A Brief History Of Shit Going Pearshaped

Discussion for the Next Big Thing, which is purely theoretical.
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Arcalane
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A Brief History Of Shit Going Pearshaped

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2104. The first instabilities in the node networks are noticed by scientists. They warn of an impending catastrophe, one unlike any other the human race has experienced. Close observation whilst travelling reveals visible abnormalities in the lane path, tiny eddies in the flow and minute vortices.

2107. Instabilities have worsened. The distortion and fluctuation within lanespace is noticeable, and unsettling; the lane itself writhes like an angered serpent held at both ends. Coruscating bolts of plasma and lanespace energies rip through the void without warning - ships that get in the way are torn apart in a dazzling display of pyrotechnics... and ships that leave the void simply vanish without a trace, never to be heard from again. Blotches swirl across the background like hurricanes, and sinister looking tears in the void grant glimpses at things beyond human comprehension.

2110. The last safe travel is recorded. Message probes make it through... occasionally. The distortion and fluctuation has by now destroyed or incapacitated the communication buoys that periodically transit in and out of lanespace to transmit messages to/from their system. The systems are divided and incapable of communicating with each other. Over the next few decades, the situation on many worlds devolves into chaos and anarchy. Smaller colonies that were not yet self-sufficient suffer the most, and suffer the soonest. Several of the larger worlds fall victim too, eventually. By the end, there are only a handful of colonies remaining.

2150. By this point, most of the old governors of the colonies are dead - either killed in uprisings, suicide, old age, illness and diease, accidents, or any other number of reasons. New leaders are in power now, for better or worse. The colonies that survived are in varying conditions, but are self-sufficient at least, and looking to the stars, eyes and ears open. A lot of technological advancement has been lost to the 'dark age', but colonies are slowly managing to reestablish their technological capabilities and space programs.

2160. Whispers amongst the scientific communities suggest that lanespace is starting to restabilize. Is it? Most are too scared to test the theory. Probes sent by reestablished space programs to investigate still go missing ninety percent of the time, of course, and those that aren't lost can't communicate their findings unless they safely return... which doesn't do much to quell people's fears.

2170. Lanespace has essentially completely restabilized. Communication buoys are found, repaired and rebooted. Civilian explorers take to the lanes in search of other remnants of mankind. Rumours start to spread that part of the Empire survived the Collapse - though a mere fraction of it's former self, traders say that this "Imperial Coalition" is not to be trifled with. Now, the new powers are about to make their first real moves...
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