The following is an incomplete timeline of major events in the history of the Tech Infantry universe.
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All subsequent seasons of the game take the portion of the timeline existing before 2244 and the end of the Third Civil War as a common history. However, after that, things get a little sticky. 2001: First contact with extraterrestrial life. Rio de Janeiro is destroyed by Bug asteroid, Von Eisenstein stops invasion by paradox backlash. The gauntlet is damaged.
2002: The Traditions, Marauders, and Nephandi attack to shape reality. The conventions of the Technocracy establish the Tech Infantry. Gehenna starts. (“A Place Called Earth”)
2005: Earth Federation established, creating a united world government; Eastern Bloc (China, Korea, & Japan) forms out of resistance to Technocracy rule. David Farrell creates first functional ion drive.
2007: Umbral dreadnought goes to Horadrim homeworld and seizes the last remaining children.
2008: The Horadrim, enraged over this violation, send out the Bugs to destroy the Federation.
2009: Most antediluvians are either destroyed or move to the Wraithlands. Gehenna ends.
2010: Tech Infantry assault fails on H4 (New Madrid).
2017: Paris wiped out by small Bug asteroid.
2026: Proxima Centauri is settled.
2035: H4 is finally taken by the Tech Infantry.
2040: The Grand Council declares the Bug threat “destroyed” and creates a new wave of colonization.
2049: Alpha Centauri is colonized.
2053: Minos Colony is established by an industrial consortium.
2071: The first atmospheric condenser is developed; Wilke’s Star used as test subject.
2077: New Paris founded.
2082: Avalon Colony is established in (what was formerly) the Vega System.
2098: Pi system finally successfully colonized using genetically modified colonists; their descendants will breed true as albinos.
2119: Earth Fleet discovers Bug fleet at L2 (Babylon); destroys it easily.
2134: First contact with an alien race known as the Drakat.
2142: Founding of colony at Jennifer’s Star.
2146: Crisis between the Earth Federation and the Drakat erupts over possession of D8 system (Van Diemen).
2148: Beginning of Drakat war.
2152: Bugs are discovered on J9 (Epsilon). Federation nukes the second planet and stops the invasion.
2157: First contact with a race known as the Katarn. Federation allies with them against the Drakat.
2165: Drakat war ends with the Treaty of New Paris. Drakat cede several systems to the Fed. 1st Triumvirate of Pyramus Grey, Isis, and Corric is created.
2178: First contact is made with the K’Nes. Their systems are too distant to be a threat, but they open trade negotiations with the Federation.
2182: K’Nes traders lead to contact with the Jurvain. They are a small race but negotiations lead to some technology exchange, giving Earth access to Drakat and Katarn advances.
2190: The Horadrim become curious of what happened with humanity. They are impressed by humanity's continued survival, but do not attempt to halt the coming Bug attacks.
2194: Bugs flood into Federation outer systems. Grand Council declares war against the Bugs.
2195: Projects Exo-Genesis and Vitek begin.
2196: Tech Infantry lands on Fieras 6; the long campaign begins. This nearly breaks the TI until the Black Hand signs an alliance with the Grand Council. Black Hand soldiers appear in the TI; in return, the Federation cedes a system to the Black Hand.
2196: The Horadrim rescues Bruce Von Eisenstein, trapped in hyperspacial limbo for centuries, and they learn more about human society. They regret their actions and make an attempt to stop the Bug attacks. Their attempts are small, however, and none succeed.
2197: Start of Season 1. Federation begins losing systems to Bug onslaught. Bug fleet destroyed off Mars. Horadrim encounter the EFS Nightmare. The Horadrim realize that humanity might hold the key to revitalize their race. They began to actively trying to stop the Bug attack.
2198: Start of Season 2. 1st Civil War starts. Eastern Bloc relinquishes territories on Earth in exchange for a system on the rim (Showa). Earth severely damaged by huge asteroid two weeks later; Federation moves capital to Avalon. A majority of Black Hand vampires flee the Wraithlands to their system on the rim. Von Eisenstein returns to Terran society to assist the Horadrim in protecting humanity.
2199: 1st Civil War ends as well as the 1st Triumvirate. Drakat ally with Bugs and are subsequently destroyed. Beginning of Eastern Bloc Civil War. End of Season 2.
2200: The Bugs invade the Katarn Protectorate. Earth Federation is unable to help the Katarn.
2201: Tech Infantry defeats Bugs at Babylon, the turning point in the Bug War. Bruce Von Eisenstien is killed by Mordred, who escapes back to Wilke's Star.
2202: Remnants of the Horadrim contact the Grand Council. They exchange their technology and their worlds for integration into Earth society in the Coral Sea Treaty. The agreement specifies that the Federation can only colonize one Horadrim world every ten years. Automated defenses stop two preemptive colonization attempts.
2203: Mordred tricks Ventrue and the Black Hand to attack Wilke’s Star. Mordred becomes antediluvian. (“Ring of Fire” movie) This starts the War of Blood between the Sabbbat and the Black Hand. End of EB Civil War – Chiang crowned as Emperor.
2204: The Mark 100 Centurian battle armor is developed and mass produced.
2205: The Bugs destroy the Katarn.
2208: The Bugs are driven from the Fed’s outer systems. Another wave of colonization begins.
2209: Crusader team are first formed and forces the War of Blood underground.
2210: Harrington Industries founds the colony on St. Michael’s Star. The planet’s rapid growth and booming economy causes Harrington stock to skyrocket, allowing them to expand operations.
2212: The Federation, Bugs, Jurvain, Eastern Bloc, and the K’Nes expand onto former Drakat, Katarn, and Horadrim worlds.
2215: Bugs are driven from former Drakat systems. Federation signs treaty with the Jurvain Commonality.
2218: Treaty of Midgar establishes borders between the K’Nes Tor, Jurvain Commonality, and the Earth Federation.
2220: Harrington Industries buys out the Ferret Works, becoming the primary supplier of weaponry and ships to the Federation.
2221: EFS Madrid is launched to investigate alien signal beyond known space.
2222: Start of Season 3. Harrington Industries begins aggressive corporate strategy; absorbs competitors into their megacorp. The 2nd Triumvirate of Richard Fox, Arthur Clarke, and Samuel Wall is formed. Colonel Fialla Spencer is killed fighting the Caal on the EFS Madrid.
2223: End of Season 3. Last bug system apart from Fieras is (supposedly) wiped out. Grand Council declares the Bug War over. 2nd Triumvirate makes move to break up Harrington Industries. Maeve Harrington throws full support to the Liberation. Beginning of 2nd Civil War.
2224: 2nd Triumvirate is toppled; Tech Infantry assumes control of Earth Federation. Colonel Richard Fox, head of Internal Security, is supposedly killed by Liberation bomb; rumors abound of his escape. Senator Samuel Wall mysteriously disappears, flees to Eastern Bloc. Colonel Arthur Clarke, unable to maintain control of the Federation, assumes command of the Raptors, an elite division of the TI.
2225: TI assault on the Sabbat at Wilke’s Star. Brigadier-General Sarah Dunmeyer turns tragedy into costly victory.
2226: The Liberation begins to lose ground to TI assaults. Border worlds declare their independence and form the Frontier Worlds Territory.
2227: Maeve Harrington, desperate to save her company and family, betray the Liberation. She is assassinated soon after. Sakras Plague wipes out all life on Alpha Centauri, entire system is quarantined.
2228: The Liberation is destroyed at the cost of leaving the Federation in shambles. Desperate to stabilize their borders, the Fed recognizes the FWT as a legitimate state. Tech Infantry relinquishes control of Federation to a new civilian government.
2229: Eastern Bloc, FWT, and Jurvain seize former Bug worlds. New resistance movement rebuilding on Earth blocks Earth Federation attempts to re-colonize Earth claiming it for themselves.
2230: Former Harrington “daughter corporations” are given huge tax breaks and benefits as they rebuild the wrecked infrastructure.
2235: Treaty of Jennifer’s Star established borders between the Fed, Eastern Bloc, and the FWT.
2236: Start of season 5. Second assault on Wilke’s Star by General Clarke successfully removes all vampiric control. However, Mordred manages to survive.
2239: Bugs appear out of nowhere and seize several systems, sending the Eastern Bloc, FWT, and Jurvain reeling. First contact with the Vin Shriak is hostile, and after R45 is destroyed, the Federation prepares for war. However, nothing more is heard of the Vin Shriak.
2240: Start of Season 4.1. Federation economic indicators report amazing recovery.
2241: Stephanie Harrington, leader of the daughter corporations’ political arm, is severely wounded in an assassination attempt, and is left in a coma.
2242: Start of Season 4.2. Daughter corporations fight among each other for control. The Technocracy (Internal Security) reasserts control after general elections. Marshal Sarah Dunmeyer attempts coup; fails, starting the 3rd Civil War. This season is available online or as a paperback, "The Daughters' War".
2243: Start of Season 4.3. 3rd Civil War wracks the Federation as several factions vie for power. TI faction, led by Sarah Dunmeyer (who is later assassinated and replaced by General Joel Fabin) is defeated in the Battle of Avalon, and the FWT finally finished off by a combined assault of K’Nes, Jurvain, and Eastern Bloc forces. Resistance and Christian Federation upstarts are also summarily destroyed. Arthur Clarke is named the new Chairman of the Terran Federation and imposes a draconian order called the Five Acts. This season is available online, and will soon be available as one or more books, to be titled "Rage Against the Dying of the Light".
2244: Treaty of Wilke's Star ends 3rd Civil War. Federation is weakened but stable.
Original Timeline[]
The original timeline is canon for both the Y3K seasons and for the current 9th season, "Born Under a Grey Sky". Depending on the outcome of Season Nine, there may or may not be a third alternate timeline created, whether Vin Dane is successful in creating his thousand-year Holy Terran Empire or not.
2251: Beginning of the Vin Shriak "Holy War." Vin Shriak return in huge numbers. Their technology is more advanced and several worlds are seized. They take no prisoners and exterminate the entire populations of captured worlds. Eastern Bloc is wiped out in the second Vin Shriak invasion.
2253: Humans manage to regain all but one system at the cost of half the Earth Fleet. The Federation makes first contact with the Vulthra, only to start the Vulthra War. It ends three months later, once the Vulthra believe that the Caal do not control humanity.
2255: "Holy War" ends at the beginning of the new year. The Fourth Fleet launches assault against Vin Shriak homeworlds, using a new super weapon, causing their star to go supernova. Genocide of the entire Vin Shriak species is blamed on Admiral Nirav Patel. Although he admits his guilt, he is hailed as a hero by the people, and allowed to retire instead of a court-martial. Meanwhile, the Federation seizes vampire-controlled space when a second nova device destroys the Enoch system.
2257: 2nd Vulthra War begins and ends just as quickly as the first, when the stronger Earth Fleet beats back. During the war, the Earth Federation annexes all K’Nes Tor space, after they allied themselves with the Vulthra.
2264: Caal invade the Federation and bring it to its knees. Horadrim come to the aid of the humans and get dragged into the war. Caal finally defeated in the Battle of Avalon; Horadrim are almost extinct. Holy Terran Empire is formed with Vin Dane as the Emperor. This incident is available online or as a paperback, “Prayer for the Technocrats”
2265: Start of Season Nine. Federation splits into four factions: Vin Dane's Holy Terran Empire, a new Terran Republic formed of former Eastern Bloc and Resistance worlds, a rump Federation led by Admiral Joseph Smythe, and a group of Light Infantry officers who form a Ministry of Public Safety to restore order on the eastern frontier worlds. This is the current ongoing game. The stories are available online, and will eventually be released in paperback form as "Born Under a Grey Sky".
Y3K and Exodus Future Timeline[]
For the three Y3K seasons, which were set a thousand years into the future from the other seasons, the original timeline up through the founding of the Holy Terran Empire in 2264 is kept intact. After that, the details are a bit fuzzy, but these three seasons assume that the Holy Terran Empire was able to conquer and absorb the other human and alien factions in short order and impose a thousand years of stability and stagnation on the galaxy. The never-started Exodus game project would have been set a thousand years after that, following the mysterious destruction of the entire galaxy.
3045: Fialla Spencer reappears; with her is Felix Straden, one of the last the last Horadrim alive. They reform the Tech Infantry and ally with the Vulthra, Jurvain, and K’Nes. Beginning of the Terran Uprising. A story set in this universe will soon be available in book form as "Heresy".
3197: Start of Season 6. Emperor sets up the death of a noble house in order to force the marriage of the nobleman’s daughter to his rival. A group of adventurers try to stop her marriage by fleeing with her, but end up being ambushed, and the daughter kidnapped to fulfill the Emperor’s plan.
3202: Start of Season 7. The daughter finally escapes and hooks up with her former lover and a new group of adventurers. They’re caught between the Emperor’s subjects and a shadowy figure who desires the daughter for his own ends. The shadowy figure is revealed as Lwan Eddington, who finally dies trying to get her. Mordred also opposes the Emperor, and again, finally dies. Daughter is again kidnapped and the group goes after her until they’re caught up in the truth behind the Emperor.
4206: Planned date of the "Exodus" story project. A thousand years after the galaxy was destroyed at the end of the Y3K seasons, a handful of survivors from each race try to scratch out a living on a distant planet. Magick and science have both been largely forgotten, and medieval-style agricultural villages and castles are built among the ruins of maglev tracks and skyscrapers. Too bad this game never got out of the planning stages, it would have been epic.
Season Eight Alternate Timeline[]
For Season Eight, we created an alternate timeline where the Vin Shriak destroyed the Earth Federation rather than the Eastern Bloc, enabling the Bloc to take over and create the Middle Kingdom. This alternate timeline is not canon for either the Y3K seasons or the current Season Nine.
2244: Treaty of Wilke's Star ends 3rd Civil War. Federation is weakened but stable. Andrea Treschi and Vin Dane head off to the Eastern Bloc. With Emperor Chiang, they form the 3rd Triumvirate.
2251: Beginning of the Vin Shriak "Holy War." Vin Shriak return in huge numbers. Their technology is more advanced and several worlds are seized. They take no prisoners and exterminate the entire populations of captured worlds.
2252: Eastern Bloc establishes alliance of all other nations except Federation. Federation collapses and Allies invade. Vin Shriak is pushed back by allied attacks. Jurvain and K'Nes bear brunt of losses against both the Vin Shriak and Federation remnants.
2253: Vin Shriak finally destroyed by causing their home world’s star to go supernova, ending the Holy War. Eastern Bloc immediately attacks former allies, defeating them easily, and driving them from the former Federation systems.
2254: Middle Kingdom declared – Wilke’s Star undergoes second terraforming process to create new capital. Arthur Clarke reemerges as the head of the new Resistance.
2256: Terraforming complete – Middle Kingdom officially moves capital from Showa to Wilke’s Star.
2258: Digital Gate Expansion Project starts, creating faster space routes throughout the kingdom.
2264: Year of Hell – several simultaneous revolts occur throughout the Middle Kingdom. Initial attempts to use Imperial Army and Civil Police to quell riots fail, leading to massive defections to rebel side. Revolts are finally put down by liberal use of Tamed Bugs, eradicating their populations. Loyal subjects are resettled onto former rebellious planets and their cities repopulated.
2267: Digital gates completed throughout the Middle Kingdom.
2269: Mars Rebellion – locals supported by the Resistance and their newly re-established Tech Infantry. Again, revolts are put down by dropping tamed Bugs to the planet’s surface.
2271: Start of Season Eight. The Emperor dies and his children struggle for supremacy. Clarke's Resistance movement tries to take advantage of the power vacuum at the top. This season is available online, and will soon be available in paperback form as "The Middle Kingdom".