Act II - Revival
III. Default: Anarchy (2170-2289)
The Paradox of Freedom
After the first 20 years of Civil War 3 had run a course, and most sects of The Cabal Initiative had been eradicated, communities & organizations looked towards each other and found further reason to continue the pursuit of chaos. This is not to say that everyone during this time experienced the wide-spread destruction; there were always those capable of slipping through the cracks of the grasp that desired to wring them dry. There were warlords & egalitarians alike doing what they deemed necessary to maintain some semblance of peace & order even within such a hellscape. No matter where people were in the world, they still had to engage with others to survive, it was wise to only do so when utterly necessary.
One such collaborative event became known as The Day the Earth Stood Still. Two global factions had been in a conflict over farm land across multiple continents for nearly 15 years; most of the battles fought directly on the fields that were intended for the growth of crops. A local underground revolutionary group to one of these theatres of war decided they had enough of the conflict that laid to ruin the slight semblance of civilization their community had etched out for itself in the world. Unsurprisingly this was a political party, berthed during the war, calling themselves Atomocrats. Practicing a decentralized form of government, Atomocracy. Thirteen young individuals from this faction took it upon themselves and deployed a form of nerve gas that was so dense it settled into the soil and bonded with the water molecules of the local environment. This new form of H2OGB evaporated into the slip stream and when released from naturally forming rain clouds now wreaks havoc on any population caught in its storms.
This group believed in a “government” by/of the individual Self. Their radical pursuit of personally-perceived justice contributed to the further degradation of Earth's ability to properly sustain life. As unfortunate as this example is, it is not the worst of the conflicts that were engaged over those 150 years.
“Does liberty create chaos or does tyranny invite it?”
-The Mailer
IV. The Vanishing of the Faceless (2289)
The Off-World Exodus
Ten years before I was born, out of nowhere and with no general comprehension of how it was possible, the all-powerful “Faceless” elite fled Earth. Literally as the picture-flicks describe, all the red-rockets in air, simultaneously and with little delay over the course of 6 hours; globally, they were gone.
The Faceless were able to survive on Solar Arcs which they built within the orbit of the moon; just far enough out of reach to be held accountable, yet close enough to maintain a shadowed gaze on the planet. On a clear enough night it was possible to catch the reflection of the sun on the giant solar sails that powered these monolithic stellar-structures. Although most of the world believed humanity to be “abandoned”, the community within which my parents had found themselves, like others, seized the opportunity as a blessing to begin anew.
There were still plenty of anarchist groups & militia fighting over seeds of power; however, no single group wielded enough militaristic might to gain much by way of control through fear in exchange for false security again. Within 5 years of the vanishing, communities started to develop and life somehow found a way.
-The Mailer
V. Reconstruction (2289-2345)
Humanity Lives Without Masters
Not only were communities learning to cooperate on a micro level again, the Earth’s natural resources began to heal as well. Sustainable local economies, decentralized energy systems, the shared stewardship of land and new cultural identities built around survival through sharing became commonplace.
It was determined that with the Faceless removed and no one left to dictate policy or manipulate markets, humanity was able to cooperate with itself.
My family found solace and eventually peace within a mountain community north of the 63rd parallel. My father was an outdoorsman, and my mother could do anything she put her mind to, so the environment naturally suited them. Although we still had some days when the clouds overhead drained and you may return home with a rainburn, systems have been acutely developed to ensure all water is drinkable, accessible & free for everyone on the planet.
Within this period, humans did not only regain control of their survival, they discovered technologies that had not yet been developed until this time in “post-modern” history. Such technologies include the t-mailing system I am currently using and the wireless power I briefly mentioned.
Up until 10 years ago my entire life had been The Reconstruction. All I know is radical discovery & the pursuit of liberty. I am enthralled by the history that came before me and enraptured by the tenacity of humanity. Most of all I am proud to have been a part of it.
-The Mailer
