Apollo – the first of the Ten, a series of massive generation ships – departs for an identified Gaia world.
History of Union
Before Union
6000 BU 0 BU
The Fall of Old Humanity
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6000bu
Apollo Launches
Technological achievement -
5800bu
Apollo Landfall
Technological achievementApollo confirms landfall and establishment of a colony on the planet Karrakis; sequential launches of the next nine ships begin thereafter.
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5000bu
Ecological Collapse
Geological / environmental eventCatastrophic ecological collapse marks the end of the Anthropocene epoch via irreversible mass extinction and climate change. Historians typically identify this as the point at which the Fall became inevitable for Old Humanity.
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4900bu
Āyāt Departure
Technological achievementThe last of the Ten, Āyāt, departs for the stars.
-
4900-150bu
Dark Age
ExtinctionA dark age. The human population of Cradle (formerly Earth) falls from a peak of around 15 billion to less than 500,000 humans. All contact with the Ten ceases.
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150bu
Massif-A Discovery
Scientific achievementThe discovery on Cradle of Massif-A, the first of several pre-Fall vaults, prompts global societal rejuvenation. Additional vaults are identified using data preserved inside , and extant powers race to control them.
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53bu
Little Wars Begin
Military: WarThe Little Wars begin – a polarity struggle between Cradle's major powers fueled by the discovery of the Vaults. The accumulation of regional conflicts that followed hurled Cradle into a global war.
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0 bu
Union Established
Diplomatic actionThe conclusion of the Little Wars leads to the founding of Union and the establishment of the First Committee of Union (FirstComm; retroactively named by the Second Committee).
Foundation Period
0 BU 2000 U
The Rise of New Humanity
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0 U
Union Established
Diplomatic actionThe conclusion of the Little Wars leads to the founding of Union and the establishment of the First Committee of Union (FirstComm; retroactively named by the Second Committee).
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1400 U
Union Space Program Founded
Scientific achievementLong-range communications systems are reactivated, enabling the recovery of countless archived, Fall-age SOS transmissions. The Union Space Program (USP) is announced shortly thereafter.
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1430 U
Luna Landing
Technological achievementA USP expedition lands on Cradle’s moon, Luna, and reactivates ancient installations, including the Theseus shipyard.
-
1450 U
Interstellar Travel Commences
Population Migration / TravelThe first Nearlight-class interstellar ships – based on plans preserved in the Massif vaults and built using Theseus – are launched, seeking Gaia worlds identified in legacy star charts.
-
1700 U
1998 U
Repopulation
Population Migration / TravelExpansion within Cradle takes place. Union mounts expeditions across the worlds and moons of the Cradle system, repopulating old stations, installations, and colonies.
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1998 U
Recontact Made
Cultural eventThe USP Anthem, a Nearlight C.8 vessel associated with the Boundary Garden mission, reports first contact with distress beacons from two of the Ten – the Rihla and the Armstrong – and those descended from their original crews: the Aunic peoples, organized under the Aun Ecumene on a nearby habitable world.
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2000 U
Oracle Chorus Discovered
Scientific achievementThe Oracle Chorus, or Bicameral Minds, installation is discovered under the Vastitas Borealis of Mars. The installation is reactivated, and the Five Voices – advanced machine minds capable of predicting the future with nearperfect precision – are identified. This creates the foundations for what would later become Forecast/ Galactic Simulation.
First Expansion Period
2001 U 2997 U
Recontact and Fall of FirstComm
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2001 U
Reintegration Begins
Era beginning/endSeveral Old Human colonies are discovered beyond Cradle – some derelict, others inhabited. The Union Administrative Department (UAD) is created to oversee interstellar expansion efforts and the reintegration of all rediscovered exclaves.
-
2800 U
Contact with the New Federation
Diplomatic action -
2880 U
First Distal War
Military: WarDiplomatic friction between the Aunic peoples and Union colonies in Boundary Garden leads to the First Distal War. Hardline Anthrochauvinist elements in Union launch PISTON-1 – a mass “shotgun”-style kinetic strike – toward Aunic space. The First Committee is dissolved, replaced by the Second Committee (SecComm).
Neo-Anthropocene Period
2998 U 3199 U
-
2998 U
MONIST-1 Manifested
Metaphysical / Paranormal eventDuring the course of a forecast iteration, the Five Voices manifest MONIST-1 (also known as “RA”). MONIST-1 is retroactively classified as the first Non-Human Person.
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3000 U
Deimos Event
Metaphysical / Paranormal eventMONIST-1 ascends, bringing about the Deimos Event – the complete disappearance of Deimos from known space. The study of paracausal science becomes possible. The disparate ships, shuttles, and force organizations of the USP are reorganized into the Union Navy.
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3002 U
First Contact Accords Signed
Diplomatic actionThe First Contact Accords are signed in negotiations with MONIST-1 following the Siege of Mars. The concept of “non-human persons” is defined and applied to the anomalous machine minds left behind. The shackling process is developed to constrain NHPs.
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3130 U
3200 U
Blinkspace Identified
Scientific achievementBlinkspace is identified and pierced. The technology to create blink fields is developed, and the first blink station is built. The UAD is dissolved and replaced with the Union Colonial Mission (UCM).
Second Expansion Period
3200 U 4599 U
-
3200 U
4599 U
Second Expansion Period
Population Migration / TravelThe Second Expansion Period begins, as the Second Committee begins a massive, Unionwide colonization and expansion effort throughout the Orion Arm of the galaxy. The blink network is grown through rapid construction of gates, and billions of colonists are sent out to tens of thousands of worlds over this time. This period represents the single largest movement of human life in recorded history.
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4500 U
4560 U
Hercynian Crisis
Military actionThe Hercynian Crisis. During the course of the conflict, the efficacy of hardsuits and mechanized chassis (“Mechs”) is demonstrated. Union’s state manufacturer, General Massive Systems, begins galaxy-wide production of mechanized chassis.
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4560 U
4591 U
Civil War
Military: WarMounting discontent with the great expansion, the growing need to address PISTON-1, and the acute criminality of the Hercynian Crisis boil over into widespread popular revolution across Cradle and some Galactic Core worlds. Union is gripped by civil war.
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4591 U
4600 U
Third Committee Born
FoundingThe remaining Central Committee members of the Second Committee agree to terms of surrender in 4591u. A new stable government is formed in 4600u: the Third Committee (ThirdComm). The Union Colonial Mission is immediately dissolved and the Union Administrative Department is reconstituted. Expansion is halted. In 4600, Harrison I and a number of loyalists flee to Ras Shamra and establishes Harrison Armory.
Third Committee Period
4591 U and beyond
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4591 U
4600 U
Third Committee Born
FoundingThe remaining Central Committee members of the Second Committee agree to terms of surrender in 4591u. A new stable government is formed in 4600u: the Third Committee (ThirdComm). The Union Colonial Mission is immediately dissolved and the Union Administrative Department is reconstituted. Expansion is halted. In 4600, Harrison I and a number of loyalists flee to Ras Shamra and establishes Harrison Armory.
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4630 U
The Interest War
Military: WarHarrison Armory and the Karrakin Trade Baronies engage in the Interest War; Union acts as a neutral party, ultimately securing peace. Harrison I returns to Cradle and faces justice in exchange for the Armory’s continued sovereignty; the Baronies agree to become a member state of Union.
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5000 U
Second Distal War
Military: WarThe presence of an Aunic crusade fleet in Boundary Garden is confirmed. For the first time, a blink gate is lost to hostile state actions. The Second Distal War begins.
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5016 U
Lancer
Military actionThe year in which the events of Lancer take place.