"No one knows you like I do.This timeline follows generally the timeline of the main Trinity book, but there are some discrepancies. In all those situations, the Trinity book is wrong and this timeline is right.
Nobody can know your heart like I do.
Nobody can testify to all that you went through, but I will.
I was born in Puerto Rico, the Spanish Carribean in my soul.
We came here wearing summer clothes in winter, hearts of sunshine in the cold." ---- Paul Simon
"I've been sleeping on the roof of my building.1920s. The first known recorded incidence of "supernormal" events occurred during this decade. The Aeon Foundation was founded by Maxwell Anderson Mercer in 1921, most believe in a response to these events. It was a humanitarian and scientific organization.
It's cooler than the street.
I've been watching the setting sun as it bounces off the avenues, turning into gold dust at my feet.
Carlos and Yolanda dancing in the hallway to an old melody.
Spanish eyes and soft brown curls. My love, my love, come to me.
I believe I'm in the power of St. Lazarus, and he holds me in his sight.
I know that these jitterbug days I'm living.
Well, they won't last forever,
but they'll last for a long summer night." --- Paul Simon
1998. Although scattered incidents precede this year, in 1998, a tremendous rise in the number and power of Aberrants occurs.
1998-2021. Aberrant activity increases significantly in scope, variety, power level, and importance.
2022. Fusion power is developed simultaneously in the United States and in China.
2024. The United States unveils its first fusion-powered orbital craft. This craft and others like it promote a renaissance in satellite and orbital platforms over the next twenty years.
2038. Permanent lunar settlement established by United States but quickly added to by other nations and private enterprise.
2024-2045. Advances in fusion technology and miniaturization makes
global Aberrant monitoring and countermeasures available and
cost-effective to national governments, threatening Aberrant power and
influence.
"The way you move, it's got quality.2046. Aberrant radicals seize control of Bahrain, sparking baseline-Aberrant war that quickly spreads to the entire globe.
Come on baby, let's go downtown.
You know you sure look good to me.
The way you move, it's got quality." --- Paul Simon
2049. United Nations establishes World Peacekeeping Initiative (WPI), declares war on Aberrants. This is the first use of the new power of the United Nations that desperate national governments granted it. (The WPI would later be combined into the First Legion.)
2053. The first manned Martian exploration mission is launched by China. The name of the ship is Xingyang Suija.
2054. Aberrant Calvert Wycoff explodes in Kansas. Over the next five years, the Blight spreads across the American Midwest. United States "sells" the now-occupied Olympus lunar colony to the United Nations in return for assistance in the Pacific.
2055. The United States, hit hard by Aberrant attacks and lacking materiel and food, invades Canada and northern Mexico. Los Angeles is sunk by repeated earthquakes, ocean-bed alterations, and at least in one case by a simple telekinetic flattening.
2057. The United States suspends its Constitution and establishes
a joint military-corporate rule called the Federated States of America.
The emergency is never rescinded.
"Salvador, the afternoon sunlight is folding around us.In 2061, China announced that unless the Aberrants left Earth or surrendered, they would use the nuclear weapons on their orbital platforms to eradicate all life on Earth and make it an unlivable radioactive wasteland.
The dishes are done.
The buildings here, tall as our mountains,
slice through the windows and cut up the sun.
On such days I find I am longing for Puerto Rico,
though I would never return until you are free.
When I hear the Aguinaldo, my heart's a little lighter,
and we dance together, Aurea and me." --- Paul Simon
The Aberrants left Earth. However, in their last fits of rage, they eradicated the leadership of the U.N., destroyed the OpNet and every computer record attached to it, immediately setting back all human knowledge - and especially scientific and technical knowledge by decades. A massive economic and national crash followed, with skirmish wars and civil unrest claiming all of human civilization. This is the closest analog to the Dark Ages that has ever occurred since the invention of the printing press. It is thought that the world's dependence and interconnectedness without proper safety measures was due to previous manipulations by Aberrants anticipating or planning for the war.
The exact circumstances and timing of the Chinese Ultimatum and the
Aberrant diaspora are not well-known, despite it being
arguably one of the most important events in human history. Control
and communications had
broken down so much across the globe that the information may simply not
be available.
"Killer wants to go to college, he wants to get his parole.2069. Aesculapian Foundation is organized to help war-torn areas recover, and to promote the rediscovery of medical knowledge. Extremely successful, it slowly grows out of its earlier dependence on insurance corporations and drug companies over the next few decades to become a friendly rival with Aeon in scientific exploration and humanitarian efforts.
So the Department of Corrections will release him in the fall.
Killer wants to go on TV, wants to talk about his book.
'Make my life into a movie. I got the style, I got the look.'" --- Paul Simon
2070. Federated States scientists discover a method of restoring soil and reducing the Blight. Although the Taint associated with the Blight also fades, this is considered only a side effect of the technique, which is for many decades very clumsy.
2071. The grav crystal is developed. This makes zero and low-gravity human habitation much easier and cheaper to maintain, develop and use.
2074. New York City Arcology opens. Over the next 40 years, over a hundred arcologies of various sizes will be opened as substitutes for urban sprawl that has to be rebuilt.
2076. Fortune's Knights mercenary company formed in Australia. This will eventually become the core of the Second Legion.
"A passenger travelling quietly conceals himself with a magazine and a sleepless pillow.2104. Aberrants attack and destroy the colonies around Saturn.
Over the crest of the mountain the moon begins its climb,
and he wakes to find
he's in rolling farmland.A farmer sleeps against his wife.
He wonders what their life must be.
The Trailways bus is heading south, into Washington, D.C.Mother and child, baby maybe two months old. Prepare themselves for sleep and feeding.
The shadow of the Capitol Dome slides across his face,
and his heart is racing
with the urge to freedom...Pull into downtown Dallas by the side of the grassy knoll,
where the leader fell
and the town was broken.
Away from the feel and flow of life for so many years,
he hears music playing.
And Spanish spoken." --- Paul Simon
2105. Aberrants attack and destroy the colonies on and around Venus, and attack the colonies on Mars and the Moon.
2106. Aberrants attack the Earth and surrounding space platforms for the first time. National governments begin to mobilize immediately.
2111. The existence of psions is revealed when a psychokinetic Legionnaire force averts an Aberrant attack on the Sydney Spaceport, very violently and publically. Initial response from the public is lukewarm to cold. All the psychic orders immediately launch a public relations campaign, backed by the Aeon Foundation, which becomes an umbrella organization for the orders immediately.
2117. First contact with the Qin goes poorly when the Qin mistake the humans for Aberrants. However, the mistake is quickly corrected.
2118. Qin embassy is established on the moon - human embassy is established on Qinshui.
2119. Aeon Foundation announces that the Chitra Banhu psychic order is Tainted, and in league with the Aberrants. This is rapidly confirmed, and over the next ten years, a campaign is undertaken by the other psychic orders, national armies and the U.N. to wipe out the Chitra Banhu. The effort is costly, but eventually successful.
2123. First contact with the Chromatics come when they wipe out a mining station in deep space owned by the Pan-Africa Mining Corporation. Unlike the Qin, the second and third contacts don't go much better - in fact, things seem only to go downhill from there.
2124. The Esperanza Crash. Aberrants wipe out most of Central Europe by forcing the massive space station Esperanza from her orbit and crashing it into Paris. In the aftermath of the attack it is discovered that every known member of the Upeo Wa Macho, the teleporters' psychic order, has disappeared. Interstellar travel is suspended.
2129 Interstellar travel is re-established when a clumsy, expensive replacement for the teleporting psion is found, and psion involvement in interstellar travel is reduced to the clairsentient navigator.
2131. First contact with the Coalition goes extremely very very poorly when the exploration team returns with all but two of the crew dead, and the survivors traumatized beyond the reach of any but the most powerful telepaths.
2134. The Federated States of America establish the Phobos military base, and reveal the nukesat laser program for eliminating Prime Threat and Class-1 Aberrants anywhere in the solar system.
2136. The characters take on a Taint-maddened file clerk and discover a sleeping Aberrant beneath the city.
2137. The present day.
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