Notes: (EY=Earth Year; AS=After Starfall)
EY2013 Scientists in Scotland discover a section of the galaxy in which three Sol-like stars are found in close proximity to each other.
EY2021 Members of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the United States of America build and successfully launch from the International Space Station a ship that can reach near light speed while protecting its passenger (a monkey named Murry.) Murry makes a trip to Jupiter and back in 20 minutes.
EY2054 Overpopulation and political unrest makes the end of civilized Earth seem imminent. In a united effort, the International Lottery was established to save some of the human race from extinction.
EY2054 Construction of 24 generational starships is begun. Designated ARKs, these ships will carry 2 million people each to one of the three systems discovered by Scotland. Eight will travel to each system and the humans aboard will live, breed, and integrate along the trip, which is expected to take a couple centuries.
EY2063 The first ARK is completed and the first lottery called. The two million passengers and crew are chosen randomly from the entire population of Earth, in order to force mutual acceptance of the human race as a whole. The ship is launched on December 21st (oddly, the winter solstice) from near Earth orbit.
EY2064 - 98 The other ARKs are launched one year apart, with a similar lottery system.
Click here for details about time dilation and the trip from Earth to the new sector.
Starfall ARK 12G was the first to make starfall, arriving at the center solar system (known as New Scotland) and making its way to the fourth planet, a lush green paradise with a nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere and liquid water oceans.
AS1 While 12G is setting up a civilization on the planet they have named Icetina, ARK 07F makes starfall on the system designated Bailey's Star. They quickly discover, though, that a spacefaring race already resides here. The Mechalus make contact with them as their ship approaches their homeworld. A truce between the races is quickly formed, and the Mechalus welcome the ship full of 6 million mutated humans into their society. Those humans who desire their own world are offered transportation to a moon orbiting one of the gas giants in the system. This planetoid, other than having a slightly lighter than Earth-normal gravity, is ideal for life.
AS5 Two more ARKs arrive at New Scotland. 15D and 09H join the population at Icetina.
AS5 The Colonial Marine Corps is established to protect the colonists from outside harm.
AS6 Starfall occurs at New Madrid, the third target star. The crippled ARK designated 18B arrived and settled the second planet, which they named Fiona. The planet is inhabited by a strange race known as the Seshayen, who are very religious. A peace is formed between the colonists and the natives. The Seshayen have little use for technology, but do trade in theology. Together the two sides form a hybrid religion that satisfies both in explaining the universe.
AS7 First Contact occurs with an advanced spacefaring race known as the Fraal, who claim to know the human race. The Fraal are delighted to find humans, fearing them extinct. An alliance is formed at Icetina.
AS8 With help from the Fraal, a communications network between the colonies is formed. Using spacefolding, messages can be sent and received in minutes rather than years. This device, called the Foldsender, serves a very important function and connects the sector with news, electronic mail, and other important communication luxuries.
AS8 The Galactic Survey Team is established to map out this section of space.
AS9 ARK 22A is found making starfall at New Madrid. There are no survivors aboard.
AS9 ARK 19C makes starfall at New Scotland.
AS10 ARK 05J makes starfall at New Madrid. The females are welcomed to live on Fiona but the males must move elsewhere, they are told. All of the males and their families pack up and move to Icetina in neighboring New Scotland.
AS11 ARK 01K makes starfall at New Scotland. This was the final ARK to leave Earth.
AS12 - 21 Era of Learning The Fraal impart their technology onto the humans. Icetina and another planet in the system, Freeport, open shipyards. New technology surfaces at an alarming pace. The Colonial Marine Corps becomes officially organized and claims a nearby system (Tzu) as its training area. The planet Sovern is declared a military shipyard.
AS21 Having come to the conclusion that no more ARKs will arrive, the Council of Seven form. They represent the seven original ARKs that wished to participate in a united government. 07F chose not to become part of human society again.
AS22 The council establishes a set of laws to govern the human colonies and their allied worlds. The Marshals are formed to enforce these laws in the fringes of habitation.
AS24 The Survey discovers and officially opens the world of Macbeth in the system of WT683A. This world is very wet, nearly 90% of its surface is ocean, but the large native life is easily captured and consumed.
AS26 Free Trade Alliance ships arrive at New Scotland. The two member races of this alliance, the T'sa and the Weren, offer goods and technology to the developing Empire.
AS30 The FTA constructs a jump gate in the New Scotland system.
AS36 The first evidence of controllable mental ability surfaces in a boy named Michael Gorin. He is considered a threat to humanity initially, until the Fraal take him in. They have had psychic ability for centuries and are delighted to see it surface in humans.
AS39 A Psychic Academy on Ronin, a small planet in the Yang system is established. Here Fraal instruct humans with psychic abilities how to control them and interact normally in society.
AS42 Due to rampant misuse of power by the Marshals, the Fraal and select humans form the Rangers, who enforce not a black and white code-book of rules, but justice. They openly favor non-violence, but it must be noted that their starships use technology advanced even by Fraal standards and most members are monks or other martial artists. Many of the Psions from Ronin join this faction.
AS57 Corsairs begin to prey on helpless scouts and trader ships. Many corsairs believe the Rangers are evil and have hidden agendas.
AS153 The Empire is formed. Based on Icetina, this governing superbody unites several smaller kingdoms into one solid force. It is composed of worlds ruled by humans, fraal, seshayan, and mechalus. It also offers council positions to the weren and the t'sa, who have no systems in this region.
AS167 Fiona becomes the center for a new religion called the Sisterhood of the New God. This matriarchal political entity seeks to discover the truth about the existence of the universe.
AS202 Fen Italis is the first human to become Amon-non of the Rangers.
AS218 A cooperative effort between the Colonial Marine Corps and the Rangers is organized to defend the outpost world of Mercutio around AP991G.
AS329 The Colonial Marine Corps develops the first Body Tank.
AS330 Shortly after the first production run of M1 Body Tanks is completed, a corsair raid of the Johnson-Barton facility sets the manufacturing schedule off track.
AS371 First reported attack by Uhlek raiders. No useful information is gained from the deathbed transmission by a Survey starship.
AS378 Imperial Senators attempt to unite the forces of the Rangers and the Colonial Space Marines. If passed, this measure would dissolve the Space Marine Fleet entirely, making them armed foot troops aboard Ranger vessels.
AS379 The Protostar Developers shipyards at Mercutio is attacked again and completely destroyed by the Uhlek.