Cypherpunk 203X Timeline
Back

Note: This is a work-in-progress

• 199X: Rise to dominance and power of corporations around the world. The US begins to substantially downsize their military. Several developments with interfacing the human nervous system with computers and machines (I actually have a RL newspaper article about a MD at the U.of Alabama(?) who'd developed a special gizmo that allowed a mute quadrapelegic to communicate through a computer. He thinks, the mouse moves...). Experiments into military combat exoskeletons begin (MADOX-01 project initiated jointly by US and Japan [1]).
  
  
• 2000: Unification of the European Commonwealth. Adoption of the Euro as the EC common currency.
  
  
• 2006: A second Asian Crisis (the 1st being in 1996-97) occurs, as the IMF loans from the original Crisis come partially to term. Several nations default. North Korea begins the Second Korean War when a ballistic missile test "accidentally" misfires and detonates in a South Korean metropolitan area. A second "misfire" lands in eastern Japan. Dwindling US military power leads to a second Isolationist period. US Congress repeals Japanese limitations on military equipment. First East Asian Brushfire wars.
  
  ESPers are officially documented. Rumors of several governments experimenting with inducing ESPers in addition to mechanical and pharmaceutical means of producing an ultimate soldier (Psycho-Soldiers, Full-conversion Cyborgs, and Juicers, respectively).
  
  
• 2010: Repercussions of this second Crisis reach the rest of the world. The US is hit especially hard, leading to expansive economic crises. The Collapse has arrived. The ESA and NASA complete the International Space Station while funding still exists.
  
  
• 2012: The US' second Depression appears to be fairly long-lasting. Insult is added to injury when an enormous quake hits the West Coast. Expansive damage to Southern California from a 9.6 Quake. Aftershocks continued to rock SoCal. A similar quake hits the Seattle area, causing a portion of the Olympic peninsula to sink below sea level, and connects the southern portion of Puget Sound to the Pacific. The Olympic Peninsula becomes disconnected from the mainland, transforming the Olympic Peninsula into the Olympic Island. Droughts and flooding (in different parts, obviously) of the Midwest and the Southeastern US. Other Pacific Rim nations, lying upon the Ring of Fire, also are hit by quakes. The Great Kanto Quake hits the Kanto plain of Japan. Tokyo is devastated. Tsunamis cause massive collateral damage to much of the eastern seacoast of Japan. Death tolls are in the millions. The impact on PacRim industry and economy is immense.
  
  Rising sea levels around the world generate "Venices" in nearly every low-lying coastal town, where massive flooding consumed the lowest regions of the city under tens of feet of water. New York, Los Angeles, and Miami are but a few such cities which suffered such urban flooding. [2]
  
  
• 2014: Initial results of the ISS are promising towards orbital habitation. Several governments and corporations consider constructing orbital assets for research, manufacturing, and military applications.
  
  
• 2015: During much of the environmental and economical chaos, the US government also falls, aided by a terrorist-piloted 777 crashing into the White House during a ball attended by large proportions of both the House and Senate, as well as the President and his Cabinet [3]. Anarchy reigns. Many of the disenfranchised become "nomads," living in moving huge moving convoys. The Nomads become effectively 21st century Gypsies. They also will come to have fairly free movement between the Free States and the CAS.
  
  
• 2016: Due to lack of funding, NASA is forced to withdraw from the ISS. ESA adopts control of the ISS. By luck, or perhaps by planning, the EU is relatively untouched by direct effect of the disasters occurring worldwide, and are even able to weather the majority of the economic shockwaves thanks to their relatively delocalized economy.
  
  
• 2017: A military coup executed by a cabal of disgruntled US Military officers, led by then-General Joseph Prosek. Prosek and his regime wrest power from what remains of the US government, gaining political control over much of the Eastern seaboard and the Midwest. The Coalition of American States (CAS) is born. Over the next 10 years the CAS will grow to 7 States: Chi-Town (Illinois), Northern Gun (Minnesota), Iron Heart (Michigan & Wisconsin), *Iowa, Free Quebec, and Lone Star (Texas). The comparatively socialistic Coalition, subsidizes and sponsors some corporations, in trade for a strong influence in the business. Many corporations, especially foreign and multinationals relocate while the Prosek regime is amassing power, and while a chance to "escape" is possible. Similarly, a large number of expatriates and refugees flee northward to Canada (& Free Quebec, which later would become loosely allied with the Coalition), southward to Mexico, or westward to the Free States. Coalition-seized "abandoned" corporate assets were quickly converted into state-operated facilities. Under the Prosek regime the midwest is politically and economically stasbilized. Life for the typical CAS citizen is comfortable, even if controlled (Big Brother effect). [Think Harsh Realm's Santiago regime & nation]
  
  The Texas Free State (comprised of the southwestern half of Texas) declares independence from the (ex)-US, as well as refuses to join with the Coalition States. Unwilling to fight against fellow Texans, Free Texas is otherwise left alone by the CAS.
  
  In the West, several corporations (who then had extensive political lobbying to begin with) utilize the anarchy of the moment to their advantage. Using their combined coffers, they too are able to aid in restabilizing the economy in their region. Northern and Southern California, Oregon and Washington secede from the mostly-nonexistent Union, declaring themselves as Free States. The Olympic Isle is renamed Olympus. Oregon and Washington effectively combine territories to form the Cascadia Free State. The Isle of Olympus is renamed New Olympus, with reference to the Roman mythos. Much of the governing capacities of the old Washington State gov't at Olympia are relocated to the city of New Olympus. New Olympus becomes the political capital of Cascadia. The California Free States (NorCal and SoCal) center their capitals of government at San Francisco and San Diego. Some of the survivors of the Angeles quake begin rebuilding Los Angeles (with the town center relocated ~25 miles north of its original location), cynics name the irreparable husks of the city core site and the most devastated suburbs "Los Diablos" (think Escape from LA here).
  
  Japan recovers from the widespread destruction of the Kanto Quake. Once recovery is complete, Japan and its political and economic allies in East Asia politically becomes known as Poseidon...a politico-economic Giant (god?) that has risen from the waters. The results of the 2nd Korean Conflict (after Japanese interdiction) led to strengthened political tie with S. Korea. [The environment in Japan is very similar to how it appears in Bubble Gum Crisis, minus GENOM. Other massive multinats take its place however.]
  
  
• 2018: Construction of the largest of the Orbital Habitats, the Crystal Palace begins. 6 other orbital facilities have now been completed, placing a total population of around 1000 in both LEO and Geosynch orbit. Plans are in motion by several governments and even private corporations for at least another 12 orbital facilities over the next 5 years. Poseidon enters the Space Race, with completion of 2 habitat/0g Autofactories, and an additional 4 beginning construction.
  
  Aside from the severe restructuring in the world's social/economic/military powerhouses, life more-or-less resumes for the average citizen as usual.
  
  
• 2020s: What was once the United States of America has effectively become a conglomeration of Independent States. The Coalition officially claims seven states as their sovereign territory, due to widespread support (politically and militarily) in Northeastern Texas (CS Lone Star), Illinois (Chi-Town, Coalition Capital), Minnesota (CS Northern Gun), and Indiana (CS Iron Heart).
  
  The NorCal, SoCal, and New Olympus Free States ally themselves under the banner of the Western Free States (WFS). Many of the remaining states between are independent, though many are either politically allied, or are generally satellite states of either the Free States or the Coalition.
  
  Similarly, much of the coastal Northeastern and Southeastern also refuse to join the CAS. For protection, both politically and militarily, they "unify" under the banner of the Federated States of America (FSA).
  
  The fractured US loses much of its political face (and clout) internationally, with neither the Free States or the Coalition having much "true" say in matters, as they are typically looked at as "squabbling children". The substantially more stable European Union takes the reigns of the multinational alliances, primarily NATO (dubbed Neo NATO after the power shift away from the US) and the UN. Additionally, the Dis-United States lose the majority of their economic clout as well.
  
  
• 2025: EU/ESA-sponsored orbital facilities now number over 12, Poseidon boasts 8 of their own, with an additional 12 "independent" orbital colonies (5 of which belong to WFS-registered groups, and an additional 3 divided between the CAS). The total "highrider" population is approximately 5000. The Crystal Palace is now complete, housing over 1800 people.
  
  
• 203X: Now. Joseph Prosek, the son of the founding father of the Coalition now leads the Coalition of American States (CAS). The Coalition is now actively seeking political allies elsewhere in the world. The CAS also covertly supported guerilla rebels in Brazil and several other less-stable 2nd and 3rd world countries, in hopes that should any other coup attempts that succeed would garner the CAS further political support worldwide. Unsubstantiated reports of Coalition segregation and persecution of ESPers (The New Tolkeen incident*) and Nomads. The Coalition also moves to substantially bulk up its military forces, expanding into two Juicer regiments, in addition to several ACPA/Exo-Suit battalions (including Glitterboys, developed in 2024 by the CAS).
  
  * The Tolkeen Incident was one of the major occurences in one of my campaigns. In a nutshell, the city Tolkeen was originally a haven for ESPers, located in eastern Kansas, but outside of "official" CAS zone of influence. However, rumors of Tolkeen becoming a convenient internment camp for the CAS have surfaced. Should evidence of the mistreatment of ESPers come to light, it could quite possibly create sufficient political outrage to warrant military action. If it's not apparent the CAS is rather intolerant to ESPers, even those that it employs in its jack-booted, black-suited Psy-Corps (similar to B5's Psy-Corps).
  

References/Inspirations:

1. Metal Skin Panic: MADOX-01 (anime)
2. Hardwired, Walter John Williams
3. Executive Decision, Tom Clancy