History of the Galaxy II

[Dead Meat]

"To write history one must be more than a man, since the author who holds the pen of this great justiciary should be free from all pre-occupation of interest, or of vanity."
Napoleon Bonaparte, 1769-1821

Timeline of the Terran Confederation

2028:
The United Nations, lead by the United States, begins work on terraforming Mars and Venus. Mars will be terraformed by using recently discovered water trapped in the polar ice caps. By causing a greenhouse effect, they hope to melt the ice and improve the environment to something suitable for Humans. A plan using microbes on Venus is thought up by the “think tanks” in the U.N.. Both ideas caused much concern with the other members of the U.N., nonetheless the plan proceeds on schedule and in 2043, two shuttles are launched, one carrying a large nuclear warhead to hopefully cause a chain-reaction on Mars. The other is sent to Venus with modified microbes. But no one knows how long it would take before the planets where ready. People soon forgot about it and the programs funding is cut.

2060:
The Middle Eastern League (MEL) is formed. While the Alliance is meant to make peace in the region, there is still conflict between the member nations. Though the League does bring benefits to its members, mainly income and weapons. The African nations are slowly brought into the League, either through peaceful negotiations or “negotiations” of another kind.

2068:
The Middle Eastern League withdraws from the United Nations. Seeing the League as a threat the United States, United Kingdom, and other NATO members, they ratify the NATO treaty to allow other nation the chance to join. Both Russia and China (which now controls all of the Asian, India and Pakistan) refuse to join; however the nations of South America, Japan and the Oceanic Nations (Australia, New Zealand, and the islands North of them) join. The United Nations is disbanded.

2070:
Tensions between the Middle Eastern League and a new alliance between China and Russia have sparked a new cold war, which turns into a hot war this time. Peace is broken when the Russian-Chinese Alliance (RCA) President is assassinated by an unknown Middle Eastern fraction. The RCA moves quickly against the Middle Eastern League to secure oil and fleet bases. RCA losses are heavy thanks the League’s new weapons and training. However the League cannot hold out against the millions of RCA troops and conscripts indefinitely, Russian and Chinese troops reach the Suez Canal by early winter 2075. Israel and Turkey are not attacked for fears of bring NATO on the League’s side.

However the Alliance’s supply lines are stretched thin and loses have meant that the RCA must pause in its attack into Africa. This gives time for the League’s retreating troops, who in February 2076 launch a nuclear counter attack against the RCA holding the Suez Canal and break though with little restance. NATO and the RCA are appalled by the use of nuclear weapons. The RCA however dose not respond in kind against the League. League is able to reclaim Saudi Arabia and Jordan by 2085 but things settle into an uneasy stalemate as RCA reinforcements and NATO missile defense arrive on the front lines, but are unable to make any gains. The MEL launches two more nuclear attacks in 2099 and again in February 2100. NATO’s Depleted Uranium Satellite (DUS) based cannons stop all of the first attack, but was unable to stop all of the second attack. Five missiles got into rang of their intended targets. This time though, the targets where not military, and landed on heavily populated cities. The Russian-Chinese Alliance, appalled at the nearly 100 million dead, wounded and missing, launched their own strikes against the MEL who had only ground bases missile defenses.

2100:
After the exchange of nuclear weapons both sides where unable, nor willing, to continue the war. The death toll from the 30 Year War had caused nearly 500 million dead or wounded. The famine, radiation sickness and other means would kill another 50 million in a decade. A cease-fire was order (and would be enforced if need be) by NATO in 2100 after the RCA launched its reprisal attack. A peace treaty was singed on April 2003; each side would be allowed to keep any land (or what remained of it) taken during the war.

2163:
Tensions had eased sense the 30 Year War to where the 3 Super Powers had stared working together on joint projects. One of these projects was the exploration of the solar system. While the United States had used Ion Engines in the late 1990s and early 2000, it wasn’t until 2163 when the Canadians discovered a new and improved Ion Engine. This improved engine was not only faster, lighter and cheaper, it also provided much more thrust. Space was now in easy reach.

2165:
Exploration of the Solar system was complete. Families relocated, governments worked together, mankind prospered. The moon was fully colonized on 2175 and became a short of international territory. No one nation had full rights to it; all owned an equal share. Small settlements started popping up on the moons of Jupiter and Saturn around this time. All seemed to be going well, their seemed no reason for anything to be different. No one had any reason to think that all that would change.

Sense the moon was an international territory, weapons where not permitted to be built or brought in. All weapon research was banded. The police forces used non-lethal weapons to keep peace if needed. One nation however got around this rule by researching a new power supply to replace the old nuclear power planets used on the moon. It is not know which government or corporation was developing this Tectonic Power Supply, but on December 2179 something went wrong. One second all was peaceful, the next, Earth’s moon was simply a growing ball of plasma and rock which rained down on its bigger brother.

2190:
In the end, after the falling rock destroyed cities, after the tsunamis sweep away homes and families, after starvation and disease tore through the survivors, only a little more than 1 billion people remained on earth.

But Humanity had recovered quickly from what is called the Lunaris Caducum. Some countries where harder hit than other some, like the countries of the Oceania, where completely destroyed. Countries that where once considered Super Powers where now dependent on others to help feed their population. One country, however, stood out among the new Super Powers.

2200 to 2350:
One of these new Super Powers was the Confederation of Canada. Least hit by the Global tsunamis and used to harsh living condition, they quickly help those in the United States whose infrastructure and food supply was destroyed. If the Confederation of Canada could quickly get the farmlands and high-tech factories of the Unites States up to speed they themselfs would stand a chance of surviving. By 2215 enough food and goods where coming out of the now Canadian lead United States and South America that they started exporting supplies to other countries through out the world.

In 2225 The Confederation of Canada’s influence reach throughout the Globe. People where feed by food grown in South America, clothed by textiles made in The United States, and lived in cities that we built with money from others.

In 2256 much of the world was like it was before the Lunaris Caducum ("Death of the Moon"). Humanity was once again a high-tech society thanks to the research and school programs that the Canadians had developed. But Canada once against started to take a back seat in its roll that it played. While some nation once again started to explore space. Canada was content to offer help when needed. The United States started once again to assert its self. They sent mission to explore the old colonies of Earth. There was no need to visit the colonies in the outer planets though, for those had long ago died off when support from Earth stopped, all that remained of them where the domed building and computer banks.

But then a discovery was made in 2303. A report from one of the Middle Eastern nations said that both Mars and Venus where suitable for living. In fact they where near earthlike conditions. It seemed to good to be true everyone wanted an equal claim on the new planets and all agreed to do so. But old habits died hard. With the possibility of two new worlds to be colonized fighting broke out between the 3 major Power Blocks and their satellite in 2305.

While this time no one used nuclear weapons millions still died in the fierce fighting. It seemed however that while the Canadians where once content to stay out of things, they had not been idle. While the other super powers where fighting over land they have never been to, the Confederation of Canada had been building up its military, and making great gains in research. On 2349 Canada flexed its muscles, it told the various nations that they must stop their attacks. That the ways of the past where no longer acceptable for dealing with their problems, mankind should no longer be separated but united, such as they where during the Lunaris Caducum.

They did not listen; Canada enforced its policy instead. In little more than a week, they had destroyed the armies of North American League. Within a month they had defeated all of the opposition.

On 2350 the Earth had only one undisputed super power: The Confederation of Canada. Canada’s hope became Earth hope.

2355 to 2400:
Clean up of the Final war was complete. The Power blocks of old where still allowed to keep governing their people, yet where not allowed to keep a military, only police officers to keep the peace. Protection from their neighbors would be guaranteed by another, for a new government was being formed. Hundreds of years ago the United Nations helped enforced peace between nations, however their where many problems with it. This was to change.

In 2360 the Confederation of Canada made an announcement; it no longer existed. Instead it became the Terran Confederation. The Terran Confederation would enforce the peace on Earth. It would however not be a dictator ship. The President would have his or her job for life, but the governments of Earth and its colonies would have am equal, but limited say. "Together", the new President of the Terran Confederation said, "Humanity would grow and would expand to the stars."

Now forty years after the founding of the Terran Confederation, and the death of its first President, Humanity was ready to leave Earth.

[ October 02, 2002, 00:56: Message edited by: Dead Meat ]