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.