Timeline for the future
Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2016 11:15 am
2020: The first human moon base is completed, despite several mysterious accidents and numerous setbacks due to political opposition and financial difficulties. The moon base, which is run by the UN, is operated by international teams and helps enhance the level of international cooperation in space.
2030:Due to political considerations, NASA’s budget is threatened with a substantial reductions in order to fund a series of new welfare programs. Diane Saunders, the dynamic director of NASA, leads the fight against the budget reduction. Dr. Tensler, who is obsessed with reaching the moon, throws his considerable influence behind Director Saunders. In the end, the vote goes narrowly in favor of continued space development and Director Saunders is even able to persuade the UN into providing funding for a Mars mission.
2033: Director Saunders is assassinated by fringe elements of the Brotherhood of Christ. Without her guidance, NASA begins to flounder and the UN begins to cut back on its funding for the Mars mission.
2034: The testing of a prototype drive and power plant system for the Mars mission vessel goes horribly awry and results in a massive explosion. The Mars Mission Base is completely destroyed and the EMP produced by the blast destroys the life support systems in the UN Scientific Moon Base. The high radiation levels preclude any rescue attempt and all members of the UN teams are listed as killed in the line of duty.
2035: High level talks begin between the United States and China. The news media reports of a top secret meeting between NASA director David Lessarre and the Director of the Chinese space program, Dr. Wu.
2036: In a joint announcement, the US and China announce that they will be cooperating to produce a large space station. According to the governmental spokespeople, the US and China intend to use the station for “scientific research and to serve as a construction site for a Mars mission vessel.”
2038: Construction begins on the space station and proceeds at a very slow rate. According to various media reports, political pressure results in a further decrease in its funding. Further, an inspired piece of investigative journalism by Leslie Cantor and Daniel Hsu reveals that the project has been badly slowed down by “pork barrel politics” and defective equipment from governmental contractors.
2039: The moon begins to shift in its orbit. Minor coastal flooding and weather disruptions occur, killing several hundred across the globe. Statistically significant increases occur the the worldwide rate of insanity and the crime rates. Scientists announce that the lunar shift is due to some anomaly in the moon’s gravitational field and social scientists attribute the increase in crime and insanity to the fear generated by the news about the moon. Oddly enough, a privately funded psychological study reveals that most people who suffered breakdowns were not concerned about the moon, but about something else (exact details of the study are not available). China announces that it will be substantially increasing itsactivities in space while the United States announces only a modest increase in funding.
2040-2044: The moon continues to shift in its orbit and scientific and pseudo-scientific theories about why it is happening are published daily and espoused on talk shows. The coastal flooding and weather disruption worsens and becomes severe in many areas, resulting in thousands of deaths. The world rates of insanity and crime begin to clime at alarming rates and odd, inexplicable events occur on a regular basis. Most scientists are at a loss to explain Several other nations announce their commitment to space development and become involved in the construction of the space station. In 2042 construction begins on the Phoenix, a large vessel capable of carrying nearly one hundred humans in suspended animation to Mars.
2045: Amidst much celebration and media coverage, the Phoenix is completed and sets out for Mars.Each day, millions of people gather around their TV sets to follow the progress of the Phoenix. When the Phoenix reaches Mars months latter the crew and passengers begins the construction of a colony dome. One by one nearly all the industrialized nations join into the production of space vessels. Massive increases in crime, madness and riots become common in all major earth cities. Psychologists and sociologists attribute the problems to such things as fear of the moon, the proletariat uprising against the wanton excesses of capitalism, gravitationally induced hysteria, and so forth. The number of religious groups, especially those preaching that the end of the world is at had, increases even more. Nearly every talk show has some person talking about the worsening conditions and everyone of them has their own explanation.
2046: The situation on earth continues to deteriorate. Around the globe, contact is lost with many small coastal communities. Contact is also lost with some small communities further inland and bizarre rumors circulate about what is happening. According to newspaper and TV reports, ships at sea begin to vanish at a disturbing rate and some aircraft lift off never to land again. Fear and paranoia become the order of the day. New theories attempting to explain the various phenomena are produced hourly but no real answers are forthcoming. On Mars, the basic structures of the colony are established and construction of additional habitats begins at a rapid pace.
2047: A second space ship, the Argo, carrying 100 humans in suspended animation leaves for Mars. Dr. Harold Jarven presents a computer model that indicates that the lunar shifting may well result in the deaths of substantial portion of humanity and his research suggests that the extinction of the dinosaurs may well have been due to an earlier shifting of the moon. After the release of Jarven’s theory, construction begins on three more vessels as the world unites in response to the grave danger faced by humanity. Though the profiteering and sloppy manufacturing continues to some degree, desperation and fear work speeds up ship production greatly and shifts work round the clock on each vessel.
2048: The spread of madness infects nearly the entire world. many social scientists, biologists and psychologists advance theories suggesting that the madness is due to a genetic memory of the previous cataclysm. Other scientists denounce such theories as pseudoscientific bunk. Cities quickly degenerate into war zones as desperate people battle for food and material goods. The few surviving small communities close themselves off to outsiders. Martial law is declared by all surviving governments. All 3,000 members of a religious group, the Order of the Lunar Dawn, commit suicide in a public park on worldwide TV. Several other religious groups follow suit. Only in space does life go on with some semblance or normalcy.
2030:Due to political considerations, NASA’s budget is threatened with a substantial reductions in order to fund a series of new welfare programs. Diane Saunders, the dynamic director of NASA, leads the fight against the budget reduction. Dr. Tensler, who is obsessed with reaching the moon, throws his considerable influence behind Director Saunders. In the end, the vote goes narrowly in favor of continued space development and Director Saunders is even able to persuade the UN into providing funding for a Mars mission.
2033: Director Saunders is assassinated by fringe elements of the Brotherhood of Christ. Without her guidance, NASA begins to flounder and the UN begins to cut back on its funding for the Mars mission.
2034: The testing of a prototype drive and power plant system for the Mars mission vessel goes horribly awry and results in a massive explosion. The Mars Mission Base is completely destroyed and the EMP produced by the blast destroys the life support systems in the UN Scientific Moon Base. The high radiation levels preclude any rescue attempt and all members of the UN teams are listed as killed in the line of duty.
2035: High level talks begin between the United States and China. The news media reports of a top secret meeting between NASA director David Lessarre and the Director of the Chinese space program, Dr. Wu.
2036: In a joint announcement, the US and China announce that they will be cooperating to produce a large space station. According to the governmental spokespeople, the US and China intend to use the station for “scientific research and to serve as a construction site for a Mars mission vessel.”
2038: Construction begins on the space station and proceeds at a very slow rate. According to various media reports, political pressure results in a further decrease in its funding. Further, an inspired piece of investigative journalism by Leslie Cantor and Daniel Hsu reveals that the project has been badly slowed down by “pork barrel politics” and defective equipment from governmental contractors.
2039: The moon begins to shift in its orbit. Minor coastal flooding and weather disruptions occur, killing several hundred across the globe. Statistically significant increases occur the the worldwide rate of insanity and the crime rates. Scientists announce that the lunar shift is due to some anomaly in the moon’s gravitational field and social scientists attribute the increase in crime and insanity to the fear generated by the news about the moon. Oddly enough, a privately funded psychological study reveals that most people who suffered breakdowns were not concerned about the moon, but about something else (exact details of the study are not available). China announces that it will be substantially increasing itsactivities in space while the United States announces only a modest increase in funding.
2040-2044: The moon continues to shift in its orbit and scientific and pseudo-scientific theories about why it is happening are published daily and espoused on talk shows. The coastal flooding and weather disruption worsens and becomes severe in many areas, resulting in thousands of deaths. The world rates of insanity and crime begin to clime at alarming rates and odd, inexplicable events occur on a regular basis. Most scientists are at a loss to explain Several other nations announce their commitment to space development and become involved in the construction of the space station. In 2042 construction begins on the Phoenix, a large vessel capable of carrying nearly one hundred humans in suspended animation to Mars.
2045: Amidst much celebration and media coverage, the Phoenix is completed and sets out for Mars.Each day, millions of people gather around their TV sets to follow the progress of the Phoenix. When the Phoenix reaches Mars months latter the crew and passengers begins the construction of a colony dome. One by one nearly all the industrialized nations join into the production of space vessels. Massive increases in crime, madness and riots become common in all major earth cities. Psychologists and sociologists attribute the problems to such things as fear of the moon, the proletariat uprising against the wanton excesses of capitalism, gravitationally induced hysteria, and so forth. The number of religious groups, especially those preaching that the end of the world is at had, increases even more. Nearly every talk show has some person talking about the worsening conditions and everyone of them has their own explanation.
2046: The situation on earth continues to deteriorate. Around the globe, contact is lost with many small coastal communities. Contact is also lost with some small communities further inland and bizarre rumors circulate about what is happening. According to newspaper and TV reports, ships at sea begin to vanish at a disturbing rate and some aircraft lift off never to land again. Fear and paranoia become the order of the day. New theories attempting to explain the various phenomena are produced hourly but no real answers are forthcoming. On Mars, the basic structures of the colony are established and construction of additional habitats begins at a rapid pace.
2047: A second space ship, the Argo, carrying 100 humans in suspended animation leaves for Mars. Dr. Harold Jarven presents a computer model that indicates that the lunar shifting may well result in the deaths of substantial portion of humanity and his research suggests that the extinction of the dinosaurs may well have been due to an earlier shifting of the moon. After the release of Jarven’s theory, construction begins on three more vessels as the world unites in response to the grave danger faced by humanity. Though the profiteering and sloppy manufacturing continues to some degree, desperation and fear work speeds up ship production greatly and shifts work round the clock on each vessel.
2048: The spread of madness infects nearly the entire world. many social scientists, biologists and psychologists advance theories suggesting that the madness is due to a genetic memory of the previous cataclysm. Other scientists denounce such theories as pseudoscientific bunk. Cities quickly degenerate into war zones as desperate people battle for food and material goods. The few surviving small communities close themselves off to outsiders. Martial law is declared by all surviving governments. All 3,000 members of a religious group, the Order of the Lunar Dawn, commit suicide in a public park on worldwide TV. Several other religious groups follow suit. Only in space does life go on with some semblance or normalcy.