Backstory (Arm of the Singularity Map Game)

Welcome to Arm of the Singularity. This is the official timeline for the game's backstory and to give you an insight into this future. Now I will be honest here: some situations may sound ASB to some, but I did try my best to make it as plausible as possible.

2016

 * Hillary Clinton becomes the 45th POTUS, beating contender Benjamin Carson in a close election.

Russia begins military deployment of ground troops in Syria to assist the Assad regime. This results in condemnation from various Western sources, as the Russians begin to focus their efforts on the moderate rebels, rather than ISIL.


 * The Burundian Civil War begins between government forces and various rebel groups in light of the previous year’s unrest.

The Juno probe arrives in orbit around Jupiter.

India and Pakistan join SCO.

2017

 * The UK withdraws from the EU.

2018

 * The rebels are crushed in Syria, ultimately allowing Assad to focus his efforts on ISIL.

During a US air strike, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi is killed, resulting in the effective crippling of the group. Assad’s government and Russia begin mop up of the remaining ISIL forces, now uncoordinated and the government declares victory over the rebels.

2019

 * Iraqi Kurdistan declares independence from Iraq, due to lack of government aid in reconstruction from the ISIL Conflict, combined with a rising Kurdish nationalist movement and the government’s refusal to uphold a possible referendum on independence. The Iraqi government refuses to recognise the Kurdish government and government forces are sent to quell the revolt, along with Syria and Turkey.

ITER begins experiments in France.

Golden Dawn comes into power in Greece, effectively making the withdrawal from both the EU and NATO.

Belarus joins SCO, after being admitted into the organisation earlier last year.

2020

 * After a failed military coup attempt by various dissatisfied military personnel, Afghanistan begins to fall into civil war as the Taliban take advantage of the coup to gain more territory.

Assad is overthrown and killed in a military coup by the Syrian Social Nationalists.

Tensions arise over in Ukraine following several major skirmishes between Ukraine and rebel forces.

The Burundian Civil War comes to an end.

2021
Gaza is declared uninhabitable by Israel and Israel quickly begins annexation of the region away from Palestine. Libya and Egypt begin to make their alignment with Russia along with Iran. First generation hydrogen-fueled cars begin to enter the market. The Second Cold War begins around this time following reports in which a Chinese J-31 is shot down over Japanese airspace, resulting in a souring of diplomatic relations between NATO and SCO, now considered a serious political, economic and military threat to Western interests worldwide.
 * After the collapse of Lebanon, the government of Syria begins to deploy its military forces to quickly annex the region before Israel does.

2022

 * Iran begins to occupy Western Afghanistan to set up a “buffer zone”.

A minor incident breaks out over the South China Sea, between Vietnam and China, as a Vietnamese cruiser fires a warning shot on a Chinese destroyer, and almost collides with the cruiser.

2025
Iran is admitted into SCO and is expected to join by 2027, while Syria is ascended to observer status. Armenia ascends to membership status in SCO, following a US-sponsored military coup in neighbouring Azerbaijan, which replaces the SCO leaning regime and replaces it with a NATO aligned regime.
 * A UN report stipulates that global petroleum reserves may reach maximum peak by 2030 at earliest, and 2045 at latest.

2027
IBM begins developing technologies that will pave the way for quantum computers to become commercially available to all instead of being used for government purposes and research purposes. Hakito Takanami, after a severe car crash injury, becomes the earliest known Superior after having half of his body replaced with cybernetics. Although this is the earliest known Superior, Superiors can range from genetically modified humans to cybernetically enhanced humans.
 * The second generation of driverless cars begins to enter the market, as emerging technologies begin to make things such as these possible.

2029

 * Moore’s Law fails, as silicon chips reach the atomic level.

Tensions between NATO and SCO reach an all time high after NATO admits Georgia into the organisation.


 * Tensions begin to flare up between the de-facto Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, supported by Armenia (and the rest of SCO), and Azerbaijan, supported by NATO.

2031
The USS Curtis Wilbur and the 569 Yulin engage in a minor skirmish, with both ships sustaining minor damage, further raising tensions. The first optical computers enter the consumer market.
 * Minor skirmishes break out between Azerbaijan and the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.

2033
The world’s first Autonomous Combat Vehicle or ACV is deployed into active service within the US Armed Forces, equipped with the best of AI technologies available at the time. Though not considered a “strong AI”, it does have the capability to make independent battlefield decisions. The PLA and the Russian Armed Forces attempt to compensate with the power of creating cybernetic enhancements for their forces, paving the way for human enhancement technologies to be applied in war.
 * Quantum computers enter the market, becoming a way to finally pave way for AI.

2035

 * The world’s first commercially viable fusion reactor becomes active in Geneva, Switzerland, using the ITER experimental reactor as a model for creating the reactor.

The 2nd Nagorno-Karabakh War begins, with both Armenia and Azerbaijan asking for NATO and SCO involvement. At this point, tensions between the two sides reaches the tipping point, as around this time, as several ships exchange weapons fire in the South China Sea, and PLA Navy ships begin their maneuvers in the Senkaku Islands officially pushing both sides to the breaking point. World War III begins, with the final tip of the iceberg resulting in a direct confrontation in the Taiwan Strait as the two political alliances declare all-out war.

2036
North Korea takes advantage of the war to strike at South Korea, the latter which manages to repel the invasion by the North after months of prolonged fighting. ACVs begin first combat use in Korea, the Pacific Front and Eastern Europe.
 * Taiwan falls to the PRC, effectively reuniting the two Chinas, with US Navy assets busy in the South China Sea and in the Senkaku Islands.


 * Ukraine joins the war on the side of NATO, prompting direct invasion by Russia.


 * Russian and Belarusian military forces begin to advance into Poland.


 * Syria launches an assault on Israel, taking advantage of NATO attention elsewhere, while Iran launches airstrikes. In retaliation, NATO launches a military operation against the Iranian government, hoping to divert attention away from Israel and Eastern Europe.

2037
Scandinavia opens up as a new front when Russia begins a naval strike on NATO positions in the coast of Norway.
 * The Baltic States and Ukraine are overwhelmed by Russia, despite NATO’s best efforts, with Russia using the latest in cybernetics to enhance their battlefield capabilities.

North Korea is overwhelmed by the joint South Korean-NATO forces, as the Korean Peninsula is reunified, only for China to launch an offensive.

Israel and Syria fight to a bloody stalemate as neither side gains an advantage over the other.

2038

 * Global supplies of petroleum begin to reach a maximum point in production.By this point, though, solar becomes more affordable than petroleum.


 * The US military deploys a new generation of ACVs into the battlefield, this time equipped with directed energy weapons.


 * The PLA attempts a military invasion of Hawaii, in an attempt to distract the US from its objectives in the Pacific. Although the invasion ends in disaster, the capabilities of the US Navy are crippled in the invasion.


 * Russia begins an invasion of Alaska around the same time of the PLA’s military disaster in Hawaii, with the intent of crippling American petroleum supplies by the destruction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System. This effectively opens a new front in North America.

2039

 * Russian military forces, after 1.3 years of fighting, unable to destroy the pipeline, are forced out of Alaska.

Operation: Fireball is launched in an attempt to liberate Taiwan from the PRC, which will then serve as a staging area for a future invasion of China itself. Over time, the island is liberated and plans begin to be drawn up for a future invasion of China itself.

NATO is able to force Russia out of Poland, and Norway, and begins to push into the Baltic States to retake them, and invade Belarus.

2040
Iran decides to pull out of the war, as its economy begins to feel the combined effects of the war and depleting petroleum reserves. This leaves NATO and Russia to focus their resources on China, and Eastern Europe. Syria decides to pull out of the war as popular support in both sides wanes and negotiations are set into place.
 * NATO officially launches an invasion of China itself through Korea and Taiwan.

China establishes a temporary capital in Xi’an as Beijing falls to NATO forces, and begin preparations for a final stand.

NATO forces are pushed out of Belarus, but are able to ultimately liberate the Baltics.

2041
The Treaty of Dubai is signed between the remaining SCO nations and NATO, with China removing the CPC from power, Tibet, Taiwan and Uyghurstan becoming independent states, China renounces its claims over the Senkaku Islands, Russia hands the Kuril Islands back to Japan, and Ukraine is annexed by Russia. World War III ends with a total of 420 million human lives lost in the war, thus replacing WWII as the most brutal war in the history of humanity at the time.
 * The PLA makes a final stand in Xi’an, where the last major battle occurs between NATO and SCO.

2042

 * India withdraws from SCO due to Russia’s perceived inability to maintain the organisation together, as India creates the Asian Organisation for Cooperation or AOC for short. Within the year other former SCO members opt to join the organisation, except for Russia, a few former SSRs and China, now suffering from economic and political hardships due to the embarrassment faced in the war.

Japan, with the latest developments in gene therapy and life extension, begins economic recovery, and begins to fill the power vacuum left behind by China in the Far East.

2045

 * The EU begins to decay, as the Third World War’s economic effects begin to cripple the global economy.

Renewables become increasingly widespread around this time.

2053
Driverless cars and hydrogen cars become commonplace in the streets of developed nations.
 * Fusion reactors become increasingly commonplace.

The world’s first laser thermal rocket system is developed, making space exploration cheaper than it already was in the 2010s.

2058
Israel and Palestine decide to resume negotiations after a period of reduced activity in Palestine and begin to move towards a solution similar to that of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the former Yugoslavia.
 * The Tibetan government is overthrown in a military coup and replaced by a pro-AOC regime.

2061

 * The world’s first space elevator begins construction in Ecuador, after the development of carbon nanotubes is perfected. It is expected to be completed around the early 22nd Century.

The first Lunar outpost is established around this time, thanks to the availability of cheap space exploration and space tourism becomes commonplace to LEO destinations around this time.

2065
Japan begins to exert its influence over Earth with recent trade agreements established with other nations across the Pacific, along with the support of various governments in Africa and South America.
 * Hypersonic missiles are developed by the US and India, both seeking to outwit the other in a new Cold War.

2067
The European Confederation or EUCON for short, is born around this time, as the nationalism and chaos die down from the post-WWIII aftermath, along with the necessity for Europe to remain relevant in the post-World War III world. Belarus in a referendum, opts to join Russia.
 * The first Orbital Strike Platforms (OSPs) are deployed into LEO by India and the States. These stations, designed to be constructed as large orbital stations, are the control centers for the various TKS (Tactical Kinetic Strike) and SKS (Strategic Kinetic Strike) satellites deployed in space around this time. At least 4 in total are constructed, one for each global superpower.

2074
Ethiopia begins to expand its influence across Eastern Africa. EUCON begins to expand its sphere of influence into Africa, using soft power as an alternative means of accomplishing its goals, rather than the hard power of the Americans, or the mixture of both that Japan and India use.
 * The the first mining operations begin in the NEOs surrounding Earth.

2078
The first Turing AIs emerge around this time as a Japanese AI passes the Turing Test, along with the first true Bots.
 * Nanotechnology allows for furthering of extensive cybernetic enhancement.

2086
The first map of the human consciousness is made by a quantum computer, allowing humanity to begin a process of destructive brain uploading. It would not be until the mid-22nd Century when brain uploading could be made safer. Africa becomes a new political battleground between the superpowers as alliances shift in the region and civil wars explode across the continent.
 * Hyperturing AI emerges around this time, as around this time, computers begin to become significantly better than the average Turing AI.

2099
Mining operations begin on the Moon, as the Lunar outposts are established. The merger between the US and Canada occurs around this time, giving birth to the United States of North America.
 * The Quito Space Elevator is complete, allowing for reduced costs in space exploration.

2102
Further expansion of colonial investments on the Moon begin, and colonies begin to be established in the Lagrange Points L4 and L5.
 * Unknown to humanity, the first transintelligences emerge, thus beginning what 21st Century futurists have termed as “The Singularity”. These transintelligences begin to build up influence and compete with one another in secret for dominance of the planet’s economic, social, political and cultural future, albeit with the common goal of ensuring the safety and prosperity of humanity.

2105
The average baseline lifespan is 108. The first genetically enhanced intelligent animals, or Uplifts emerge around this time, along with humans infused with animal DNA, or Splices.
 * The first manned Mars missions are launched around this time.

2111
Crisis on the global economy ensues after a stock market crash happens in Tokyo, sending the global economy into a recession.
 * As the Transintelligences increase influence in various key political positions, new political and religious ideologies begin to emerge, such as Neo-Nationalism, Christian Hyperevolutionism, Neo-Islam, Dirigism (credit goes to Vivaporius for the ideology), Amortalism, Biochauvinism, e-Democracy, Infosocialism (credit for Amortalism, Biochauvinism, Christian Hyperevolutionism and Infosocialism go to GURPS: Transhuman Space) and Neo-Capitalism.

2119
The US Aerospace Force is born after a reorganisation of the US Air Force, along with the aerospace forces of the other superpowers. The first combat units are deployed on the Moon, as the colonies continue their expansion there.
 * The first virtual “cities” emerge around this time, with the opening of new breeds of social networks and with virtual reality becoming commonplace for large chunks of the developed world.

2126
Brazil’s economy begins to flourish as the nation begins to modernise and investors begin flowing into the country. The Brazilian Miracle begins.
 * Tensions between the Indian-led AOC and the Japanese-led Kyoto Pact, both under the manipulation of the transintelligences, begin to arise following an incident on one of India’s lunar research facilities which Japan suspects India’s research on nanotechnological weaponry.

2128
India begins to upgrade its ACVs to apply human level military tactics in the battlefield, with Turing-level intelligence.
 * Japan secretly begins to prepare a series of Kinetic Energy Missiles (KEMs) on the Moon ready to launch at a minute’s notice at Earth should the AOC and the Kyoto Pact enter a state of war.

2130
T
 * India carries out Operation: Aracaj, in an attempt to cripple Japan’s OSP. Unfortunately, their mission is compromised, which results in the Sukairada Station Massacre, with only one survivor being captured by the Japanese Self Defense Forces. Upon interrogation, he reveals that the Indian government sent him to destroy the station and he is shot out the airlock afterwards. When the Japanese government is informed of this, they declare their intention to destroy Sukairada Station an act of war, and that, combined with the already tense situation in the former PRC, Japan finally declares war against the AOC. World War IV begins.


 * he first shots of the war begin to be fired on the Moon as the militaries of India and Japan face off against each other in the surface of the Moon. Fighting begins in the former PRC, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and Africa.

2131
The transintelligences, in secret, begin to use the war as a means to gain more influence than what they already have. Kazakhstan joins the AOC, officially leaving Russia, the last remnant of SCO alone in the international stage.
 * North America and EUCON joins the war to fight the AOC, in an attempt to finish what NATO started against SCO in the previous century.

2132
The Japanese Self-Defense Forces, execute Operation: Seika in an attempt to use Taiwan as a staging area to surround Indian forces advancing into China. Russia decides to join the war on the side of the AOC, seeing the lack of allies in the world stage. This begins to concern North America, whom see this as an attempt to restore old early 21st Century tensions.
 * India begins to overrun China, as military forces advance into Beijing.

2133
Brazil decides to join North America and EUCON in WWIV against India, which at this point, has seen expansion into South America. India is forced out of China, as the JSDF and China overwhelm their last stronghold in Inner Mongolia.
 * Japan begins to advance into Siberia, hoping to use the opportunity to finish off the Russian navy, which has had yet to recover from WWIII.

2134
India begins to develop Japan’s feared nanotechnological weapons under the codename: Project: Bhakshak beneath the Indian Ocean.
 * With the war being fought to a bloody stalemate and popular support turning against the war, a ceasefire is given to the war, as negotiations begin in Johannesburg, South Africa.

2135
Turkey’s economy begins to thrive as it becomes the first Middle Eastern nation to legalise Neo-Islam, along with the combination of corporate investors interested in creating a competing space elevator to the Quito Space Elevator in Istanbul.
 * After a year of negotiation, the Treaty of Johannesburg is signed by the 4 superpowers, during which the status quo is maintained in China and Russia, but various changes occur in Africa with new governments being installed constantly. Overall the treaty results in a status quo, with neither side gaining much of an advantage over the other on Earth. Outside Earth though, India is to hand control over colonial claims and territories on the Moon over to Japan and the suspected research laboratory with nanotechnology-related research is to be abandoned and the research destroyed. World War IV ends with the loss of 120 million human lives, and with Japan becoming a dominant power outside of Earth, along with North America and EUCON.

2140
Terrorism goes on the rise once more across the Earth as biochauvinism begins to rise in some nations after the Tokyo Metro Massacre, believed to have been planned by a group of Bots and Superiors. The transintelligences begin to influence nations into detering biochauvinist terrorism, fearing the loss of their already expansive influence.
 * The first InterPlaNet network begins to emerge as Lunar colonists begin access to the Internet for the first time ever, as the Internet becomes the InterPlaNet.

2141

 * Humanity First is born around this time, originally as a peaceful advocacy group for human rights, later forced to turn terrorist after the Akbar Road Riots near the Indian National Congress turn violent due to transintelligence influence.

2143
EUCON, Japan and India execute a series of arrests regarding biochauvinist groups affiliated with biochauvinist organisations and suspected terrorist groups following Humanity First’s attempt to destroy the Statue of Liberty.
 * A terrorist strike on the Statue of Liberty is foiled by the FBI, assisted by security drones. The terrorists are revealed to be affiliated with the biochauvinist terrorist group known as the Humanity First, whom in recent years have been labeled as “Al-Qaeda 2.0” by various media outlets.

2147
Humanity First begins to gain influence among the Middle East and various nations in Northern Africa, as they begin to rally the local populations, particularly those of traditional Islam and Christianity, to attack Superiors, Uploads and other non-baselines as well as government positions, in an attempt to instill terror on non-baseline populations. The North African and Middle Eastern transintelligences influence these situations by deploying government forces to open fire upon any suspected Humanity First member. The first Uploads via non-destructive uploading means emerge around this time.
 * Project: Bhakshak is completed in secret, as India begins to secretly stockpile on various nanotechnological weapons without the knowledge of Japan, EUCON or North America.

2159

 * Around this point, fully automated homes are the norm in the developed world and parts of the developing world.

Genetic disease ceases to exist around this time.

Deextinction of animals is now becoming more commonplace as animals from the late 20th and early 21st centuries begin to be brought back into the wild.

2165
Dirigism begins to gain popularity in South America, after Venezuela elects a Dirigist government.
 * The average lifespan of a baseline human is now 150.

2168

 * Patagonia gains independence from Argentina after a brutal insurgency in the region and rising Patagonian nationalism emerging. It adapts the Dirigist ideology, and declares alignment to Venezuela, as Venezuela gains the nickname of “the Fourth Reich”, due to its right-wing tendencies and comparisons of Venezuelan leader Esteban Suero to Adolf Hitler of the 20th Century, who earns the nickname of “the Latino Hitler”.

Venezuela invades Panama in an attempt to gain control of the Panama Canal and surround Colombia, as well as gain a strike vantage point against Ecuador.

2169
Sanctions are enacted against Venezuela by North America following the invasion of Ecuador, seeing this land grab as a ruthless attempt to undermine North American influence in the region.
 * Ecuador is occupied by Venezuela with very little resistance, and damage to the Quito Space Elevator.
 * Military buildup begins in the border between Colombia and Venezuela, the latter whom now surrounds Colombia.
 * The Istanbul Space Elevator is completed as an alternative to the Quito Space Elevator.

2170

 * The Amazon War begins between Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil and the USNA, in an attempt to prevent the rise of a Dirigist power in the region.

Argentina suffers a Dirigist Revolution, overthrowing the democratically elected regime and replacing it with a totalitarian state.

2177
Argentina falls into a civil war after a military coup attempts to restore the democratic state, but is crushed by the government. This, combined with Patagonia’s independence, plunges the nation into civil war.
 * Caracas falls to the North American military as the government attempts to hold the city. Venezuela’s government is replaced with a social democracy, much to the dismay of the USNA.

2182
The first attempts to conduct manned exploration of Ceres begin. The first Martian outposts are established.
 * The Lunar colonies at this point have a few hundred thousand people flowing in every day, with a total population of 1.6 million to 2.4 million.

2189
The International Historical Database begins the process of creation of compiling historical data from previous time periods into a single database.
 * Mexico begins to suffer from an other period of tension as places such as Baja California, and Yucatan begin demanding sovereignty.

2194
Tibet falls into civil war, this time between biochauvinists, pro-AOC and pro-Kyoto Pact forces.
 * Biochauvinist unrest explodes in Russia, possibly instigated by Humanity First.

2198

 * Peaceful protests explode in Pakistan in opposition to their AOC-aligned regime.

A military coup attempted by the Kyoto Pact against Kazakhstan fails, sending the nation into civil war.

2201

 * Tensions rise between the transintelligences, as relations between the transintelligences deteriorate and the situation begins to become increasingly problematic worldwide.

2202

 * Now…the world is a different place. Technology is changing we world around us. Tensions on the rise and political unrest make this world fall ever closer to decay. Neither Utopia or Dystopia, it is your choice to decide the future of mankind. As the transintelligences compete and tensions rise, all it takes is one spark to tear down the status quo and change the world.