Author's Note: The Timeline and prologue are not necessary although helpful, for understanding the story.
Commissioned by MaceShepard
Written by BloodRaven
November 17th 2008
The United States East Coast is in chaos, a new pathogen referred colloquially as "the green flu" spreads uncontrollably through the entire eastern seaboard, hyper accelerated by the recent election.
Smaller pockets of infection are spotted world wide at international airports.
This day is known as infection day. Through some unknown mechanism the disease mutates causing psychosis, mutation, and uncontrollable aggression to "non infected". National military forces across the world are caught unprepared as suddenly sick individuals go berserk. The disease spreads like wildfire. Overnight the United States of America, the most powerful nation in the world, no longer exists. Evacuation is initiated immediately by CEDA, they are partially successful.
The few success stories are of small bands of survivors, seemingly immune to the disease, known as carriers, fighting their way across cities and states to safety. In the process they slay thousands if not tens of thousands of infected individuals. By January first, the United States is in total quarantine lockdown, the midwest states have a "no cross line", anyone trying to cross is shot on sight. Surviving parties are ordered to hold up on building rooftops and are supplied by helicopter.
The entire world is in chaos, CBRN combat teams are sent in and lock down entire cities to stop the spread of infection. For the first time since the Balkan War, entire cities are reduced by artillery and airstrikes. In China, Russia, and the United States, the tactical use of nuclear weapons is authorized. US Naval task forces across the world, working with other national navies bombard coastal cities in fire support against the horde.
Not since world war two, has the world been at war like it has been. By 2010, the United States was a shadow of its former self. Small bands of survivors, the carriers, still roam the east coast, tasked by their government in exile to finish off the last remains of the infection by whatever means. The east coast is known as "The Dead Zone" where companies of carriers battle against those unlucky countrymen whose mutations were not severe enough to kill them through their mutagenic cancers, or impair their cognitive functions enough to die of exposure during the winters and summers.
By now new powers have arisen to take America's place, China begins feuding with Russia and the European Union, the nuclear genie was out of its bottle.
Tension rose to a head when Britain retook control of Hong Kong through a coup de main naval assault, citing China's refusal to uphold its terms in the original british withdrawal.
Nuclear weapons were in the air when a single transmission live was received from the now devastated Washington DC. A single man in MOPP gear stood in the charred remains of the Whitehouse Oval Office, and declared that currently fifteen ICBM silos in the East Coast area were under his command, their warheads contained MIRV dispersal pods for a chemical agent that would incite another green flu epidemic. He declared that all parties destroy their airborne nuclear weapons or all major nations will be targeted.
At the eleventh hour it was done. And the world wondered.
CEDA lived in the ruins of DC and worked tirelessly for years to discover the cause and workings of the Green Flu. In their process they had made leaps and bounds in biotechnology, epidemiology, and medical practices. They explained that the disease's ability for mutation using specific triggers was a breakthrough that could not be underestimated, they claimed in ten years cancer would be cured.
In ten years cancer was not only cured, but a way for growing new limbs and organs was on its way and awaiting approval for human testing.
The Man in MOPP was ordered to report to the General assembly in Prague for a UN meeting. There he changed the world.
17th of November 2008 The Green Flu was catalogued and declared an epidemic.
1st of January 2009 the US is under Martial law and total quarantine. An estimated 50 million were already dead in the US alone.
20th of January 2009 The UN, in an unprecedented move after having nearly 80% of its original membership killed in the disease, declared a world quarantine, all nations must go into quarantine and are allowed to use whatever force necessary to quell the infection without threat of reprimand or sanctions. By this point twenty national capitals the world over, including Beijing, Berlin, Pretoria, and New Delhi were either battling the infection or had already lost. This is the UN's final act before the institution falls apart due to fatalities.
11th of August 2009 China uses three tactical nuclear weapons on Beijing, followed up by a buttoned up armored tank assault into the city. By the end of the year fifty percent of the city is back under their control. At the same time the Pearl River Delta's three major cities, Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau, are similarly invaded as well with an international force of naval marines, and naval fire support, including an entire US carrier battle group.
1st of January 2010, the green flu burned its course through the veins of the world, and the last outbreaks and slips of the perimeter worldwide were being handled. For many nations it is too late, East Coast America, Central America, Mexico, several african nations, and many cities in Europe and Asia are desolate wastelands. Covered in the bones and emaciated corpses of its citizenry, many are facing up to 90% death rates for their entire country. Some nations count themselves lucky to only lose one in four. The United States lost upwards of one hundred million people, mandatory conscription and civil service is in effect. All carriers planet wide are required to join the military and are in perpetual quarantine on pain of summary execution.
3rd June 2020 British and European Union Special Forces invade and capture the ruins of Hong Kong in a single night, citing China's failure to protect its people. This is a culmination of Chinese and British clashes regarding naval territorial disputes and international politics. Including the Chinese fait accompli invasions of Vietnam, India, and Eastern Russia.
4th of July 2020 China launches ten ICBM nuclear weapons to Australia, New Zealand, Gibraltar, and Britain. The British and EU reply in kind, with Russian mobile Nuclear weapon systems moving to their borders in preparation to launch in case of any missiles targeting them.
The Man in MOPP appears on all major news and media sharing sites, as well as a live broadcast on Radio and TV. He makes his demands clear, all launched nuclear weapons are to self-destruct immediately or the world will face another gren flu epidemic. In two minutes all parties comply.
29th September 2030 A multi form cancer treatment is invented, tested, and deployed worldwide as payment for services rendered ten years prior in complicity for the Man in MOPP's demands. It is capable of reliably targeting and removing cancer cells with 83% effectiveness and is effective against half of all forms of cancer. Promises are made that further time, testing, and tailoring, will increase it even further.
16th of February 2039 the UN reconvenes for the first time in a decade. Their first act is to summon the Man in MOPP for questioning.
8th of March 2039, the Man in MOPP arrives at his summons and explains that the green flu, Virus 266 in CEDA records, is a highly mutagenic bioweapon made by some party now thought dead. Its deployment was originally thought to simply hinder America as another seasonal disease piled atop that year's flu season. The disease mutated into the form it became and rapidly grew out of control as more and more strains were split off and caused abnormal cancerous and mutagenic effects in its hosts. The impossible, a zombie virus, became real.
9th of May 2052 The UN joint launches a manned expedition to Luna to set up a permanent settlement to study the effects of Virus 2059, a continuation of virus 266, in zero gee.
2060 Virus 4343 is approved for human distribution, as a vaccine to the green flu. Alongside it are anticancer elements and other minor features. Unfortunately all carriers are immune to the updated vaccine, and remain dangerous potential spreaders of the original disease, all carriers have to live their lives in special remote reservations and islands.
As the vaccine is non-inheritable and can cause mutations in the body, it is dangerous for prepubescents to be infected with it. To help combat the ever declining birth rate, all children are assigned to live with the carriers to protect them from premature infection, with children now being born "On demand" to recover from the massive population decline from the epidemic events fifty years prior and now facing a massive worker crunch.
2075 Billionaire Victor Manswell requests permission to initiate human colonization of mars.
2081 Mars is colonized by Victor Manswell. Not to rest on his laurels he assembles his own extra solar colonisation program.
2095 Investigating abnormal energy signatures in the southern pole of mars, an active alien installation is discovered.
Victor Manswell with 300 colonists are cryogenically frozen and embark to Proxima Centauri.
2097 The battle for mars begins in earnest as the active installation attacks the Mars colonies with autonomous drones. Reinforcements are rushed in via the seven month one way rocket trip.
2099 Mars is fully secured from the autonomous drones and the facility stormed.
2100 The facility was created and owned by the mysterious protheans. Originally designed as a listening post made specifically to study and test humanity, particularly through genetic variances and diseases to craft a capable warrior species for them to conquer and use in their own wars. The system was evacuated by the protheans during an undisclosed crisis and the facility put on standby with preconditioned orders to reactivate during set conditions. One of those conditions was tripped when it performed a once a century scan of Earth in 1995 and detected that humanity was nuclear capable. As the facility was abandoned it carried on with autonomous orders preparing and then deploying the last made genetic variance test. Virus 266. It launched its payload using a stealth drone after its internal countdown went off without outside intervention. 3rd of November 2008 at the USA as the internal facility VI determined it was the most powerful and interconnected nation.
2101 The Mars Prothean facility is put under military control. The public fearing another attack is put under indefinite quarantine while the UN International Council debates. By the end of the year the UN council is approached by the elderly Man in MOPP, he declares that a new international government that supersedes normal national boundaries must be formed for the safety of all mankind, and that this government should be in charge of all human exploration and colonization efforts, as well as the human navy, BIO-Virus research and development, and foriegn policy in regards to alien nations. His endorsement was the final movement needed for the formation of the United Nations Space League.
2103 the central workings of the Prothean facility is discovered, inside is a fully operational technical and cultural library. While incomplete it also has access to the central computer system. Through it they discover the Mass Effect.
2105 using prothean technical schematics and studying a derelict Prothean frigate in drydock on the station, the UNSL has its first FTL capable ship. Its first mission is to Proxima Centauri, intercepting the Manswell expedition rocket.
2106 Mandatory conscription is reinstated, all able bodied adults must undergo national service in preparation for a possible invasion. Virus 5872 is released, the only recipients shall be those who undergo national service. Its most valued addition is a life extension viral agent, causing a new organ to grow replacing the appendix that periodically filters in regenerative agents alongside other viral update serums. With this it is estimated that the prime of a human lifetime was extended by at least fifty years.
2110 The first extrasolar human colony is established.
2132 All new viral agents are linked with national service. Anyone can refuse national service, but abandon their rights as "first rate" citizens and must for their own safety live in special reservations. The fear of a resurgent mutation in a viral agent causing another green flu episode is justified when an independent militia group in Africa who refused any viral vaccines become infected with a dormant strain and attack nearby villages.
2140 Humanity has officially drifted from its pre green flu self, when cosmetic viral agents are released for public consumption, people can slowly mutate their features, anatomy, and even facial structure. As the years go by the changes become even more widespread with minor features like tails, ears, bioluminescent all natural tattoos, and even additional limbs becoming common if not universal. The most breathtaking of all is the newly developed biotechnology feats like second skins that can protect wearers from vacuum exposure, and stop bullets and stabbings which are only the tip of the iceberg.
Those who refuse the current trend of "biological scrambling" refuse all national service or duties to the state. In return they're sent to live out their lives as part of the carrier reservations. As they cannot be vaccinated they must live out their lives away from the general population.
2153 the UNSS freight cruiser Tripoli is destroyed by a terrorist attack in orbit above the heavily populated Vancouver area. Tens of millions suffer eezo poisoning around the world.
2156 Virus 6892 is rolled out. With it the previous United Nations Space League renamed themselves to the more concise Infected Citizens League. Having been running a red hot rapidly expanding economy since the discovery of the Prothean facility, the economy was on the brink of exploding into a great recession due to a lack of quality trained workers, general debauchery, and controversy on carrier raised families becoming the norm with children being "Born on demand" coming into question for the ethical necessity.