Updated Sunday 15 May, 2011 12:18 PM

Human Time Line

Armageddon

2151 - 2200

Human Time Line Glossary (1945-2300)

Use right mouse click & select open new window to access the glossary
in order to follow the events below

2151 Braun’s 2001: A Space Odyssey series celebrates its 150 years from the dates depicted in the original novel. As part of these celebrations, the United Planetary Explorations (UPX) latest scout ship Discovery was launched by New Generation Warships (NGW). It, apart from United Defence Forces’ (UDF) ship Dreadnought, is the most advanced ship that has ever been seen.

President Nancy Roosevelt declares that the Discovery’s Mission is possibly the most important assignment that the UFP has ever asked of its citizens. Truly all UFP is represented. Although the ship comes under the authority of the UPX, the United Health Service (UHS) & the UDF are also crew members. The latter crew members cause some concern & debate because the Discovery is powerfully armed. All UPX’s previous ships have been fitted out with nothing more powerful than scanner lasers - totally useless as weapons. Although slower than most warships, its purpose is long distance endurance. The designers, therefore, concentrated on comfort, large hulls (for five years worth of supplies) & redundancy of systems. This, however, made it an extremely complicated ship to build.

Due to the fact that it will take Discovery two years to reach its objective, 1000 light years away, it is decided to trail the vessel on several runs before the eventual mission. It is soon discovered, however, that the Discovery’s hi-technology is not all that reliable. On its maiden voyage from NGW’s base at D1 to Earth, several malfunctions occurred, particularly to life support systems. The most dangerous, & incidentally the most embarrassing, was when the ship’s water purification systems reversed, causing sewage to flood parts of the ship.

2152 UFP commissions UPX to produce a map of the Federation. After computer modelling & some arbitrary lines connecting established territory, UPX produces the map.

When Vice-President Vos’Ma’Val sees the map for the first time he comments the it appears like a bird. President Roosevelt replied "The Bird of Freedom". A junior aid proclaimed in a soft voice "And may the wings of liberty never loose a feather". The comment was lost on all but Roosevelt. It is said that she simply smiled & a tear was seen in her eye. She, of cause, later denied it.

UPX Discovery continued to have problems.

President Nancy Roosevelt was overwhelmingly returned to office. After the Renaissance candidate Michael Dewey called her "… as outdated as her presidential ancestor was", his race was over. Nothing, except the law & death was going to stop Roosevelt from remaining in office, & most supporters believed the President was never going to die. Appeals were made to permit Roosevelt to continue for a third term, but she vetoed the idea.

The CC was hosted by the Lyonies. Remarkably, Navana’s team defeated Eden 2-0 in the final.

2153 UPX continued to have problems with Discovery. In another trail voyage, from Earth to Vargary, the cargo doors opened ejecting its contents of toy Discoveries across light years of space. It was jokingly said on Vargary that you can always tell were Humans go by their Discoveries. UPX, however, was not amused.

Trade within the UFP continued to grow. Tourism was particularly impressive. Saturn Prime continued to be a major destination other than Earth. Trade, likewise, improved between the Century Treaty (CT) members. Goods made by the Wazzen-Quotos Republic (WQR) became particularly prized for their quality & workmanship.

2154 UPX Discovery began to, not only came in for criticism from the public, but UFP ordered an investigation into the ill fated ship. While on further trails between Earth & Sierra, its weapons systems malfunctioned & started firing. Fortunately nothing was hit.

Environmental groups raised concern over Saturn Prime’s planetary rings. For decades they had been the attraction for millions of tourists. Thousands of ships had visited the rings. Over time, some had commented that there was notable, albeit slight, degradation to the rings. UPX was ordered to investigate.

The Unified Olympics was hosted by the Lyonies. Although most of the sports were offered, some such as archery, came with government warnings. Eden won the most gold medals, followed by China & Lyonies.

2155 The UFP inquiry into the Discovery recommended a complete overhaul by (NGW). UPX accepted the findings without comment. While on the way to NGW’s base on D1, Discovery’s Magnetic Space Warp Drive (MSWD) system malfunctioned & the ship needed to be towed.

While UPX was preoccupied with the Discovery, little research had been done on Saturn Prime’s rings. Protesters saw this as unacceptable & started blockading the tourist vessels. The Federal Police Agency (FPA) had to intervene when the Commonwealth Police Service (CPS) declared that they could only deal with planetary matters & not issues in space.

FPA arrested several protesters as a result of the Saturn Prime business. Confusion though soon developed as the protesters appealed their arrests to the Supreme Court. Apparently, a mistake had been made during negotiations, which changed the word "policing" in English to "unpolicing" in Lyonies. Surprisingly, no one picked up the translation error. The Court decided that, although ludicrous, no one currently had the authority to police space. Needless to say, this was quickly amended, but not before the environmental protesters on Saturn Prime saw the Court’s decision as a green light & successfully continued the blockade.

Earth’s population remains at 5.5 billion.

Eden’s population remains at 5.6 billion

Utopia’s population reaches 3.4 billion

Vargary Prime’s population remains at 3 billion

Lyonies’ population remains at 2.8 billion

Drey’s population reaches 2.3 billion

Inloy’s population reaches 1.1 billion

Var’dor’s population remains at 650 million

Sierra’s population reaches 629 million

Duplak’s population reaches 599 million

Evduc’s population reaches 403 million

Ni’Vil’s population remains at 400 million

Lonclu’s population reaches 314 million

Saturn Prime’s population reaches 309 million.

Renaissance’s population reaches 53 million

Nirvana’s population reaches 51 million

Pacifica’s population remains at 21 million.

Australis’s population remains 19 million.

Phoenix’ population reaches 11 million (6 million Morabs, 2 million Kullons)

Duel’s population remains at 9 million.

Locus’ population remains at 6 million

Omega’s population remains at 5 million

Barrens’ population remains at 4 million

Fin’s population is less than 100 000

Mars, Alpha Four, Earth Moon, other small colonies & ships population remains at 51 million

2156 UPX Discovery remained in space dock while NGW continued the refit.

UPX inquiry into Saturn Prime’s rings was released. It concluded that the rings were suffering degradation from the constant tourist traffic. It recommend that a protection zone be enforced around the rings that denied entry to powered ships. In a concession to the tourist industry, which was formidable, the UPX permitted "skimmer" ships.

Skimmers are short range vessels with no engines. They simply skim or float in the direction sent. Soon Saturn Prime had these skimmers floating over the rings in an environmentally friendly manner. The environmental groups still expressed concern, but accepted the concession.

The CC was hosted by the Drey. In a rather uneventful competition, the Drey defeated Utopia 1-0.

2157 UFP President Roosevelt stepped down as the most popular leader of the old Commonwealth & UFP. The elections are an anti-climax as a result. Eden candidate Elizabeth Johannson narrowly defeats the Vargary candidate Kon Lo’Vi’Im.

UPX Discovery is recommissioned & its trial run from D1 to Earth is successful. A full year of trails will commence to ensure that its problems of the past are over.

UFP orders the UDF to reorganise the fleet. Little had been done since federation & each region still continued with its original fleet structure. As a result there was little uniformity throughout the UDF. A Vargary fleet, although using the same ship classes, was larger than a Lyonies fleet. Once again a Human fleet was larger than a Vargary fleet. The Drey did not even have a fleet structure as such, but used smaller task forces.

2158 UPX Discovery trails were a mixed success. Although more reliable than previously, malfunctions continued to hamper the ship. A further year of trials were ordered to ensure that all malfunctions were cured.

UDF successfully restructured the fleet. Ten fleets were established to defend the federation. All, except the 10th Fleet, were combat fleets. The 10th Fleet was responsible for border patrols and was a "fleet" for administrative purposes only. The rest of the CDF was based as follows:

1st Fleet - Earth
2nd Fleet - Eden
3rd Fleet - Sierra
4th Fleet - Lyonies
5th Fleet - Utopia
6th Fleet - Vargary
7th Fleet - Drey
8th Fleet - Australis
9th Fleet - Nirvana

The Unified Olympics are hosted by Nirvana. Again it is seen as a publicity stunt to impress would be colonists. However, Nirvana pays for the event. Vargary wins the most gold medals, followed closely by the FF & Sierra.

2159 UPX Discovery continues to have bad luck. While trying to dock with Earth Port 2, Discovery is rammed by a shuttle which causes severe damage to its port hull. Repairs ensure that the Discovery is out of commission for the rest of the year.

Big Ear continues to explore UFP’s extended neighbourhood. Several signals continue to entice UPX personnel. Another two probes are sent to the signal confirmed as originating from an advanced civilisation some 1 000 light years away. Again it will take two years for the probes to reach their intended destination.

2160 Discovery is repaired & restarts trails. Unfortunately the ship’s malfunctions return while on trails. UFP refuses to continue to cover the ship’s budget & orders it to be decommissioned.

A skimmer on Saturn Prime smashes into the planets rings killing all on board. FPA orders a halt to skimming until an inquiry is conducted. Environmental groups demand that skimming be banned.

The CC is hosted by the UK on Earth. Some of the fans get out of control & riot. Police had to intervene & battle the rioters. As a result, the UK team was banned for the next two tournaments. The Lyonies claimed it was disgusting that such a noble sport be ruined in this way. The Vargary defeated Utopia 3-2 in the final

2161 The FPA inquiry at Saturn Prime recommends that skimming be banned. They conclude that the accident of the previous year will more than likely re-occur at any time. Some tourist operators have tried to continue the visits to the rings, only to be chased away by FPA. It has become a game to several thrill seekers who approach the rings, only to be involved in a police chase back to the planet. The FPA have no authority once the offending shuttle reaches Saturn Prime’s atmosphere so they must cease the pursuit & leave it to the local police. Often the local police do not respond fast enough & the offender gets away.

Discovery is sent to Barrens to be used as the UDF sees fit.

UPX offers to research a "space train" in order to provide an answer to the Saturn Prime problem.

2162 UPX Discovery is destroyed on UDF’s firing range at Barrens. It is a woeful ending to a ship that promised so much. But, because its technical problems were so enormous, it made the ship thoroughly useless. Many lessons were learnt, however, for future long range research vessels.

There is no communication from the UPX long distance probes launched in 2159. Again UPX has no answer as to why this problem re-occurs.

UPX starts tests on its "space train". Although environmentalists are critical, it appears that it may work.

President Elizabeth Johannson is re-elected in a close campaign

The United Olympics was hosted by Sierra. Drey won by one gold medal over Sierra & the CIP.

2163 UPX orders another inquiry into the space probes. Again, no reason can be discovered as to why the probes seem to disappear. Conjecture mounts, but a common theory is that a black hole or some other anomaly is destroying the probes as they travel to their objective. UPX starts to lobby UFP for funding to construct another Discovery.

These requests are rejected by UFP. The original Discovery fiasco is still fresh in their memories.

Saturn Prime’s local economy is starting to slow down. Unemployment has grown to 8%. UFP introduces welfare support for those citizens.

2164 UPX starts construction on the "space train". It is partly funded by tourist companies & the Saturn Prime local government. Saturn Prime’s Premier announced that, "… when completed, the space train will put the economy back on track". So too do millions of locals who’s jobs are at risk.

The CC was hosted by Phoenix. The locals did extremely well, but were defeated in the semi-finals. Utopia defeated Brazil 4-3 in an exciting final.

2165 UPX continued construction of the "space train". It becomes well publicised & above all scrutinised. Environmental groups still express concern, but UPX has done thorough research & it appears that there will be zero impact on the rings.

Earth’s population remains at 5.5 billion.

Eden’s population lowers to 5.5 billion

Utopia’s population remains at 3.4 billion

Vargary Prime’s population remains at 3 billion

Lyonies’ population reaches 2.9 billion

Drey’s population reaches 2.4 billion

Inloy’s population remains at 1.1 billion

Var’dor’s population remains at 650 million

Sierra’s population reaches 631 million

Duplak’s population reaches 602 million

Evduc’s population reaches 405 million

Ni’Vil’s population remains at 400 million

Lonclu’s population reaches 316 million

Saturn Prime’s population reaches 322 million.

Renaissance’s population reaches 86 million

Nirvana’s population reaches 82 million

Pacifica’s population remains at 21 million.

Australis’s population remains 19 million.

Phoenix’ population reaches 13 million (7 million Morabs, 2.5 million Kullons)

Duel’s population remains at 9 million.

Locus’ population remains at 6 million

Omega’s population remains at 5 million

Barrens’ population remains at 4 million

Fin’s population is less than 100 000

Mars, Alpha Four, Earth Moon, other small colonies & ships population reaches 53 million

2166 UPX successfully opens their "space train". Out going President Elizabeth Johannson is among the first to ride it. The "space train" pulled out of the station, hanging from a rail, over & through the rings of Saturn Prime. The floor & walls of the carriages are made from a clear material that permits the passengers spectacular views of the rings. It is as if the passenger, and not the train, is flying through the rings. The trip lasts for about an hour. Although environmental groups still express concern, the "space train" leaves behind no contaminating mater. Furthermore, its direction, unlike the old skimmers, is controlled by the rail system ensuring no crashes.

As a result of the "space train", tourists flock back to Saturn Prime. The planet soon rivals Earth as a major tourist destination. Its economy & jobs are saved.

The Unified Olympics is hosted by Earth. The local countries do well. Russia wins the most gold medals, closely followed by Germany & USA tied & then India.

2167 In the presidential campaign, all is quiet. The election comes & goes with little interest. The Utopian candidate William Morris defeats Lyonies candidate Ul Meeyon for the Presidency.

2168 UPX identifies a civilisation known as the Avakous via Big Ear. They are some 500 light years from Earth. It is the first good press that UPX has had in a long time since the never ending problems with Discovery.

President Morris is pleased by the UPX finding, and authorises attempts at contact

UPX sends two long range probes. It is hoped that the probes will deliver a communique & that the Avakous will be able to send messages back via the probes. It will take a year to reach the Avakous.

The CC is hosted by the WQU. Although the local team is soundly defeating in the opening round, the competition is successful nonetheless. Eden defeated Utopia 2-1 to win the final.

2169 The UPX probes reach Avakous & contact is successful. Although the communique signals take three months to travel the distance, it is not long before the Avakous invites the UFP to send a diplomatic mission.

UFP announces the success of the Avakous probes. Many feel like the good old days are back. As a result, many citizens start to take an interest again in UPX.

2170 UFP, impressed by UPX’s success with the Avakous, decides to reinstate the Discovery Mission. President Morris is also a shrewd politician & is aware of the public’s rekindled interest in UPX. If successful, Morris is bound to be re-elected.

UPX immediately orders a new long range scout ship based on the lessons learnt from the Discovery fiasco.

The Unified Olympics are hosted by the CIP. It is a very successful event & CIP is keen to show itself to its neighbours. Much has improved since freedom & its citizens have been rewarded for their hard efforts. CIP has become known as the granary to the galaxy. Its agricultural products can be found in every market place on virtually every planet. In wealth & prosperity it has moved ahead of the Grand Republic (GR), the Hi-Lang-Ja Republic (HR), & the WQU. Only the FF rivals it & the UFP is better. Having the home advantage, no one is surprised when the CIP wins the most gold medals, followed by Eden & FF

2171 UPX keeps an eye on NGW while it constructs Discovery 2. UFP, likewise, sends an inspector to ensure that the new ship will not suffer the same fate as its previous sister. Discovery 2 becomes the most carefully planned & supervised vessel ever constructed.

The Earth tour company UniTav, a subsidiary of UniNet, announces that it will build its own "space train" around Saturn. Visits to Earth’s neighbour have always been more strict than Saturn Prime for numerous reasons. One is the extremely busy space traffic within Earth’s solar system. The other is that Saturn is closer to home. Environmental groups, like Greenpeace, has always influenced Earth politics. Meanwhile the colonies have only come to the attention of commonwealth or federal governments, when major incidents occur.

2172 UPX Discovery 2 is launched by NGW. Its maiden voyage from D1 to Earth is floorless. A further year of test flights are required before any missions are assigned. Like the first Discovery, it is under the authority of UPX, while UHS & UDF personnel are also part of the crew. Again, like the first ship, it is well armed.

President Morris is re-elected.

After the success of the Olympics, the CC was transferred to CIP. Again the competition was a success & witnessed the home side defeat Saturn Prime in the final.

2173 Amongst much fan-fair, Discovery 2 heads for Avakous. It will take a year for the Discovery 2 to reach its destination. It is also seen as the ultimate test for the longer 1 000 light year journey. But it is the Avakous mission that is honoured as the first of the manned long range scout missions.

The Saturn "space train" begins operations. Although not as popular as Saturn Prime’s, it does return a modest profit for its investors within the first year of operation. Greenpeace, however, still expresses its concern about the possible environmental impact of the "space train".

The Complete Works of Shakespeare has finally been translated into all known languages throughout the CT. It is the most widely read literature in history. In celebration, the Royal Shakespeare Company tours both Vargary & the FF playing to packed theatres. In turn, the Vargary Shakespeare Company & the Shakespeare Freedom Ensemble tour Earth, Eden & several of the other human colonies.

2174 Contact with the Avakous is extremely successful. The Avakous are impressed by the UPX ship. It has also managed to cross 500 light years of space. The Avakous are a rather peaceful people of 6 billion spread over four habitable planets. They are approximately 100 years behind UFP standard. Diplomats are exchanged & the Mutual Friendship Treaty 2174 (MFT) is signed.

UPX reports that space ships powered by Nuclear Propulsion Engines (NPE) have left Innocence & are exploring their system. UFP order UPX & UDF to leave the system immediately & ensure that no evidence can be found of their presence. Unfortunately much litter is still left in Innocence’s solar system from the Liberation War. It does not take long for the first of Innocence’s space explorers to discover the debris.

UPX monitors Innocence’s discovery & reports this to UFP. This puts UFP into a conundrum. The Humans want to make first contact, the Vargary & Lyonies wish otherwise. Debate rages in Congress as to what to do. Their decision is not to make a decision yet.

The Unified Olympics was hosted by the WQU. Several teams complained, however, due to conditions at several venues. FF won the most gold medals, followed by Vargary & Saturn Prime

2175 Discovery 2 returns to huge celebrations on Earth. It has been a long time since peaceful contact has been made with another race, & the UFP happily welcomes their guests & new friends. The Avakous are genuinely impressed & seek to learn more about the UFP. They immediately set up an Embassy on Earth. UFP will likewise reciprocate when they return to Avakous soon.

In response to the new ties between the UFP & Avakous, UPX orders more long range scout ships based on the Discovery 2. As trade agreements are also reached between the two new friends, several orders are placed for long range cargo vessels. No one really knows what the Avakous have or want, but if there is money to be made then many companies are prepared to trade.

The FF, CIP, WQU & GR all sign various treaties with the Avakous as soon as they can.

Earth’s population lowers to 5.4 billion.

Eden’s population remains at 5.5 billion

Utopia’s population remains at 3.4 billion

Vargary Prime’s population remains at 3 billion

Lyonies’ population remains at 2.9 billion

Drey’s population remains at 2.4 billion

Inloy’s population reaches 1.2 billion

Var’dor’s population reaches 659 million

Sierra’s population reaches 636 million

Duplak’s population reaches 608 million

Evduc’s population reaches 411 million

Ni’Vil’s population reaches 407 million

Lonclu’s population reaches 319 million

Saturn Prime’s population reaches 328 million.

Renaissance’s population reaches 101 million

Nirvana’s population reaches 100 million

Pacifica’s population remains at 21 million.

Phoenix’ population reaches 20 million (9 million Morabs, 3 million Kullons)

Australis’s population remains 19 million.

Duel’s population reaches 10 million.

Locus’ population remains at 6 million

Omega’s population remains at 5 million

Barrens’ population remains at 4 million

Fin’s population is less than 100 000

Mars, Alpha Four, Earth Moon, other small colonies & ships population remains at 53 million

2176 The WQU starts, like the UFP, construction of long range shipping. CIP, FF & GR trading companies place orders with WQU & UFP ship builders.

The economies of all the members on the CT suddenly increase as a result. The Federal Reserve Bank steps in & adjusts monetary rates, but the economy of the UFP could not be healthier.

The CC is held on Eden. The local side defeated India 2-1 in a close final that went into extra time.

2177 The UFP Presidential elections are a close run affair. Although the successful UPX mission to Avakous makes the election interesting, the elections are routine. Life in the UFP, likewise has become routine. All is peaceful & prosperous. There are no major issues or scandals. History is made, nevertheless, when the Vargary candidate Won’Ni’Vin defeats four other candidates for the Presidency.

2178 In the mist of celebrations, Discovery 2 is sent out on its second long range mission; the one Discovery failed to even commence 35 years previously. It will take two years to reach its destination. The crew are excited by the chance to discover the unknown. The citizens of the UFP await with anticipation of what they might find.

As part of the departing celebrations, the Unified Olympics are held on Earth. As part of the closing ceremony, Discovery 2 passed over the Olympic venue as it flashed into Warp Speed. It was considered the best closing ceremony of any Olympics.

2179 The Discovery 2 continues on its long adventure.

The "space train", built by UniTav around Saturn, has a dreadful accident. One of its trains derails & goes crashing into the rings of Saturn. All 50 passengers are killed.

The FPA immediately halts its operation & starts an investigation. The Saturn Prime’s "space train" is likewise halted. Saturn Prime objects, but their complaints fall on deaf ears. UPX guarantees the safety of the Saturn Prime "space train" & quickly points to its safety record which is truly impressive.

The FPA identifies early the cause of the accident as equipment failure. The UPX version does not use the same drive equipment & thus Saturn Prime’s "space train" is permitted to reopen for business.

2180 UPX Discovery 2 identifies an oncoming alien ship. Scanners identify the ship belonging to a civilisation translated as the Zargah. Captain Van Tasman beings transmission of the events back to Earth. Although the transmission will take 6 months, Van Tasman wishes to ensure Earth witnesses "live" this historic event. Discovery 2 transmits peace & identification signals to the Zargah ship. There is no reply.

Six months later on Earth many citizens, including the President, watch this historical event on CNN. Suddenly crew members, on the UPX ship’s bridge, clearly show concern. Within a few seconds a weapon can be seen discharging from the Zargah vessel. The rest of the transmission becomes static.

The UFP President Won’Ni’Vin orders an immediate inquiry into the Discovery 2 tragedy. UPX & UDF analyse every piece of data available, including the numerous lost probes. At least UPX now knows what probably happened to their probes.

The directors of UniTav are charged with manslaughter by the FPA over the "space train" accident. As a consequence, the relatives of the families killed in the accident launch legal action. The combined damages bill amounts to 1 trillion dollars. It is the largest compensation law suit to date.

As a mark of respect for the crew of Discovery 2, the CC is called off.

2181 The citizens morn the destruction of the Discovery 2. Fear, too, begins to spread across the UFP as many citizens concern themselves over their new enemy. Virtually nothing is known about them, which only feeds people’s fear.

The joint UPX/UDF reports its findings to the UFP. Chief among their concerns is the fact that the aliens are clearly advanced in weapon systems. It is doubtful whether any CDF ship can match their firepower Even the Dreadnought Class battleships may be inferior.

NGW concurs with the joint UPX/UDF report adding that even if they start research immediately, they express little hope in developing weapons to match, let alone outclass, the alien’s technology.

The overall opinion after exhaustive analysis is that the aliens are at least 300 years further advanced in technology. It is impossible to catch up.

President Won’Ni’Vin orders a military build up nonetheless.

In the course of legal action against UniTav, the company goes bankrupt. Thousands of tourists are stranded across CT member space. Further legal action commenced against its parent UniNet.

2182 It soon becomes obvious to UniNet’s Chairman Bill Gates V that UniNet will face the same fate as its division UniTav. After lobbying the UFP government, which got no where due to the Discovery 2 crisis, Gates filed for bankruptcy protection. Although it ensured the company would survive, almost immediately the company’s share prices & market sales dropped.

The Presidential elections were hotly contested. At the centre was the the Discovery 2 crisis. The citizens of the UFP were divided between two camps: war & peace. President Won’Ni’Vin was of the war camp. His basic policy was to rearm the UFP & prepare as best they can. However, he was narrowly defeated by the Lyonies peace candidate Mil Lychoo.

President Lychoo immediately put a halt to the rearmament program. He did, however, permit NGW to continue research.

President Lychoo’s next decree was to order UPX to send every year "peace probes" to the advanced aliens. It was reasoned that at some point the Zargah would understand that the UFP was no threat & only wanted peaceful relations.

It was a typical Lyonies approach that was most honourable. Millions of fellow citizens likewise agreed. Many, however, did not but were prepared to give peace a chance.

The Unified Olympics were hosted by Eden as a mark of respect to the captain of the Discovery 2. Eden won the most gold medals, followed by Vargary & FF.

2183 The Saturn "space train" reopens. This time UPX has refitted the entire system. The new operating company is partly owned by Greenpeace, several tour companies, & UPX. Nothing gets done without Greenpeace approval.

2184 UPX’s Big Ear detects an increase of signals coming from the Zargah 1 000 light years away. UPX does not know what to make of it.

UDF expresses concern of the increase in activity, but UFP turns a blind eye to the issue. Furthermore, UFP orders UPX & UDF not to make this information public.

The CC is hosted by Vargary. In the final, the locals defeat the Drey 2-1, in what is considered the local derby.

2185 As no information is released about the Zargah, the general public has lost interest in the issue. Life, it seems, has returned to normal.

Trade has become regular with the Avakous. Billions of dollars worth of goods are shipped between the civilisations, regardless of the lengthy trip. Tourism has also developed, although the Avakous seem more fascinated with the aliens of the CT rather than the opposite. Until first contact some years ago, the Avakous were alone. The CT members have been used to other species for generations.

UPX continued to received increased signals coming from the Zargah. When UFP was informed, again the information fell on deaf ears.

UDF, however, ordered the 10th fleet to increase its border patrols around Vargary & Drey space. Over the year, most of 10th fleet’s frigates & destroyers were concentrated along this border.

Earth’s population remains at 5.4 billion.

Eden’s population lowers to 5.3 billion

Utopia’s population remains at 3.4 billion

Vargary Prime’s population reaches 3.1 billion

Lyonies’ population remains at 2.9 billion

Drey’s population reaches 2.5 billion

Inloy’s population reaches 1.3 billion

Var’dor’s population reaches 667 million

Sierra’s population reaches 640 million

Duplak’s population reaches 611 million

Evduc’s population reaches 414 million

Ni’Vil’s population reaches 410 million

Lonclu’s population reaches 321 million

Saturn Prime’s population reaches 379 million.

Renaissance’s population reaches 188 million

Nirvana’s population reaches 201 million

Pacifica’s population remains at 21 million.

Phoenix’ population reaches 21 million (9.5 million Morabs, 3.5 million Kullons)

Australis’s population reaches 20 million.

Duel’s population remains 10 million.

Locus’ population remains at 6 million

Omega’s population reaches 5 million

Barrens’ population reaches 5 million

Fin’s population is less than 100 000

Mars, Alpha Four, Earth Moon, other small colonies & ships population remains at 53 million

2186 UPX gets no replies from their numerous "peace probes". It is clear that the Zargah have no intention of communicating.

Big Ear continues to identify signals from the Zargah. Constant analysis continues. Nothing new, however, has been discovered since the destruction of the Discovery 2.

UPX reports their findings once again to UFP, Yet again President Lychoo orders no action. He is determined to give peace every chance.

At years end, UPX officials leak the collected Zargah data to CNN. Within minutes the information is telecast around the entire UFP & beyond. The public go wild.

The Unified Olympics are hosted by Saturn Prime. The FF wins the most gold medals, followed by Utopia & Saturn Prime

2187 After word leaks out to the public about the Zargah, it was inevitable that the up coming presidential election would be the toughest on record. Not surprisingly President Lychoo was soundly defeated by Russian candidate Yuri Alekseyev.

President Alekseyev immediately ordered UPX to cancel the "peace probes". He said "If we send the Zargah anything else, it will have a BlackStar mounted on the front of it."

UDF was ordered to rearm. Orders were placed with NGW to develop new warships. NGW was also ordered to mass produce BlackStars. It appeared that this hideous weapon maybe the only advantage the UFP would have.

2188 President Alekseyev frantically toured the UFP. Within the year, he became the first UFP President to visit all member planets. He gave constant speeches proclaiming victory before a shot was even fired. He knew that the Zargah were extremely powerful, everyone did, but what the UFP did not need was a defeatist attitude.

UXP’s Big Ear continued to identify Zargah signals. Analysis of the data alarmingly indicated that the signals, unlike before, were now getting closer to Earth. No one knew exactly when contact might take place or where, but anywhere between two to four years was considered probable.

UDF placed their fleets on alert. However, the fleets would remain in their current defence zones until sufficient intelligence had been gathered in order to develop a strategy.

The CC competition was rather sombre, considering the anticipation of war. Nonetheless, the host nation Lyonies defeated Nirvana in the final 2-1.

2189 Big Ear continued to track the on coming Zargah. UXP estimated that contact would within two years. It was unknown where this might occur & what the numbers would be. Analysis did indicate finally the approximate location of the Zargah home planet. UXP gave the home planet the codename of Capital.

UDF had completed refits to about half of the fleet. Unfortunately no new designs had been finalised by NGW. It was considered by NGW that mere updates would be a waist of time. Designing whole new classes of ships, however, takes years at this level of technology.

The general public got themselves ready as best they could for the coming war. The economy, however, remained healthy despite the looming war.

Millions of UFP citizens, however, began migrating. The old MRZ became the popular destination, but many did not stop there. The FF, WQU, CIP, HR & ironically the GR started taking in UFP refugees. This sudden movement out of the UFP concerned these governments. It did not take long before they too started taking the Zargah seriously & started to rearm where permitted. The GR & HR requested permission to construct navies, but they were denied. Nonetheless, it did not stop them successfully negotiating an amendment permitting planetary defence systems.

2190 The Zargah arrive. The 10th Fleet was the first to make contact on the border near Ni’Vil. No shots were exchanged & the Zargah patrol quickly retreated. A week later another 10th fleet patrol of five Improved FreeStars contacted two Zargah scouts on the border near Evduc. Battle was given. Three of the FreeStars were destroyed, but both Zargah scouts met the same fate. The year ended with six other encounters with similar outcomes.

UDF did not know what to make of the Zargah’s tactics. UPX signal analysis indicated hundreds, if not thousands of ships. The admirals were convinced that the Zargah were studying them. Furthermore, they were convinced that if they rushed their fleets forward, the Zargah would attack in force. UFP needed time, and they needed every second. Delaying a major action became the important strategy.

The United Olympics were hosted by the Vargary. President Alekseyev insisted on it. He wanted to show that, regardless of clashes with the Zargah nearby, the UFP would not be intimidated. Crowds were down & several teams did not go, offering sincere apologies. The host planet won the most medals, followed by Eden & USA. It would be the last Olympics for decades.

2191 The Zargah attacked in strength at two locations. 10th fleet patrols were swept aside with ease. Most patrols only had enough time to issue a warning before being destroyed. The Zargah strategy soon became clear. An envelopment of the UFP was developing. One Zargah fleet moved on Vargary while the other moved on Drey. Both Ni’Vil & Evdoc fell in days, despite heroic efforts by the planetary defenders.

The 7th Fleet moved from Vargary & intercepted the Zargah as they arrived at Vosher’Dor. Battle was desperate, & some Zargah ships were destroyed, but the 7th was decimated in the process. Only 22 ships survived. All the battleships & battlecruisers were lost in the battle. Vosher’Dor fell two weeks later to the invader.

The experience of the 8th Fleet was no different. Having intercepted the Zargah at Duplak, the 8th fleet was smashed to pieces in suicide attacks. 16 ships survived. Duplak held out for two months as land battles raged on the surface.

Next it was Vargary’s turn. The 3rd Fleet was rushed up from Sierra and a deadly game of cat & mouse started in the Vargary system. Small numbers of UDF ships would attack small Zargah ships patrolling the skirmish line then immediately withdraw when larger Zargah battleships arrived. However, Zargah invasion troops were able to land on Vargary & land battles commenced. By the end of the year, the 3rd Fleet had to withdraw back to Sierra for refitting. Vargary was on its own.

The 5th Fleet rushed to defend Drey. There the 5th waited the Zargah onslaught.

2192 The Zargah attacked Drey, but did not immediately invade the planet. The 5th Fleet applied the same tactics employed by the 3rd, which had ensured its survival, & in doing so managed to destroy, although in limited numbers, some Zargah ships. The Zargah were now aware of this tactic, however, and made the 5th their primary objective. Soon the 5th had to withdraw, only to be caught & wherein battle commenced. The 5th was decimated. Only 23 ships managed to escape.

Drey was open to invasion. However, like Vargary, the land battles were long & savage. Alas, both planets were finally captured before the end of the year.

Although the war was going badly, President Alekseyev was, nonetheless, re-elected

2193 NGW finally starts delivering hundreds of BlackStars to the UDF. However, ship production could not match the hundreds of ships lost. This was besides the fact that all UFP shipyards were commanded to produce warships.

NGW finally commissioned the first of a rushed battlecruiser class. The UDF Invincible was a "traditional" design, but was four times more powerful. Various malfunctions plagued the class, but they were pressed into service regardless.

The Zargah forces from Vargary moved on Sierra. The 3rd Fleet, now refitted & included five Invincibles, was forced to give battle. After suffering 50% casualties, the 3rd withdrew & headed for Eden. All the Invincible battlecruisers were destroyed.

After knowing the fates of Vargary & Drey, where millions of civilians had been killed during the fighting, Sierra unconditionally surrendered to the invader not knowing their fate.

The Zargah fleet left behind some occupation forces on Sierra & immediately pursued the 3rd Fleet. Ironically, while trying to ensure Earth was safe, the 3rd brought the invader to Earth’s prosperous & most significant daughter; Eden.

Refugees were everywhere. Millions of them - no billions of them. Earth’s population swelled to 8 billion. Another half billion headed for the old MRZ. Millions of others headed for Omega, while millions more headed for Lyonies territory. Utopia was the next planet hit. The 5th fleet, having been severely smashed at Drey, withdrew from to Barrens. Utopia was immediately invaded. However, most remaining civilians had hid in the Nature Reserves & the National Parks. It was safer with the dinosaurs than the Zargah. After the initial land battles proved useless, the UDF joined the civilians in the wilderness. Soon stalemate occurred as local knowledge began to tell. Thousands of ignorant Zargah troops were attacked & killed by the local dinosaurs while the Utopians remained safe. Thousands of dinosaurs & Utopians were killed on sight, but the planet was never really taken.

Eden prepared itself for invasion. Part of the preparations saw the space around the planet with mined with BlackStars. Meanwhile the 2nd & the 3rd fleets stood ready to repel the invader.

The Zargah fleet from Sierra arrived & halted. Noticing the combined fleet before them, which outnumbered them three to one, the Zargah awaited reinforcements. Zargah forces arrived from Utopia & their empire. After two weeks they began their attack. Unbeknown to the Zargah, was the UDF secret weapon.

As the Zargah rushed the combined UDF fleet they noticed that the UDF ships did not move. Within seconds the first of the BlackStars detonated. About a hundred Zargah ships disappeared into darkness. Another BlackStar vaporised more of the invader’s ships. Alas, although the Zargah had lost 60% of their fleet, some 400 ships in all, the reserve line continued the attack. Desperate battle commenced. Again the UDF ships were outclassed. Furthermore they were now trapped by their own minefield. Several UDF ships conducted suicide missions rather than surrender. In one example the UDF Roosevelt battlecruiser, with four Zargah cruisers pursuing, deliberately headed towards a BlackStar. After allowing the Zargah to catch up, the Roosevelt detonated the mine taking the invaders with her.

In ensuring that some UDF ships would survive, the surviving senior captain issued the safety destruct code to the remaining BlackStars. Small nuclear charges on each BlackStar ensured their complete destruction & thus evade capture by the Zargah. 12 UDF ships managed to escape & headed for Saturn Prime. But their escape meant invasion for Eden. The Zargah first consolidated & waited a week for further re-enforments to arrive. Then the land battles commenced. Fighting was savage. Destruction & death everywhere. Eden held out until Christmas Day.

The 1st Fleet, meanwhile, mined the entire space around Earth with BlackStars. Thousands of mines stood as an impregnable wall, like the Great Wall of China once had, before the barbarian. Billions hoped that the Great BlackStar Wall would be more successful than the ancient one in China.

2194 After suffering considerable casualties at Eden, the Zargah consolidated their positions. The only offensive action the Zargah conducted was against the small UDF force at Saturn Prime. This force was a mix of survivors of the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th & 7th Fleets. However, even with the survivors of five fleets, they could only muster 107 ships. When the Zargah task force arrived, the UDF force immediately withdrew & deliberately headed into empty space on a deep sweeping movement heading for Omega.

A small invasion force was landed on Saturn Prime, & at first was contained. It was only temporary.

2195 Zargah reinforcements arrived at Saturn Prime & they immediately landed on the planet. Within a month, UDF forces had been overrun & the planet occupied.

Barrens, after being abandoned by the UDF, was easily occupied. The population had been evacuated the previous year. Like the UDF combined fleet, they had been sent to Omega. Likewise Duel had been abandoned to the Zargah, who occupied an empty planet. The Duel residents, however, had only Locus to retreat to. The Zargah were either unaware of Locus, or considered it unimportant, as Locus was never attacked.

No census was attempted this year. It was considered pointless. Casualties were unknown, but it was estimated that at least 1 billion UFP citizens, both civilian & military, had been killed.

2196 The Zargah continued to consolidate their conquests. Patrols were sent out looking for the UDF fleet that withdrew from Saturn Prime. No trace was found.

Earth continued to prepare for invasion. Millions were recruited for the coming battle. Earth’s population was almost 12 billion. Over half this number were refugees. Millions of Drey & Vargary survivors were crushed in with billions of Humans. Surprisingly the population remained claim. The Drey refugees were surprised to find Shakespearian productions playing to packed audiences of Humans & Vargary. Henry V became extremely popular.

President Alekseyev was seen everywhere. Many thought the Russian never slept. He visited refugee camps, cities, military barracks & the fleet. Everywhere he was assuring the citizens of Earth that the UFP would preserver, defeat the invader, & become greater than before. If only someone knew how.

NGW finally developed a possible answer. It was simple & desperate. And used once before. Yet that was almost 100 years ago. The director of NGW, Lance Edwards, recalled a statement of President Alekseyev’s made years ago. BlackStars where placed upon high warp speed short range missiles. Although vulnerable on the modern battlefield to countermeasures, a surprise attack employing the missile might produce at least one major victory. The 9th Fleet was the first to receive the modified BlackStar, followed by the 8th.

A mini CC tournament was held in Paris. France defeated Italy 2-1 in the final.

2197 UDF quickly identified that the Zargah main fleet had left Eden for Earth. Immediately President Alekseyev ordered most of the 1st Fleet to withdraw to Pacifica. Here the 1st joined with the 8th Fleet which had advanced from Australis. It was hoped that the new modified BlackStars would be successful & give the UDF a much needed victory.

The Zargah tracked the 1st Fleet’s withdrawal & gave pursuit, leaving behind a small force to keep an eye on Earth.

Zargah spy probes had identified BlackStar mine fields surrounding Earth. After suffering significant losses at Eden, the Zargah had no intension of repeating them attacking Earth. Their strategy had changed. First priority was to destroy the remaining UDF fleets.

Within hours of the 1st Fleet’s arrival at Pacifica, the Zargah arrived in force. The opposing numbers were approximately the same. The 1st & 8th Fleets decided to attack hoping the new weapon would succeed. The new modified BlackStar missiles, however, proved to be only moderately successful. The Zargah lost approximately 150 ships. Sadly, the combined UDF fleet had lost double this number. The remaining 124 UDF ships withdrew to Australis. Nonetheless, the battle ensured that the Zargah made no more advances for the remainder of the year.

Pacifica was quickly occupied. Thankfully the civilian population had been evacuated to Lyonies earlier in the year.

The survivors of the combined UDF fleet remained at Australis to cover the planetary evacuation. The entire population, like at Pacifica, were sent to Lyonies. When the evacuation was successful, the 1st Fleet, what was left of it, headed for Omega, while the 8th Fleet acted as rearguard to the evacuation fleet.

Earth was now surrounded with no where to run. In the middle of the darkest year of the war so far, Presidential elections were held on Earth. The remaining planets of the UFP agreed to support whoever Earth elected. John Locke, the UK candidate, defeated the Chinese candidate Matthew Lee by a narrow margin.

2198 The Zargah, after their losses at Pacifica, limited their operations. Patrols continued around Barrens & Saturn Prime searching for the UDF fleet. Likewise, patrols searched inward from Earth towards the old MRZ, trying to discover any remaining planets of the UFP. Here the 9th Fleet quietly waited at D1. NGW’s based had been turned into another BlackStar fortress.

The main Zargah Fleet moved on Australis, which they found deserted. After discovering no trail of the UDF fleet, the Zargah halted their advance not wanting to move too far from Earth. After suffering significant casualties at the hands of the UFP, the Zargah had become cautious with their strategy.

The 8th Fleet begin refitting at Lyonies. Like Earth, the UDF turned Lyonies into a fortress. Again like Earth, the refugee population outnumbered the planet’s citizens. There were now 7 billion living on the planet.

2199 Zargah forces tightened their grip around Earth. Yet they made no attempt to rush the BlackStar minefields. Some Zargah patrols had reached Phoenix. What remained of the population, still a few million, hid in underground shelters. No invasion, however, was attempted.

President Locke, like President Alekseyev, was seen everywhere on Earth, visiting refuge centres, inspecting the troops, giving rousing speeches.

Radio Freedom was establish on Earth. Using Big Ear technology, it broadcasted daily & constantly to the UFP. President Locke’s speeches were transmitted loud & clear, despite Zargah attempts to jam the signal. Earth was going to be defiant. Earth was not going to surrender.

2200 At the end of the century, the UFP was at its lowest Rubicon. All of Vargary space had been overrun. Likewise the Drey region had been occupied. Light years behind the front lines, Earth remained defiant. With its minefields of BlackStars, keeping out the Zargah, 12 billion UFP citizens were trapped with no where to go. The Zargah prepared to wait. Having experienced the power of the BlackStar previously, they had learnt to respect its dreadful destruction. Their invasion of UFP had been almost been defeated due to BlackStar & they knew it.

UFP President Locke remained on Earth. Everyday he addressed the people, not only on Earth, but throughout the Federation. He reassures them "… that the Human, Vargary, Lyonise & Drey races were not blessed with so much, achieved so many fundamentals, built a grand Federation that has touched God’s Grace: one unrivalled throughout the Cosmos, to merely surrender & disappear quietly into the night. Without a doubt, fate is on our side. The war will turn in our favour. We have & will always triumph over evil wherever or whatever it is."

Morale, though, is low. Everyone knows it is simply a mater of time before the invader overcomes the BlackStar minefields.

Nonetheless, life went on. Productions were enjoyed, sports played, work endured, families & general life continued. Children were born. Some, as was their fate, died. People married. In fact Earth registers more marriages in 2200 than during the entire previous decade. Many prayed to their respective God, while everyone hoped.

The Lyonies continued to hold out with two UFP fleets. All knew, however, there is little they can do when the Zargah recommence their offensive. UDF mines surround the space around Lyonies, making it impenetrable. But senior officers are well aware it will only be a temporary defence.

Elsewhere the remnants of the UFP do as best they can. The inhabitants of Phoenix hide in their shelters, first built almost a century ago by the Morabs & Kullons during the Liberation War. While never used before, they now house the remaining population. Further out, Nirvana & Renaissance are left unmolested for the moment. It is as if the Zargah consider them of little strategic value. No one knows what life is like in the occupied territories. The FF, CIP & WQU remain behind their borders, preparing for the onslaught that is bound to follow.

The last UFP fleet operating in old Commonwealth territory, a remnant of several fleets, hides out on the galactic rim using Omega & Fin as bases. The Zargah’s patrols, however, continue to get closer. Admiral Mullin, in fact everyone, knows very well they cannot stop the Zargah. All they can do is hope to delay them long enough, so that NGW can develop a weapon to defeat the invader.

NGW continues to work at a maniacal pace developing a miracle weapon. Although BlackStar mines succeeded brilliantly when deployed at Eden, the missile variant, was disappointing. It is just too vulnerable on a modern battlefield. The Zargah, in turn, learnt very quickly how to combat both variants. In reality, nothing has truly been successful.

Forward To Chapter Six

Human Time Line Glossary (1945-2300)

© 1997-2009 This creative work is the property of David Mark Atwell.
You must gain the author's permission prior to any reproduction by any technology currently available now or any new technology at any future date.
Remember this is copyright protected!