Update Historical Timeline

wiki/HistoricalTimeline.md

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 This timeline is provided mainly to assist with story writing, to make sure that all the story lines are in harmony with each other. This is the history of the galaxy as it is known to the player in the year 3013; over the course of the game the player may discover that certain things they took for historical fact turn out to be untrue, and that the history books have left out key information about the forces at work behind other events...
 
-* 2080: First human settlement on Mars.
+*2020: As Earth is ravaged by global warning, overpopulation, and war, humanity begins to look skyward. 
+
+* 2050: First human landings on a series of moons and asteroids in preparation for settlements throughout the Sol system. 
+
+* 2080: First human settlement on Mars. The settlement is abandoned soon after, due to a disease outbreak.
 
 ***
 
 * 2100: First permanent settlement on Luna.
 
-* 2150: Colonization of Alpha Centauri by a fleet of generation ships using nuclear sub-light-speed propulsion.
+* 2150: Colonization of Alpha Centauri by a fleet of generation ships using nuclear sub-light-speed propulsion. One of these ships suffers a mid-journey cataclysm, and a memorial is erected on the new colony. 
+
+* 2190: Small robotic probes begin to map the systems near Sol. 
 
 ***
 
 * 2200: Humanity is poised on the brink of an era of space exploration and colonization.
 
 * 2210: A physicist named Charles Plot discovers charged particles traveling along a "gravitational slipstream" between the Sun and Alpha Centauri. He builds a device that allows objects to travel along that slipstream. The Plot device becomes the basis of the modern hyperdrive, allowing faster-than-light travel between certain stars.
 
-* 2240: All the star systems adjacent to Earth have been colonized.
+* 2230: A civil war breaks out between rival governments over colonies on Mars. The use of biological weapons encourages new rules of engagement that ban such devices in combat outside of Earth.
+
+* 2240: All the star systems adjacent to Earth have been colonized. These colonies are led by superpower nations on Earth, attempting to hold on to power and influence as corporations become interested in space exploration and dominate politics on Earth. 
 
 * 2250: Powerful governments and corporations begin exploring the galaxy with long-range scout ships and unmanned drones, "prospecting" for prime planets.
 
-* 2260: Invention of the deuterium ramscoop, allowing ships to generate their own hyperspace fuel. A privately owned colony fleet begins traveling out from Sol looking for a place to settle far from Earth, and eventually founds the colony of Valhalla.
+* 2260: A privately owned colony fleet begins traveling out from Sol looking for a place to settle far from Earth, and eventually founds the colony of Valhalla.
 
 * 2270: Colonies have developed to the point where some interstellar trade is economically feasible.
 
 * 2280: Valhalla founds a second colony in the Deep, on Midgard.
 
 * 2290: Colonies have spread to most systems within three or four jumps of Earth.
 
-* 2290: First experimental attempts at terraforming take place on Mars, with mixed results.
+* 2290: First experimental attempts at terraforming take place on Mars, with mixed results. While humans are able to live and work freely on the surface, plants and animals imported from Earth have difficulty adapting to their new conditions.
 
 ***
 
-* 2300: Most worlds are operating as individual "city-states" with their own governments, although many of those governments are in fact the corporations that funded the colonies. This is a period of relative peace, prosperity, and optimism, although starfaring ships are still far too rare and expensive to be owned by private citizens.
+* 2300: Most worlds are operating as individual "city-states" with their own governments, although many of those governments are in fact the corporations that funded the colonies or the nations that claimed the planet as their own. This is a period of relative peace, prosperity, and optimism, although starfaring ships are still far too rare and expensive to be owned by private citizens.
 
-* 2310: A small anarchist colony is established on Freedom, far north of Sol.
+* 2310: A small anarchist colony is established on Freedom, far north of Sol. The colony becomes self-sustaining, able to operate outside of the influence of any corporation or government. 
 
-* 2320: Scout ships on the southern rim first make contact with the Quarg. Although the Quarg do not appear to be hostile, their extreme technological superiority is threatening to many people.
+* 2320: Scout ships on the southern rim first make contact with the Quarg. Although the Quarg do not appear to be hostile, their extreme technological superiority is threatening to many people. Mass hysteria is reported on several planets, as humanity reacts to the discovery of the Quarg. 
 
 * 2330: Several governments have sent envoys to the Quarg, who are beginning to learn human languages. The Quarg help humans to establish a colony and embassy on Humanika.
 
-* 2340: Terraforming technology continues to advance, but it is still so complex that many attempts fail, sometimes destabilizing entire planetary ecosystems.
+* 2340: Terraforming technology continues to advance, but it is still so complex that many attempts fail, sometimes destabilizing entire planetary ecosystems. One early attempt in the Nocte system renders the subject planet uninhabitable for the foreseeable future. 
 
-* 2350: A coalition of billionaire philanthropists establishes several colonies in the southern galactic rim, with the stated goal of spreading out humanity enough that a war or major disaster in the Sol region of space will not drive the species extinct.
+* 2350: An alliance of billionaire philanthropists establish several colonies in the southern galactic rim, with the stated goal of spreading out humanity enough that a war or major disaster in the Sol region of space will not drive the species extinct.
 
 * 2360: Invention of "repulsor" engines that work only within a gravity well, but make taking off from or landing on planets much easier.
 
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 * 2400: Planets are increasingly likely to be under the control of "governing corporate entities" rather than democratic governments. Aside from privateers in stolen, poorly repaired starships, space is more inaccessible than ever to private citizens.
 
-* 2420: First of the "Turf Wars" between rival corporations, over mining rights in the Dirt Belt.
+* 2420: First of the "Turf Wars" between rival corporations, over mining rights in the Dirt Belt. This first large-scale galactic conflict pushes many corporations to begin development of dedicated warships and ship-to-ship weaponry. 
 
 * 2430: Small corporations are banding together in alliances; large corporations have their own fleets of warships in addition to cargo fleets. Many people who took jobs as merchants in order to be able to travel in space are instead being forced into military work.
 
-* 2450: The first "Alpha War" versus a small group of genetically enhanced human beings, originally bred as super soldiers. The Alphas take over several planets and demand tribute from them, but are eventually driven back by a fleet of technologically superior warships from the Deep. The remaining Alphas go into hiding.
+*2440: A corporate force occupying a rival planet institutes policies against minorities that are considered genocidal by many in the galaxy. Despite public outcry, no government or corporation takes action.
 
-* 2470: Many planets that militarized to face the Alpha threat are holding on to their private militias and competing with neighboring worlds, resulting in a second set of "Turf Wars."
+* 2450: The "Alpha War" erupts, in which a small group of genetically enhanced human beings launch a crusade against humanity. The Alphas take over several planets, demanding tribute and utilizing the native populations as slaves on their warships. As humankind faces its first existential threat in the spacefaring era, dozens of worlds in the Alphas' path are evacuated, creating the largest refugee crisis in history. The Alpha starfleet obliterates any organized resistance they encounter as they march closer to Sol. The Alphas are eventually defeated by a fleet of technologically advanced warships sent from the Deep. Any remaining Alphas go into hiding. 
 
-* 2490: The pirate worlds of Buccaneer Bay and Greenrock are founded in the Core and the Rim, respectively.
+* 2470: Many planets that militarized to face the Alpha threat are holding on to their private militias and competing with neighboring worlds, resulting in a second set of "Turf Wars." 
+
+* 2480: A massive corporate fleet blockades Earth as a symbolic power play. Many worlds are outraged, and the corporation behind the blockade is forcefully dissolved by a temporary navy scavenged from several worlds.
+
+* 2490: A wealthy mining guild establishes an independent colony in Gienah, free from the scrutiny of human rights groups on Earth.
 
 ***
 
 * 2500: After decades of war, instability, and piracy, interstellar commerce is breaking down. Individual star systems are increasingly isolated. A new "dark age" begins, with all except a few ruling elites living in poverty.
 
-* 2520: Slavery has become common, especially on the Rim.
+* 2520: Slavery has become common, especially on the Rim. Slaves are sold at massive markets, and the governments of these systems decide to turn a blind eye to the atrocities being committed. 
 
 * 2530: Advances in terraforming allow the "paradise planets" west of Sol to begin fully customizing their climates. They become an island of prosperity and high technology. They are the one section of the galaxy that is safe from pirate attacks... but they also deal with pirates to buy slaves.
 
 * 2550: In the Deep, which has been somewhat isolated from the rest of the galaxy, a coordinated popular uprising on several worlds results in the establishment of a democratic government.
 
 * 2560: Rivalry between the Deep and the paradise worlds leads both to put large amounts of public money into science, although in the Deep the focus is more on exotic materials and in the paradise worlds it is a search for ever-more-perfect terraforming techniques.
 
-* 2580: Several small wars occur between corporate states. As interstellar travel has decreased in parts of the galaxy, some of the mega-corporations are splitting into individual isolated worlds.
+* 2580: Several small wars occur between corporate states. As interstellar travel has decreased in parts of the galaxy, some of the mega-corporations are splitting into individual isolated worlds. 
+
+*2590: A large space battle above the planet of New Boston results in thousands of casualties, and accusations of brutality and war crimes by the involved corporations spread across newsfeeds. The survivors break from their employers and found colonies on the planet below.
 
 ***
 
 * 2600: The Deep and the Paradise Planets have grown into powerful, isolated enclaves of high technology. The inhabited Core worlds and much of the Rim have fragmented into individual systems or small regions doing constant battle with each other and funding privateers to steal cargo from the others.
 
+* 2610: Warship technology continues to develop. Both offensive and defensive equipment is created and refined, including a primitive anti-missile turret system by a group of engineers on Ada. 
+
 * 2620: The caravan era begins. Heavily armed and technologically advanced merchant fleets from the Deep begin traveling throughout the galaxy. Wherever they travel, they spur economic development and connections between planets. Because the Dirt Belt is still mostly uninhabited, these fleets mostly travel either through the paradise worlds and past Earth to the Core, or down along the southern rim to visit Quarg space.
 
 * 2640: The rise of increasingly well-defended caravans has forced the pirates to join together into larger and larger war bands.
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 * 2660: In the Core, which is the end point of one of the major caravan routes, the Syndicate is beginning to gain power as it merges with smaller corporations in the area.
 
+* 2670: A worker's revolution on Nimbus is brutally suppressed by the new Syndicate and their police forces. Allegations of war crimes are made by the Deep, but little is done to punish the growing megacorporation.
+
 * 2680: Because none of the small Rim and Core corporations are as powerful as them, commerce is vastly unbalanced in favor of the Deep. Some of the small corporate governments try to establish their own trade zone, essentially boycotting the Deep and their caravan fleets.
 
 ***
 
-* 2700: A new era of peace and optimism.
+* 2700: A new era of peace and optimism begins.
 
 * 2720: Several independent planets in the Core and Rim begin discussing joining together and forming a representative government with Earth as its capital.
 
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 * 2750: After years of nonviolent protests by their citizens, the Syndicate worlds agree to join the Republic, with the local governments becoming democratic instead of being solely administered by the Syndicate itself. Many of the newly elected officials, however, have ties to the Syndicate.
 
-* 2760: The paradise worlds join the Republic, but with concessions that include a restructured Parliament where very populous worlds have greater representation, which gives the paradise planets considerable power.
+* 2760: The Paradise worlds join the Republic, but with concessions that include a restructured Parliament where very populous worlds have greater representation, which gives the paradise planets considerable power. Many in sparsely populated systems are outraged.
 
-* 2770: A new wave of colonization is beginning, in part because the terraforming tools of the paradise worlds have led people to believe that any planet can be made perfect for human habitation given enough time.
+* 2770: A new wave of colonization is beginning, in part because the terraforming tools of the Paradise worlds have led people to believe that any planet can be made perfect for human habitation given enough time. Permanent colonies are established on mining and farming worlds that before had been inhabited only by temporary worker settlements. 
 
 * 2780: The Deep's government shipyards are spun off into a private industry, Lionheart.
 
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 * 2800: The space renaissance. For the first time in human history, technology has advanced to the point where many individual private citizens can afford to operate starships, and with a galactic Republic responsible for eliminating piracy, captains can work as freelancers without needing to be part of a larger, well-armed fleet.
 
-* 2810: The Syndicate shipyards begin producing small freighters to be piloted by one person or only a small crew. This is the first time that small merchant ships have been produced - previously all small ships were shuttles or fighters.
+* 2810: The Syndicate shipyards begin producing small freighters to be piloted by one person or only a small crew. This is the first time that small merchant ships have been produced - previously all small ships were shuttles, interceptors, or fighters. Courier jobs and light transport between systems becomes both popular and affordable for many.
 
 * 2830: Freelance captains have begun forming unions and mutual defense pacts, further reducing the amount of piracy in the galaxy and also reducing the power of large corporations.
 
-* 2850: The Syndicate is developing more mining colonies to supply the increased demand for ships and equipment.
+* 2840: A large merchant fleet ferrying equipment to research labs on Sundive is found disabled and destroyed, floating dead in space. The culprits remain unidentified. 
+
+* 2850: The Syndicate is developing more mining colonies to supply the increased demand for ships and equipment. Such colonies are dangerous, and mining disasters are common. A massive collapse on Trove encourages the Republic to pursue workplace reforms to guarantee safety.
 
 * 2860: Space travel has become cheap enough that on all but the poorest worlds, middle-class citizens can afford to travel off-world either to resettle elsewhere, or for tourism. Populations begin to drop on many of the least hospitable worlds.
 
 * 2870: The Syndicate and other mining and manufacturing corporations are funding people to move to their colony worlds as workers.
 
 * 2880: Lovelace Labs is established as a producer of defense systems for starships.
 
-* 2890: As a result of the increased planetary exploration, a hidden colony of Alphas who survived the Alpha War is discovered in the Dirt Belt. Because the Alphas have unstable genetics and most of their offspring have fatal gene combinations, they have not succeeded in growing larger than a group of about 50 people. While the Republic is trying to decide how to deal with them, they disappear from their colony, possibly into alien space.
+* 2890: As a result of the increased planetary exploration, a hidden colony of Alphas who survived the Alpha War is discovered in the Dirt Belt. Because the Alphas have unstable genetics and most of their offspring have fatal gene combinations, they have not succeeded in growing larger than a group of about 50 people. While the Republic is trying to decide how to deal with them, they disappear from their colony, possibly into alien space. A wave of panic sweeps the wealthier worlds in the Republic, and new laws allocate resources to their defense from any future reemergence of the Alphas. 
 
 ***
 
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 * 2920: The spread of new colonies has stretched the Republic Navy thin, and piracy is once again on the rise in the corners of Syndicate space and on the Rim.
 
+* 2940: For the first time, large warships are made available for private use, as merchant fleets increasingly rely on their own defensive forces rather than the Navy. 
+
 * 2950: The space renaissance has spurred the creation of many other manufacturing companies, including Delta V, Tarazed, Betelgeuse Shipyards, and Megaparsec. This leads to increased creativity and variety in starship design.
 
+* 2970: The Republic Parliament passes the Galactic Human Rights Charter, outlawing slavery across the galaxy. Several wealthy families on the Paradise planets refuse to emancipate their slaves, resulting in a temporary occupation of Glory by the Navy.
+
 * 2980: Many Dirt Belt worlds are growing in population, but many of those worlds are barely habitable and too poor to afford terraforming. The gap between rich and poor worlds is growing.
 
+* 2990: Lionheart begins production of a modified colonization ship, intended for both commerce and convoy defense.
+
 ***
 
-* 3000: The galaxy is beginning to slip into decadence, with megacorporations like the Syndicate once again gaining power. The Republic has made several unpopular decisions, including expensive licenses that make it hard to make a start as an independent pilot, and interstellar trade tariffs that weigh most heavily on low-value commodities such as food and clothing. This, combined with the Parliament structure that gives almost no voice to sparsely populated worlds, has led to an increase of anti-Republic sentiment.
+* 3000: The galaxy is beginning to slip into decadence, with megacorporations like the Syndicate once again gaining power. The Republic has made several unpopular decisions, including expensive licenses that make it hard to make a start as an independent pilot, and interstellar trade tariffs that weigh most heavily on low-value commodities such as food and clothing. This, combined with the Parliament structure that gives almost no voice to sparsely populated worlds, has led to an increase of anti-Republic sentiment.