1.4.1977: USA launches Voyager 2 into deep
space
1.3.2000: Y2K revelations
Billions of people notice that the so called
Y2K-problem doesn't affect their lives in any way. Several lawsuits have
been filed against software giants who scared consumers into buying new
operating systems for their computers by exaggerating the problems Y2K
would bring.
11.9.2012: Russian revolution
Communist revolution sweeps across Russia. Dissatisfaction
with the government's actions concerning economical issues lead to violent
outburst and riots throughout the nation.
11.9.2013: Soviet States of Russia (SSR) formed
All former Soviet Union states agreed to join
the Soviet States of Russia, a new union of communist countries.
11.9.2016: Construction of a fusion power plant
started
The first commercial fusion power plant started
in the US city of Medford.
1.11.2019: New propulsion system announced
A russian scientist, Dmitri Rybjev experiments
a new fusion-based propulsion system; far more powerful than anything before.
23.3.2026: First man on Mars
Space exploration took a major leap forward on
this day, when Juri Gagarjev, a russian cosmonaut successfully landed on
Mars after only 1 month of travel.
14.7.2038: Cold war escalates
A nuclear arms crisis in Finland raises tension
between SSR and NATO as Finland agrees accept NATO's military base with
12 nuclear missile silos.
9.2.2040: UN influence grows
In order to put a quiet end to cold war all United
Nations members agree to surrender all their means of political decision
making under direct supervision of the UN. SSR opposes and is left out
of the new United Nations.
28.6.2044: Internet is shut down
As many continue to criticize grown UN influence,
the UN council advises global internet shutdown in order to "secure governmental
interests".
4.1.2071: A new basic element discovered
A Danish scientist finds a new basic element
from Greenland meteorite crash site. 112th basic element was found to be
extremely stable and possibly very, very useful. It was named Dilithium.
31.10.2078: Dilithium found to be of extreme
importance
United Nation's Project Dilithium scientists
found out, that dilithium could actually be the key to faster-than-light
travel. This information was kept a secret.
9.6.2091: SSR Faster-than-light engine test
craft launched
Surprisingly enough, Soviet States of Russia
was the first nation to test a faster-than-light spacecraft. Test craft,
Rybjev 3, was the first craft to exceed lightspeed, but the test was largely
considered a failure since the craft was destroyed in a massive explosion
when it's speed exceeded 1.2c (360000km/s).
2.4.2102: Inertia dampening field
UN science department announces an inertia-dampening
field, which allows passengers to be onboard FTL flights without dying
of massive 125000G acceleration required to reach 1C in four minutes.
9.2.2107: Project Alpha Centauri started
A group of colonists left the Earth on sublight
speed fusion-propulsion drive craft U.S.S. Explorer. Their destination:
Alpha Centauri star system.
3.1.2111: Project Alpha Centauri ends
Contact with colonist ship U.S.S. Explorer is
lost after four years of travel.
19.1.2113: FTL research continues
No ship has been able to exceed the mystical
speed limitation of 1.2 times the speed of light. Dilithium reserves on
Earth are almost depleted.
18.9.2119: New space-time theory
A faster-than-light test flight by an SSR craft
at exact zero gravity point between Earth and Moon accidentally sends the
ship to a location over 22 lightyears from Earth, into another star system.
New form of FTL travel is found to be extremely dilithium-efficient and
fast, although it is tied between certain points in the time-space continuum.
24.2.2122: Dilithium found from several star
systems
Commercial dilithium mining is started. Several
companies rival over dilithium claims. Two interstellar corporations, Hex
Optimum Inc. and Microspace Corp., rise above others. They become the two
major players in quickly growing business of commercial dilithium mining
and processing. A couple of armed conflicts erupt between the two, but
these are erased from the official records as "unfortunate but unavoidable".
31.5.2128: United Nations Space Forces
UN forms it's own space navy in order to look
after it's own interests in the dilithium business. Due to enormous amounts
of resources at UN's disposal the United Nations Space Forces (UNSF) expands
into most powerful space navy yet (UNSF's craft 125000 million tons vs.
SSR's mere 89100) in one year.
30.6.2132: Mezen prime found
An SSR deep-space ship finds first Earth-like
habitable planet from Mezen twinstar system. SSR starts immediate colonization
stating the planet as "Our haven, a place away from UN tyranny"
17.4.2169: SSR assimilated
After several political clashes between UN and
the SSR, United Nation's council advises UNSF to forcefully assimilate
Soviet States of Russia into a part of United Nations "for common welfare".
20.4.2169: Soviet States of Mezen formed
Most of SSR's political leaders are captured,
but remaining few manage to flee to Mezen Prime. Soviet States of Russia
is renamed Soviet States of Mezen.
2.1.2182: UN Space Monopoly Edict
UN bureau of Earth declares all faster-than-light
travel, with an exception of UNSF and UNSF supervised traffic, prohibited
and punishable. UN grants two largest multistellar giant corporations,
Microspace and Hex-Optimum, sole rights to mine dilithium.
Covered in StarFight III - Within
the Darkness:
1.4.2197: Voyager 2 returns
Press all over the world is amazed by sudden
appearance of Voyager 2 on Earth's orbit. Scientist responsible of studying
the probe, professor Albert von Braun is infected by an alien organism
hidden inside it.
2.4.2197: Sudden attack by an unknown enemy
Using the Voyager 2 as their homing beacon an
invading alien fleet attacks Earth's orbital defenses. Albert Von Braun
hampers UNSF efforts by helping the aliens to destroy UN flagship, NCC
Freedom.
10.4.2197: Victory
Alien mothership is sucked into another dimension
by an experimental Black Hole Device. All alien forces retreat and this
mysterious shape-shifting race vanishes. UNSF is victorious. War was very
short and ended into a surprising victory. Vast majority of people falsely
believe, that UNSF just beat the crap out of the invaders.
Covered in StarFight IV - Legacy:
12.3.2198: NCC Exquisite is lost
NCC Exquisite, UNSF's newly-built flagship vanishes
on it's maiden voyage. Ship's captain, a finnish long-term diplomat Pertti-Antero
Sillanköykäys is blamed for the incident.
17.3.2198: Captain Sillanköykäys
returns to Earth
Exquisite's captain, Pertti-Antero Sillanköykäys
returns to Earth with an amazing story. He tells the press about an UNSF's
attempts to cover-up project Alpha Centauri, that the real goal of the
project was to investigate a wormhole. He also claims that all participants
were prisoners and were never meant to return Earth. UNSF declines everything,
and due to lack of evidence the whole thing blew over.
Covered in StarFight V - Hell's
Gate:
1.4.2199: Hell's Gate system is discovered
While attempting to study the Alpha Centauri
wormhole UNSF science vessel
DNS Watcher discovers a jump point
near Earth, which leads into a previously unknown star system, over 200
million lightyears from Sol-system. The 3rd planet of this "Hell's Gate"
system is found to be by far the best yet known source of dilithium ever.
6.4.2199: UNSF studies Hell's Gate III
UN announces Hell's Gate III's dilithium supply
to exceed all expectations. The planet consists of 5% pure dilithium, it
contains more than thousand times all the dilithium ever mined.
8.4.2199: SSM gains control of Hell's Gate
III
A huge SSM fleet arrives at the jump point near
Earth. They claim, that the greatest discovery of all mankind cannot be
allowed to fall under UN tyranny. All UNSF ships heading for Hell's Gate
III are forced to turn back.
9.4.2199: UNSF attacks SSM fleet
Without a warning a large UNSF force attacks
the SSM fleet. A huge battle ensues, and both sides suffer enormous losses.
More than a quarter of million lives are lost, but the SSM is victorious.
12.4.2199: UNSF attacks continue
UNSF puts more pressure to the SSM fleet. UNSF
ships manage to flee into the Hell's Gate system and form a base there.
1.1.2210: Dilithium War continues
After fighting each other for 11 years no UNSF
nor SSM show any signs of surrendering - war continues.
6.12.2219: Conclusion
Both sides have lost more than 200 million lives
fighting each other, so it is no longer considered an option. Dilithium
is divided, SSM gets all known dilithium sources except for Hell's Gate
III. Earth is a ruin, all resources consumed by UNSF's war efforts.
(events of StarFight
V - Hell's Gate begin here)
4.1.2223: Beginning of the end
After three years of peace things begin to heat
up. An unidentified ship attacks UNSF's orbital prison outpost in the Beta
Orionis system. Nearby SSM ships rush to respond outpost's distress signal
are mistaken as attackers, and UNSF declares a full-scale war against the
SSM. UNSF seems to easily overcome all opposing SSM forces with their new
mysterious Obliterator-class warships.
7.1.2223: Dread. Wyoming defects
The dilithium-war flagship of the UNSF fleet
dreadnought Wyoming defects to SSM. Commanded by a respected UNSF
veteran officer, captain Viktor Zyraki. Zyraki claims that the war has
been deliberately started by the UNSF. With him is the best fighter pilot
galaxy has ever known, 1st lieutenant James Egg.
12.1.2223: UNS Decapitator captured
SSM captures one Obliterator-class battleship
from the UNSF. Chief of the science team studies it and gives her now-legendary
report: Frankly this ship both fascinates
and frightens me. I know this might sound crazy, but there's ninety-nine
percent possibility, that UNS Decapitator is of alien origin! On
the very same day all Obliterator-class ships start to systematically eliminate
all human life, SSM and UNSF alike. In just two days Earth and Mezen prime
are both bombed to stone-age by the overwhelming alien force.
14.1.2223: The truth
A UNSF spy onboard Dread. Wyoming gives himself
in. He tells that the Obliterator ships are all controlled by a master
AI on the Hell's Gate III. Apparently the AI went crazy after UNSF tried
to control it using a computer virus. In the final battle James Egg destroys
the AI-complex on surface of Hell's Gate III, and all Obliterator class
ships come to a halt. Mankind prevails, but at what cost...
Onto the StarFight VI - Gatekeepers...
31.12.2224: Excavation on new year's eve
After the radiation is gone James Egg and a group
of scientists begin to excavate the ruins of the alien AI-complex. Slowly
they manage to bring the gigantic computer on-line without re-activating
UNSF's virus. Computer calls itself "the Center". It teaches Egg how to
interface with itself.
12.9.2229: Location of Hell's Gate system is
confirmed
James Egg manages to pinpoint the location of
Hell's Gate star system, whose distance to Earth was earlier measured to
be 200M lightyears or more - it's located in empty space between galaxies
NGC5832 and NGC205. Exact distance to Earth is 237 Mly, which makes it
by far the furthest star system known to man.
24.8.2230: New beginning
James Egg returns home. Earth is rebuilt from
scratch with Egg's vast knowledge of advanced alien technology. A new alliance
is formed to keep peace and order in the politically insecure situation.
It is named the Alliance of New Beginning (ANB) and James Egg is elected
as the president. Massive shipments of dilithium from Hell's Gate III are
continued.
3.2.2241: Egg's sanity...
After 10 years James Egg retires from his post.
Surprisingly he declares that the Alliance of New Beginning is doomed if
the dilithium shipments from Hell's Gate star system aren't stopped immediately
and a hyperspace blockade generator built to seal the jump point. Earth
leaders immediately decline to Egg's demands.
4.7.2241: Protective hand
James Egg disappears from the public, and moves
to Hell's Gate III. He begins construction of a massive fleet of warships
on the last operational shipyard orbiting Hell's Gate III. Instead of adopting
UNSF's Obliterator designs, he follows instructions given to him by The
Center.
26.9.2241: Order of Light
James Egg demonstrates the awesome power of his
new fleet by destroying the Hell's Gate III shipyard. With many of his
loyal followers he forms a new organization, the Order of Light. Egg claims
that it's purpose is to protect Earth from "those who move in the darkness".
Order begins to build a hyperspace disruptor generator near the Hell's
Gate jump point. Order of Light allows ANB traffic to Hell's Gate system,
but issues a warning that any ship attempting to intervene with construction
of hyperspace distruptor generator will be shot down without a warning.
12.1.2263: Those who move in the darkness
At 0200 hours, container transporter Microspace
Iron Curtain comes trough the Hell's Gate jump point into Sol system
and explodes in a brilliant flash of light. Incidentally, old man James
Egg witnesses the dramatic destruction of Iron Curtain. Startled,
believing his prophecies are finally turning into reality, Egg engages
Order's massive hyperspace disruptor generator effectively preventing the
usage of Hell's Gate jump point.
Just a few minutes earlier Alliance of New Beginning
had lost contact with all facilities and spacecraft located in the Hell's
Gate system. Situation seems clear: Order has attacked. After twenty years
of bitter waiting, ANB finally has a valid reason to make a stand. On the
very same day, Alliance senate votes for a Declaration of war against Order
of Light.
Once again, world is at war.