“Outer Limits,” she said, “is excited to reveal the details of its previously unspecified partnership with CORE.”
With that, the structure was unveiled. It was surreal, something out of Star Wars.
“A five-year, interplanetary mission to explore the Kuiper Belt will launch in the coming months. Ph.D. Bernard Hubert, founder of CORE, and a dear, lifelong friend, will captain the mission along with the following crew:
William Hunt, Mathematics
Godric Adams, Interplanetary Relations
Aubree Gates, History
Odin Tiberius King, Botany
Ilya O’Connell, Mechanical Engineering
Galena Hunter, Medical
Ava Auburn, Biology
Lily Parsons, Particle Physics
Conrad Roy, Tactical
Medina Karimov, Chemistry
Nawal Hawass, Linguistics
Marcus and Chelsea stared at the screen, then at each other. Neither would remember who said it before the shame came rushing through their veins. “Isaac built that.”
“At Outer Limits and throughout the W.C.,” Angelika On said, “we look forward to a bright future of exploration and advancement.”
She ended with a wildly uncharacteristic, wildly bright grin. She was still wearing it when she turned to Bernard and nearly collided with his. Six years of pain and doubt had been washed away by the pursuit of science, renewed trust, and the memory of a dear friend.
Bernard looked out across the ocean of faces, the abyss of rising arms and shouts, and said, “We’ll be happy to take your questions, now.”
THE JOURNEY CONTINUES IN
THE VOYAGE OF THE NOMAD
1 Ghost Squad Alpha
An unoffically recognized five person assassination squad for the World Council Peacekeeper Division. They can destabilize a regime on their own and are supposedly used to eliminate threats to the cohesion of the world nation.
2 Peacekeeper Division
The military branch of the World Council. They are responsible for maintaining order across Earth and are composed of military volunteers from every former nation.
3 Milspeak
The universal W.C. Peacekeeper communication, merged from the sign language of Morse code, English, Mandarin, and Arabic. The World Council needed to overcome initial language barriers between the merging armies of the world. Leveraging the newly-discovered farsights, deaf at birth humans with mind-boggling visual acuity, the Peacekeepers developed a new, silent communication system.
EARTH HISTORY
2020
Donald Trump is re-elected.
2023
Iran renegs on the nuclear deal, the United States reinstates sanctions.
2024
The US lands a woman on the south pole of the Moon.
2025
China lands a crew of three on the Moon.
2030
UN Outer Space Resource Treaty is ratified by 135 nations, creating framework for companies to “purchase” mining rites on celestial bodies. All purchases are evaluated by the UN.
2035
Savannah, GA is destroyed by category 5 Hurricane Tanya.
2038
Grayson Freedman (MIT undergrad), Candice Oliver (Harvard grad), and Aiden Alexander (Cal Tech post doc) found RNA Industries, with a focus on AI and advanced robotics.
2040
First time the term “Overheat Zones” is used, the populations of Phoenix and other southwest US cities begin to decline.
2041
The UN operated lunar base is established.
2042
Year round oil drilling begins in the Arctic Ocean.
2043
The Founders of RNA Industries begin philanthropic work and found the first three SETI Schools (Scientific Education Technological Institutes); Kepler, Hubble, and Jefferson.
2044
California passes driverless car tax incentive bill - Introduced by Ron Wolfenstein of Plato’s Inc.
2045
Rare earth metal shortages begin.
2047
B.E. yam crop is a carrier for a mutated GMO pathogen that wipes out staple crop harvests.
30 million people starve to death
2050
The first human colony is established on Mars
2052
Iron Corp is founded.
China, India, US, and Russia begin exploratory lunar mining missions.
Xio Industries by Xio Ping Fu leases the Paracel Islands from China, Vietnam, and Taiwan.
2056
Chinese experimental antimatter drive fails, destroys the Paracel Islands and generates a tsunami that wipes out Hanoi, Manilla, and Hong Kong, 117 million confirmed dead, 93 million missing.
Construction of sea wall around New York City begins.
2057
First time the term “Overheat Zones” is used, the UN commissions World Council Safety Board.
2058
Japan begins human operated automobile phase out over the next five years.
2059
US bans production of new fossil fuel powered automobiles. (sales dropped 90% since 2050)
2060
Iron Corp. begins full scale mining operation on the moon.
2061
RNA AI used in Plato’s Inc. recalled due to AI communication anomaly.
(One car told another other to save itself).
2062
Las Vegas suspends government services.
2063
Committee created by Outer Limits, Iron Corp, and RNA, funded by US government with unlimited resources, create first robot to pass a physical Turing test.
2064
Quincy Adams elected 53rd President of the United States.
2066
Euro crashes, flu pandemic begins with 5% mortality rate, EU borders are closed due to overwhelming refugee crisis.
2067
Quincy Adams calls for World Council Peace Board to create unified security council (US, Russia, China, France, and UK) troop alliance to manage refugee crisis.
2068
Lt. Conrad Roy deploys on the 8th Mars Colonization Mission.
2069
Russian spies assassinate UK Prime Minister, UK calls upon NATO allies to declare war on Russia, World War Three begins.
2070
US rolls out first AI robot troops to support their own with contained laser capability.
2071
UN International AI Warfare Ban Treaty fails ratification.
China secretly develops a weaponized digital AI to take over US AI troops.
2072
CLM (international AI Watchdog Terrorist, Activist, Hactivist, paramilitary group) is able to obtain information about Chinese AI weapon. Terrified of an impending Skynet, they operate a suicide mission to break into a Russian nuclear silo and launch a nuke at China to take out the AI facility with an explosion and EMP.
Light nuclear exchange occurs between all Atomic Nations, hundreds of missiles are fired. Earth’s military use every antimissile available to counter the attack with only 17 nukes reaching their target. Others are destroyed or detonate high in the atmosphere. Resulting EMPS disable all electronics on Earth. Satellite constellations are also targeted. The resulting debris field wipes out 60-70% of all satellites over the next year. Low earth satellites are destroyed, ionosphere is irradiated and significantly impedes signals from space for the next 8-10 years. 10 days before first power stations are restored.
Meltdown of two US nuclear power plants due to infrastructure disabling.
World War Three ends when Lt. Conrad Roy returns to Earth and uses the Mars ship Tyr to drop the US space station onto a three way naval battle occurring between China, Russia, and the US. This stops the fighting and a cease fire is called.
Quincy Adams hands power over to the World Council stating that nations were the problem – makes unilateral decision utilizing Congress being dead after Washington D.C. was destroyed in the nuclear excha
nge.
Sign of authority granted by US prompts Russia to quickly follow suit, 97% of remaining nations governments hand over power within 6 months.
Church of Latter Day Saints secede from US, deny legitimacy of W.C., and declare themselves the Kingdom of Deseret.
2073
W.C. rebuilding mission begins, reestablishing contact with areas cut off in the Darkness.
Resources allocated towards cleaning of orbital debris field and rebuilding of satellite constellations
when the sky clears.
First W.C. Space Symposium conducted – For Continuity of Technology.
2074
Marcus Medneon applies for W.C. business grant.
2075
Marcus Medneon Founds Space Oasis.
Isaac Hubert born.
2076
New Orleans officially abandoned by the W.C. after Category 5 Hurricane Marla results in a levee breaching storm surge, drowning the city.
2078
Atlantic Ocean ecosystem collapse, fish harvest drop by 95%.
2079
African Tuberculosis Epidemic.
2086
CERN Disaster.
2087
Lisa Hubert recruits for CORE, Lisa and Bernard Hubert found CORE.
June 10 2091
Sagan Test Launch.
August 2091
Bernard visits Angelika On in Iceland with a proposition.
September 2091
Bernard, William Hunt, and Isaac meet at Kepler.
October 2091
Dinner in Hastings, NY with Angelika, Godric, Bernard, and William.
November 2091
Bernard, Ava, Galena and Lisa have dinner.
January 2091
Medina recruited from Kazakhstan.
GALACTIC TIMELINE
91-45 Million Turns Ago
The Builders
The oldest known sentient race in the Melkeveien (Milky Way) Galaxy - they created the Warpgate System: An ancient advanced race invented a way to warp spacetime to movefaster than light. However, for this warp technology to work it required machinery placed through space, like a railroad for the ship to travel upon. Automated sublight ships were sent throughout the galaxy laying the groundwork over half a million turns. Through this exploration, The Builders discovered many other planets with civilizations. When completed, The Ijusväg (path of light) spanned across the galaxy connecting every planet upon which intelligent life lived. An alliance of alien races ruled in peace. Once, this grand consortium of planets traded with each other, built monuments, created art, and disappeared. Their demise is unknown. There are no signs of war. It is suspected that the entire civilization suddenly decided to leave this galaxy for another.
45-20 Million Turns ago
The First Dark Era
There is no known record of interplanetary communication during this time. The Dragsan, Anduuzil, Valkon, Fandaxians, Baleen, Metra, Rakilla, Ulron, and Droteans all evolve concurrently, all on planets with Warpgates in their star system.
Xaraka is destroyed by a black hole and becomes the remnant planet XXX, travelling through the galaxy.
20-19 Million Turns Ago
The Discovery Era
Sentient races expand slowly at sublight to adjacent systems. First Contact occurs occasionally. Civilizations are aware that the Builders came before them but are unable to manipulate their technology. This age abruptly ended when a new group of aliens called the Legkaart rose, invented space travel, and discovered the Ijusväg. Eventually they discover how to use the path of light and begin to explore the galaxy using the Builder Warpgates. Some planets they settle on and others they encounter intelligent races.
19-9 Million Years Ago
The Classical Galactic Era
The galaxy is reconnected via the Builder Warpgates. In time control of the Warppaths was key to control of the galaxy. Many empires rose and fell for the next several hundred thousand turns. Eventually, thousands of worlds join together in The Cooperative which existed peacefully for millions of years. This included the Dragsan, Anduuzil, Valkon, Fandaxian, Baleen, Metra, Rakilla, Ulron, and Drotean. Technology was mighty, but FTL was dependent on technology that could not be replicated. In time sublight expansion could not keep up with population and the Cooperative rifted over fights for resources. A galactic spanning war followed in which billions died. This era ended in an endgame device being activated that created a vast self replicating machine army that destroyed many civilizations near the center of the galaxy. Devouring entire planets, and using the Warppaths to move from place to place, it left one option. Sacrificing themselves, entire armies first destroyed some paths, trapping themselves and the robots in a certain portion of space. This bought time for the remaining worlds to band together to build the Wave. It was a pulse weapon that would travel through the galaxy, spread along the Warpgate paths destroying all the robots, and the Warppaths too. It was a pyrrhic victory. Technology across the center of the mapped galaxy was wiped out, frying out robots, ships, and entire planetary infrastructures to ensure no machines escaped. Almost all planets supporting complex life experienced a sudden and total loss of technology which wiped out the resources needed to maintain an operable space program.
9-8.6 Million Turns Ago
The Second Dark Era
All of the major Warpgate hubs are destroyed, so use of the Ijusväg is extremely limited and only in small jumps. Power drain from systemic system damage eventually takes all remaining gates down. Mass die off of 90% of sentient life: Trillions are stranded and any planets that were not destroyed by the machine army, were caught in The Wave, faced massive starvation, and being flung back to a pre interstellar age. Planets that did survive with their civilizations intact usually had large agricultural aspects of their infrastructure. A great dying and wars on many worlds reduced countries to rubble, and natives huddled in the ruins of their once grand cities.
Outer sections of the survived through this twilight era. The outer rim maintained a loose contact,
but that slowly degraded over time. Signals continue to be sent at lightspeed between worlds, and occasionally, subluminal ships do traverse between planetary systems of relatively close distance. One by one, planets retract from trade and consolidate themselves; some lose to infighting. Knowledge of
the existence of other worlds is not lost, but the destruction of much of the trade eventually prompts
some worlds to invade others. Without an overarching government, there is little that can be done if one group has military superiority. Communication between stellar clusters ceases. The end of this time period fades into a long dark period of each, individual world having to fend for itself.
8.5-8.2 Millions Turns Ago
The Reclamation Era
A nearby star to Draumur, a terraformed world, goes supernova. Forced to flee their planet, too far from another world, and with not enough time for generation ships to escape; the Dramurians discover flowspace. They arrive at Zesperana, having sent messages ahead of time, and asked for refuge in exchange for knowledge of the flowspace drive. With FTL, intelligent life spreads throughout the galaxy, finding thousands of old and new worlds and species, most outside of the Warpgate system.
8.2 Million Turns Ago
Formation of the GSA
Nine planet’s civilizations endure from the Classical Era; the Dragsan, Anduuzil, Valkon, Fandaxian, Baleen, Metra, Rakilla, Ulron, and Drotean. The Metra write the TAOTA “The Accords Of The Alliance” and propose a new galactic government. Together, the nine species ratify the TAOTA and form the GSA, the Galactic Star Alliance.
Sometime among the first turns of expansion and recruitment, there are several miscalculations by the Dept of First Contact, and aggressive species are given the tools to break free. These species are eliminated by the GSA, rather than have their credibility tarnished. The events are removed from all records, and any invaded planets are memory wiped by hard chemicals.
8.1-6.8 Mil
lion Turns Ago
The GSA rapidly expands its memberships and establishes an interstellar infrastructure.
The Udari, a vastly intelligent silicon based species, are discovered and quickly die from a disease contracted from GSA members.
Beyond Kuiper: The Galactic Star Alliance Page 31
