Planetary Governing Union End of Year Report
Subject: Extraterrestrial Combat (X-COM)
It is of no surprise that XCOM continues to remain our best military task force to date. While they are officially a private military, no one is fooled on who they owe their loyalties to. They have made several strides to help repair Earth and police the Solar System while keeping their own military well staffed and research focused on newer technologies.
Currently, X-COM is running supply through the Belt and trying to help alleviate the situation on Mars. As of right now, they do not officially back either side of the civil war but rather focus on setting up aid camps for noncombatants. There have been reports of Laser Squad agents near these camps but have been "politely dismissed and shown the door" to prevent taking any action. Current reports state that more extreme factions such as the Red Devils, the Ares Spartans, and the Ethereal Phantoms to name a few have been designated as extremists and/or terrorists at the most severe. There has also been a prominent investigation and military crackdown on emerging Cult of Sirius Martian cells by all factions who engage in temporary ceasefires to do so.
As for the situation regarding Mega-Primus, X-COM will be working on effectively a shoestring budget and fighting corporate politics. We will be unable to provide any support to those operations other than political pressure on the city itself and any corporate entities outside its boundaries. Unless something changes, any actions and consequences of these actions in Mega-Primus will be at the whims of X-COM staff.
"The War" 2020-2025
February 17, 2020: Connection to Mars exploration equipment ranging from satellites to rovers mysteriously is lost. The losses baffle the scientific community but are dismissed as a series of freak accidents and bad luck as due to the inability to service the devices and intense solar flare activity that has been occurring since new years.
February 22, 2020: Navies start picking up unusual activity in every ocean around the world with the Arctic, Pacific, and Atlantic having the highest rates. Submarines in particular report "strange noises" despite nothing showing up on sonar or radar. Oceanographers and marine biologists report a sudden change in ocean conditions and wildlife migration patterns respectively. World leaders are hesitant to commit to a course of action but keep a quiet lid on the situation. Reasoning for this course of action is the belief of an early El Nino and yet another mystery of the ocean baffling the entire science committee.
February 23, 2020: Satellites are fast to notice rapidly approaching objects before they disappear into the Sun. Civilian reports state similar sightings. With the public showing anxiety, governments begin to plan relief forces under the belief that a violent meteor shower is imminent. Astronomers are contacted to calculate the possibility of where and when these objects could impact. Coastal communities begin to panic as lights and noises are reported with the wildlife also acting up.
February 24, 2020 "Bloody Monday:" Governments bring their militaries to bare as alien craft rain from the sky and rise from the ocean depths. Dubbed Martians and Aquatics for their origins, these hostile forces prove to be unstoppable to anything except each other. Air forces, navies, major cities, and nuclear assets are either targeted or caught in a deadly crossfire as the two forces engage. The crisis is so severe that within the first hour of hostilities human civilization has collapsed. Governments are either destroyed outright with no clear successor, cut off from their countries and militaries, or both. Mass panic escalates while militaries begin to form a defense and save anyone they can. By the end of the day it is estimated that nearly five million people are killed in the chaos.
March 2020: Surviving leaders, local governments, and military officers manage to regain a sliver of control as the aliens begin to focus more on each other than humanity. With the world under a quasi-state of anarchy and martial law, humanity seems doomed. Survivors are forced to hide in the countryside and hope that they are not spotted or fight in the ruins of what was their homes. As a cruel twist of irony, third world countries are spared the worst of the initial damage but fare just as badly as everywhere else.
April 2020: Military forces manage to form connections with each other. The majority of these connections are limited and primarily are composed of forces from the same nation or allied neighbors. Nevertheless, these early connections are small and avoid the attention of the aliens who are more than happy to kill each other than humans. Old grudges are fast to disappear as survival becomes more important than national pride.
April 13, 2020 "Crusader Day:" Remnants of NATO alongside police and civilian volunteers manage to consolidate enough resources to get a military base operational in the ruins of Germany. While the base is understaffed, the equipment is outdated, and forced to fight with whatever they can scrap up these individuals are the first true resistance against the aliens. While accounts of taking out small patrols have occurred before hand, the "Xeno Crusaders" manage to take down Martian supply vessel. Under desperation, the means of this extraordinary feat was done using a scavenged Harrier, salvaged MANPADs, a news helicopter, and even a refurbished WWII wirbelwind flakpanzer (taken from a WWII museum along with anything else that could be grabbed) were used. The Battle of Stielberg Pasture is considered the first true victory for humanity during the war.
May 2020: Communications of the victory of Stielberg Pasture are fast to spread, giving humanity a much needed boost in morale. Neighboring regions send whatever supplies and manpower they can spare to the base while "Crusaders" are sent back to help bolster local resistances. By the end of the month, the force grows all across the regions once known as Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, and parts of Russia and France to form a ruthless resistance against the Martians.
June 4-20, 2020 "Escape from 'Hell's Canal'": The Panama Canal sees a massive engagement between Martian and Aquatic forces while human survivors are caught in the middle. Fed up being pinned down, forces comprised of soldiers from all of the Americas (North, Central, and South) rally together alongside civilians to make an all-or-nothing escape. The escape route was the Canal itself and saw crude rafts as the primary means of escape. A radio operator, Maria Gomez, managed to call help from the remnants of a US Navy task force to provide support. Armed with rifles to makeshift spears, the survivors were covered via naval bombardment and light air support. Literally clawing their way out, the survivors somehow managed to escape and join with the task force in the Caribbean. The escaped concluded three days after the rendezvous by fleeing to the Caribbean Islands, each fortified and used as a means of gorilla warfare against the Aquatics.
July 2020: All traces of the previous world are erased with survivors battling around the clock to stay alive. Europe becomes a hotbed of activity as the Crusaders a wage guerrilla war against the Martians and brute forces its way into Asia and the Middle East. Australia becomes the primary refuge for those fleeing the Pacific while the Caribbean sees a constant hunt by the Aquatics as retribution. War supplies are low and despite minor victories and gathering strength, humanity is hopeless against the aliens of either faction in a straight fight and have no means of researching the captured technology. In the background, the global environment crumbles with little being done to preserve it.
September 2020: The Crusaders manage to send a strike team into Alaska with hopes to meet the "Corsairs of the Caribbean" as they are unable to make any gains against the Aquatics themselves or reach the British Isle. The Corsairs, in agreement to the meeting, send a team themselves through the Florida Keys before heading west. Australia manages to bolster a military and begins to dig in before preparing an assault for the mainland to recover survivors and possible technology. The Outback becomes the sight of a major construction project in the form of a research center dedicated to study of recovered alien materials, whether they be bodies, weapons, craft, or computer equipment. Madagascar sees a large skirmish between both hostile forces and becomes a prime location for salvage which is transferred through resistance cells on the mainland to bolster defenses.
November 2020 "Month of Nightmares:" Almost as if to mock Halloween, the aliens unleash their most terrifying forces upon humanity within days of each other. Whether it be a minor ceasefire in the form of a coordinated attack or coincidence, humanity suffers its worst defeat to date since the initial invasion. Chrysalids and lobstermen begin actively hunting humans in retaliation to the counter offensives. The worst recorded case was ironically Black Friday in which the entire region of former Tennessee was stripped of human life and transformed into an Martian fortress. The Corsairs also lose several islands and are forced to temporarily retreat their command staff to former Venezuela before the end of the month.
December 2020: The world begins to experience what many classify as a nuclear winter. Disease outbreaks erupt all across the world as medical research vaults are breached or suffer from disuse. Fortunately, the diseases once again prove to be the deadliest force in warfare as the aliens suffer even worse loses than ever before. Reports of deliberate cleansing of craft or garrisons encourages humanity despite suffering similar consequences. The first year closes with an estimated thirty percent of humanity dead to pre War levels, an estimated twenty two percent of animal and plant species extinct to pre War levels, and nearly ninety five percent of the world occupied by aliens.
January 2021: The Crusader and Corsair teems meet by luck while traveling to each other. Both were surprised as the meeting location was further East. Nevertheless, both teams manage to begin official diplomatic ties and agree work on coordinating joint efforts against the common enemies. While unconfirmed, it is hinted that both teams saw the each other as "foreigners" and not a similar resistance. Regardless of speculation, both teams returned home after exchanging a few members to help share experience. Both trails involved the Oregon Trail (Crusaders) and Route 66 (Corsairs) and the combined paths taken are considered to pivotal in determining the outcome of the war and have been named the "Trails of Couriers" by future historians.
April 2021: The research complex in the Outback is operational but unable to fulfill its role due to the degrading of corpses and equipment. To make matters worse, the "Outback Raiders" are unable to reliably recover these items on its own due to the aliens having a lack of interest for Australia and unable to obtain any significant military actions on the mainland, let alone transfer the material back home. In contrast, the Crusaders and the Corsairs lack the complete opposite and have no solid means of research and development. To remedy the problem, the three factions manage to create a complex courier system involving modified aircraft, solar powered golf carts, to even sleds in order to reach "Outback Science" and return the results. Africa proves to be a key part of this plan due to the influx of technology while bodies are easily stored ice boxes and portable refrigerators. The plan takes the better course of the year to prepare with results produced in mid October.
Mid October 2021: The first reliable scientific results reach the front lines. Soldiers are finally given decent combat armor against the relentless energy weapons of their foes and first aid kits capable of handling the wounds. Weapons are still lacking behind until former New Zealand physicist Andrew Mackson manages to develop an "efficient" means of powering handheld laser and magnetic weaponry. While crude and dangerous, the new weapons quickly turn the tide in favor for humanity by leveling the playing field a bit. Crusaders are fast to adopt lasers due to dryer climates they fight in while Corsairs use magnetic weapons due to reliability over raw damage.
December 2021: As another year closes humanity continues fighting the war. Command staff and resistance leaders are starting to realize that despite victories there is seemingly no end to enemy reinforcements. Communication efforts between forces confirm that humanity is loosing the war in the long term due to attrition and the inability to effectively coordinate global strategies. Salvaged weapons and vehicles are beginning to run dry and not even Outback Science can produce enough equipment to arm even special forces. More desperate strategies are employed as cruder and weaker yet simpler weapons are employed. The Crusaders effectively are halted in their advance due to fuel shortages crippling their salvaged armor and air forces while the Corsairs are forced to fight using rafts and canoes. Madagascar still holds the biggest cache of supplies to salvage but is rapidly dwindling due to recovery efforts by all sides. The harsh winter also limits operations in the Northern Hemisphere, effectively bringing all fighting to a temporary stalemate. Human losses are now at an estimated thirty six percent, plant and wildlife at thirty percent, and alien control over the planet stands at eighty eight.
April 1, 2022 "Fool's Gambit:" Considered as one of the riskiest, boldest, and most important offensive offensive operations in the history of the world, humanity launches a massive coordinated strike on all known alien strongholds. Planning started just before new years and was focused on overwhelming and confusing the enemies. Casualties were high at best with entire resistance cells and outposts destroyed in retaliation at the worst. Nevertheless, the costly victories outweighed the high price by granting humanity much needed resources in the form of combat bases, research and manufacturing facilities, and critical intelligence. The aliens surprisingly fail to give a full counter offensive to this, not even bothering to unleash their hordes in any significant numbers as opposed to November 2020. April 3 sees the end of the operation with total losses at sixty percent for humanity and roughly seventy five percent of total targets either captured or destroyed.
June 2022: The Fool's Gambit slowly shows results as industry is slowly set up in new locations. While Outback Science is still the primary source of advanced research and development, the other locations can breath easier as they manage to produce weapons, armor, medicine, and new technology on their own. Communications finally become reliable enough for every surviving human in the world to be kept up to date on ongoing action regardless of when or where it is happening. Outback Science begins designing vehicles capable of fighting back against the aliens capable of using alternatives to fossil fuels. The most likely candidates are the fuels used by the aliens despite having very little idea what they even are.
August 2022: Unmanned combat vehicles once again become a matter of debate as manpower grows scarce and the need of armored warfare grows higher. Outback Science manages to develop unmanned tanks capable of running off of batteries and recharging rapidly. However, they are lightly armed (using machine guns or gas powered harpoons depending on the environment) and require an operator to be within a hundred meters and the most to use. Most see the new vehicles as "large remote control cars with guns" and are hesitant to deploy them. However, tests show promising results and field action gives humanity armored fighting vehicles once again. As a bonus for the Corsairs, the Aquatics can finally be attacked underwater as opposed to resisting beach assaults as diving combat suits prove more of a hindrance than a means survival.
September 2022: Madagascar finally drys up on potential resources. Despite the loss, engineers in former South Africa manage to grant a solution for a lack of air support (or "sub support" in terms of the Aquatics). The first models of the vehicles are the MK.I Mosquito and the AS8 Swordfish. The Mosquito is largely seen as a bastardization of 1950's jet fighters, pre War technology, and Martian propulsion while the Swordfish is seen as a deep-submergence vehicle given two torpedoes and a explosive tip harpoon minigun. Early performances sour first impressions even more so but many are fast to shove these thoughts aside as the need of fighting alien craft and providing air support outweighs complaints. While barely able to even scratch the paint off of medium sized craft, the minor victories begin to pile up and fighting becomes far easier.
November 2022: The British Isles are finally contacted after two and a half years. News that there are still people on the islands after no contact and several failed attempts to even get close greatly relieve the Crusaders. However, the islands are seen as one of the biggest concentrations of alien activity, if not the biggest, due to intense fighting by both factions. Human survivors manage to stay alive but are being hunted to the last and are desperate. The Crusaders desperately call out to the Corsairs, Outback Science, and anyone else they know to help. Outback Science begins drafting up new vehicle schematics the moment they hear the request while the Corsairs begin to feed whatever intelligence they can share based on reports of Aquatic activity. War plans are drafted and scheduled to take place within the following year.
December 2022: The third year of the war comes to a close. The former regions of Southern and Eastern United States have been "captured" by the Corsairs as well as the rest of northern South America, the coast lines of Brazil, and most of Central America. Crusaders finally get a proper foothold into Africa, deep Siberia, and even the western edges of the Himalayas. The atmosphere is showing signs of severe collapse and many are forced to wear masks, including healthy individuals. Estimated losses are an estimated forty two percent of humanity, thirty eight percent of plant and animal life, and about eighty three percent of the planet held under direct alien control.
July 15, 2023 "Operation Underlord, E-Day:" The liberation of the British Isles commences. Originally joked as a "Reverse D-Day" by Crusader field commander Wilhelm Shaffer, the amphibious assault on Dover is underway. A week prior, the Second Battle of London is used as a diversion using newly developed Firestorms while Barracudas and Mantas (the true successor of the Swordfish with the Barracuda serving more as a stopgap between the two) clearing the way for troop transports. While the name for the operation was intended partially as a joke and an honor, it unfortunately proves to be exactly as commander Shaffer said, a reverse D-Day. Martian defenses prove to be far more entrenched than reported and heavy losses are sustained. The Crusaders do manage to punch through however and Corsair attacks on former Ireland (launched from Greenland) open a second front. "England Day" (E-Day for short) is considered a success and confuses both alien forces long enough for trapped humans to rally into a full on assault. The Isles are the first territory to be alien free at the end of the year since the beginning of the War.
September 2023: As the British Isles grow more stable, breakthroughs were made in former Taiwan on alien communications. The "cracking of the alien enigma" was seen as one of the biggest achievements of the war. While having no means to exploiting this development to mislead the aliens, humanity immediately began raids on the aliens to break supply lines and harass troop deployment.
December 2023: The end of the year was one of joy for humanity. News of the victory in the British Isles, shared through the voice of Maria Gomez, brightened the spirit of humanity. No longer were humans hiding and forced to survive through gorilla warfare and underground connections, they could win. Equipped with new armor, reinforced with vehicles capable of withstanding energy weapons and fighting on equal ground with alien armor, and emboldened with the news of the complete removal of alien presence from a region, humanity was well on the way of fighting back. Talks between the major factions also facilitated the groundwork for a future global government starting with the creation of the "Extraterrestrial Combat Unit" (better known as "X-COM" for short) to serve the elite special forces against the aliens. Estimated losses are an estimated fifty percent of humanity, forty eight percent of plant and animal life, and about seventy eight percent of the planet under direct alien control.
April 18, 2024: X-COM forces make headway on the alien base in former Tennessee, a previously impenetrable bastion for the Martians. As the cream of the crop of the Corsairs, Crusaders, Outback Science equipment, and countless other forces, the force punches through the defense and comes into contact with a member of the Martian high command. Designated as an "ethereal," losses are high due to psychic powers. However, the capture of the alien solidified the battle as a victory for humanity. Decryption of alien notes also warn humanity of the possibility that the Martian engineering species, the "sectoids," have been heavily modified with a fresh batch of psychic units incoming. Due to the connection between the sectoid species and the aquatoids, the Aquatic equivalent, forces brace themselves for the development and frantically study any and all efforts to counter and weaponize psychic power for humanity.
April 26, 2024: X-COM and Outback Science Code breakers discover the location of the Martian primary high command at the Cydonia region of Mars. Mentions of a super orbital station are mentioned but only in fragments and hints that it is to be in Earth orbit.
June 17, 2024: Corsair strike teams in the Caribbean disrupt Aquatic excavation efforts at the Chicxulub Crater, Yucatan Peninsula. They are astounded to find remnants of what could possibly be an Aquatic base dating back to the Cretaceous Extinction. The questions on how such a discovery could have possibly been missed are largely ignored however due to bigger concerns. After getting past the firewalls, they manage to find mentions of something known as the "T'leth" with a only a grainy image to back up any proof the the object exists. Cross referencing with the Martian logs days later show disturbing similarities.
July 2024: Plans are drafted up to attack Cydonia. The primary problem of doing so involves getting troops there alive. No one has the ability to launch anything into orbit at the current date and humanity has never set foot on a celestial body past the Moon. To make matters even worse, the idea of sending anyone on the equivalent of the old American space shuttle is seen as suicide. After weeks of debate, the idea of developing a hybrid troop transport/interceptor is pushed forward. While seen an "idiotic combination," the counter argument states that helicopter gunships (primarily the Huey from the Vietnam War) served in a similar role. Figuring they have very little else to work with, military leaders green light the plan with the inclusion of a submersible variant to be included to combat the Aquatics.
August 2024: Outback Science goes dark within an hour after a pincer attack by Aquatic forces attack Australia. While there is no confirmed reports of the facility being destroyed, the last transmission off the continent comes from Mackson containing unfinished schematics, equations, theories, and projects. Other scientists are fast to realize his work on the alien power sources, isotopes of element 115, "elerium" and "zrbite" for the Martians and Aquatics respectively. To cause greater distress, psionic enemy forces finally hit the field and wreak havoc on morale. Studies show potential for human psionic forces but nothing worthy to be used in action.
December 2024: Plasma and sonic (both actually kinetic weapons firing energized elerium and zrbite respectively but the names stick) weapons finally even the playing field by hitting the front lines. While these advances in weapon technology are limited to vehicles, soldiers greatly enjoy the benefits of having heavy support. X-COM creates the first portable versions a week later but require sophisticated exoskeletons and power packs to use. There is no word from Outback Science but intercepted transmission suggest the site is simply hiding due to no confirmed action in the location of the facilities. Plans to engage both enemy command structures enter the final phases of development with projects "Avenger" and "Leviathan" entering controlled field tests in order to ensure combat craft can deploy troops. Estimated losses are an estimated fifty five percent of humanity, seventy percent of plant and animal life, and an estimated sixty three percent of the planet under direct alien control.
February-March 2025 "Final Duel": The aliens go out on what many consider a "hail mary" attempt to destroy each other and humanity. The massive assaults effectively push plans of attack back a month at the least due to the sheer chaos involved. The assaults also force humanity to go once more underground to weather the storm. What remains of India sees the worst action, with what little sustainable environments are left are erased as massive "battleship class" craft pound each other into oblivion. The Gulf of India is formed over the course of nearly a month and a half of intense combat. The post combat effects nearly destroy the last remnants of the ozone layer as hazardous materials poison the surrounding regions similar to nuclear fallout. The "Final Duel" is the most destructive event in human history due to sheer amount of damage caused in such as short amount of time.
May 17, 2025: X-COM broadcasts call out to any and all survivors for Operation Martyr, the assaults on the Martian and Aquatic high command. With science pointing to the total extinction of humanity by year end should the war carry on for any longer, many volunteer for the attack. While responses are lower than what X-COM had hoped for, they were better than what was feared. With the aliens still quiet after the madness months earlier, August 24 is seen as the optimal time to begin the attack.
June 2025: Volunteers finally arrive and are greeted by X-COM staff sporting the most advanced weapons and vehicles ever developed by mankind. Handheld plasma and sonic weapons usable by a standard human, power suits capable of surviving space or the ocean depths, and the vehicles that would bring them to the enemy, the Avenger and Leviathan gunship/interceptors. When asked on how they developed so much in so little time compared to Outback Science, the responses were "lots of external help, lots of hard work, and far too much damn luck."
August 24, 2025 "Operation Martyr, Rusty Knife:" Nearly five hundred of the best men and women in the world are hand picked to attack Cydonia. The other volunteers are sent out to harass Martian bases to hide the launch of nearly forty Avenger. With a stroke of luck, all craft break through and begin the two week journey to Mars.
August 26, 2025 "Operation Martyr, Tidal Fury:" Due to the Aquatics suffering heavier losses than the Martians due to the Final Duel, less concentrated efforts are made to distract them. Surprisingly, several basses and strongholds are abandoned with anything of value salvaged or destroyed. Still, several successful raids cripple Aquatic supply lines and listening posts.
September 7, 2025 "Operation Martyr, Humanities Might:" The Cydonia attack finally begins. In a synchronized assault, human forces engage a massive facility in the Pacific believed to be the Aquatic command. Communications between both battles are terrible at best with everyone fighting more or less having to rely on themselves and the soldier next to them. Recovered footage shows chaotic trench warfare for Cydonia and barely visible corridors filled with nightmarish scenes in the Pacific.
September 8, 2025: X-COM forces finally manage a breakthrough on the Aquatics after seventeen hours of continuous warfare. Most of the facility falls under divide and conquer tactics. Surprisingly, most of the Aquatics abandon the base leaving only enough forces to be a nuisance. The combat is light and largely a waste of time but the enemy presence simply is too much of a concern to ignore.
September 10, 2025: Cydonia grinds to a bloody stalemate as the Martians literally throw bodies straight into the crossfire. Some corridors and tunnels become blocked due to the sheer number of corpses making movement impossible or structural damage causing cave ins. As for the Pacific, tremors are reported causing minor tsunamis. Aquatic forces completely disappear but leave no trace to their whereabouts.
September 15, 2025: A massive Aquatic vessel begins to emerge from the Mariana Trench. Assault submarines are scrambled immediately the moment the danger is recognized. By the rate of the surfacing, it is estimated the "super sub" will reach the surface within two hours. All efforts prove to be futile as heavy armor soaks the damage and the sheer size of the vessel makes even concentrated strikes useless. Strike teams are sent in after thirty minutes of futile attacks and terrible losses as the point defenses come online. Breaching the hull of the vessel, the strike teams engage in combat similar to the fighting at Cydonia. Later examination lends support to the vessel being the T'Leth.
September 16, 2025: The T'Leth continues a slow rise through the atmosphere while humanity throws everything at it. In the only instance of a ceasefire, Martian forces team up with human aircraft in the chaotic air battle in vain attempts to bring the massive Aquatic vessel down. Hastily made elerium and zrbite tipped warheads (both untested and having only baseline theoretical concepts at the time) are loaded onto strike craft and is fired at the vessel at the insistence of the strike teams who are still on board. The explosions vary with some warheads failing to detonate while others explode with explosive yields stronger than any conventional weapon outside of a nuclear warhead. Despite the successful attacks, the T'Leth shrugs the damage off and continues to rise to the dismay of all. The only impacts made are reductions in its climb rate, giving a time table of three days before the vessel reaches high upper atmosphere.
September 17, 2025 "Fall of Cydonia:" Reports from Mars come in loud and clear after nine days and six hours of constant combat. While the soldiers are battered, bloodied, and exhausted, they proudly report the destruction of the Martian high command and the capture of several research facilities that hold a treasure trove of technology including Elerium energy, terraforming, genetics, and possibly terraforming. However, they are shocked to learn about the chaos going on over the Pacific and only the insistence of those on Earth keep them from rushing back home. With the possible loss of Earth and most of humanity with it, they are ordered to hold out and be the last bastion of humanity should it be necessary. Surviving Martian forces still pose a threat on Earth but are in complete disarray and are fighting with almost no military proficiency.
September 19, 2025 0743 local time "Fall of the T'Leth": All traces of contact between the strike teams on the T'Leth and the outside world are lost and the massive Aquatic craft still continues to rise. However, strange readings begin to emit from the craft before the craft begins to suffer cataclysmic damage from the inside. Explosions tear the T'Leth from the inside out at the seams and force the monstrous vessel back down to the surface before exploding. The blast is the second largest in history, barely beaten by the Cretaceous Extinction Event. The world suffers as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and "superstorms" tear up whatever remains of the shattered atmosphere and biosphere. However, all accounts of Aquatic behavior confirms that the creators have lost all cases of intelligence and are either dropping dead or are running on animalistic nature causing more harm to themselves than anything else.
Early October, 2025: Combat becomes scarce as remaining alien forces die out due to the environment or minor skirmishes. The war is effectively over and is replaced with the fact that the planet is dying. Outback Science comes back online and starts broadcasting questions on what has happened with the most notable question being from Mackson, "What the bloody hell happened out there you crazy, beautiful bastards?!" Forces on Mars are contacted and told to come home with the terraforming technology in order to begin clean up on Earth.
"The Reconstruction" 2025-2084 (Present)
December, 2025: Final elimination of alien forces have secured the planet for humanity. Total losses include ninety two percent of humanity, eighty seven percent of all plant and animal life, thousands of miles of land rendered uninhabitable for the next century at the least (estimated), and the cultures and histories of every civilization prior to the war. Clean up efforts are impossible and even basic supplies are under careful rationing. The strike team from Mars however does give Earth hope to flourish again but the technology is a mystery that needs to be unlocked.
Early 2026: The world enters an ice age due to the damage caused by the T'Leth exploding, supporting the hypothesis on how the dinosaurs were exterminated. Even with the planet dying, Martian terraforming technology is put to good use at slowing the damage at the very least. Scavenging efforts are made to recover historical artifacts, plant and animal samples, or even forgotten technologies. When questioned on why people are looking for buried books and documents, many leaders claim that the these items are "the stories of humanity that remind us of who we were." X-COM primarily leads these efforts while Outback Science races against the clock to save Earth from dying.
Late 2026: Recovery efforts manage to find a few documents, statues, and other historically important artifacts from the ruins of museums, some in remarkably good condition considering the neglect. Clean up efforts are slow but show progress in repairing the environment. A surprise gene cache of thousands of plant and animal species (modern and Cretaceous) is found in an abandoned Aquatic facility. The reasons as to why the Aquatics bothered remains a mystery but the facility is maintained in order to regenerate the biosphere.
2027: Global conditions slowly improve or at the very least stop getting worse. With all alien activity on Earth dead, scientists begin to hypothesize on just what the war really was. The best theory is that the Aquatics and Martians nearly killed each other sixty five million years ago and just happened to wake up. Alien data supports this theory and it is believed the T'Leth was the nail in the coffin for dinosaurs as it created the Mariana Trench when shot down. The Chicxulub Crater was theorized (later confirmed) to be an impact sight for an asteroid in the form of kinetic bombardment.
2028-2034: Life slowly becomes a standard routine of finding lost relics, trying to repair the Earth, and survive the hellish landscape. A few well armed survey teams go back to Cydonia and the lower depths of the oceans but only dead tombs await the paranoid. Civilization is still a pipe dream with the only places capable of having clean water and food are highly specialized military bases and research facilities. Combat vehicles are often repurposed for courier duties to distribute these basic necessities. Strangely enough, the devastation slowly becomes a blessing in disguise as it finally unites humanity under one cause and one basic rule. How this new era is to turn out at the time is unknown.
June 2035: The first proper "city" is constructed in former Gibraltar after nearly a decade. It is more of an ugly combination of metal, cheap quality cement, and synthesized wood, but it proves to be a proper settlement equipped with actual running water and electricity. Named as Reborn Unity, the city is seen as the de facto capital of the the human species with all major organizations signing a new constitution. The laws are still roughly the same but there is hope that a more proper civilian government will ease the tensions of what is effectively a police state. To prevent abuse of power, airtight laws are put in place with harsh punishments. Humanity survived through strength, competence, and equality, not political lobbying and monetary wealth. Global government is under the control of what are considered "regional marshals" due to militarism still being a heavy facet of human society despite the War being over.
May 2036: X-COM, largely a science and engineering organization due new priorities, re-militarizes as a previously undiscovered and intact Martian facility is discovered. Breaching the complex, they are shocked to find the halls not just abandoned, but unused since 2022 according to the last data log entry. After searching the facility, they stumble on a genetic facility housing something they were unprepared for, human-alien hybrids. The beings inside are largely ready for combat and have psionic abilities, yet decrypted logs show that they are regarded as failures and a waste of resources. Unconditioned to be willing slave warriors, physically weak, and having only enough intelligence to understand how to live, the world is given yet another morally difficult problem to solve. After weeks of harsh debates, it is decided to give the creatures the intelligence to make a decision for themselves on whether they are to live with humanity or serve their original purpose. Early June saw the new "hybrids" slowly help humanity rebuild the ruined Earth, accepting the long and arduous road to becoming accepted into society.
2037-2040: Clean up and recovery efforts begin to slow as population centers become overcrowded. Many hypothesize that Mars can prove to be a safer place for humanity to restart and serve as a means of generating resources. Many are hesitant about the idea due to the Martian base, the idea of "abandoning" Earth, and even concerns over succession as many "Pre-War" science fiction settings mention. The more logical however express concerns about how to even support Mars when Earth is in shambles. X-COM scientists finally break the stalemate showing that Elerium fueled technologies are better at terraforming than their counterparts and that brief sensor scans prior to the Fall of Cydonia show that the Red Planet has abundant potential. Plans are drafted and set in motion 2038 with specific criteria set. Should the colonization of Mars prove to be a success, more refined and thought out plans will be made.
2040-2045: Mars colonization is a slow but undeniable success. With the reverse engineered technology in effect, Mars is quickly becoming a stable world while campsite hold a steady population. Theories as to how this works suggest that the technology was custom built to rebuild an atmosphere from scratch as opposed to restoring one. Regardless, many see Mars as a shining beacon of hope as Elerium and scavenged technologies from Cydonia head back to Earth. While not considered to be full civilization (estimates point to at most two decades), interplanetary relations and government plans are put in motion. Conditions on Earth improve by a significant amount due to the resources and in exchange send more pioneers to ease overpopulation and help Mars grow faster.
May 2045: A bizarre religion is somehow born in the darkest alleys and maintenance tunnels. Known as the "Cult of Sirius," the religion starts off as nothing more than a perplexing and somewhat annoying nuisance. Nearly every follower in one way or another believes that the Aquatics and "True Martians" would have been the proper masters of humanity. Regional marshals try to keep the nuisance from spreading but fail to do so in every attempt. Despite being a nuisance, the worst to happen over the course of the year are disturbances of the peace, breaking of nightly curfews, and disruption of work hours. Nevertheless, many keep a healthy distance from the Cult and watch with suspicion.
2049: Earth suffers from the worst global post-War disaster in the form of mass ecological breakdown as the Yellowstone Caldera erupts. Nearly all reconstruction efforts are erased and what little can be salvaged is only in secure locations. Settlements are evacuated and whatever natural resources that can be saved are hastily gathered. In light of the disaster, it is recognized that humanity on Earth is too decentralized to focus on rebuilding both the Earth and the species. In light of the events, Outback Science and X-COM propose the idea of a "super city" that can be self sustaining and allow new technologies to be developed in better conditions before being used to rebuild the environment. Despite the problems, many are unwilling to risk a mass concentration of people out of fear of pandemics, lack of resources, and a myriad of other potential problems. It takes several weeks of harsh debating before the regional marshals accept the plan out of a lack of options. The is revealed as the "megacity plan" to the general populace with the first city, "Mega-Primus," schedule to begin construction the following year once a suitable location has been determined.
2050: Mega-Primus begins construction early in the year over what remains of Toronto, Canada. When questioned on why this location in particular, it was stated that "the land was in relatively good condition and there still was infrastructure that could be salvaged." Ruins around the world were picked clean for any salvageable materials that could be used for building the massive project with the exception of historic/national monuments. The Cult quickly grows into a larger problem as more members become fanatic in their preaches and aggressive. All attempts at stopping their antics fail in misery.
2050-2053: Martian miners erupt into a bloody rebellion as the chief monitoring organization, Solmine, fails to compensate employees or maintain general safety regulations. Earth catches wind of the action but is unable to do much due to horrendous conditions and the desperate need for elerium. Even so, they viciously condemn Solmine and threaten military intervention in favor of the rebels. Solmine in return immediately gives its chief security detail, Mars Security (or "Marsec" as it's more commonly known), unrestricted access to handle the rebellion. Investigators are unable to figure out exactly how or why circumstances occurred the way they did but are forced to watch as the madness continues. Marsec manages to brutally end the rebellions and even gain control over the entire planet which is then turned over to Solmine. X-COM gives an ultimatum that Solmine and Marsec chief of staff turn themselves in to court for their crimes and reorganize themselves or face the military might of humanities best military. Both organizations quickly back down due to heavy losses and fear of X-COM's promises. Mars is given a proper government and the half-baked Planetary Governing Union (PGU) is rushed into existence as a result, an estimated five to eight years earlier than expected.
2054: In light of the "Martian Rebellion," two political entities emerge on Mars that slowly begin to gain ground on Earth. While both are seen as extreme idealists out for their own agendas, no one is truly able to do much to regulate them. Using heavy benefaction from Solmine and Marsec (despite the reorganization), the Extropians begin offer a heavily industrialized society that will benefit humanity. By contrast, the Technocrats view a heavily regulated and monitored society similar to the marital status during the War as the only option due to bitter resentment regarding the Rebellions. Fortunately for the PGU and most marshals, both groups are a minority in the grand scheme of things and are considered as much of a threat as the Cult; an annoyance that must be tolerated for now due to bigger problems.
2055: Construction on Mega-Primus continues steadily much to the relief of the PGU and marshals. Organizations are founded to help draft the economic and logistical landscape of the city. However, these organizations are virtually unregulated due to resources being tied up. Many fear another Solmine/Marsec incident because of this lack of regulation but virtually nothing can be done. Bluntly put, the city needs the organizations and the rest of humanity takes greater importance than overseeing them. Many War veterans lament the lack of camaraderie and selflessness that all but dominated humanity only a decade ago.
2060: After a full decade of hard labor, Maga-Primus finally appears to look like a city under construction rather than a gutted skeleton. An estimated fifteen years are still required despite this but the mere sight of early skyscrapers, roads, even the ugly and bulky sewage plant send a shock wave across humanity. They were no longer simply using the burnt out ruins of buildings and scrap metal to build settlements, they were building the most ambitious city in human history.
2065: Political turmoil allows the Extropians and Technocrats gain political dominance in Mega-Primus. The event nearly freezes construction efforts as the demands of both parties for once seem to favor both sides and exclude any other competition. Marshals threaten military intervention should they hog the city but are unable to make any comebacks when toyed with. Even with the city essentially becoming a dictatorial police state playground for the revival of corruption no one can do anything; Mega-Primus must be finished and proven as a success.
2070: Massive efforts to ease the burden on Earth and get away from the totalitarian nature of Mars result in a booming colonization effort to the Asteroid Belt and the Jovian Moons. While the Belt proves to be a figurative and literal gold mine for resources, the Jovian Moons prove to be a perfect outlet for overpopulation and disgruntled citizens. Some jokingly call the Moons the "New America" due to historical comparison of desperate or unhappy individuals fleeing home for a new start. Add in the fact that each moon establishes its own localized government and form a trade/military alliance with each other, the comparison seems very appropriate. By 2074, the Jovian Moon Compact and Belt Coalition both earn seats in the PGU and become respected members for their firm but polite political maneuvering. The Cult, Extropians, and Technocrats are dismayed to find themselves not only countered but unable to make any gains of even swaying a minority to their cause in either new government.
2078: Construction efforts on Mega-Primus near completion. Projections put the end of the near thirty year construction period at the late half of the following year. Despite the need of the city to be completed, many delay the "grand opening" to coincide with New Year's Eve to symbolize both the start of a new year and age. Public opinion is lukewarm about the choice and neutral at the worst, mostly agreeing that a few extra months of waiting is nothing compared to years. On the sidelines, Earth still is suffering but efforts have been made to once again restore the planet to its former glory. The Compact and Coalition receive more immigrants due to workforce demands and less restrictions. When questioned about their choice of leaving Earth due to restrictions, many simply state they want more personal freedoms without the need of heavy handedness. Martian miners once again protest their plight over hazardous conditions, unfair wages, and the sadistic nature that Marsec (and by extension, Solmine) use to prevent another rebellion. The PGU is unable to do anything due to political and bureaucratic difficulties thanks to Martian delays.
December 31, 2079 - January 1, 2080: Mega-Primus is officially brought to life to a bittersweet reception. Many citizens move simply to have better living conditions and new jobs but the PGU and marshals are hesitant to make any statements. Regardless of opinions, there is no denying the fact that the city is a marvel to behold. Completely self sufficient, having actual green grass in parks, a near infinite supply of clean water thanks to filtration, heavy defenses, and reliable infrastructure. All the stops have been pulled to build this paradise and many are eager to get a piece of it for themselves, politics be damned.
June 2080: In a shocking (yet somewhat predictable) political stunt, Mega-Primus effectively becomes the definition of a corrupt city from before the War. Corporations, political scheming, black projects, and more are the norm under the city glamour. Parts of the city that were meant to be a low tier high density yet comfortable residential area become slums while other sections become grossly exaggerated luxury buildings. Much to the fury of the PGU, X-COM, War veterans, and even the most cynical scientists of Outback Science hybrids are treated as second class citizens at best. To make matters even more complicated, the Cult somehow gains a public foothold. While seemingly comical on how the greatest chance for humanity becomes a cliched dystonia, nothing can be done to remedy the problem. Those who manage to hear about the true nature of the city quickly rethink their plans and either stay where they are or go somewhere else.
February 2081: Mega-Primus sees a sudden crisis as one of its most important companies, Cyberweb, accidentally creates the worlds first truly self aware artificial intelligence. To make matters worse, there are roughly a half million "androids" up and running. The PGU is given a brief and rare period of power within the city to sort the matter out. After several months of debate, the androids are viewed as the same as hybrids in the Solar System. Unfortunately, many of the androids in the city find themselves getting the similar treatment of being treated as second rate citizens. By the end of the year, nearly three thousand androids reside within the slums while the rest are dispersed into other territories.
August 2082: Martian miners reach a breaking point as their peaceful protests are violently crushed and even those who stay out are executed. The entire Solar System is in an uproar and the Second Martian Rebellion begins. While officially labeled as terrorists by the PGU, several branches (those that hold restraint as opposed to several extremists) are seen in a lukewarm light at the worst and receive discrete help from sympathizers. The most prominent cell is quickly nicknamed the "Laser Squad" due to their heavy favoritism of laser based weaponry and effective military tactics. Marsec finds itself fighting a far more organized and determined guerrilla war. Elerium mining plummets but zrbite quickly fills the gap thanks to the Compact and surprisingly Earth supplying large quantities. While vastly over looked when compared to elerium, many begin to question why such an abundant power source has been ignored. It is slowly decided that elerium was simply more bountiful upon colonizing Mars and zrbite faded into the shadows due. Solmine desperately tries to regain the market but the entire Solar System cuts them off and demands the organization to once again clean up its act.
November 2082: An unknown ex-Marsec scientist leaks an experimental but promising implant for mass production in hopes to enhance standard human psionic powers for study. The implant is tested in military and civilian applications and is quickly written off as a hazard due to drug like addictions being formed from the use of the implant. In the streets of Mega-Primus, the new "psiclone" becomes the go to drug for back ally deals. While expensive, a single implant grants the user virtually unlimited experiences with their imagination being the only limit. Dreams, fantasies, even getting a sensation are all possible with merely a single thought. There was no need to damage the body with toxins and short time limits when all one needed was to think the same experience to have it. The city quickly tries to contain the issue but it becomes nearly unstoppable. Ironically, very few users are found outside of the city and even then it is rare. Violent gangs start to form in the slums of Mega-Primus with the chief psiclone producer, Psyke, becoming the most dangerous.
March 2083: X-COM brokers a deal with the governing body of Mega-Primus, the City Council, to help regulate the vast amounts of technological advancements. No one is bothered by the thinly veiled intent of the now paramilitary group trying to take the city back. Even with heavy restrictions in place, the current X-COM marshal simply dares the Council to do worse before ending the negotiations and begins to talk with friends in Outback Science over an upcoming lunch meeting. The slums of the city grow worse as two new gangs rise to prominence; the mafia inspired Osiron and thuggish Diablo. Psyke looses ground due to the new arrivals but manages to keep itself alive and a dangerous threat. Nearly every other gang is effectively reduced to back street teenagers trying to steal from pedestrians in the middle of the night.
July 2083: The hybrids and android populations in Mega-Primus reach a breaking point over their harsh treatment and form protest movements. The Mutant Alliance and Sentient Engine Liberation Front (better known as S.E.L.F.) become not just the voices of their respective "species," they become the voices of the lower class citizens stuck in the slums. The movements are slow and face resistance at every turn but make minor degrees of recognition every month. However, some members by the end of the year in both groups begin to use more radical and violent measures to gain attention.
December 2083: Earth slowly turns another rotation around the Sun as the new year begins. Heavy environmental damage is and scars from the war are still visible with little to no progress made. Mars faces a total civil war as the Laser Squad becomes the leading faction for the Rebellion despite several other factions playing by their own rules. Conditions in and beyond the Asteroid Belt are cramped and difficult due to the problems with the inner planets but offer the highest standards of living with the exception to Mega-Primus. Mega-Primus erupts into a violent gang war within the last few days of the year with protesters becoming far more vocal. X-COM will enter the city as a paramilitary force by New Years Day with orders from the PGU, "Take back that city and humanities hope."
