaned from the Ceres discs in this city. Mecando advises him to encase the city in a protective dome of specially treated glass and steel in order to protect it from the deadly radiation. Ceres publicly announces his plans, and so the Dome of York becomes a legend long before its actual foundation is laid. But in Neocron things have changed, too: the people of Crahn have begun to put the newly acquired information to good use and are expanding the city. The buildings become bigger and grander with every year.

2557

On his deathbed Mecando passes the secret of a new weapon on to Thor. He calls it 'energy weapon' and explains that it does not shoot projectiles of solid matter, as do conventional firearms, but bundled energy. Mecando also tells him that he already has developed a prototype of this weapon and where it can be found.

Thor gives orders to press ahead with the development of this new weapon. He plans to distribute several hundred weapons among his men and to attack Neocron by the end of the year.

Ceres and Thor argue about this plan, with Ceres advising Thor to forget Jeriko and Neocron. Still, Thor is bent on freeing his people. Ceres threatens to abandon him if he won't discard this plan. But Thor mocks Ceres by saying that his men are the only warriors, anyway, and that the tribe of Ceres would be defenseless without him.