Human history, throughout the ages, shares a few common point, no matter the era, the "civilization" level or science advancement. Humans as a whole are :
- xenophobic or at least fearful of anything "not human" by their standard
- curious to a near suicidal point, daring to dive in the unknown to satiate their curiosty and/or to fish for benefits
- greedy for the betterment of themselves and their loved ones
- adaptable to many different environment and situation with the right tools and technology, pushed by a strong survival instinct and a constant flow of innovation created by said environment/situation
- empathic and selfish, easily influenced by their surrounding to the point of reaching illogical conclusions and decisions under pressure
For a quick conclusion, we will simply say that, humanity is capable of anything, humans of everything. As a whole race, we hold the seed of greatness, as much as we hold the seed of mediocrity.
As such, there is no surprise that the Unification War of Earth started in 2064 by the Asia leader lead to the greatest destruction ever seen on the planet. The stubbornness of the American and European leader in "no negotiation" stance is still a horrifyng example of human stupidity. The absence of nuclear weaponry did close to nothing to reduce the death toll or the environmental damages. With the emergence of nanotechnology, genetic modification and mind rewriting in common military strategy, the loss of 2/3 of the world population come as evidence.
However, the massive migration to the Moon, also called the Luna Rush, is still studied to this day. The Lunar city officially finished in 2061 and baptized Appollo, in honor of the first successfull lunar mission, gained the Apocalyptic City nickname during those events or Apo City for the natives. As a city build and organized for a population of 500 000 living autonomously, the influx of almost 90 millions migrants in less than 10 years caused the first humanitarian disaster in space. Lack of oxygen, water and food creating riot and guerilla warfare in the numerous and rarely safe underground living space of the Moon.
The saving grace came from a man of Icelandic origin, Olafur Einarsson. Arrived in one of the first refugee shuttle (stolen from a private spaceport in the USA where Einarsson was in holiday) in 2066, Einarsson witnessed the situation degenerating by the day with the constant flow of new migrants. Creating a gang around the year 2067 starting with less than a hundred subordinate, he slowly but surely organized all the population in his influence until reaching full control of the Moon. (All informations available in "Hope and Despair of the Icesteel Leader", edition of year 2084)
The result : only 22 million deaths among the refugees, a population of 80 millions and the birth of the greatest space city ever build by mankind.
During this time, the Martian base Colombus lodging barely 5000 people, completely forgotten by the authorities on Earth, could do little to survive without the correct supplies delivered. Particularly when their fission reactor was still missing pieces to be finished. Their hope came from the Moon. Einarsson sent a supply ship with a crew full of engineers and qualified space workers. With only one condition : creating a commercial and scientific partnership with regular delivery. An offer the forgotten Martian pioneers quickly accepted and still exist nowadays, keeping the Red planet on a steep curve of development for population and production. (All information available in "The Forgotten Colony", edition of year 2084)
When the unification war on Earth finished in 2078 with no clear victors and a third of habitable land contaminated, corrupted or managed by local warlord or selfproclaimed President/Conqueror/Prophet, Earth looked up again to discover 2 new autonomous neighbours. The Luna Icesteel Dynasty led by Einarsson and the Martian Pioneer Association. Both with experimented space military and qualified spaceship crew, thanks to 6 years of guerilla under the Moon surface led by Einarsson (earning him the Icesteel nickname, later chosen as a dynasty name) and the regular exchange between Mars and Apollo City handled by starships produced on the Deimos Shipyard
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Earth was the greatest loser of this conflict. Luna and Mars eyed the blue planet with a distrustful gaze, one because they experimented firsthand the cruelty and madness of the war, fleeing from it for their survival, the second because they nearly died of asphyxia and starvation, completely forgotten by all. Negotiation and commercial exchange were a possibility but obedience to any surviving government, even a worldwide one ? Never.
On Earth the unification process finally ended the 8 September 2079 during the now famous Moscow Congress where all the surviving leaders of the world decided to pool their resources together and create the first true World Government. Their first act : reorganizing the population on Earth to create new cities and towns in safe area. Following those orders the few remaining soldiers finally started to help civilians migrate and relocalize through the world, cleaning any local political/military dissension at the same time. At the end of 2082 the objective of 3 billion relocated people in the safe area of Europe, Asia, South America and Africa was reached. North America was a nano infested wasteland where everything from grass to bison was trying to slaughter anything humanoid. Australia became a giant testing field for genetic manipulation and was completely abandoned then placed under military supervision. Even now, at the start of the new century, Australia remains a forbidden place under strict quarantine where the death rate of any expedition reaches 90%, rumors of sentient wildlife and evolved aboriginal spreading in the military. On a more positive note North America have been reopened to human settlement since 2092 after the eradication of the nanites in the environment.
The WG (Wolrd Government) had to face a new problem after the successful relocalization : the trauma left by the war. Soldiers and civilians from all nationalities mixed together in giant camps of reconstruction or unorganized cities was a dangerous and volatile situation. Add to this the numerous acts committed by everyone to survive and the traumatic experiences of war itself ... The suicide rate in the first 6 months of peace was staggering, the crime rate in constant rise and the birth rate was crumbling. To face this the WG, helped by the military, used the mind rewriting technology in a safe form and created an office dedicated to it in 2083 : The Synchron. With a constant propaganda in every form of media, public debate and explanation, all were soon informed of the never seen before possibility : to be synced again. Nanotechnology, psychology and psychiatry put together to help each individual to talk, explain and finally accept its acts, no matter how serious was the situation. In the following year, every traumatic experiences were made public, anonymously, to encourage every citizen to face themselves again. A technology offered to Luna and Mars as peace offering with the treaty of free exchange in 2086. To these days the Synchron Office (nicknamed the Sync) exists on Earth, Mars and Luna and the three planets often collaborate to further enhance their efficiency.
Think about it : if a criminal, a murderer in this demonstration, rather than being jailed or forcefully mind rewrited, has the possibility to follow a therapy allowing him to understand the impulse, emotion and thoughts leading to his crime, enabling a process of reinsertion through therapy and light monitoring. That is real progress. Humanity finally learning to not give up the individual for the individual is the start of everything !
The declaimer of the Synchron Office instilling fear with their vulgar accusation of "brainwashing" and "soul stealing" are nothing but coward and narrow minded fools, still claiming that the death penalty is a viable solution. Their barbarism is nothing but a remnant of an age that almost caused the extinction of our race ! Those so called "Personal Protector" shame us all at the dawn of the new century ! Let me remind you that all the technology of the Synchron Office is subject to a constant monitoring by 4 different groups at all times, respectfully representing scientific, engineering, military and civilian interests. The report of the different monitoring comities are all made public and each and every complaint are public too.
Humanity will finally progress as a whole and stop letting the many suffer for the success of the few. THAT is the hope we should all have for the 22th century !
Article of the Solar News, Historical section, 22 December 2099, published on Earth, Mars and Luna through the Grid
Author : Head Reporter Jonathan Olk
Accompanying music : The Rise of Humanity, by Jen Stargazer