2111-2120

Throughout the Decade
     Major advances are made in AI research, including breakthroughs in recognition technology, allowing robots to better categorize their surroundings. Still, for most purposes robots are only useful in places where there is little environmental change to challenge them, such as the interior of a factory or in the open reaches of space.
     Deepsea mines make some progress, though it is still hideously expensive and major problems arise from lava flows caused by crustal disruption, a process which entirely destroys one mining station. Nevertheless, by 2120 there are three working prototype mines active in the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans.
     Work continues on the lunar mass driver, though it is at times stalled by funding and materials problems.
     Through a combination of bio-engineered bacteria and self-replicating robots, analysts believe that Mars could be terraformed in a little over a century. However, only a massive and expensive project could do this; any small scale efforts would simply be wasted.
     In Scandinavia, and to a lesser extent in the FGC and Great Britain, body style fads become prevalent. Lengthened arms or legs, altered eye/hair/skin color, hair in unusual places, extra fingers or toes (mostly useless), or extra muscle or fat tissue; all go in and out of fashion much as clothing does. Such cosmetic changes are viewed with disgust by many in the more conservative Mediterranean regions, who spearhead a number of movements to "protect the sanctity of the human body".
     Iberian geneticists produce a range of viable crops for use in America that are resistant to radiation, many diseases and insects, and other harsh conditions. In addition, many of the colonists' children are engineered to resist radiation and most disease so that they will not have to undergo the continuous and expensive medical treatments that their parents must endure. Growth of the colonies almost comes to a standstill when potential colonists hear of the terrible conditions in America, while the colonial economies slump due to restrictive EC customs measures designed to prevent intercontinental contamination.
     Development spending continues in the eastern USR, though at reduced levels as commitment in the west wanes. However, the continued growth of the North Pacific plankton industry and its subsidiaries helps to boost the economy of the region. The easterners begin to have a more important role in their own local governments and businesses. A few Asian national figures arise in Soviet politics, science and media. Slight improvements in the borderlands to the south slow down the flood of incoming refugees. On the downside, organized crime in the east becomes a major problem.
     With a little Soviet assistance, a number of semi-stable states form along the Soviet border in Asia. Some of the more notable include Khentei, Baruun Urta and the Gobaya Confederation in Mongolia; Akatsuka and Paicheng in northeastern China; Dzungar in northwestern China (which includes a large population of Khirgiz migrants); and Najin in Korea. The largest, however, is the Republic of Manchuria, a state virtually created by the Soviets directly across the Amur river, the main entry point for refugees into the USR. Manchuria receives massive assistance from the Soviets in order to cut down on illegal immigration into Blagoveshchemsk and Habarovsk.
     Both the NAC and Algeria make billions selling sea use rights along the southern Mediterranean, money which they use to help agricultural corporations make the changeover to aquaculture. The Algerians are especially successful, while the NAC is somewhat slower as its economy suffers from a mild recession. The NAC lays claims to large portions of the uninhabited Sahara, including large tracts south of Algeria.
     Despite fears of an economic downslide, food production in the Middle East remains economical, mainly because of cheap labor. Long term prospects are dim, however, as the poor nations of the Fertile Crescent don't have the capital to either industrialise or switch to the more profitable aquaculture. Many Mideast leaders fear that they may be permanently trapped in the role of backward suppliers of food to the EC.
     Tensions continue between Ethiopia/Eritrea and Egypt, but no hostilities break out. The borders remain highly fortified and both sides place heavy limits on both immigration and emigration.
     Nigeria continues to industrialise at a rapid pace, pushed by an extremely nationalistic, pro-technology government and large-scale aid from the EC, especially Iberia. In reaction, there forms a strong anti-EC faction in Nigerian politics, led by the charismatic Abu Tisham. He has an especially strong following in the Nigerian puppet states of West Africa.
     Natal and Madagascar continue to expand aquaculture production (mostly fishing and fish-farming) in the Indian Ocean, assisted by heavy investment from the EC, especially Switzerland and Poland. There is an influx of workers from Ethiopia and Aden.
     California becomes a successful community of subsistence fishers and farmers, trading with tribes and communities throughout the lands west of the Rockies. Despite increasing contact with ships from Fiji, the Soviet Union and Alaska, the Californians eschew the introduction of industry and high-tech manufacturing into their culture. They are well-known for their use of specially bred pigs and dogs to protect their communities and trade caravans from the giant possums and other dangerous creatures of the wilds.
     Led by President Doreen Grundle for most of the decade, the young nation of Alaska goes through a series of political crises as it tries to form a working government out of a collection of diverse and independent forces. The presence of an aggressively expanding Canada helps to keep the country together, though the two nations maintain a cordial, if cool, working relationship. Immigrants from across the Bering Straits continue to arrive, both indigent Chinese and Japanese refugees and Asian immigrants from Siberia, the latter often with substantial "emigration bonuses" from the Soviet government.

Individual Years
      2111 - Appalled at the fiascoes caused by Iberian intervention in West Africa and Cuba, other EC members soundly condemn Iberia and keep a close watch on all of its activities. Iberia is warned that any further debacles will be met with EC intervention, military if necessary.
      2111 - EC intervention forces are sent into Turkistan, mostly Soviet, FGC, West German, Swiss and Italian troops. Kazakh troops instantly withdraw to the old borders, leaving Turkistan free. Many EC members promise more intervention if the Kazakh Empire attempts future conquests. The Kazakhs spend their time suppressing internal unrest among the Uzbeks and Tadzhiks.
      2111 - Hoping to suppress the rebellious natives, the Asian rulers of Yu-kin begin a massive, and successful, propaganda campaign against Cuba. The government of Cuba, desperate to launch an invasion of Yu-kin, begins to make demands of Iberia for more and more military assistance. Already embarrassed by previous debacles, the Iberians send only limited aid and attempt to mediate between the two parties.
       2112 - In conjunction with Fiji and a number of EC agencies, Kosmoskaja plans to construct a vast cavern (nearly 100 square km) as a combination ecosphere testing site, park and biodiversity hedge.
       2112 - More Siberian land is opened for use by low-income homesteaders. In addition, incentive programs are developed to encourage emigration.
       2112 - King Thenai of Khorat launches a campaign against the villages of Annam and rapidly succeeds in absorbing them into his kingdom. He makes no secret of his intention to take the (comparatively) rich lands of Canton next.
       2113 - In response to a major earthquake in Kamchatka, the Soviet military is mobilized as part of the relief effort. Inspired by the unprecedented success of local military-civilian cooperation, a permanent Eastern Soviet Emergency Relief Force (ESERF) is created, primarily from the reserves. ESERF is an unqualified success. Encouraged, the Soviets create a number of other quasi-military agencies in the east, including the Soviet Exploration Forces, the Civil Engineering Corps, and the Soviet Investigative Service (SIS). Making use of both Russian nationals and the local Asian populations, most are quite successful at uniting the two people, providing prestigious jobs for Soviet Asians, and keeping order in the region. The SIS, however, suffers from widespread accusations of being a secret police and is all but abandoned.
       2115 - At a summit meeting, the leaders of eighteen of the Guinea kingdoms request the removal of Nigerian troops from their territory. Pressured by most members of the EC (with the notable exception of Iberia), Nigeria acquiesces.
       2115 - All order collapses in South Africa as internecine warfare breaks out between all nations. South Africa West is completely overrun, its armies scattered into numerous guerilla groups which continue to harass the other nations and each other.
       2115 - Spurred by fears of King Thenai to the south, a number of southern Canton city-states form the Chankiang United Military Council. They successfully fend off Thenai's first assault.
       2116 - King Thenai of Khorat is assassinated. He is succeeded by his far less ambitious uncle, Luang, who halts hostilities with Canton. The Chankiang United Military Council is left with a large army with nothing to do, so they turn on their northern neighbors and begin consolidating Canton under their rule.
       2116 - Yu-kin launches an invasion of Cuba and rapidly conquers the western island. The Yu-kin, however, blunder terribly when saboteurs set off a nuclear bomb in Holguin, the Cuban capital, killing 300,000. Immediately, the Iberian navy intervenes and interdicts all shipping between the two sides, forcing an end to the war.
       2116 - Ignoring their own defiant citizens in the west, the Canadian central government begins expanding southward, absorbing the tribes of the Great Plains by means of cheap bribes. In return for gifts from the Canadians, the more eastern and southern tribes inflict sporadic attacks upon the Iberian settlements in New England and Florida.
       2116 - Engineers with the Fernauge Operation (now greatly expanded from the original Scandinavian/FGC team) succeed in creating what they believe will be a self-replicating asteroid mining robot, capable of processing metals in space and using part of the output to manufacture copies of itself. After testing in the lab, the first working test model lands on Vesta in 2119 with a crew of technicians who will monitor it for 18 months. Once started it should produce one copy of itself each 398 days, in addition to approximately 1000 tons of smelted iron, nickel and other minerals. Unfortunately, no means currently exists to cheaply transport this amount of material back to Earth. The designers envision a series of low-speed launchers to send cargo back to either Earth or Luna via a slow three to four year trajectory making use of the sun's gravity. Eventually it is hoped that automated factories or colonies within the asteroids themselves should be able to make use of the output.
       2116 - With the formation of the many paramilitary groups, the central Soviet military is greatly reduced in size, part of the increasing anti-militarism of the Russian people. The military becomes increasingly dominated by Asian immigrants, for whom it is a major employment opportunity.
       2116 - Lunar population reaches 200,000 as colonists continue to stream in, despite the hard-working environment of the moon (they still have a 35-hour work week). The romance of space and the legendary long life spans of lunar colonists prove to be a great draw to those who want to be on the frontiers of mankind, without the dangers of deepsea stations or the American colonies.
       2117 - Franco/German and Fijian scientists begin construction of a completely self-sufficient artificial ecology in an isolated satellite.
       2118 - Working off the breakthroughs of the Fernauge research, industrial automation takes a quantum leap forward. Within ten years it is believed that most industrial and manufacturing processes in the EC will be 99.7% automated (as opposed to the current level of 84.1%). EC governments, having foreseen this long ago, begin a well-planned series of changes to gradually reduce the work week to 18 hours, retrain workers, and set up the necessary financial/distribution systems so that all citizens will benefit from the automated factories.
       2119 - Use of certain artificial elements allows an increase of 50% in the speed of space drives, but the increased radiation output precludes their use in manned vehicles.
       2119 - The SIS performs a sudden and successful crackdown on organized crime in the eastern USR. Despite its success, accusations of civil rights abuses are raised and, after the trials of the criminal ringleaders are over, the SIS is disbanded.
       2120 - In a sudden coup, a small pro-Canadian force takes over the government of Newfoundland and turns the nation over to Canada. Canadian troops, waiting on the border, immediately move in and consolidate their hold. Protests from the EC and Alaska are ignored.
       2020 - A sudden plague strikes the phytoplankton of the North Pacific, wiping out the year's early harvests and causing a massive dieback in the entire marine population. The plague shows signs of appearing in other oceans, where it could completely devastate the world's ecosystem if not reversed.