2142	New breakthroughs in ship construction and power systems allows space exploration to become a feasible, and 
profitable, venture.  The major earth governments, as well as a few extremely powerful corporations, return to 
developing their space programs.

2254	With the planet's natural resources nearly depleted, mankind begins establishing mining outposts throughout 
the solar system in an effort to meet an ever-increasing demand.  These mines are overseen by various corporations, 
slowly growing into megacorporations, under the nominal direction of the various earth governments.

2424	Suspended animation is perfected.  Exploration flights into outer space are increased in scope, the crew 
remaining in 'cold sleep' as the ships operate upon automatic pilot until they arrive at their destination.  Many ships 
are not heard from again.  Those who report back do so with mixed results.  The push into space continues, as does 
mankind's desperate grasp for resources.

2621	The planet's environment finally fails under the constant depradations of the land, air, and sea.  Mankind erects 
biodomes around the cities in an effort to seperate themselves from the damage they have wrought.  Desperate to find a 
way to continue their existence, the major governments of the planet unite once more, this time forming a more active 
planetary authority in the United Earth Alliance.

2651	With the earth's environment now toxic beyond the bubbled walls of the biodomes surrounding the cities of the 
earth, mankind finally decides to flee a sinking ship and seek a new home out among the stars.  A mass exodus of 
colonization begins.  The United Earth Alliance extends its authority to these fledgling colonies.

2677	Through the destructive combination of pollution in what remained of the atmosphere and the final dissipation 
of the ozone layer, the sky above the earth catches fire, scorching the land in a wildfire of epic proportions never 
observed before.  The violent flames are sufficient to crack most of the remaining biodomes, leaving only small pockets 
 humanity surviving upon the planet.  Those who remain abandon the surface, creating a new existence below the 
surface.

2730	Cybernetic technology hits an apex.  Entire body replacements are now possible.  Initially only used in extreme 
medical cases, cybernetic modifications soon become a popular fashion statement as well as enabling greater 
performance on the job in many cases (heavy industry, mining, construction, military).

2874	The Master of Puppets.  On June 16, 3 million full-body cyborgs lose complete control of their cybernetic systems.
Trapped within rampaging machines of destruction they wreaked havoc across several planets.  The common factor 
proved to be a faulty master control chip produced by Matsumoto Industries.  Hidden within the coding was a virus 
called the Master Of Puppets which was triggered to activate during the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics.  
To date, no one has determined who created the virus.

2876	Due to the public fear and expensive government regulation of cybernetics as a result of the Master of Puppets 
incident, cybernetic technology experiences a severe decline in popularity and sales.  Seeking a safer alternative to the 
use of cyborg bodies, medical research increases in the area of cloning and genetic research.

2907	Organ harvesting now allows patients to replace damaged limbs and organs with vat-grown cloned duplicates.

2925	Genetic research has led to the elimination of most diseases and birth defects and greatly increased the human 
lifespan.  Minor enhancements are now available, as well, at an exorbitant cost.

2943	In response to the demands placed upon workers due to unsafe working conditions and to increase efficiency in 
the workplace, geneticists begin experimenting in modifying human and animal DNA, even fusing the two, in an effort to
create workers tailor-made for specific jobs.

3009	The first replicant is created.  A fusion of a lemur's and human's DNA, the replicant proves to be as intelligent 
as a human being while retaining the greater strength and agility of a monkey as well as a more prehensile tail than 
before.  The creature, named Billy, proves to have a natural talent for mechanics.  Various other breeds of replicants 
soon are created, as well.

3056	Replicants are bred, raised, trained, and sold much as one would a pet or trained animal.  In fact, despite their 
intelligence and personality, they are accorded only the same rights as animals.

3131	The first public case of a human-replicant crossbreed.  The case becomes a mass scandal, opening the public eyes.

3159	Replicants are accorded civil rights.  The road to true equality proves long and difficult, however.

3295	The first completely artificial lifeform is created.  Unlike replicants, these androids are not merely a 
modification of a pre-existing species but a creature created completely in the laboratory.  Religious communities 
begin discussing the ramifications.

3360	Artifical intelligences (AI's and androids) are finally recognized as a new lifeform by the scientific community.  
Religious tensions begin escalating.

3381	The Unified Earth Alliance grants all artificially-created sentient lifeforms the civil rights of citizenship.  
Riots take place in religiously conservative areas.

3390	In abject refusal to grant artificially-created lifeforms the same rights accorded human beings, the Sirian Union 
secedes from the Unified Earth Alliance, instituting a policy of isolationism.  Reports of civil rights abuse in the 
Sirian Union float through the UEA but can never be verified.

3488	Wormhole technology is perfected, allowing for transport across immense distances in the blink of an eye.  The 
Unified Earth Alliance begins exploration of the Sirius and Alpha Centauri star systems.

3542	Gate technology is privatized.  The megacorporations cash in.  Colonization and mining expeditions travel to the 
newly opened star systems, soon followed by space pirates.

3604	In response to the growing threat of pirates, the interstellar military increases in power.  With the support 
of the  military's defenses, the megacorporations spread through space, mining operations increase, and permanent 
colonization attempts are made.  Over time these modest colonies and mining and company towns expand into 
flourishing metropolises.

3698	Terraforming is perfected, allowing inhospitable planets to be colonized.  The human race continues to expand 
its reach to the stars.

3817	General Michel Duchamps, leader of the Alpha Centauri military, overthrows the regional government and 
declares himself Kaiser Duchamps of the Centauran Empire.  Civil war erupts in the Unified Earth Alliance as a result.  
Planets nearest Alpha Centauri or those seeking greater sovereign power side with Kaiser Duchamps, while those closest 
to the homeworld of earth or more liberal-minded remain loyal to the Alliance.

3844	The Centauran Empire invades the Sirian Union.   Planetary warfare proves ineffective against the Sirians, but 
the threat of orbital bombardment causes them to surrender.  Sirians resent the Earth's inability to aid them in repeling 
the invasion.

3942	An uneasy truce is forged between the Alliance and the Empire, resulting in a cold war.  Border planets between 
the two powers continue to be a point of contention, becoming havens for pirates or ruled by local warlords.  Several 
megacorporations take power over isolated pockets of space in these DMZ's, often proving to be even more amoral than 
the pirates and warlords they supplant.

3960	The Unified Earth Alliance recognizes the supreme sovereign authority of its member planets, changing its name 
to the Confederacy of Planets.  The Confederacy is recognized as being the ruling authority in interplanetary space.  
Different worlds debate as to what constitutes domestic and interplanetary space.

4025	A heretofore-unknown planetary coalition of psychics rise to power across the earth.  This group, calling 
themselves the Paragons, takes control virtually overnight.  Terran humanity is mentally enslaved for 'its own good', 
citing the destructive history of the human race.  However, this state of affairs remains unknown to offworld forces for 
decades.

4048	A Paragon dissident escapes from earth with a videorecord of the situation on earth.

4049	The Terran Conflict begins.  The combination of Terran technology and psychic prowess of the Paragons proves 
equal to the task of combating the disorganized attacks of the Confederacy.  The Centauran Empire nominally remains 
neutral in the conflict.

4050	In retaliation to the conquest of the mother planet earth by the Paragons, the Confederacy of Planets declares all 
psychics are terrorists and traitors to the state.  All suspected psychics are hunted down and placed in camps.  The 
Centauran Empire creates a special branch of the military dedicated to brainwashing all psychics into becoming utterly 
loyal spies and assassins.

4056	The President of the Confederacy of Planets is assassinated by a psychic assassin of the Empire.  Public panic 
escalates, resulting in intergalactic riots.  The Confederacy forms its own special psychic strike force dedicated to 
discovering and converting or eliminating any possible psychics unveiled.

4060	Earth is destroyed by planetary bombardment, thereby supposedly eliminating the Paragon threat once and for 
all.  The original solar system colonies secede from the Confederacy in protest.

4061	The Confederacy declares war on the Free Colonies of Sol.

4065	The Free Colonies of Sol are conquered.  Terraforming commences on earth in anticipation of re-colonization.

4070	Re-colonization of earth begins.

4072	Present.  Strange ships of an unknown composition have been reported on the distant borders of colonized space.

    Source: geocities.com/thurston_sherman