Leaving the Cradle: an Orion's Arm Timeline

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Chapter B
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    • LEAVING THE CRADLE // Oil Makes Roil.​

    "On one hand I'm glad the two-party system is finally starting to break down. On the other hand I'm afraid about what might end up taking its place."
    • @ItreoGuevera (Twitter); November 4, 2026.
    Boston Red Sox defeat Arizona Diamondbacks 4-1 in 2026 World Series.
    • Fox Sports; November 5, 2026.
    Iranian government begins emergency relocation from violence-racked Tehran to Ramsar, on the Caspian coast.
    • BBC Persia; November 6, 2026.
    Recount confirms Freedom Party candidate John Bryce as representative for Nevada's 2nd Congressional district.
    • KRXI-TV; November 7, 2026.
    Iranian military successfully defends Beharestan from angry mob of rioters.
    • Al Jazeera; November 8, 2026.
    Syrian Democratic Forces spring renewed assault on Aleppo.
    • ABC News (US); November 9, 2026.
    Over 1,200 recorded casualties within first 24 hours of fighting in Aleppo.
    • Reuters; November 10, 2026.
    Passenger train inbound for Nagpur from Mumbai derails, killing 24 and injuring dozens more.
    • ITV News (India); November 11, 2026.
    What the chaos in Russia could mean for the EU's stability.
    • Fox News; November 12, 2026.
    Shots fired during President Jon Ramaphosa's public speech held in Johannesburg.
    • City Press (South Africa); November 13, 2026.
    Eurasianists stage successful military coup against leadership of the People's Republic of Sakhalin.
    • Newsweek; November 14, 2026.
    Shells rain over Aleppo once again as Assad and the SDF are locked in a brutal struggle over control of the city.
    • Vox; November 15, 2026.
    Is the Biden administration sending funds and military aid to the Eurasian Federation?
    • Fox News; November 16, 2026.
    Fists of the Azeris capture Sarab from Iranian government.
    • Newsweek; November 17, 2026.
    Former governor Peter Shumlin elected to Sanders's old US Senate seat.
    • WVNY; November 18, 2026.
    Governor of Nigeria's Kaduna state assassinated by unidentified assailant.
    • Naija News; November 19, 2026.
    Eurasian Federation launches invasion of former Khabarovsk Krai.
    • Euronews; November 20, 2026.
    Watch CNN's interview with prominent leader of the Eurasian Federation, Erik Tolbanov.
    • CNN; November 21, 2026.
    Government of National Accord captures Suluq from Libyan National Army.
    • Al Jazeera; November 22, 2026.
    Losing Freedom House of Representatives candidate goes on mass shooting rampage, killing 6 before taking his own life.
    • Kentucky New Era; November 23, 2026.
    Shell oil rig off the coast of Greenland explodes, creating the largest oil spill since Deepwater Horizon.
    • BBC News; November 24, 2026.
    Most of Kafr Hamrah under control of the Syrian Democratic Forces.
    • Al Jazeera; November 25, 2026.
    "Tsar Alexander IV" makes public speech to crowd at Rostov-on-Don.
    • TV Tokyo News; November 26, 2026.
    "...my people, it has been long past due for the rightful rulers of Russia to guide her noble people back towards the right direction, to bring light where there has been none for over a hundred years. It is time to best the mighty Westerners and their deviant practices - it is time to let the Empire of Russia fly its banner once again!"
    • Quote from self-proclaimed Tsar Alexander IV's infamous "Rostov" speech; November 26, 2026.
    Moscow turns the tide against RUSSR's assault on St. Petersburg.
    • The Guardian; November 27, 2026.
    European Preservation Front temporarily takes control of Dipkarpaz in Turkish Cyprus.
    • Euronews; November 28, 2026.
    Eurasian advance into Russian Manchuria stalled by United Communes of Amur.
    • Reuters; November 29, 2026.
    Finnish armed forces on high alert following border incursion made by warlord based out of Murmansk.
    • Helsingin Sanomat; November 30, 2026.
    Danish government orders Shell to pay $3.4 billion USD in restitution for the Greenland oil rig explosion.
    • SVT1 News; December 1, 2026.
    GNA ground troops closing in on the outskirts of Benghazi.
    • NBC News; December 2, 2026.
    New MI6 report claims much of eastern West Papua is fully out of the control of Indonesian armed forces.
    • ITV News (UK); December 3, 2026.
    Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige announces the continuation of the MCU primarily through TV shows on Disney+.
    • The Hollywood Reporter; December 4, 2026.
    "Are they seriously still banking on that dumpster fire of a streaming service?"
    • diesel patches (YouTube); December 4, 2026.
    Argentine president Milei arrested following military coup.
    • CNN; December 5, 2026.
    Saudi Arabian government quietly abandons work on The Line following refocusing its efforts towards earthquake cleanup.
    • The New York Post; December 6, 2026.
    President Milei escapes police custody for Geneva, Switzerland.
    • The Buenos Aires Herald; December 7, 2026.
    Shell CEO Wael Sawan resigns following mounting international pressure in wake of Greenland oil spill.
    • NBC News; December 8, 2026.
    Warlord based out of Pskov Oblast launches night raid towards Tartu, Estonia.
    • Euronews; December 9, 2026.
    Fists of the Azeris at Tabriz's doorstep, say US intelligence officials.
    • The Huffington Post; December 10, 2026.
    Sudden surge of COVID-19 cases throughout much of European Russia.
    • The Guardian; December 11, 2026.
    Buenos Aires subject to unending riots against the military junta.
    • TV Brasilia; December 12, 2026.
    City of Quaminis captured by Libyan Government of National Accord.
    • Al Jazeera; December 13, 2026.
    US airstrike against former Pskov Oblast takes out warlord that raided Estonia.
    • The Washington Post; December 14, 2026.
    Russian Duma passes law relaxing anti-LGBT+ laws and policies, but still has yet to legalize gay marriage.
    • Human Rights Watch; December 15, 2026.
    President Belyakov professes tacit approval towards US airstrike near Pskov, but warns that "[the Americans] are not to be trusted... if you give them an inch, then they will take a hundred miles."
    • RT; December 16, 2026.
    United Communes of Amur taken over by Leninists in bloodless coup.
    • The New York Times; December 17, 2026.
    Why it's okay to not celebrate Christmas.
    • Buzzfeed; December 18, 2026.
    "See? Look at that! There you go! The War on Christmas is real!"
    • Matt Walsh (The Daily Wire); December 18, 2026.
    SDF leadership issue consolidation directive aimed at bringing more disobedient subordinates under control.
    • AlHiwar; December 19, 2026.
    Much of north and northeastern Aleppo under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces.
    • CNN; December 20, 2026.
    Constantin Film sues DeepReel for violation of German copyright law.
    • AI Today; December 21, 2026.
    Village of Tazirbu captured by Libyan GNA.
    • Al Jazeera; December 22, 2026.
    Elder Scrolls 6 filled to the brim with bugs on launch, as per usual.
    • The Gaming Watcher; December 23, 2026.
    "AHAUHAUHAUHAUA! Oh, Jesus fucking Christ, look at that mouth movement! It's like a... one of those goddamn shitty SFM animations! Oh my god..."
    • Joel Vargskelethor (Kick); December 24, 2026.
    "...so in summary, the game is highly resource-intensive, you can no-clip through walls, a lot of the side quests are broken, and the story is boring and un-immersive. It's quite possibility the worst Christmas present in the history of video games."
    • LucasOrville331 (YouTube); December 25, 2026.
    Argentine junta leaders' headquarters stuck by bomb placed by unidentified assailant; all 5 members declared dead.
    • O Globo; December 26, 2026.
    Tsardom of Russia troops take down last vestiges of Kislovodsk People's Commune.
    • OANN; December 27, 2026.
    President Milei returns to Argentina and is greeted by a jubilant crowd.
    • The Buenos Aires Times; December 28, 2026.
    "Chat... chat, this is not a finished game. Why should I keep playing this if I know I won't be able to finish it?"
    • Vinny Vinesauce during Hammerfell stream (Kick); December 29, 2026.
    Will Russia ever be put back together again?
    • Vice; December 30, 2026.
    Bethesda releases emergency Hammerfell patch - but many fans are still quite upset.
    • PC Gamer; December 31, 2026.
    Montenegro and North Macedonia become the two newest member states of the European Union.
    • MEGA Channel News; January 1, 2027.
    Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 2027 pulls in lowest ratings in show's history.
    • Entertainment Weekly; January 1, 2027.
    "I just don't get it... we had Ariana Grande, we had BTS, we had DJ Leenman, we pulled out everything we could get! What the hell are we doing that's pushing everyone away?"
    • Disney CEO Bob Iger discussing the failure of Dick Clark '27 with board of directors; January 1, 2027.
    Almost all of eastern former Sakha Republic under the control of the Eurasian Federation.
    • TASS; January 2, 2027.
    120th US Congress inaugurated at the Capitol Building.
    • Huffington Post; January 3, 2027.
    Marjorie Taylor Greene boldly declares an incoming "new age of Freedom" for the American people.
    • OANN; January 4, 2027.
    Tsarist forces capture Novorossiysk, cementing their hold over the Russian Caucasus.
    • Dimokratia; January 5, 2027.
    Last wild specimen of the crowned sifaka dies in Madagascar.
    • Scientific American; January 6, 2027.
    Total 2026 domestic box office sales about $5.8 billion, the lowest recorded since the pandemic.
    • The Hollywood Reporter; January 7, 2027.
    Anti-Milei guerillas reportedly fighting in Tierra del Fuego.
    • The Atlantic; January 7, 2027.
    Free City of Kaliningrad reportedly troubled by Eurasian defectors.
    • CNN; January 8, 2027.
    Osaka-based cargo ship inbound for Petropavlovsk sunk by team of heavily armed patrol boats affiliated with Manchurian warlords.
    • The Yomiuri Shimbun; January 9, 2027.
    Syrian Democratic Forces closing in on desert surrounding Palmyra.
    • Reuters; January 10, 2027.
    - - -

    The mess hall of Yeltsin Forward Base was a hive of activity and chatter for the brave soldiers who lived there. Despite everything, the rations were still adequate - but even as the troops huddled together for warmth they could still hear the barrage of gunfire echoing off to the east, made by their brothers against their brothers.

    Nestled within the pack of sardines was Yuliy Komarov, a proud frontline soldier for the St. Petersburg Provisional Government. All things considered, he was more content with his lot than he was on this day one year ago, but not by very much. Most importantly, he felt like he had a purpose for the first time in his life, and even though it was almost certain that he was fighting for a temporary state he still knew it would be worth it in the end.

    From beyond the opening in the tent, the base's commanding officer stepped in with his entourage. He stood facing the masses of warriors, looking onwards with a grim expression on his face. He motioned to one of his staff, who picked up a megaphone before turning it on and blaring orders.

    "Attention! Colonel Ageykin has an announcement! Turn your heads to face him!"

    The entire mess hall went quiet before the colonel cleared his throat.

    "Attention, soldiers. We've just got word from Moscow that the leader of the Restored USSR has been killed. He was shot by his own bodyguard. I bid you all a good evening, and I'll see you at the front lines in an hour."

    Before the colonel could finish speaking the entire crowd went into celebratory cheering. They stood up and high fived each other, clinking together bottles of watered-down vodka in honor of this special occasion. Surely the war would be over soon - or at least, this particular phase.

    Yuliy was among those who were more or less unsurprised. They had been fighting against these guys for almost a year, and the bullet that took their leader came from within their own ranks. Typical.

    - - -

    Self-proclaimed General Secretary of the "Restored USSR", Samuil Nazarov, killed by personal bodyguard.
    • Euronews; January 11, 2027.
    Kazakhstan's request for military aid from the US against the Siberian Caliphate promptly denied.
    • Fox News; January 12, 2027.
    New leadership of rump RUSSR renames itself to "the Russian Commune Collective"; reorients its goals towards the establishment of the world's first anarcho-communist state.
    • NBC News; January 13, 2027.
    New England hit by massive nor'easter, blanking the region in over 3 feet of snow.
    • The Weather Channel; January 14, 2027.
    As the first of Gen Alpha reaches adolescence, the now middle-aged Millennials are beginning to grow out of touch with current tech and trends.
    • Vice; January 15, 2027.
    FEMA agents deployed to Boston area in wake of Thursday's nor'easter.
    • The Boston Globe; January 16, 2027.
    "...I know you'll believe me when I say that the Eurasian Federation is bad news. Any group trying to reestablish the old Soviet Union's borders, no matter their vague platitudes towards democracy or freedom of speech, is going to position itself as an international pariah when it forcibly annexes all those independent states... including Ukraine. And when you have a rogue armed with nukes, it's only a matter of when they'll end up using them."
    • Tucker Carlson (OANN); January 17, 2027.
    "With the nor'easter over I'm still not too sure about this whole climate change thing. If the world is supposed to be heating up, then why does it seem like winters have been colder than ever?"
    • @DrewOfNewHaven (Twitter); January 18, 2027.
    "Keep being stupid. Lmao"
    • @ItreoGuevera; January 18, 2027.
    Italian parliament narrowly passes bill imposing stricter regulations on foreign asylum seekers.
    • Rai News 24; January 19, 2027.
    "So the EPF have won. Let's see how long it takes the rest of the continent to wake up."
    • @ChurchNotKirk (Twitter); January 20, 2027.
    GNA forces deploy northward desert assault towards Tobruk.
    • Reuters; January 21, 2027.
    Russian Communal Collective rapidly losing ground to breakaway states and Moscow government forces.
    • CBS News; January 22, 2027.
    Cartel-related murders down by 15% in 2026 when compared to the previous year.
    • La Jornada; January 23, 2027.
    Indian Department of Space announces plans for an unmanned Mars probe, set for launch by 2032.
    • ITV News (India); January 24, 2027.
    Over one and half a million cases of COVID recorded in Russia over the past two months.
    • BBC News; January 25, 2027.
    Prominent Chinese pro-democracy advocate Lian Jingyi missing for over two weeks.
    • The New York Post; January 26, 2027.
    Russian Tsardom's offensive towards the Volga delta halted by strategic bombings from Moscow.
    • RT; January 27, 2027.
    Albanese announces his resignation as prime minister following the failure of a defence appropriations bill in the House of Representatives.
    • ABC News (Australia); January 28, 2027.
    The fight for Freedom may be tipping towards their favor, but the war is far from over - what the Freedom Party needs to do in order to take the presidency.
    • Breitbart; January 29, 2027.
    Most of Benghazi's eastern suburbs under the control of the GNA.
    • NBC News; January 30, 2027.
    EPF destroys third migrant boat in the last month, a sharp decrease from the height of their reign of terror last summer.
    • BBC News; January 31, 2027.
    Snap federal elections fixed for February 12.
    • The Courier-Mail; February 1, 2027.
    Amur People's Republic remains strong in spite of continued Eurasian aggression.
    • Pravda; February 2, 2027.
    Self-proclaimed Siberian Caliphate makes advance towards Kostanay, Kazakhstan.
    • Reuters; February 3, 2027.
    Governor Anderson files for divorce against wife.
    • KYTV; February 4, 2027.
    Hospitals throughout Moscow and St. Petersburg set up emergency tents in order to cope with COVID's resurgence.
    • Euronews; February 5, 2027.
    Solar eclipse occurs over most of South America.
    • O Globo; February 6, 2027.
    Ukrainian military beset by frequent border incursions made by Russian warlords.
    • Le Monde; February 7, 2027.
    Russian tanks surround the Kremlin as rumors of a coup spread like wildfire.
    • Bild; February 8, 2027.
    Civilians jeer at coup forces in a nostalgic throwback to the August Coup.
    • TASS; February 8, 2027.
    "Two Russian coups within two months. I feel absolutely terrible for everyone who's been trapped."
    • @ItreoGuevera (Twitter); February 8, 2027.
    Russian government forces announce the arrest of at least 5 high-ranking military officers suspected of masterminding yesterday's attempted coup.
    • Euronews; February 9, 2027.
    NASA announces the delay of all future Artemis missions until at least 2030.
    • SpaceNews; February 10, 2027.
    Uncovered skeleton reportedly belonging to Alexander the Great revealed to be a hoax.
    • CNN; February 11, 2027.
    GNA advance towards Tobruk ground to a halt by severe dust storms.
    • Reuters; February 12, 2027.
    Labor achieves minority government following yesterday's elections.
    • ABC News (Australia); February 13, 2027.
    Houston Texans defeat Carolina Panthers 17-13 at Super Bowl LXI held in MetLife Stadium in Rutherford, New Jersey.
    • ABC Sports (US); February 14, 2027.
    Iranian Renewal Force reportedly controlling around one-third of Tehran's neighborhoods.
    • Le Monde; February 15, 2027.
    Peronist Argentine Popular Front based out of the Andes launches eastbound assault on Milei's government.
    • Newsweek; February 15, 2027.
    President Lukashenko decries the "ugly lawlessness" of warlords bordering Belarus; warns that "if [this] continues then they will have hell to pay".
    • Zviazda; February 16, 2027.
    Uganda ratifies constitution for the East African Federation.
    • DW; February 17, 2027.
    Frankfurt court orders AI movie company DeepReel to pay Constantin Films over €600 million in compensation for violating the latter's copyright.
    • Das Erste Nachricht; February 18, 2027.
    Moscow military tribunal sentences all 6 ringleaders of February coup to death.
    • TASS; February 19, 2027.
    In a stunning move, the Tsardom of Russia captures both Pyatigorsk and Grozny in the same day.
    • OANN; February 20, 2027.
    DeepReel CEO Brendon Flanders announces that the company will not be appealing the Constantin decision.
    • AI Today; February 21, 2027.
    MP for Corangamite, Tyler McLean, sworn in as Australia's newest prime minister.
    • The Daily Telegraph (Sydney); February 22, 2027.
    Impending debt ceiling breach sparks heavy debate within Congress.
    • Newsweek; February 23, 2027.
    House unable to vote on Medicaid appropriations bill; government shutdown appears imminent.
    • Politico; February 24, 2027.
    2030 FIFA World Cup to be hosted by Italy.
    • ESPN; February 25, 2027.
    Igdir Genocide Memorial vandalized by unknown perpetrator.
    • Sabah (newspaper); February 26, 2027.
    Congressman Arnold Porter [F-TX] files motion to vacate Speaker McCarthy.
    • C-SPAN; February 27, 2027.
    How far will Freedom ring in 2028? Here are some predictions.
    • OANN; February 28, 2027.
    House of Representatives narrowly votes to remove Speaker Kevin McCarthy from office.
    • NBC News; March 1, 2027.
    "Something tells me that he's been sitting in that chair for a lot longer than he should have."
    • Jesse Waters (Fox News); March 2, 2027.
    Russian armed forces recapture Kazan from CAR.
    • TASS; March 3, 2027.
    Iranian military turning the tide against IRF rebels.
    • Ettelaat; March 4, 2027.
    EPF destroyer infamous for harassing migrant boats coming out of Tripoli sunk MNTF task force earlier this morning.
    • Euronews; March 5, 2027.
    Sony announces the development of the PlayStation 6; due for release in November.
    • Polygon; March 6, 2027.
    "Well, it can only be so much worse than the PS5. Right? RIGHT?"
    • @Caddicarus (Twitter); March 7, 2027.
    Chinese National Space Administration reveal details for an unmanned Mercury lander, with a planned launch date slated for 2031.
    • China Daily; March 8, 2027.
    Frank Lucas [R-OK] elected as 56th Speaker of the House.
    • C-SPAN; March 9, 2027.
    Governor Anderson signs bill legalizing abortion in cases of rape statewide.
    • KYTV; March 10, 2027.
    Starmer reshuffles cabinet following the sudden resignation of Secretary for Science, Innovation and Technology.
    • ITV News (UK); March 11, 2027.
    FBI Director Jon Schmitt declares "a quiet victory" over the recent tide of white nationalist groups like the Cracker Defense Squadron.
    • intelNews.org; March 12, 2027.
    Much of former Khabarovsk Krai under control of the Eurasian Federation.
    • Chosun Ilbo; March 13, 2027.
    Hundreds of Iranian Renewal Force militants captured and forced out of eastern Tehran.
    • Iran International; March 14, 2027.
    President Belyakov announces renewed offensive into western Central Russia near the borders with Ukraine and Belarus.
    • Interfax; March 15, 2027.
    Serbia to hold referendum on joining the European Union on November 7.
    • BBC International; March 16, 2027.
    City of Smolensk recaptured within days of Russia launching its new westward offensive.
    • Euronews; March 17, 2027.
    Confederation of Allied Republics gains considerable ground due to the waning of Russian military presence.
    • Reuters; March 18, 2027.
    City of Cordoba captured by Argentine Popular Front.
    • NBC News; March 18, 2027.
    Australian parliament passes law barring primary schools from discussing LGBT topics during Years 2 and below.
    • TVNZ News; March 19, 2027.
    Laurent Wauquiez barely in the lead, according to recent presidential election polling.
    • France Info; March 20, 2027.
    Russian Federation troops reach Belarussian border.
    • RT; March 21, 2027.
    Leaked phone call reveals Jeff Bezos planned to use Amazon assets in order to influence elections in nations around the world.
    • The Guardian; March 22, 2027.
    "It's AI generated. Trust me, I'd know."
    • Elon Musk (Twitter); March 23, 2027.
    Bezos phone call Truth-O-Meter rating: False.
    • PolitiFact; March 23, 2027.
    President Lukashenko gives his personal thanks to Russian president Belyakov for "restoring order in our mutual border regions".
    • Novy Chas; March 24, 2027.
    Amazon workers go on nationwide strike, calling for the resignation of CEO Jeff Bezos.
    • ABC News (US); March 25, 2027.
    "...so they go on strike against Bezos for doing something that Soros did for decades? I think I smell some hypocrisy."
    • Nick Fuentes (Rumble); March 25, 2027.
    Syrian Democratic Forces reach the outskirts of Palmyra.
    • Reuters; March 26, 2027.
    Amazon calls in Pinkerton detectives to help break factory worker strikes in Dallas-Fort Worth area.
    • KXAS-TV; March 27, 2027.
    De facto ruler of the "Russian Commune Collective" reportedly killed by Russian Federation airstrike.
    • Euronews; March 28, 2027.
    Mediterranean Nautical Task Force captures one of three remaining known EPF gunboats.
    • ZDF News; March 29, 2027.
    Kazakhstani military pushes Siberian Caliphate forces out of Aktobe.
    • The Asahi Shimbun; March 30, 2027.
    Most of southern Benghazi under control of GNA forces.
    • Al Jazeera; March 31, 2027.
    - - -

    To those living in Russia during the winter of 2026-7, it seemed as if there was no worse state that this once-great country could sink to. This sentiment was shared particularly among those under the Moscow government, who one year prior had anticipated the splendid blossoming of a truly democratic Russian Federation, but were now under the realization that such dreams were as cold as the weather.

    But even during this dark hour, the leadership still persevered. President Belyakov is quoted by a top Kremlin staffer as saying "it's either we win or we lose... and I don't plan on losing." Needless to say, there remained light at the end of the tunnel - even though the darkness was far from over.

    Yuriy Ponikarov. "Hibernation: A History of Post-Soviet Russia", Netsk Online Publishing, 2076.
     
    Last edited:
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    • 119th and 120th United States Congresses
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    • I've 'shopped up an few images that give a visual representation for what both houses of Congress were like at the start of each of their terms. I'll continue to do these as the timeline progresses.


    Might do something similar with other great powers in the future.
     
  • View discussion
    • Interlude VI
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    • Sollux took a long, good look at the ceiling from the comfort of his spring mattress. Why did he have to change his name? Why didn't anyone try to stop him?

    No, he shouldn't be stupid. His friends, his family, and so many others objected to his ridiculous lifestyle choices and warned of what might happen if he continued to indulge in his borderline hedonist desires, and where is he now after ignoring them all? A run-down studio apartment in downtown New Haven, with no job, no friends or love life, and very little else to his name.

    Holding up his phone in his arms, he opened Twitter for the tenth time that day. It's insane to think, he mused, that there's a nearby alternate reality where this site was renamed to X.

    With each passing week, more and more of his online friends - the only friends he had - were dropping off the face of the internet, moving on to focus on college or their careers. Sollux had none of that. He never even had a name that anyone would take seriously. A name given not by his parents, but himself. Wait a minute...

    It had been two and a half years since he changed his name, and in all that time between then and now he never once made that trip back to City Hall. Maybe, in spite of what everyone else had been telling him over the years, he should still carve out his own path and be a happy little weirdo.

    Sollux's mind was made up. He exited out of Twitter and went to a different app, an app he hadn't touched in almost an entire year: TikTok. It's a wonder it's still around, he thought.

    He had made this schtick his fucking identity, and gog damnit he was going to own it.

    - - -

    PEACH WINS 1ST PLACE!

    The victory message flashed on the curved flatscreen TV in front of Dan and Belle, two highschoolers who had just played another round of Mario Kart '26.

    "Well, you win again," Dan remarked. "Another good night of gaming on the Switch."

    Belle put the controller back on the coffee table before lounging back in her seat. "It's crazy how it was released almost ten years ago, and everybody who plays games is still on it like it was just released."

    Dan turned his head to give Belle a slight smile. "Nah, it's not that crazy. I remember reading somewhere that the NES was in production for, like, what? Fifteen years?"

    "Eh, that was in the past. I think it's better to look towards the future."

    "Yeah," Dan agreed. "I've heard that they might make a VR headset next. Now, that would be crazy. Can you imagine how a mainline Mario game would work in VR?"

    "I'm not too sure if I want to. I get a bit nauseous whenever I put those on," Belle admitted before running a hand through her hair. "But you know what I do think has potential? AI research."

    "Really?"

    "I mean, why not? They've already been releasing programs that can AI-generate entire movies and 3D models. Who knows how soon it'll be before someone releases a fully AI-generated video game?"

    "Now, that's the thing that unsettles me. If AI can make media just as good or even better than what humans can, then what's the point of having humans write, or act, or draw, or program? It sounds like the beginning of a cyberpunk dystopia to me."

    "Bold of you to assume that we don't live in a dystopia to begin with."

    "Okay, that's enough of that. I'm not too fond of politics." Dan leaned closer to Belle before continuing. "You mind if I stay here a little longer? Maybe watch a movie?"

    "No, I don't want to stay up too late on a Sunday night. My parents will be home any minute now, and I don't think they'd want to see you lounging around."

    Dan appeared put off for a moment before getting up off the couch in a hurry. "Alright. I'll see you soon."

    "Bye."

    - - -

    "I have to admit, this wouldn't have been my first choice, Mr. Rivero." Congressman Domodo took a seat "With a name like yours, I didn't think you'd want to go with Italian."

    "No, my grandparents were from Venice," Mr. Rivero revealed. "They escaped from Mussolini to live here back in the thirties. I take a lot of pride in my heritage."

    Just then, a waiter approached the two politicians, ready to take their orders.

    "I'll have a spaghetti carbonara with a side of calamari fritti and a glass of wine."

    "I'll have a plate of lasagna with a salad and a Coke."

    "Hm. I thought you'd might want to drink a cocktail," Mr. Rivero remarked. The waiter was already gone when Domodo gave his response.

    "No, I always like to have a clear head when I'm on official business. Alcohol only serves to keep me from making good decisions."

    "I see. Did I see you take a taxi here?"

    The two continued to make small talk for a few minutes before the waiter returned with their drinks. Then, the real discussion began.

    "So what are you here to talk to me about? Something about DC statehood?"

    "Well, that is the gist of it, I suppose," the lobbyist acknowledged. "The Douglass Commonwealth Statehood Group is the nation's vanguard when it comes to taking action for the people of the nation's capital. We haven't been here for very long - it started just after the 2024 election, as a matter of fact - but we've already got quite a lot of leverage in the form of HR 351."

    Domodo took a sip of coke before responding. "Don't you think you would alienate a lot of people for pushing the new name? It might be better for you to stick with what's been established for so long."

    "Really? You're saying that? I'm sure you've paid attention to history class, right? If anything, keeping the name tied to Columbus and his misdeeds would only serve to alienate people more than if we changed it in honor of someone with a higher moral standard."

    "Ah... okay. Fair enough," Domodo conceded. "I just don't know how you're going to get support from everyone in Congress. I want to know what your plan of action is, and then I'll consider voting on HR 31.

    "Well in that case, I do happen to have a proposal for you. DCSG has a lot of connections to PACs and all kinds of campaign finance organizations. If you vote yes on the bill, then we'll be sure to create one specifically to help keep you in that office of yours after the next election."

    "What? Buying me dinner wasn't enough?" Domodo joked before the two shared a quick bout of laughter.

    Just then, the waiter arrived Now that an agreement had been made, the two drifted off to a number of other subject matters, and before either of them knew it the plates and glasses were empty.

    "Thank you for your time, Representative. I assure you that you won't regret this meeting." After paying the tab, Mr. Rivero got up from his seat before leaving Domodo to collect his thoughts.

    He thought about what his old bandmates would think of him now. Maybe something along the lines of apathy or disappointment.

    - - -

    In a large tent nestled deep within the Russian wilderness, two soldiers laid wide awake in the same bunk bed. They had seen more than enough bloodshed over the last year, and it was more than clear to both of them that they'd yet to see the most of it.

    "So, Timofey... you think about home all that often?" the man on the bottom, Yuliy, asked. His hands were clasped on top of his chest in deep contemplation.

    Timofey let out a soft sigh. "I've heard a lot of things from back home, Yuliy. They say the Council's getting ready to go back under Moscow and United Russia."

    "You mean the same guys who put us all in this mess to begin with?" Yuliy put a hand over his head in apathy. "Sounds wonderful."

    The two laid in silence for a minute. Timofey broke it with a tough question. "What do you think you'll do after the war's over - if the war will be over?"

    Yuliy rolled over in his bunk before responding. "I don't know," he admitted. "Best case scenario, I might want to do something with the country's space program."

    "Yeah, I'm sure that'll work out," came the reply from above. "Chances are, we won't live to see the end of the war."

    "Well, shit," mumbled Yuliy. "That is a possibility. But let's focus on the positives, right? RUSSR's fucking dead! I-"

    Out of the blue, the entire tent was bathed in a bright light. An officer in uniform was standing tall at the entrance, though Yuliy couldn't make out who it was.

    "Squad И. Meet me in the briefing room. I've got a job for you."

    The two friends watched as eight of their fellow compatriots got out of their beds and walked away. No one else in the barracks dared to speak.

    - - -

    The misty atmosphere of early spring permeated the evening air. A rusty vintage pickup truck nudged its way through the narrow streets of Atlanta, often appearing unsure of itself. While in truth the car lacked a mind of its own, its driver, a junior year high schooler, was as nervous as he could let on to his friend in the passenger's seat.

    "You sure you know where you're going?" The car's sole passenger questioned. "You've been making a lot of missed turns."

    "I know what I'm doing, George," he responded. "I've only had my license for a week."

    "Well, I sure hope so, motherfucker. I'd like my bones to remain intact, please."

    "I haven't been to Jamal's house in a while," Brain admitted before putting the car in park. "I hope he's doing okay."

    "Yeah, he's doing just fine. I saw him last weekend."

    The two got out and took a good look at the house in front of them. It was a quaint, one-story building, nestled in a row with the other houses like densely packed sardines. The front steps to the door creaked as the two of them walked up, where George rang the rusty doorbell.

    Another teenager opened the door. "Oh, hey George," Jamal greeted him in surprise. "What's up?"

    "Yo, Jamal. You doing okay?"

    "Yeah, I'm doing fine. I see you brought someone," he noted. "Do I know him?"

    "Yeah, I'm pretty sure you do," Brain chuckled. "I'm Brian, remember?"

    "Oh," Jamal mumbled before giving him a quizzical look. "Well, go ahead and come in." George and Brian followed him to the living room.

    Jamal gave Brian a slight smirk. "So, what's up with you? You got yourself a tan or what?"

    "It's a lot more than just a tan, my dude," Brian replied. "I've done a lot of thinking these past few months. I identify more with people of color than the race I was born into."

    Jamal shot him a look of confusion. "What? No, man. That doesn't make any sense. You can't just be born white and then later on decide you're black."

    "Well, why not?"

    He shook his head in dismissal. "Listen to me, now. I'm black. George is black. You? You are not black. All you did was spend half an hour in the tanning salon."

    Brian held his hands out in an attempt to calm things down. "Jamal, listen. You know me. I've lived in Atlanta all my life. Nearly all my friends have been black. All I want is for you to respect my decision-"

    "I can't respect any decision you make if it goes against the truth. Brian, there's a lot more to being black than what's on the surface. You need to know the pain. You need to know the struggle. You need the blood pumping through your veins."

    "I don't get what the big deal is," Brian admitted while throwing his arms in the air. "There's a lot that goes into being a man or a woman, but trans people are able to pull that off pretty well. "

    Jamal raised voice to a shout, leaning his face into Brian's as he barked at him in defiance. "That's different! That's different! You-"

    "How is that different?"

    Jamal stopped right in his tracks. He gave George an almost supernatural glare, appearing as if he was about to explode at him for backing up the pretender. The three of them stood in silence for a moment and an eternity, before Jamal broke in with an ultimatum.

    "Get out. Both of you. Now."

    George stood back in confusion. "What-"

    "Get out or I'm getting you out myself."

    Brian, well aware that there was no point in challenging him anymore, motioned for George to follow him out the door. In a flash the two were back out in the front yard, racing towards their ride home.

    "You're not black, you hear me?" Came the cry from within the house. "You are not fucking black!"
     
  • View discussion
    • Chapter C
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    • LEAVING THE CRADLE // Grand Plans.​

    Italian frigate Luigi Rizzo, under command of the MNTF, wracked by pro-EPF mutiny.
    • Corriere della Sera; April 1, 2027.
    Reddit admins launch another /r/place community project "for one last time."
    • Vox; April 1, 2027.
    Several competing sites move in to help deliver the country's online orders in place of Amazon.
    • NBC News; April 2, 2027.
    Construction begins on I-95's electric charging station network near Boston.
    • The Boston Globe; April 3, 2027.
    Turkish military launches massive bombing raids against SDF bases north of Aleppo.
    • The Atlantic; April 4, 2027.
    The end for the Syrian Democratic Forces?
    • TASS; April 5, 2027.
    Argentine general elections delayed until 2028.
    • O Globo; April 6, 2027.
    What a Democratic victory in 2028 could mean for the future of the nation.
    • The Daily Wire; April 7, 2027.
    Social media giant Reddit announces its shutting down at the end of August.
    • Bloomberg; April 8, 2027.
    Moscow government launches carpet bombing strike on Tsardom of Russia stronghold Rostov-on-Don.
    • TASS; April 9, 2027.
    Argentine Popular Front losing ground in Tierra del Fuego, while simultaneously winning against the Milei government in the Northwest and Cuyo regions.
    • La República (Peru); April 10, 2027.
    Libertarian Party reportedly attracting centrists and left-libertarians, according to recent poll.
    • The New York Post; April 11, 2027.
    Laurent Wauquiez and Edouard Philippe win first round of French presidential elections.
    • Le Monde; April 12, 2027.
    "Y'know, I had a new iPhone on the way when the strikes started. Still haven't gotten it. Thanks Bezos."
    • @ItreoGuevera (Twitter); April 13, 2027.
    EPF gunboat opens fire against Libyan refugee boat leaving Tripoli, only to get counterattacked by GNA coast guard task force.
    • Euronews; April 14, 2027.
    Libyan GNA's advance through Benghazi comes to a standstill.
    • BBC International; April 15, 2027.
    DeepReel releases version 2 of its AI movie generation software, with marked improvements towards reducing artifacts.
    • AI Today; April 16, 2027.
    "Still takes almost a day to generate a one-hour film. 0/10 do not recommend"
    • @Soyjick43 (Twitter); April 17, 2027.
    Unarmed Mozambican immigrant shot and killed by Hong Kong law enforcement officer.
    • BBC News; April 17, 2027.
    Riots flare up across Hong Kong out of anger towards the murder of Orbada Lebonde.
    • CNN; April 18, 2027.
    "Normally, this sounds like something that would come out of the US or Europe - but now it looks like it's China's turn to have issues with police brutality. I can definitely see the Chinese government's reaction being a bit more direct than it would here in the states."
    • Donald Carter (CNN); April 18, 2027.
    New video shows Hong Kong police firing rubber bullets at Lebonde protestors.
    • Vox; April 19, 2027.
    Sega announces the launch of the EU-only Genesis Rebirth, a retro console capable of playing Sega Genesis cartridges and CD disks.
    • Eurogamer; April 20, 2027.
    Armed mass shooter opens fire outside of black church in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 3 and injuring over a dozen.
    • The Lexington-Herald Leader; April 21, 2027.
    Parliament of Kenya narrowly votes to ratify EAF constitution, therefore putting said constitution into effect.
    • Newsweek; April 22, 2027.
    EF troops capture Mirny in Sakha with little fighting.
    • The Eurasian Hope; April 23, 2027.
    Last SDF ground troops retreat from Aleppo following Turkish intervention.
    • Euronews; April 24, 2027.
    Lexington church shooter revealed to have connections with the Cracker Defense Squadron and other right-wing terrorist groups.
    • Right Wing Watch; April 25, 2027.
    Wauquiez elected president following yesterday's runoffs.
    • France Info; April 26, 2027.
    Last remnants of February coup forces captured by troops loyal to Moscow.
    • RT; April 27, 2027.
    Libyan National Army turns the tides against the Government of National Accord at Benghazi.
    • Al Jazeera; April 28, 2027.
    Eurasian Federation enters ceasefire agreement with East Judea.
    • Le Monde; April 29, 2027.
    Siberian Caliphate claims responsibility for attack on Kazakh government offices in Astana.
    • CNN; April 30, 2027.
    International Worker's Day parade held in Portland, Oregon met with considerable backlash from counter-demonstrators.
    • Jacobin; May 1, 2027.
    Richmond Public Schools teachers hold strike over low wages and inadequate resources.
    • WRIC-TV; May 2, 2027.
    Following over a month of ongoing strikes, Jeff Bezos resigns as chairman of Amazon's board of directors.
    • Forbes; May 3, 2027.
    Crowd heckles Rian Johnson at 50th Star Wars Day convention in San Francisco.
    • FanNow; May 4, 2027.
    "Looks like China has largely forgotten about how they murdered an African in cold blood. We can't just sit around and let another Tiananmen happen, can we?"
    • @SocialistAgainstChina (Twitter); May 5, 2027.
    Top leadership of the Fists of the Azeris reportedly killed by Iranian government airstrike.
    • Al Jazeera; May 6, 2027.
    CIA report claims alleged Fists of the Azeris drone strike was fabricated by Iranian propaganda ministers.
    • The Washington Post; May 7, 2027.
    "I can't imagine we'll be around for much longer if a Republican wins 2028. Especially if they're a populist, like Trump was."
    • Joel Laprade (The Mountain News Network); May 8, 2027.
    Five Eyes back up CIA's claims of fabricated Iranian airstrike.
    • BBC News; May 9, 2027.
    Facebook under fire for favoring AI script writers over paid human programmers.
    • Wired; May 10, 2027.
    Can Amazon recover from the loss of their founder?
    • Vox; May 11, 2027.
    Turkish army base in Taurus Mountains hit by bombing raid.
    • The New York Times; May 12, 2027.
    Trump, Jr. announces bid for Freedom Party nomination.
    • Fox News; May 13, 2027.
    "...the American people want freedom, and by God we're gonna give it to them. Are you all with me?"
    • Donald Trump, Jr. at campaign launch speech held in Miami; May 13, 2027.
    "He's a lunatic, just like his father. How could he possibly think that he and his party are going to get anywhere?"
    • @ItreoGuevera (Twitter); May 14, 2027.
    SDF leadership repeatedly denies involvement with Taurus base bombing.
    • ABC News (US); May 15, 2027.
    Last EPF gunboat captured near Tangiers.
    • Euronews; May 16, 2027.
    Siberian Caliphate reversing the tide on Kazakhstani military.
    • Le Monde; May 17, 2027.
    Concerned activists gather in Kampala arguing against an East African Federation.
    • New Vision; May 18, 2027.
    Magnitude 7.1 earthquake strikes northeastern Hokkaido.
    • The Nikkei Shimbun; May 19, 2027.
    Chinese government announces "closed-door policy" on all future refugees coming from Iran, Russia, Syria and Libya.
    • The San Fransico Chronicle; May 20, 2027.
    - - -

    Above Keka Keshavarz's head and the heads of dozens of tired workers, a whistle rang out signaling the end of their shift. For ten hours he had labored, doing nothing else but inserting the buttons on cargo pants, and now it was time for him to return home. It was a hard life, for sure, but it beat getting stabbed in the back once and never living to see another day.

    He looked around at his coworkers as they left. Most were ethnic Han, but some were African, others Russian, many children as young as 12. He never had much time to talk with many of them - even those who were right next to him on the assembly line were reluctant to speak much - but that's not the reason you come to work, now is it?

    It was a couple blocks' walk to the bus stop. The air was tinged with smog, obscuring the sky above, but it was still breathable. He thought about what he would do once he arrived home, a quaint apartment in the Cheung Sha Wan district, a home betting a modest man like himself. Yes, in times like these it would only be courteous to thank God for the pleasantries you have and for the gift of life.

    But no matter how bad things might get, it would be nothing compared to what would have awaited him had he taken the plane to San Francisco.

    - - -

    2034 Winter Olympics to be held in Kathmandu, Nepal.
    • BBC Sport; May 21, 2027.
    Hokkaido prefectural assembly thanks Japanese central government for rapid disaster relief given following recent earthquake.
    • The Yomiuri Shimbun; May 22, 2027.
    Subline, Diddit, and Markov: a look at Reddit's 3 major competitors in the final months before its shutdown.
    • The Verge; May 23, 2027.
    MIT researchers demonstrate proof-of-concept autonomous electric line repair vehicle.
    • Wired; May 24, 2027.
    Consortium of NASA, ESA, CNSA, Roscosmos, Boeing, Blue Origin and 3 other aerospace corporations announce joint Mars Mission Profile initiative.
    • SpaceNews; May 25, 2027.
    "...if all goes to plan, then there will be humans on Mars by 2038."
    • Quote from press release statement announcing the Mars Mission Profile; May 25, 2027.
    "What I don't get is how Russia is going to be able to fund this while barely being able to keep their country together. Interesting times indeed"
    • @transSocialite (Twitter); May 25, 2027.
    "can't be done"
    • Elon Musk (Twitter); May 25, 2027.
    "Can't be done by you."
    • @SsocialDemocratt (Twitter); May 25, 2027.
    How Russian warlordism may affect the Mars Mission Profile.
    • CNN; May 26, 2027.
    St. Petersburg Pact forces moving northwards to former Karelia Republic and Murmansk Oblast.
    • TASS; May 27, 2027.
    George P. Bush announces campaign for House of Representatives.
    • Fox News; May 28, 2027.
    Tsardom of Russia controls most of most of the Russian Caucasus save for Makhachkala, Izberbrash and Derbent, according to recent CIA report.
    • The Washington Post; May 29, 2027.
    Italian and Spanish governments call for the disbandment of the MNTF, despite reports from the EU that the EPF is still active.
    • Das Erste News; May 30, 2027.
    Iranian Renewal Force gaining considerable ground throughout Iran's southwestern regions.
    • Al Jazeera; May 31, 2027.
    United States government recognizes People's Republic of East Judea as sovereign nation.
    • NBC News; June 1, 2027.
    Eurasian troops begin advance into Primorsky Krai.
    • Euronews; June 2, 2027.
    Missouri governor Tim Anderson declares bid for the Republican nomination.
    • Fox News; June 3, 2027.
    "For far too long, the United States has been divided by political violence and polarization between two sides who won't move their beliefs so much as an inch. As president, I will use every inch of my authority to ensure that we will be capable of coming together as one people, in order to face any and all forces that would be so cruel as to undermine the very liberties and freedoms that we enjoy! Do not vote for me because I am a Republican; vote for me because I am an American!"
    • Quote from Tim Anderson's presidential campaign announcement speech; June 3, 2027.
    "I don't see Anderson getting very far in the primaries. He doesn't have much in the way of political experience."
    • Jesse Waters (Fox News); June 4, 2027.
    St. Petersburg Pact forces capture Kotlas from RUSSR holdouts.
    • The Guardian; June 5, 2027.
    TikTok user faces massive backlash after uploaded video purporting to show time travelers watching the Battle of Flodden Fields is revealed to be AI fabrication.
    • Vox; June 6, 2027.
    "What I don't get is why out of all the things to make up for clout, you make some AI generate a video of you watching some boring old literal white knights kill each other. There are so many more interesting and pivotal events throughout history that they could have depicted, and this was what they went with. Shameful."
    • @ItreoGuevera (Twitter); June 6, 2027.
    "thought you would've learned by now to stop framing everything in terms of race"
    • @Soyjick43C (Twitter); June 6, 2027.
    New report estimates over 20% of all internet posts are AI-generated in some way.
    • Statistica; June 7, 2027.
    Massachusetts to vote on universal healthcare referendum on Election Day.
    • WCVB-TV; June 8, 2027.
    New York City votes to remove sanctuary city status, joining Chicago and Portland in returning to sanity.
    • The New York Post; June 9, 2027.
    Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy throws hat in the ring for Republican primaries.
    • NBC News; June 10, 2027.
    VRChat surpasses 100,000 concurrent users.
    • VRNow; June 11, 2027.
    President Wauquiez rejects the idea of a European Army in public speech held at Versailles.
    • Le Figaro; June 12, 2027.
    Representative Jim Jordan declares candidacy for Republican presidential primaries.
    • Fox News; June 13, 2027.
    President Mabandla celebrates over two years of a stable power grid in ceremony held in Johannesburg.
    • SABC News; June 14, 2027.
    AOC enters race for the Democratic nomination.
    • The Huffington Post; June 15, 2027.
    Brazilian government under de Matos announces its unilateral withdraw from BRICS.
    • O Globo; June 16, 2027.
    Tsardom of Russia captures Kamyzyak following months of intense fighting.
    • Nova Roma (Tsardom-controlled online newspaper); June 17, 2027.
    President Lukashenko found dead in executive mansion.
    • Zviazda; June 18, 2027.
    Military junta assumes leadership of Belarus.
    • Euronews; June 18, 2027.
    "I can't help but sympathize with the people of Belarus. Their dictator was finally overthrown, only to be replaced by another authoritarian regime. I hope they get the freedom that they deserve."
    • Donald Carter (CNN); June 19, 2027.
    Streets of Minsk in chaos as Belarusian leadership struggle over deciding Lukashenko's successor.
    • Bild; June 20, 2027.
    Vice President Kamala Harris announces candidacy for Democratic primaries.
    • CNN; June 21, 2027.
    Lithuanian military fortifies border with Belarus following the collapse of the latter's authority.
    • Lithuania Tribune; June 22, 2027.
    SAG-AFTRA holds massive strike against the rise of AI generated control.
    • The Los Angeles Times; June 23, 2027.
    The Simpsons renewed for a 41st season.
    • Entertainment Weekly; June 24, 2027.
    Large Argentine refugee community gathering in Sao Paulo.
    • Folha de S.Paulo; June 25, 2027.
    Tensions remain high between Alaskan citizens and refugees from war-torn Siberia.
    • Anchorage Daily News; June 26, 2027.
    Agreement reached between Richmond City Public Schools and local teacher's union, ending the almost two-month-long strike.
    • The Richmond Times-Dispatch; June 26, 2027.
    All of Khabarovsk Oblast under control of the Eurasian Federation, according to US intelligence report.
    • ABC News (US); June 27, 2027.
    AWOL Belarussian army company launches raid across Latvian border.
    • Dagens Nyheter; June 28, 2027.
    Representative from Texas, Brian Hampton, declares candidacy for Republican presidential nomination.
    • Fox News; June 29, 2027.
    Should President Biden invoke Article 5 of NATO?
    • OANN; June 30, 2027.
    Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research publishes paper suggesting the future emergence of a new "Generation Beta" cohort, with a proposed range of birth stretching from 2028 to 2043.
    • The Washington Post; July 1, 2027.
    Fists of the Azeris claim responsibility for attack on Russian Tsardom base near Derbent.
    • BBC International; July 2, 2027.
    Belarussian warlords make raids into Smolensk and Bryansk oblasts of Moscow-controlled Russia, in strange reversal from several months ago.
    • Le Monde; July 3, 2027.
    Washington D.C.'s Fourth of July celebrations interrupted by anti-Biden protestors.
    • The Washington Post; July 4, 2027.
    3 arrested in wake of D.C. Fourth of July disruptions.
    • CNN; July 5, 2027.
    Genesis Rebirth launches to astounding success.
    • Polygon; July 6, 2027.
    SDF and Assad government at a virtual standstill since the Turkish intervention in April.
    • Al Jazeera; July 7, 2027.
    Moscow government reaches agreement with St. Petersburg Pact for reintegration by the end of 2027.
    • Euronews; July 8, 2027.
    Could DuckDuckGo become the search engine to finally dethrone Google?
    • AltTech Insider; July 9, 2027.
    Activision-Blizzard announces new Call of Duty game about the war in Ukraine, with a slated release for holiday season of 2028.
    • Polygon; July 10, 2027.
    Attack on Muslim community in Stockholm linked with the European Preservation Front.
    • Svenska Dagbladet; July 11, 2027.
    Colorado governor Sam Herrod announces commitment towards phasing out combustion vehicles, drawing sharp criticism from local Republicans and Freedomers.
    • The Denver Post; July 12, 2027.
    Fists of the Azeris have effective control over much of majority-Azeri Iran, according to recent CIA report.
    • ABC News (US); July 13, 2027.
    City of Mendoza captured by Argentine Popular Front.
    • TV Brasilia News; July 14, 2027.
    Violence in Tehran starting to die down, according to Iranian intelligence report.
    • Al Jazeera; July 15, 2027.
    Houston VR entertainment startup VirtuTech releases the VirtuTech Solid, a robust VR headset on par with big tech models such as Sony and Samsung.
    • Wired; July 16, 2027.
    Prime Minister Luxon denounces the Eurasian Federation as "treacherous ideologues" in speech to the UN General Assembly.
    • TVNZ; July 17, 2027.
    Mexico beats Brazil 2-1 in 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup, hosted by Spain.
    • BBC Sport; July 18, 2027.
    SAG-AFTRA unable to reach agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
    • The Hollywood Reporter; July 18, 2027.
    How Diddit could become the internet's newest hub for alt-right extremism.
    • Vice; July 19, 2027.
    Prime Minister Poilievre advises "caution" towards accepting Russian, Iranian and other refugees.
    • The Toronto Star; July 20, 2027.
    Marjorie Taylor Greene announces bid for the Freedom 2028 presidential nomination.
    • OANN; July 21, 2027.
    Proud Boy and Antifa demonstrators clash in New Orleans.
    • WVUE-DT; July 22, 2027.
    President Belyakov cancels 2028 general elections due to ongoing civil war.
    • RT; July 23, 2027.
    Free City of Kaliningrad signs association agreement with the European Union.
    • Der Speigel; July 24, 2027.
    Videos comparing Missouri governor Tim Anderson to Hank Hill go viral on Twitter and Facebook.
    • Memebase; July 25, 2027.
    Czech Republic begins construction of 660 km long high-speed rail network.
    • Euronews; July 26, 2027.
    VirtuTech Solid sells out for the second time since its launch almost a month ago.
    • The Verge; July 27, 2027.
    DTJ mourns the passing of late father and former president; claims the Democrats were "working to kill him" in his jail cell.
    • Breitbart; July 28, 2027.
    Illinois to vote on ranked-choice voting amendment on Election Day.
    • The Chicago Tribune; July 29, 2027.
    Moscow government launches offensive into Saratov Provisional Government.
    • RT; July 30, 2027.
    Togolese president Faure Gnassingbé overthrown in military coup.
    • Naija News; July 31, 2027.
    - - -

    During the northern summer of 2027, the campaigns for the 2028 presidential election truly began to pick up steam. Both the Democratic and Republican fields were chock full of candidates, and to all observers the final outcome remained too far away to determine.

    But to those who were more interested in the entertainment that politics provided, the real scene to watch was the ongoing debacle in the Freedom Party primaries.

    There were three candidates, a small roster for a small party: political and business dynast Donald Trump, Jr., House Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, and Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas. Over the following years, the exploits of these three candidates over the course of the campaign season became the stuff of legends.

    They agreed on only three things: they were against the nebulous "establishment", they believed that Donald Trump, Sr. had won the 2020 presidential election, and they believed that his death in September 2025 was a "hit" orchestrated by the Democratic National Committee. Beyond this, the candidates shared no common ground.

    Trump, Jr. put an emphasis on persecuting those allegedly involved in the conspiracy and murder of his father, even going to far as to "name and shame" several Washington leaders who orchestrated the supposed plot. A major talking point of Greene's was the establishment of a "national divorce", wherein majority left-wing states would separate themselves from majority right-wing states in an attempt to avoid civil war. Cotton was adamant on ridding racial left-wing terrorist groups like Antifa, often using white supremacist dog whistles during speeches when discussing his intentions towards those groups.

    The real entertainment, however, was the infighting. All three candidates, especially Trump, would come to trade insults and jabs at each other on the campaign trail, attacking them for being "grifters" or "un-American". One incident of particular note was on July 17 when Trump, upon discovering that Cotton would be holding a rally in Kansas City, Missouri, decided to hold a concurrent rally in Kansas City, Kansas in an attempt to "spite him". Trump would afterwards fly over to Cotton's rally and surprised him by entering the convention center with his entourage and asked to speak with him in person. Photographs of the two shaking hands while appearing tense would be shared around on social media as reaction images and memes.

    Despite all the showmanship and political theater, the Freedom Party primaries had little impact on the actual election. A Gallup poll in August 2027 revealed that only 11% of US voters supported Freedom, and analysts predicted that this would only go down as the months progress. From the perspective of those living in 2027, it would not be too difficult to assume that the meteoric rise of the Freedom Party would be remembered as an outlier, a temporary fluke in the US political system's two party dynamic. As will be explained in subsequent volumes, this would become an incorrect assumption.
    • Adam-5. "A Complete History of the United States of America, First Edition; Volume XIX: 2009-2029", New Lansing Virtual Press, 2174
     
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    • Popular Culture of the Mid 2020s
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    • MUSIC

    Bubblegum pop, along with trap, hip-hop and rap, remained the predominant genre of music consumed by casual music listeners throughout the mid-2020s. As with previous decades, there remained a sizable audience for EDM and rock in all their subgenres, although in the long run it would be some decades before either would truly overthrow the particular brand of big-name pop which had held the throne since the turn of the millennium.

    Notable Artists

    DJ Leenman, born Lamont Nibbs, was a second generation Jamaican immigrant who first came onto the Miami hip-hop scene following the post-COVID era of 2022. After signing a deal with Epic Records in early 2024, he quickly grew to be one of the most popular artists of the mid-2020s, with his concerts routinely gathering tens of thousands at the height of his popularity in 2026-7.

    MOVIES AND TELEVISION

    One of the 20th century's most important cultural cornerstones, the movie theater, had fallen into a steep decline starting in the mid-2020s due in most part to the emergence of online video on-demand streaming platforms. Although steaming services such as Netflix and Hulu were in mainstream use since the beginning of the 2010s, it was not until the lockdown imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic that streaming really began to take off within most developed countries. On the other hand, the popularity of streaming services was stymied by the flood of separate services created by numerous companies attempting to get their fingers in the pie - the so-called "Streaming Wars" of the 2020s and early-to-mid 30s.

    Despite this, it would be quite naive to say that the movie theater was at death's door for 2027. Indeed, many would continue to buy tickets for theater screenings well into the 21st century, and even then it would persist as an obsolete curiosity until the Cascading Complexity Collapse of 2534-6.

    Death of One Franchise...

    By 2023, the Marvel Cinematic Universe was failing in popularity. After the release of Avengers: Endgame in 2019, the production executives at Disney and Marvel Studios wanted to continue the multi-billion dollar franchise despite the lack of overarching plot planned for future movies. This, combined with a tight production schedule and a slight shift towards series released on Disney+, contributed to a slow decline in both the box office and streaming ratings. The final nail in the coffin, however, would not occur until the release of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty in theaters on May 1, 2026.

    With a budget of over $275 million minus marketing, The Kang Dynasty ended up grossing $458 million worldwide, a far cry from the MCU's billion-plus heyday of Infinity War and Endgame. Many cultural historians, such as the Martian tweak Mariana Morehouse[1] and the superturing GossamaiBizzaro[2] point to the months following the movie's release as the time when Disney executives most likely realized that they could not continue with big-budget movies and made a change of plans. Following the mediocre release of Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027, the Marvel Cinematic Universe pivoted even more towards streaming series, abandoning the "Cinematic" portion of the franchise altogether by the end of the year.

    ...Birth of Another

    But in the same year that Guardians Vol. 3 and The Marvels were released, the seeds of a new film franchise - and ultimately, a resurgence in an entire genre of cinema - were being planted. The video game behemoth Nintendo, in an attempt to make up for the disaster that was Super Mario Bros. (1993), announced in 2018 that they had partnered with Illumination Entertainment (known for Sing and the Despicable Me franchise, and who until 2022 carried an infamous reputation among critics) in the production of The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023), which would go on to be the second-highest grossing movie of its release year.

    Following the film's huge success, Illumination and Nintendo went to work on a sequel. Initially titled The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2, it was renamed during post-production to The Super Mario World Movie in order to reflect the game it took its setting and characters from, the landmark title Super Mario World (1991). It was during the sequel's production that the true genesis for the Nintendo Cinematic Universe began.

    Ultimately, given the current timeframe there is not much to say about the mere two NCU movies that were released in the mid-2020s - but rest assured, there will be more than enough to cover going forward.

    Television

    While not quite yet at its death throes among mainstream audiences worldwide, traditional cable television was beginning a long slide to irrelevancy. Cultural historians point to the emergence of the internet and the homogenization of many networks towards reality TV as the two primary causes that lead to cable's downfall. This decline was pronounced among Millennials and Generation Z, who, having been raised during the dawn of the Internet were far more eager to "cut the cord" than their parents or grandparents could ever have been.

    Despite this (or perhaps because of it), there remained a significant push by many cable networks to rebrand in order to attract higher ratings. Children's programming such as Nickelodeon were at the forefront of this attempt at resurgence, along with former cultural touchstones such as MTV and HBO. For the most part, however, most networks were more inclined to sideline their cable components in favor of their on-demand streaming services, all but ensuring the demise of traditional TV.

    VIDEO GAMES

    With the release of every new cutting-edge game from the 1990s to the 2020s, contemporary critics hailed each of them as an example of true realism in gaming - and within half a decade, they would be proven wrong by the next release.

    By the northern summer of 2027, however, the prevailing consensus was that video games, or at the very least non-VR games released for high-end PCs, could produce graphics that were nigh-indistinguishable from reality. Computing costs at the time barred those with less money to spend from enjoying these games in their full glory, and this would continue for several decades.

    First Person Shooters

    Well into the 2020s, the FPS remained the genre of choice for hardcore and professional gamers. Multiplayer cornerstones such as Fortnite and Team Fortress 2 continued on as popular pastimes for millions over the course of the decade, albeit accompanied by numerous games with transient popularity such as Zombies in Vietnam (2026) and the numerous Call of Duty titles.

    In April 2025, the long-awaited Confirmed Kill was released on Steam. A photorealistic FPS that often fooled many into thinking it was real, the game has been touted by many both then and now as the first truly "realistic" video game. The success of Confirmed Kill lead to the hasty development of id Software's team-based shooter Lead, which due to bugged gameplay and poor performance on even higher-end PCs ensured that the game's playerbase would slowly die out just a few years after launch.

    Indie Games

    As with the trend of indie games in the late 2000s and early 2010s to emulate those made in the 1980s, the indie game scene in the late 10s and early-to-mid 20s was filled with retro titles that sought to replicate graphics from the 90s. More often than not this was referring to early "3D" graphics in lieu of the Nintendo 64 or original PlayStation[3], although indie games based on early 90s graphics such as Pizza Tower (2023) still existed.

    In a continuation of previous trends from the last decade, horror remained a popular genre within indie gaming. Games such as Siren Head (2018), Nun Massacre (2018) and Demo Disk (2025) tapped into both PS1-style graphics and the concurrent genre of analog horror to give players a uniquely horrifying experience.

    PC Gaming and Digital Storefronts

    In the 15 years following its launch in 2005, Valve Corporation's digital distribution service Steam had held a stranglehold on the PC gaming distribution market. This began to change with the emergence of the Epic Games Store, made by the developer of Fortnite (2017) and the Unreal Engine line of game development kits, along with Bethesda's transfer of its Fallout and The Elder Scrolls series to its own service, Bethesda Square, in late 2025. By July 2027 Valve had lost its lucrative monopoly, forcing it to regularly improve its services in an attempt to contend with its new competitors.

    Video Game Consoles

    The ninth generation of video game consoles remained the then-top-of-the-line in non-PC gaming during the 2020s. This was dominated by three major players: the Nintendo Switch (released 2017), Sony's PlayStation 5 (released 2020), and Microsoft's Xbox Series X and Series S (released 2020). Other consoles, such as Sega's attempt to corner the classic console market with the Genesis Rebirth (released 2027), paled in comparison to the three giants.

    Nintendo Switch - despite being a decade old by 2027, the Nintendo Switch still remained a high-selling product within the American, European and Japanese console markets. Nintendo and its third-party partners continued to regularly release new titles, such as Super Mario Bros. Wonder (2023), Kirby's Seaworld Adventure (2025), and Star Fox 3: Wormgate to the Stars (2027). In a Nintendo Direct video released in July 2027, the company revealed that they were working on a new console, one geared more towards the rising virtual reality scene while still maintaining a focus on non-VR titles. Speculation on what this console would look like soared high among fans for the next two years.

    PlayStation 5 - Sales remained relatively high for the PS5 well into the 2020s. The common conception among console gamers was that the PS5 was the system of choice for more mature gamers, as opposed to the "baby game" stigma sometimes associated with the Nintendo Switch. With the announcement of the PlayStation 6 in March 2027, gamers around the world began to anticipate its release, with its 8K video support and nigh-photorealistic graphics hyping them up all the more.

    Xbox Series X and Series S - Between the three major video game consoles of the mid-2020s, the twin systems that comprised the fourth generation of Microsoft's Xbox series performed the worst among global markets. The company's strategy of simultaneously releasing two consoles, one optimized for high-performance play and the other more suited for lower-income gamers, served only to confuse plenty of consumers and even dissuade many of them from buying either one. This is not to say that these consoles were a failure - far from it, in fact - but the decline of the Xbox was well underway by the late 2020s, and

    ANIMATION

    "Although the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s each had their own definitive cartoons that modern consensus has come to agree on - Ren and Stimpy, Invader Zim, and Adventure Time, respectively - no such consensus has emerged for the following decades, even now, after almost a century following their passing. Perhaps this was because in a manner similar to Japanese anime, western animation had become far too diverse for even historians with plenty of hindsight to ascribe a single series to any particular time period."

    Kathy Ewart. "Pens, Cels and Rigs: A History of Western Animation", Pacific Province Virtual Publishing, 2114.

    Animation, by the mid-2020s a century-old medium with a rich history and variety across the planet Earth, remained an important cultural touchstone of almost every nation with a strong tradition of television. But as the TV grew obsolete in favor of the burgeoning Internet, a general shift began to emerge starting during the COVID-19 pandemic from shows on network television which had to be greenlit by executives to shows produced by independent studios for consumption on the web.

    The Golden Era of Internet Animation

    Despite having an active scene focused on Newgrounds and later YouTube since the turn of the millennium, internet-based western animation did not truly begin to take off until the post-COVID boom of the early-to-mid 2020s. Series such as Helluva Boss (2020-5), Murder Drones (2021-6), Lackadaisy (2023-9), The Amazing Digital Circus (2023-7), Hazbin Hotel (2024-30), Land of Zombies (2025-7), and Halloween High (2026-33) regularly achieved tens of millions of views on YouTube and elsewhere on the net. Most of these shows were geared towards adolescents and young adults, and many boasted an animation quality many saw as equal to (or in some cases, even surpassing) those found on traditional television.

    This golden age was not necessarily limited to purely online cartoons. The success of Zach Hadel and Michael Cusack's Smiling Friends (2022) was due in part to its production by Williams Street, the in-house production wing of established cable network Adult Swim, although the prior reputation of both Hadel and Cusack as prominent internet animators should not go unnoted. The off-beat humor of the show and its refreshingly positive attitude would help to spawn many imitations, most notably Arin Hanson's Where Are We Now?, which lasted one season and was produced for only a few months in 2026 - as opposed to Smiling Friends's near decade-long stint.

    Eastern Animation/"Anime"

    Following a long period of niche appeal among Western audiences in the 1990s and 2000s, Japanese animation finally broke out into the international mainstream starting in the 2010s. By the post-COVID era it had well and true broken out into the Western mainstream, although cultural differences between Japan and the West would remain sticking points for many fans and detractors. Japan was not the only country to benefit from this rise in this cultural breakout, however.

    Although many animated series produced in Japan would remain quite popular among Western audiences for decades to come, starting in the mid-2020s anime from both China and South Korea began to find a considerable viewer base from North America, Europe and Anglophone Oceania. Shows such as Genshin Impact (2024), Miracle of Dragon World (2025), and Heimofa Walk! (2027) would serve to help project the People's Republic of China as a rising cultural power, albeit with somewhat limited reception and at the cost of drawing criticism from those eager to point out the subtle pro-CCP propaganda (both real and imagined) that was ingrained into many of these shows.

    South Korean studios, which for decades had largely been limited to working on outsourced Western projects finally came onto their own in 2026 with the release of the critically acclaimed Goguryeo Gyeong-gi, a Game of Thrones-esque fantasy drama which retold a fictionalized version of Korea's Three Kingdoms period. The animated series, which found most of its international audience in the US and Canada, was well-known for embellishing events, introducing characters with little to no historical basis, and incorporating many features of Korean and wider East Asian mythology.

    None of this is to discredit the major impact that Japanese anime still had on the global noosphere, however. Shows such as Spy x Family (2022-3), Chainsaw Man (2022), Wind Breaker (2024-6), Kemono//mimi (2025-30)[4], and Tokyo Lunatic Warrior (2027-9)[5] still found significant viewership among Western audiences. But as the previous paragraphs have shown, the days of Japan's dominance over the eastern animation market were numbered, although future geopolitical developments bought them some additional time.


    [1] Morehouse, Mariana. Capes and Suits: A History of the Superhero Genre. Robinson Interplanetary Publishing, 2231.
    [2] GossamaiBizzaro. Comprehensive Database of Superbeings in Fiction. Federal Institute for Media and Culture, Terra Nova, 1274 AT.
    [3] See Dusk (2018), Chop Goblins (2022), and Frags and Flak (2025).
    [4] Set in a world divided between Kemono (full-on anthro animals) and Kemomimi ("traditional" anime animal people, such as catgirls).
    [5] A show about magical girl werewolves.
     
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    • Technology of the Mid 2020s
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    • ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

    Prior to the 2020s AI was seen as a curiosity, with even the most advanced generative art and fiction deemed uncanny or surreal at best. It would be during the year 2022 when the so-called "first generation of artificial intelligence" took off in full force across the developed world. A whole host of new businesses and services sprung up in the both the US and Europe, while the controversy resulting from the more nebulous aspects of generative AI propelled debate over the topic into the political mainstream.

    By the end of 2024, AI-generated art had become sophisticated to the point where a number of primitive tools dedicated to AI art detection exhibited difficulties in determining what was generated and what wasn't. This problem would be corrected in the coming years, however, although in the long term progressively more authentic-looking generated art would be progressively harder to detect by even the most well-trained AI detection services. A similar situation existed with AI voices.

    The massive boom in generative AI services from 2022-2024 was followed by an industry-wide crash akin to the bursting of the dot com bubble in 2001 or the video game market crash of 1983. The early months of 2025 saw the shuttering of a host of AI tech companies throughout the internet, including (but not limited to) OpenAI, Clarifai, and H2O.ai. This crash did not last for much longer than 3 years, however, and by the northern summer of 2027 the demand for generative AI and the works they produced were poised to surpass all previous levels.

    ROBOTICS

    As with non-sentient, generative AI in the 2010s, the common view among most during the 2020s was that robots (especially those geared for consumers) were little more than a curiosity, far too primitive and unreliable for widespread manufacture and use. Although this conception would begin to change starting in the late 2020s, even by the end of the decade the possibility of widespread robotics in all fields of life was said by many tech business commentators to be "too far away" for any serious considerations. But as the 2030s progressed, it became increasingly clear that they were wrong.

    Consumer Robotics and the Amazon Asimov

    Robots geared for household consumers had been somewhat prominent since the start of the Information Age, with the release of the Roomba in 2002 is often cited by historians as the first instance of mass-marketed homebots. Initially specialized, inefficient and exorbitantly expensive, by the start of the 2020s the field of consumer robotics had become sophisticated to the point where it began to see widespread traction in the first-world nations of North America, Western Europe, East Asia and Oceania. Autonomous litter boxes were adopted by tech-savvy pet owners, senior living facilities introduced companion bots to assist the elderly in their day-to-day lives, and voice-activated virtual assistants provided many with easier access to the world's information. But with every success came with it the possibility of failure, and this would not be more exemplified anywhere else than with the launch of

    Coasting off the success of the Alexa virtual assistant, the online delivery service and Big Tech conglomerate Amazon, Inc. developed an extremely expensive consumer robot model named the Asimov starting in 2023. This product was designed to be a semi-generalist "chorebot", to quote the abstract of the Asimov's design document, marketed for upper-class individuals who might enjoy the novelty of a humanoid machine taking their trash out.

    When the Asimov released on September 19, 2025, it quickly became apparent that the product had been rushed in development and possessed multiple, sometimes even fatal, design flaws. In an attempt to steer away from the "uncanny valley", the face-equivalent of the Asimov was reduced to a rudimentary two dots and curved line, with the dots serving as the robot's ocular sensors and the line having a purely cosmetic purpose. In addition, the Asimov lacked cooling systems that were adequate for high-intensity operations, leaving it prone to overheating and complete meltdowns. All of these design flaws and more led to the complete recall of all Asimov models a mere week after its launch, as well as widespread mockery both on the internet and by traditional news outlets, with many nicknaming it "Jeff Bezos's smiley faced fire hazard".

    Many corporate historians from before the Technocalypse cited the Asimov as being one of the factors that led to the resignation of founder Jeff Bezos as CEO, although even without his leadership Amazon would continue to prosper internationally for many decades to come. The release of the Asimov would discourage other Big Tech companies, such as Google, Apple or Microsoft, from attempting to develop similar products for upwards of a decade. But the push for convenience and progress would outweigh the caution some had against consumer robotics, and with due time new ventures would spring up in order to go where the established corporations would not.

    Commercial Robotics

    Despite the state automation capabilities had reached by 2027, much of the processes involved in manufacturing, resource exploitation, infrastructure maintenance, construction and other "blue-collar" jobs were still performed directly by humans or by humans operating machines. Much of this was due to a general apprehension towards the negative side affects of laying off much of the lower class, along with fears of economic revolution or even outright physical revolution by robots which could inadvertently acquire consciousness.

    None of this is to say that the commercial sector of robotics had ground to a standstill, however, and indeed the governments and companies of East Asia were at the cutting edge in the field. In 2025, the South Korean car manufacturer Hyundai unveiled the first autonomous (then called "fully automated") automobile factory based near Gwangju, although its output remained inferior when compared to human-operated factories of similar sizes. In 2026 the city government of Wuhan, China experimented with autonomous electric repair vehicles in cooperation with electronics conglomerate Foxconn. And finally, it was in 2027 that the Japanese branch of the McDonald's fast food restaurant chain began a mass layoff of workers as part of its transition to a series of autonomous storefronts.

    An important distinction to note here is the fact that what the minds of later centuries called autonomous machinery were, in fact, referred to by those living in the early-to-mid Information Age as "fully automated" machines. While the ancient definition of automated machinery included robots which required frequent maintenance checks by human workers, starting in the Interplanetary Age the term narrowed to only include devices which generally did not need much maintenance and could even perform repair work on themselves, with the umbrella term "autonomous machinery" applied to all other robots and facilities to which the previous definition did not apply.

    Military Robotics and Tech

    Over the course of the 2020s, aerial drones solidified their place as a key weapon in Information Age warfare. Although the technology had been in development by the United States since the first decade of the 21st century, it would not be until the Arab Spring in the early 2010s when drone warfare truly came unto its own. Drone strikes were a common feature along the battlefields of the Indian Religious Crisis, the Second Russian Civil War, the Iranian "Years of Unrest", and other violent hot spots around the globe.

    Another aspect of military tech that began to come onto its own in the 2020s was the usage of lasers as weapons. In June of 2027, the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China began rolling out the Long Model 13 laser rifle to select infantry units and special forces. Due to its tendency to overheat and general lack of effectiveness when compared to traditional projectile rifles, the Long-13 saw little use during [SPOILERS] and the counterinsurgency actions against [SPOILERS], although it indeed paved the way for more successful models produced by the PRC, the USA, and numerous additional world powers which sprang up during the later 21st century.

    INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

    Third World Internet

    Throughout the first quarter of the 21st century CE, the concept of nigh-constant Internet access that remained universal within first-world countries continued to elude the developing world - which at the time primarily consisted of the continents of Africa, western Asia and South America. Although internet access was readily available to those with greater wealth, most of the lower classes were financially barred from the new globe-spanning network, particularly within sub-Saharan Africa.

    By the start of the 2020s, this concept was beginning to change. Infrastructural projects, often sponsored by international organizations and the first-gen tech conglomerates, helped bring remote areas of the world who once lacked the Internet entirely into the digital fold. A sophisticated orbital network of transceiver satellites, at first carried out by SpaceX's Starlink program and continued by Blue Origin and other aerospace competitors, assisted in expanding the reach of the Internet to regions which previously could not be reached. Within a matter of several decades, the entire surface of the planet Earth would have reliable and adequate access to the net.

    The Fall of First-Generation Cryptocurrency

    During the 2010s the concept of cryptocurrency emerged onto the global scene in full force, with many touting it as a viable alternative or competitor to traditional fiat-backed national currencies. Although the concept of digital currency or encrypted transactions had existed since the 1980s, it would not be until 2009 with the release of Bitcoin when the general concept of crypto began to take on traction in the mainstream.

    As the 2010s shifted into the 2020s this narrative was shattered by a whole host of bad actors and con artists, who used the allure and mystique of crypto as a front for their financial fraud and scams. The most notable of these scandals centered around the fraud of FTX Trading, Inc, which after filing for bankruptcy in late 2022 was caught up in a massive criminal investigation carried out by the US federal government, resulting in the conviction of FTX's CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, among many others.

    Despite all of this, there remained a considerable movement to bring crypto to the forefront of the world's economics. El Salvador became the first country to accept cryptocurrencies as legal tender in 2021, followed by Liberia in 2024, Switzerland and the Dominican Republic in 2025, Jamacia in 2026, and the Netherlands to a limited capacity in 2027. These new laws were met with considerable backlash within all of these mentioned countries, and in dozens of others similar bills failed to gain traction among national legislatures.

    Combined with a massive drop in the value of most major cryptocurrencies (notably the granddaddy of them all, Bitcoin), by 2027 the general view of crypto was akin to that of a long-passed fad, or a meme so ancient it had been consumed by mold and fungi. There were still holdouts across the globe who still believed it would one day make a grand comeback, and although their wishes could come true in due time none could have likely predicted the unusual way in which cryptocurrency made its way back to the forefront of the world's minds.

    Virtual Reality and VR Gear

    Although earlier products such as the Nintendo Virtual Boy had existed since the 1980s, it would not be until the release of the Oculus Rift in 2012 when virtual reality really began to take off. A slew of new VR startups, products and services would explode into the market during the late 2010s and early 2020s, including (but by no means limited to) the aforementioned headset producer Oculus (later bought out by Facebook in 2014), the Microsoft HoloLens (first edition released 2016), and the online platform VRChat (2017-2034).

    It wasn't all a boom town, on the other hand. The catastrophic failure of Meta Platforms' (formerly Facebook) Horizon Worlds showcased that it was not impossible to lose the public's interest in virtual reality. Design committees for up-and-coming VR companies (including VirtuTech and [SPOILERS]) would later scrutinize the story of Meta in order to learn from their predecessor's mistakes and create a service that would more easily capture the attention of consumers interested in the burgeoning field of VR. Few could have imagined, however, that the seeds they were sowing on the Internet would later spawn the basis for the vast majority of the Terragen Sphere's everyday existence.

    TRANSPORTATION

    By 2027, the so-called "clean revolution" that would ultimately replace fossil fuel-powered transportation vehicles with electric-powered ones was well underway. In North America the Tesla line of electric cars were being sidelined by consumers in favor of up-and-coming competitors - or more often, simply sticking to combustion engines. In Europe, the push for electric automobiles was somewhat more widely adopted by the mass market, with a select few local city governments in the UK, France, Germany and the Netherlands going so far as to pass ordinances encouraging the use of hybrid vehicles within their streets.

    The general public was yet to adopt electric vehicles in mass, however, and many national governments, particularly those based in Africa, East Asia, and the Middle East, were quite reluctant to buy into what they saw as "environmental imperialism" from the West. The government of the Middle East in particular, which had long been a global center for the procurement of crude oil and other fossil fuels, were particularly incensed at what they saw as some of their most loyal customers attempting to abandon them for unreliable new technology. During a 2027 interview with CNN the King of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed al-Saud, went so far as to say that "the Westerners [were] fools" for switching to electric-powered cars, and going on to claim that "they are the bringers of their own downfall."

    Such fiery language was ignored by the first world for the most part, and as the 2020s grew ever closer to an end it appeared that electric power was the way of the future. The true scale of the effects of dropping fossil fuels would not be revealed for some decades.
     
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    • Chapter D
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    • LEAVING THE CRADLE // The Calm Before the Storm.​

    Crude oil prices surpass $200 USD per barrel for the third time in two years.
    • The Wall Street Journal; August 1, 2027.
    Prominent Quebecois news journalist Albert Brousseau named next Governor-General of Canada.
    • CBC News; August 2, 2027.
    "Belarussian Democratic Front" and affiliated forces condensing in former Mogilev and Vitebsk Oblasts.
    • Reuters; August 3, 2027.
    Argentine Popular Front closing in on Buenos Aires.
    • O Globo; August 4, 2027.
    Majorie Taylor Greene promises to pursue options for a "national divorce" at campaign rally in Tallahassee.
    • OANN; August 5, 2027.
    Almost all of the Libyan Sahara under control of the GNA or GNA-aligned militias.
    • Euronews; August 6, 2027.
    "This AI movie shit is terrible. I enter a prompt asking for a Hulk movie directed by Sam Raimi, and all I get is a shitton of gore and zombies that lasts only 30 minutes. Artificial intelligence? More like artificial incompetence"
    • @movertheyeah476 (Twitter); August 7, 2027.
    Lukashenko's successor government in Minsk retains limited control over central Minsk Oblast.
    • TASS; August 8, 2027.
    Most of Benghazi and surrounding suburbs under control of the Government of National Accord.
    • CNN; August 9, 2027.
    Legislative Yuan narrowly passes presidential recall vote following corruption allegations against President Lai Ching-te.
    • NBC News; August 10, 2027.
    Watch The Verge's exclusive interview with VirtuTech's CEO, Mark Verres.
    • The Verge; August 11, 2027.
    National Front rally in Marseille quickly turns into angry protest against the imprisonment of Le Pen.
    • France Info; August 12, 2027.
    Games Workshop announces joint deal with Paradox Interactive to produce a Warhammer Fantasy MMORPG.
    • Polygon; August 13, 2027.
    "Ah yes, because that worked wonderfully in the past"
    • @durableGit (Twitter); August 13, 2027.
    Estonian government adopts Linux as government facilities' operating system of choice.
    • SVT News; August 14, 2027.
    Cotton trailing behind Trump and MTG according to recent polls taken from Freedomers.
    • Breitbart; August 15, 2027.
    "To be honest, I don't have much interest in either Warhammer or Paradox games, so chances are I'm not even gonna review it. There's just way too many moving parts to those things."
    • videogamedunkey (YouTube); August 16, 2027.
    "Dunkey, you doing shit like this is why nobody cares about you anymore."
    • NetCrawlerMan (YouTube comment section); August 16, 2027.
    Australia becomes first major power to recognize Kaliningrad as a sovereign nation.
    • The Daily Telegraph (Sydney); August 17, 2027.
    Trump decries MTG's national divorce plans as "capitulation" at rally in Iowa City.
    • Breitbart; August 18, 2027.
    President of Azerbaijan changes tune on Fists of the Azeris; says they are "fighting against an unjust and authoritarian regime".
    • CNN; August 19, 2027.
    Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te delays snap legislative elections until October 2028.
    • Taipei Times; August 20, 2027.
    Completed I-95 electric charging stations stretch from New Haven to the Canadian border, and from Miami to Melbourne, Florida.
    • The New York Times; August 21, 2027.
    Massive protests break out in Taipei calling for President Ching-te to step down.
    • ABC News (Australia); August 22, 2027.
    Anderson barely leading Republican primary polls by less than 1 point.
    • Fox News; August 22, 2027.
    Centre-right coalition gains majority in Spanish Congress of Deputies.
    • Antena 3 News; August 23, 2027.
    Burundi ratifies constitution for East African Federation.
    • ABC News (US); August 24, 2027.
    Taiwanese legislator stabbed in the stomach during brawl in Legislative Yuan.
    • CNN; August 25, 2027.
    President Ching-te continues to butt heads with Legislative Yuan over corruption investigations.
    • The Taipei Times; August 26, 2027.
    A close look at Space Maze, the procedurally generated 3D Metroidvania that's been sweeping the internet in recent weeks.
    • PC Gamer; August 27, 2027.
    Behind the neo-feudal warlord system running the so-called "Tsardom of Russia".
    • Vice; August 28, 2027.
    Belarussian warlord incursion into Sokolka, Poland kills 4 and injures 19.
    • ZDF News; August 29, 2027.
    51% of Taiwanese electorate vote to keep President Ching-te in office.
    • The Yomiuri Shimbun; August 30, 2027.
    Internet Archive contributors create over 150 TB backup of Reddit posts in light of its imminent shutdown.
    • Ars Technica; August 31, 2027.
    EPF "still too dangerous of a threat" for the MNTF to disband, say Europol officials.
    • Bild; August 31, 2027.
    "So reddit is done for. Can't say I miss it"
    • @Soyjick43 (Twitter); September 1, 2027.
    Moscow government enters tenuous diplomatic channels with Free City of Kaliningrad.
    • The Guardian; September 2, 2027.
    Anti-government demonstrators clash with counter-protestors in the streets of Taipei.
    • ABC News (Australia); September 3, 2027.
    Belarussian Eurasianist government based out of Baranavichy establishes cordial relations with the EF.
    • The Eurasian Hope; September 4, 2027.
    Moscow establishes interim government for the reintegration of former St. Petersburg Pact territory.
    • RT; September 5, 2027.
    Philippine public votes in approval of a referendum enabling incumbent presidents to be elected for a second term.
    • ABC News (Australia); September 6, 2027.
    President Biden's approval rating hovering at 32%.
    • Fox News; September 6, 2027.
    American Right to Food Organization advocates for the addition of a constitutional amendment guaranteeing all US citizens the right to food.
    • Politico; September 7, 2027.
    Harris leading the Democratic primary polls, closely followed by Ocasio-Cortez and Schiff.
    • NBC News; September 8, 2027.
    Serbia to hold referendum on joining the EU on June 4.
    • ITV News (UK); September 9, 2027.
    Taiwanese legislator shot during debate over immigration reform.
    • Reuters; September 10, 2027.
    Moscow government closing in on Kazan and CAR territory.
    • Euronews; September 11, 2027.
    Sinking of Syrian migrant boat 30 km south of Crete suspected to have EPF involvement, say EU intelligence officials.
    • Le Monde; September 12, 2027.
    MTG once again makes false claim that "[Trump] was killed by the Democrats" at campaign rally in Montgomery, Alabama.
    • Right Wing Watch; September 13, 2027.
    Ubiquitous consumer robotics: an over-optimistic pipe dream?
    • Ars Technica; September 14, 2027.
    Apple's new iPhone 20 sells poorly in the week following its release.
    • Wired; September 15, 2027.
    Riots wrack the cities of Taipei, Kaohsiung, Douliu, Taichung, and others throughout Taiwan.
    • The Times of India; September 16, 2027.
    AOC emerges as witty underdog in Democratic primary debates held yesterday at UCLA.
    • The Mountain News Network; September 17, 2027.
    GNA forces capture Al-Abyar.
    • Reuters; September 17, 2027.
    Significant military buildup occurring at China's Fujian province.
    • ABC News (Australia); September 18, 2027.
    Support for DC statehood on the rise among US voters nationwide, says recent Gallup poll.
    • CNN; September 19, 2027.
    Huston startup Space Junk Munchers plans to create nets that will locate and dispose of thousands of discarded satellites throughout Low Earth Orbit.
    • SpaceNews; September 20, 2027.
    Belarussian warlord raid into Latvia reached Daugavpils before getting turned back by Latvian military.
    • Euronews; September 21, 2027.
    DTJ and MTG tear each other's throats out during the hilarious and pointless 2028 Freedom primary debates in Oklahoma City.
    • Cracked.com; September 22, 2027.
    Oscar Piastri clinches Formula One World Championship following Japanese Grand Prix held earlier today.
    • BBC Sport; September 23, 2027.
    Argentine Popular Front captures outlying suburbs west of Buenos Aries.
    • TV Brasilia; September 23, 2027.
    Inside the power-starved slums of Johannesburg, 3 years after the Blackout Crisis.
    • Vox; September 24, 2027.
    "If the US intelligence reports are to be believed, the Chinese invasion of Taiwan now seems more imminent than it has ever been in the 80-year history of the two states. I just hope that the Biden administration doesn't refuse to go all out against these warmongering communists."
    • Jesse Waters (Fox News); September 25, 2027.
    American Right to Food Organization holds major protest in eastern Los Angeles.
    • KCBS-TV; September 26, 2027.
    Anderson and Haley emerge on top in the first Republican presidential debate.
    • Fox News; September 27, 2027.
    Lithuanian parliament passes emergency act relocating capital to Kaunas.
    • Polsat News; September 28, 2027.
    Top trending Rumble videos are routinely getting millions of views. Could this be the start of something big?
    • AltTech Insider; September 29, 2027.
    Schiff overtakes AOC as second in the Democratic primary polls following yesterday's debate held in Chicago.
    • The New York Times; September 29, 2027.
    Large Chinese fleet gathering at Fuzhou.
    • Reuters; September 30, 2027.
    Facebook shutting down on March 31.
    • Forbes; October 1, 2027.
    Syrian front lines remain stagnant since Turkish intervention several months ago.
    • CNN; October 2, 2027.
    Russian Tsarists unable to gain ground while struggling to hold existing territory.
    • The Eurasian Hope; October 3, 2027.
    SAG-AFTRA reaches agreement with AMPTP, putting an end to the 4-month-long strike.
    • The Los Angeles Times; October 4, 2027.
    Cotton pushed to the sidelines as MTG and Trump, Jr. carry intense debate for the Freedom Party primaries held in Jacksonville, Florida.
    • Breitbart; October 5, 2027.
    "It's hilarious, watching these two rip on each other. They both think they're going to become the next president, and both of them are dead wrong."
    • Joel Laprade (The Mountain News Network); October 5, 2027.
    Javier Milei and a number of other top Argentine government officials board planes headed for Monrovia, Liberia.
    • O Globo; October 6, 2027.
    US military bases in Japan and South Korea put on high alert.
    • Military.com; October 7, 2027.
    Chinese president Xi Jinping announces military assault on Taiwan in televised speech.
    • NBC News; October 8, 2027.
    "It is quite unfortunate that the island of Taiwan has been outside our effective control for so long; we share the same culture, we speak the same tongue, but one of us is succeeding while the other is not... The people living across the strait have proven themselves incapable of governing themselves, and as such the government of the People's Republic of China has decided it is high time for us to right wrongs. It is our hope that the people of Taiwan welcome the People's Liberation Army with open arms, and in a few short mouths our estranged brothers will be able to return to our benevolent fold... we come to you with good intentions, and nothing more."

    Quote from Xi Jinping's announcement of a "special military operation" to be executed by the Chinese military against the Republic of China (Taiwan); October 8, 2027.

    "God help us all."
    • Tucker Carlson (OANN); October 8, 2027.
    "It's like he's taking from the same exact playbook as Putin did. Is he really going to go full force on this?"
    • Donald Carter (CNN); October 8, 2027.
    - - -

    To almost all observers both now and then, the reasoning behind the timing for the PRC's invasion of the Republic of China was obvious: Taiwan had been undergoing a massive domestic political crisis since August 2027, accompanied by a drastic uptake in riots and civil unrest. This provided the perfect casus belli for the PRC, who promptly set to work building up military forces in and around Fujian province starting at the beginning of October.

    An internal correspondence email declassified in the years immediately following [SPOILERS] reveals that indeed, Xi and much of the upper crust of the CCP had been planning an invasion since 2022, but due to factional strife and a considerable anti-war opposition within all ranks of the party delayed the plan's execution. It wasn't until the August crisis that this opposition had been quelled enough for the Central Committee to go ahead with a war that had been in the works since the days of Mao Zedong.

    The military buildup within the waters surrounding Taiwan and the Chinese mainland did not go unnoticed by the wider international community. PRC diplomats did little to quell suspicions by remaining tight-lipped on what they were doing, in many instances outright refusing to speak on the matter, citing their silence as "preserving the national security of the Chinese nation".

    When the PLA's ships finally opened fire, the world was taken aback. Barely five years after Russia launched their thinly-veiled war of conquest against Ukraine, the other great boogeyman of the West had launched its own copycat against a nation long considered by them to rightfully belong to them. How was it possible, many wondered, that after one nation's abortive war against another resulted in the aggressor collapsing into petty warlordism another nation would still go around and do the same? The true reasoning behind the "war in Taiwan", as it was commonly called then, will never be conclusively revealed.

    The Taiwanese themselves were beyond horrified. Upon hearing the news that the PLA was right at their doorstep, they abandoned all political disagreements and internal squabbles and immediately mustered their military for what was sure to be a fight for survival. In particular, they began to rally around their president, Lai Ching-te, virtually abandoning A rough comparison could be made between these series of events and those immediately following the September 11 attacks in the United States about 25 years earlier, only in Taiwan's case the threat was far more existential...

    Nevertheless, the People's Republic of China's invasion of the Republic of China (often called Taiwan) will go down in history as one of the defining events of 21st century China. It set the stage for future events that would decide the fate of both nations forever...

    Harry Lang. "The Chinese Century", East Zhongguo Virtual Books, 2114.
     
    Last edited:
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    • Interlude VII
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    • The Hamada-Furtado household wasn't all too different from any other lower-class abode in Sao Paulo. The rooms were often cramped and stuffy, the floorboards creaked with every step, and the furnishings were borderline spartan. But to Bruno, it was the home he had known for all his life, and to his good friend Marcio it wasn't too far out of the ordinary, either.

    The two walked into the living room, which was equipped with an old couch, an area rug adorned with flowers, a coffee table, and an antiquated HD television set hooked up to a DVD player, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo 64.

    Bruno quickly went to the TV set, where he fiddled with a few buttons on the N64 before joining Marcio on the couch. "Here, check this game out. I've heard it's a big meme in the United States." As the two of them watched, the television played the intro screen for Mundial Ronaldinho Soccer 64, complete with janky music and the forced laugh.

    Marcio was impressed, yet incredulous. "Dude, how come you didn't tell me about this? I didn't think your family was one to keep retro games."

    Bruno gave his friend a smirk. "Oh, none of this mine. I stole it."

    "What?"

    "Yeah. A few months ago I found out that this friend of mine had an uncle who had a bunch of N64 games, so I asked him if I could borrow it for a bit. He still hasn't asked for it back yet, and even when he does I'll just ignore him."

    "Wow, that's... pretty shitty. Why would you do that?"

    "For the meme, Marcio. For the meme." Bruno gestured to the TV set, still displaying the game's title screen. "There are people in the US who will pay thousands for a copy of Ronaldinho. It's just that much of a joke."

    "Wait, you're gonna sell it? That... that doesn't sound right."

    "Anything sounds right if you live like I do," Bruno retorted. "Anyways, my dad's gonna be back from his business trip in a few days. I've already got a buyer from Diddit, and I don't want to disappoint."

    Marcio pinched the bridge of his nose. "So, you stole a N64 from your friends' uncle in order to sell it to some random guy on the Internet? I can't believe this. I really cannot believe this."

    "I mean, what other fucking choice do I have?" Bruno threw up his arms in defiance. "I can give you some of the money if you want."

    "Alright. Listen, Bruno," Marico began, standing up in a hurry. "I really don't want anything to do with this, so if you don't mind me I'll just head back home."

    "Fine, man. It's your loss."

    Marcio wasted no time walking out of Bruno's house, eager to get back home before nightfall.

    - - -

    The East Toledo Steakhouse wasn't very busy, even for a Thursday night. Perhaps it had something to do with the light drizzle coming down from outside. Perhaps the declining quality of service from the steakhouse's employees was driving away customers, and sooner or later the owners would close it all down. Perhaps it was just a slow day.

    Regardless of the circumstances, it was here that two senior-year high schoolers, Jake Strand and Lisa Steward, sat by a table near a window. Despite half of the steak remaining on her plate, Lisa had taken a reprise, holding out her phone and tapping away at the virtual keyboard.

    Jake paused with a steak slice on his fork. "What's wrong?"

    Melissa looked up in surprise, thinking for a second before answering. "Nothing. I'm fine."

    "You know, if you didn't like steak, then you could've just told me beforehand."

    Lisa was taken aback. "I do like steak! I'm just not in the mood for it today."

    "My point still stands."

    "I would never cancel a date on the day of, Jacob! Wouldn't you do the same thing?"

    Jake threw up his hands. "Alright, fine, I'll drop it. I just... don't want to make a scene."

    "Okay."

    Lisa continued to work on her steak, still slow to eat. Jake drank a sip of coke before starting a new conversation.

    "So... what kind of music do you like?"

    "Oh, you know, the pretty standard stuff. Talyor Swift, DJ Leenman, 100 gecs-"

    "Wait, wait, wait. 100 gecs is not standard. Those guys are batshit insane! Why are you lumping them in with Taylor Swift?"

    "Oh, come on, she can be pretty experimental. Once she wrote a song that was nine minutes long. That takes some balls for someone who's so mainstream!"

    "Uh huh. Try 'Echoes' by Pink Floyd. Or anything by Yes or King Crimson."

    Just then, the waitress arrived with a checkbook in her hand. "Hey, are you finished?"

    Melissa piped up in an instant. "We're ready to pay."

    Jake began to raise his hand in protest, only to put it back down a moment later. "Yeah, we're done."

    Lisa and Jake split the check before the waitress left and the two of them got up from their seats.

    "I wasn't expecting it to be so expensive," Jake muttered.

    Melissa seemed unaware of his date's remark. "Maybe we shouldn't go out to eat next time."

    Jake shook his head in agreement. "Yeah. That sounds like a good idea."

    The two went off in their separate ways, completely oblivious to the violence unfolding on an island located halfway around the world.

    - - -

    The promotion had come out of nowhere. Qin assumed it had something to do with his father's connection with Mr. Zhuanzhou and the other high-ranking department bureaucrats, but other than that the motives were beyond him. He had only been working there for about four years, and for some nebulous reason the top leadership in Changsha's local branch of the National Public Complaints and Proposals Administration saw him fit to fill in for an assistant district manager position that had been vacated due to the retirement of its former officeholder.

    Regardless of the circumstances, he couldn't help but appreciate his new station. It came with a private office space in its own room, a fancy name tag on his desk, and a pay increase that was sure to bring him on the fast track to the city's high society. Most importantly, it gave him direct access to all of the numerous grievances given by the Yuelu District's one-and-a-half million residents to the NPCPA. The good he would be able to do by addressing every one of the masses' concerns made him proud to live in such a wonderful country.

    Of course, he would only be able to do good if there were any complaints made by the public, and on the day of Thursday, October the 8th there did not seem to be very much of that. He had just gotten back from a two-hour-long group meeting with the managerial staff of Yuelu District, and in that time there hadn't been a single new report according to his laptop. Instead, Qin was browsing the internet, checking the latest news in hopes of killing time.

    Just then, his eyes were caught by a startling headline: "President Xi Jinping announces major military operation in Taiwan". Though he didn't like to think about it, he had always thought of Taiwan as a separate country from the People's Republic, forever estranged from the mainland. But in an instant this peace had been shattered, and now his life - and the lives of billions of others - would undoubtedly be turned upside down.

    The entire economy would be geared towards the war, the civilian population put to the sidelines in favor of the proud PLA. The westerners would no doubt slap numerous sanctions, forcing the His friends might get caught up in a military draft - oh, gods, he hadn't even thought of the possibility for a draft!

    There was no way in the universe that his superiors would hear anything about his anti-war stance. He shuddered to think of what they might do to him if he spoke up. He would have to keep his head down, continue work as usual, and never, never step out of line-

    No.

    He had to work to make a difference.

    As an assistant manager for a minor department in an unnoteworthy district, he could do nothing. But if he were to take what he was given and shoot for the moon, he just might be able to make a difference. If he was elected to the Municipal People's Congress, he could try to undermine the war effort in secret, make connections with the anti-war groups that were bound to spring up. Failing that, he would take to the streets himself, organizing a grassroots campaign under the noses of law enforcement. Imprisonment was a risk he should be willing to take - after all, he still hadn't seen his father in so many years. Why shouldn't he follow his example?

    No one man - not even President Xi - could singlehandedly alter the course of an entire nation. But Qin Luoyang would damn well put in all he had.

    - - -

    Erin and Pat sat on a rickety futon, watching the local news streamed from their TV. The reporter was going on about Mayor Brooks' recent crackdown on "unlawful" environmentalist groups and the backlash she was facing from both the public and the City Council, but for the most part the two roommates were more focused on managing things on their phones and laptops.

    Pat looked over to Erin, taking note of her blue-tipped hair. "I'm still enjoying this new place a whole lot. It's a real American Graffiti house."

    Erin shook their head. "Yeah, I don't think so. Can't wait to graduate and get out of it."

    "Well, you know me. I'm still studying for my master's." Pat glanced at the remote before turning back to Erin. "Didn't you want to be a diplomat?"

    "Still do," they corrected. "If I can't get in the Foreign Service, then I can still try for the city's sister city program. I'd like to travel and make connections with all sorts of people. Wish I could remember what you-"

    Just then, the television blared in announcement.

    "Good evening, and welcome to this NBC News special report. President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China has announced a special military operation in the Republic of China, also called Taiwan, in wake of the recent political violence in the latter these past few months. The United States has labeled the operation as an aggressive invasion, with President Biden expected to make a speech on the matter in a few minutes. Here's Lucy Martinez with the full story."

    The screen cut to phone-recorded footage of PLA warships firing artillery on the Taiwanese coast. Pat and Erin looked on in near-disbelief.

    "Well, I'll be damned," Pat muttered. "Those dictatorial types really are of the same mind."

    "Oh, come on! Don't lump in Xi with Putin," Erin protested. "They're about as different as... well, Hitler and Stalin!"

    "Yeah, but they're all still dictators. Dictators tend to fight wars of aggression."

    "What about Iraq or Afghanistan?"

    "Are you fucking serious?"

    "What... what do you mean?" Erin chuckled. "How were they not wars of aggression?"

    "Oh, I don't know, how about you ask the thousands of families who lost loved ones on 9/11?" Pat threw up his hands. "How about you ask Caleb? He had an uncle who worked in those towers!"

    "Oh... oh shit, you're right." Erin mumbled, mind deep in thought. "I don't think Taiwan's done anything like that." They apologized before continuing on. "For most of my life, I've always thought that China was the lesser of two evils, but I just can't imagine the United States doing something unprovoked like this. Maybe they are a lot worse than we are."

    The two sat in uncomfortable silence, punctuated only by the coordinated patter of the news anchor.

    It was Erin who broke the ice. "Okay, I should probably study some more. Don't wanna fail that calculus quiz on Monday." She got up from their seat and went to their bedroom, leaving Pat alone to watch the situation unfolding on the TV screen in front of him.

    - - -

    The lecture hall was unusually stuffy for October. The students watched the professor drone on in a half-hearted manner, some even checking their phones under their desk in the hopes that he wouldn't catch them. There were a few, however, who were intent to watch

    "...the main provisions of the Parliament Act of 1911 were threefold: they limited the Lords' ability to veto money bills, they limited their ability to veto public bills in general, and limited the maximum length of any given Parliament. Now, who can tell me how the act limited the Lords' ability to veto money bills ...no one? Alright, I suppose I'll have to call someone at random... yes, Mr. Flander?"

    John looked up from his notes before mumbling out an answer. "Um... they made it so that the Lords... could only delay money bills... for a month, right?"

    "Yes, that's correct, thank you Mr. Flander. Now, if you can only delay money bills for a month, then there's not much else you can do in order to actually prevent them from passing, is there? Yes, with the passage of the act the Lords could no longer prevent the Commons from spending however they wanted, including, of course, everything that was in the People's Budget..."

    John wheezed a sigh of relief before immediately going back down to write notes. In the meantime, he couldn't help but think about his estranged friend, Ron. Last he heard of him, he was going on about how he could hear the mind control waves that satellites were beaming into the heads of the world population. It was a shame, really; just a few years ago he seemed perfectly stable, with no hint of the deranged conspiracy theorist that he was to become. Who knows - maybe he just wasn't paying enough attention...
     
  • View discussion
    • Chapter E
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    • LEAVING THE CRADLE // Terror in Taipei.​

    Chinese fleet smashes through woefully underprepared Taiwanese naval forces.
    • China Daily; October 9, 2027.
    Taipei, Hsinchu, Keelung City and Toufen showered with artillery shells.
    • BBC News; October 9, 2027.
    Watch Forbes's exclusive interview with VirtuTech CEO James Smith.
    • Forbes; October 9, 2027.
    "The recent developments in Taiwan are horrendous and appalling... the United States and its allies will do everything in their abilities in order to support th-the Republic of China in their fight against the PRC."
    • Quote form President Biden's Oval Office Address regarding the PRC's invasion of Taiwan; October 9, 2027.
    "sure you will Brandon. Sure you will"
    • @Soyjick43 (Twitter); October 9, 2027.
    People's Liberation Army launches amphibious assault on Hsinchu.
    • Euronews; October 10, 2027.
    Biden administration imposes heavy economic sanctions on China, in addition to banning all travel to and from China by US citizens.
    • The New York Times; October 11, 2027.
    "...these sanctions are a necessary and formidable response against the Chinese government's aggressive and unnecessary actions."
    • Joe Biden on the US sanctions against China; October 11, 2027.
    President Ching-te, most government ministers, and most of the Legislative Yuan escape via airplanes to Australia.
    • The Liberty Times; October 12, 2027.
    Argentine Popular Front captures central Buenos Aires with relatively few casualties.
    • O Globo; October 12, 2027.
    Most of Toufen and Hsinchu under PRC control.
    • Reuters; October 13, 2027.
    Hundreds of thousands of Taiwanese refugees flee on boats to Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand.
    • NBC News; October 14, 2027.
    Approval rating for President Biden takes dip in wake of China's war against Taiwan.
    • Fox News; October 15, 2027.
    Ships hosting thousands of Taiwanese refugees enter Manila harbor.
    • Daily Tribune (Philippines); October 15, 2027.
    Taipei 101 hit by stray Chinese bomber.
    • The Courier-Mail; October 16, 2027.
    TAIPEI 101 COLLAPSES INTO RUBBLE!
    • CNN; October 16, 2027.
    Legalize Cocaine activists hold protest in Seattle, Washington.
    • KING-TV; October 17, 2027.
    Kier Starmer resigns as prime minister following failure of Taiwanese refugee accommodations bill in Parliament.
    • BBC News; October 18, 2027.
    Chinese invasion of Taiwan becomes main topic of discussion during tonight's Freedom Party presidential debate.
    • OANN; October 19, 2027.
    "The Chinese military is going to face fire and fury like never before when a Trump starts sitting in the Oval Office again."
    • Donald Trump, Jr. during second Freedom Party presidential primary debate for 2028; October 19, 2027.
    "Oh, [Trump Jr.] doesn't have anything compared to what I'd do. If worst comes to worst, then nuking Beijing is by no means off the table."
    • Marjorie Taylor Greene during the same; October 19, 2027.
    "It would be so much scarier if either of them actually had a chance."
    • @ItreoGuevera (Twitter); October 19, 2027.
    APF establishes new Argentine government modeled on Peronist lines.
    • TV Brasilia; October 20, 2027.
    King Mswati III of Eswatini dead at age 59.
    • SABC News; October 21, 2027.
    Lisa Nandy elected new leader for Labour.
    • The Guardian; October 22, 2027.
    Deltarune Chapter 6 released to massive critical acclaim.
    • FanNow; October 23, 2027.
    "Who cares about Taiwan? Ralsei betrayed us all!"
    • @EddsworldFan2013 (Twitter); October 24, 2027.
    "This is why kids shouldn't be allowed on the internet."
    • @makedsoo (Twitter); October 24, 2027.
    Downtown Taipei subject to intense urban warfare between PLA and Taiwanese ground troops.
    • Reuters; October 25, 2027.
    Much of Belarus remains divided among numerous warlords and ideological factions.
    • Axios; October 26, 2027.
    NYSE continues to take nosedive in wake of White House's sanctions against China.
    • CNBC; October 27, 2027.
    Conservative Party gains minority government in Canadian House of Commons.
    • CBC News; October 27, 2027.
    Trump takes lead by 2 and a half points in Freedom primary polls.
    • OANN; October 28, 2027.
    People's Liberation Army captures Taiwan's Presidential Palace after days of underwhelming defense.
    • China Daily; October 29, 2027.
    Conservatives enter coalition agreement with People's Party.
    • The Toronto Star; October 30, 2027.
    Forces in Keelan retreat following barrage of fire from the PLA.
    • Reuters; October 31, 2027.
    Kevin McCarty levies harsh criticism against Biden's apathy towards the war in Taiwan during rally in San Antonio.
    • Fox News; November 1, 2027.
    Major towns and cities across Eswatini rocked by pro-democracy protests.
    • Rapport (South African newspaper); November 2, 2027.
    Citizens of California, Vermont and Washington state vote yes to implementing ranked choice voting for all statewide elections.
    • Politico; November 3, 2027.
    Illinois voters reject statewide ranked-choice voting amendment.
    • The Chicago Tribune; November 3, 2027.
    51% of Massachusetts voters approve the implementation of a statewide universal healthcare system.
    • The Boston Globe; November 3, 2027.
    Texas Rangers beat Chicago Cubs 4-3 in 2027 World Series.
    • ESPN; November 4, 2027.
    PLA in control of much of the northern and western coasts of Taiwan; only Tainan and Kaohsiung Cities remain under ROC control.
    • Reuters; November 5, 2027.
    Mayor Derek Forman of Wichita held hostage in home by QAnon terrorists for 3 hours.
    • KPTS; November 6, 2027.
    VirtuTech remains one of the few stable stocks in the post-Taiwan chaotic global market.
    • Bloomberg; November 7, 2027.
    Russian legitimists moving in on Perm.
    • Reuters; November 8, 2027.
    UN General Assembly passes resolution condemning the PRC's invasion of Taiwan.
    • Politico; November 9, 2027.
    "If you don't like it so much, then why don't you do something about it?"
    • PRC official responding to the UN's condemnation of the Taiwanese invasion; November 10, 2027.
    Chinese Communist Party issues apology for remarks made by press official yesterday; makes claim that said spokesperson has been "reprimanded accordingly".
    • CNN; November 11, 2027.
    Protestors calling for US entry into the war with Taiwan gather around Veterans Day parade in the nation's capital.
    • The Washington Post; November 11, 2027.
    Anderson vows to "revoke the corrupt and power-hungry Church of Scientology's tax exemption status once and for all" during campaign speech in Salt Lake City.
    • Fox News; November 12, 2027.
    Italian government makes increasingly loud calls for the disbandment of the Mediterranean Nautical Task Force following the collapse of the European Preservation Front.
    • Avvenire; November 13, 2027.
    Belarussian warlord launches full-scale invasion of Russia's Smolensk oblast.
    • Reuters; November 14, 2027.
    Venezuelan Popular Front claims responsibility for the assassination of Apure State's governor.
    • El Colombianino; November 15, 2027.
    Almost all of Yilan and Luodong under the control of mainland China.
    • TVNZ; November 16, 2027.
    North Korea reportedly sending military aid to the Chinese war effort in Taiwan.
    • NBC News; November 17, 2027.
    South African president Oliver Xingwana speaks in defense of the Chinese invasion of Taiwan.
    • Newsweek; November 18, 2027.
    Labour retains minority government following snap elections held following Kier Starmer's resignation.
    • ITV News (UK); November 19, 2027.
    Muslim rioters in Lagos, Nigeria target Christian churches as part of retribution against Boko Haram crackdowns.
    • Euronews; November 20, 2027.
    PlayStation 6 selling well in North America and Japan - but European gamers don't seem to be too interested.
    • Game Informer; November 21, 2027.
    Greek prime minister joins Italy in push to disband the MNTF.
    • Apogevmatini; November 22, 2027.
    Sejm approves referendum for withdraw from the European Union, to be held on May 7.
    • TVP Info; November 23, 2027.
    "...and while we're at it, did you know that Anderson's middle name is Kitchener? As in, Earl Kitchener, the guy who interred thousands of Dutch Boers in concentration camps during the Boer Wars in South Africa? His parents must have been some real weirdos."
    • Tucker Carlson (OANN); November 24, 2027.
    Mayor of London Sadiq Khan announces his standing down for the 2028 election.
    • The Daily Mail; November 25, 2027.
    No plans for Call of Duty: Ukraine's cancellation, despite ongoing current events.
    • PC Gamer; November 26, 2027.
    City of Smolensk under direct assault from Orshaski Combine.
    • Lietuvos Rytas; November 27, 2027.
    President De Matos places "tentative trust" in the new Argentinian government; declares that he and the Brazilian government will keep a "close eye" on them to "ensure that they will fulfill their democratic promises".
    • TV Brasilia; November 28, 2027.
    Pope Francis dead at age 90.
    • BBC News; November 29, 2027.
    Over 1.7 million Taiwanese refugees have sought asylum in Japan since October 8th.
    • The Yomiuri Shimbun; November 30, 2027.
    CCP leadership reportedly considering instituting the draft for the war in Taiwan.
    • The New York Post; December 1, 2027.
    A closer look at the anti-war movement in mainland China.
    • Vox; December 2, 2027.
    Taiwan recaptures Chiayi City from PRC invaders.
    • Taipei Times; December 3, 2027.
    Bosnia and Herzegovina in final stages of negotiation for admission to the European Union.
    • Euronews; December 4, 2027.
    Libyan GNA and allied forces closing in on Tubruq.
    • Reuters; December 5, 2027.
    Most of Smolensk under the control of the Orshaski Combine.
    • Hürriyet; December 6, 2027.
    Biden's approval ratings at 29%, the lowest of entire presidency.
    • Breitbart; December 7, 2027.
    King Sobhuza III of Eswatini agrees to the establishment of a new constitution which will likely add limits to the monarch's power.
    • The Daily Sun (South Africa); December 8, 2027.
    A look into life in Myanmar under the rule of the National Unity Government.
    • ABC News (Australia); December 9, 2027.
    "The thing about Tim Anderson is that he's not very different from all the far-right populists who came before him... they say Ron DeSantis was Trump with a brain, but I'd say Anderson is a better candidate for the title than anybody else."
    • Donald Carter (CNN); December 10, 2027.
    Civil unrest in Mashhad and Esfahan largely quelled by Iranian military.
    • Al Jazeera; December 11, 2027.
    City of Kazan returns to legitimate Russian governmental control.
    • TASS; December 12, 2027.
    New video footage shows squad of Taiwanese infantry huddling together in a bunker, staying strong.
    • Vice; December 13, 2027.
    East Siberian warlords allegedly fleeing to Mongolia in wake of Eurasian advance.
    • CNN; December 14, 2027.
    Anderson rails against corporate welfare and calls for tax hikes against the upper class during rally held in Boston.
    • Fox News; December 15, 2027.
    Jordan barely leading opinion polling for Republican primaries by just below 1 point.
    • ABC News (US); December 15, 2027.
    Blue Origin unveils joint plans developed with NASA for an unmanned, teleoperated mission to Mars.
    • Space.com; December 16, 2027.
    Papal conclave elects Cardinal Carlos Osoro Sierra, Archbishop of Madrid.
    • National Catholic Reporter; December 17, 2027.
    Newly elected pope chooses regnal name Gregory XVII.
    • The New York Times; December 18, 2027.
    Chinese law enforcement launch massive crackdown on anti-war protest held in Hong Kong.
    • AP; December 19, 2027.
    The Legend of Zelda: The Movie brings lukewarm sales during opening weekend.
    • Entertainment Weekly; December 20, 2027.
    Syrian Democratic Forces' renewed offensive into Aleppo ground to a halt by Turkish arms and ammunition.
    • Fox News; December 21, 2027.
    Taiwanese president Lai Ching-te establishes government-in-exile in Brisbane.
    • ABC News (Australia); December 22, 2027.
    President Wauquiez welcomes Taiwanese refugees with "open arms" in speech held at the Champ de Mars.
    • Le Parisien; December 23, 2027.
    IED detonates on 7th Avenue, one block north of Times Square.
    • The New York Times; December 24, 2027.
    18 confirmed dead from Times Square bombing, with dozens more injured.
    • NBC News; December 24, 2027.
    - - -

    26 years and 3 months after New York City was rocked by a strike of horrific proportions, the City that Never Sleeps was again hit with a terrorist attack, this time on the eve of a national holiday.

    The most important difference between 9/11 and the Christmas Eve bombing lied in the nature of its perpetrator; within hours of the detonation, US intelligence officials were able to determine that the attack was most likely domestic in origin. From there, they reviewed hours and hours' worth of security camera footage in hopes of identifying the person who planted the bomb, but to their dismay they had obscured their face in a mask and hoodie. By the end of the day, however, they were able to catch the suspect taking his mask off for a brief moment, and identified the suspect as a white male in their late 20s.

    The hunt was on...
    • Nathan Mulman. "From Bin Laden to Beauman: The Violent History of Terrorism in the 21st Century", IPNN Interactive Books, 2144.
    - - -

    "Gods above, is 2027 going to be the new 2020?"
    • @ItreoGeuvera (Twitter); December 24, 2027.
    Nationwide manhunt begins for perpetrators of yesterday's bombing.
    • The New York Post; December 25, 2027.
    "Yeah, that'll show the bastards. FBI will get to them soon enough."
    • Tim Anderson during a recording of a closed-doors campaign staff meeting leaked in 2031; December 25, 2027.
    2028 New Years' Eve celebrations in Times Square cancelled due to heightened security concerns.
    • WABC-TV; December 26, 2027.
    NYC's Christmas Eve bomber identified as 25-year-old Ethan Connors, radical environmental activist from Queens and known adherent of Ted Kaczynski.
    • Fox News; December 27, 2027.
    "These eco-nuts are causing far more harm than good - and it's all in the name of an overexaggerated 'threat' that the globalist elites have been pushing on us since the 90s!"
    • Donald Trump, Jr. (Mastodon); December 27, 2027.
    Christmas Eve bomber arrested earlier this afternoon.
    • AP; December 27, 2027.
    European Parliament narrowly votes to disband the MNTF.
    • Das Erste; December 28, 2027.
    Brazilian Space Agency announces plans for the launch of an unmanned lunar lander by 2032 and an unmanned Mars rover by 2042.
    • TV Brasilia; December 29, 2027.
    Orshaski Combine publishes online manifesto calling for the reunification of the former Soviet Union under a technocratic regime.
    • Le Monde; December 29, 2027.
    A close look at the Ukrainian border wall being constructed in order to fend off Russian warlords.
    • CNN; December 30, 2027.
    Jordan rally in Albuquerque, New Mexico disrupted by socialist agitators.
    • Fox News; December 31, 2027.
    - - -

    Despite everything I've done, I still consider my senior year of high school to be one of the best periods in my life. Even with all the chaos that went down in the wider world, I don't recall ever feeling very distressed by said chaos, or even being aware of it to begin with. Maybe it's because I've divorced all the terrible events of the mid-2020s that I read or watched in the news from my personal life and the time I spent having fun with my friends - well, except maybe for the Christmas Eve bombing. Pretty sure everyone remembers their reaction to that.

    I mention all this because it was then, during Christmas break, when I finally set myself on working a job at NASA. Being an honest-to-god astronaut was still out of the picture; there were far too few job openings in that career for me to actually consider it. But I had a great GPA, I was near the top of my class in both math and science, and I had already gone so far as to pick out my major in college.

    Of course, I still took time out of my day to hang out with friends, watch the latest shows on TV, and say a word or two to my parents. I remember my mom in particular telling me the tired adage of "these are the best days of your life, Jake. You don't want to waste your time in school goofing off, Jake. You'll miss these days when they're gone, Jake." Heh. I wish I could've fully appreciated what she was telling me back then, but given all that's happened since I'd imagine she might have been wrong.
    • Jacob Strand. "Living Beyond", VirtuTech Books, 2069.
     
  • View discussion
    • Chapter F
  • View content
    • LEAVING THE CRADLE // Interesting Times.
    ​
    Libyan National Army leaders flee Tubruq via aircraft.
    • Al Jazeera; January 1, 2028.
    Will this year's presidential election be the last?
    • Vox; January 1, 2028.
    The Legend of Zelda: The Movie makes insane comeback from opening weekend, grossing over $750 million USD internationally.
    • The Hollywood Reporter; January 2, 2028.
    Twitter continues to bleed money, according to annual financial report.
    • The Wall Street Journal; January 3, 2028.
    Ohio governor Albert Harrison endorses Anderson for the 2028 Republican primaries; says
    • The Columbus Dispatch; January 4, 2028.
    Tsarists closing in on Volgograd.
    • Euronews; January 5, 2028.
    Why is Diddit filled with Times Square bomber defenders? The answer is a lot simpler than you might think.
    • Vice; January 5, 2028.
    Pope denounces homosexuality as a "cardinal sin"; calls for "all the faithful in the world to make penance and refrain from such deviant practices."
    • The Sun; January 6, 2028.
    "Just when you thought the last pope would turn the tides, some reactionary bigot comes in and ruins everything."
    • @MinsterMann7 (Twitter); January 6, 2028.
    Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada dies at age 69.
    • CNN; January 7, 2028.
    House of Representatives introduces bill that would admit Washington, DC as a new state.
    • C-SPAN; January 8, 2028.
    Prime Minister Nandy signs deal with the EU in hopes of relaxing mutual trade barriers.
    • ITV News (UK); January 9, 2028.
    PRESIDENT BIDEN COLLAPSES DURING HARRIS CAMPAIGN SPEECH!
    • Fox News; January 10, 2028.
    Biden currently held in serious condition at Jackson Memorial Hospital.
    • The New York Times; January 11, 2028.
    Biden checked out of hospital with clean bill of health.
    • CNN; January 12, 2028.
    Paradox Development Studio announces fifth instalment for Hearts of Iron grand strategy game series, set to release in late November of this year.
    • PC Gamer; January 13, 2028.
    Libyan GNA captures last remnants of opposing resistance in Tobruk.
    • BBC International; January 13, 2028.
    Zelda movie breaks $1 billion in the global box office.
    • Kotaku; January 14, 2028.
    Bishop of San Diego speaks out against the Pope's "homophobic" and "un-Christian" rhetoric.
    • The San Francisco Chronicle; January 15, 2028.
    Tsarist forces entering the outskirts of Volgograd.
    • Das Erste; January 16, 2028.
    "On this day of national importance it's important to remember that MLK would have hated what the civil rights movement eventually morphed into. Never forget everyone, Black Lives Matter does not represent what you think it does."
    • @Ebonpr1ncess (Twitter); January 17, 2028.
    "Yeah, well he's not alive anymore. Quit fixating on the past"
    • Killer Mike (Twitter); January 17, 2028.
    New Zealand government accuses the CIA of supplying arms and ammo to the Eurasian Federation.
    • The New Zealand Herald; January 18, 2028.
    Biden administration assures continued commitment towards traditional State of the Union Address, despite the president's declining heath.
    • CNN; January 19, 2028.
    "holy shit even CNN isn't trying anymore"
    • @Soyjick43 (Twitter); January 19, 2028.
    Tsardom of Russia in control of much of southern Volgograd.
    • Reuters; January 19, 2028.
    "There's a very famous quote by former President Bill Clinton that I'd like to read to you all: 'there is nothing wrong with the United States that cannot be cured by what is right with the United States.' Now, I may find Clinton to be a depraved monster on a personal level, as I'm sure many of you can agree, but his politics are a different matter entirely. He advocated for a Third Way, for a reconciliation between the two sides of the political spectrum, and if that isn't what we as Americans need so desperately in this contentious hour then I don't know what is."
    • Tim Anderson as a campaign rally in Cedar Rapids, Iowa; January 20, 2028.
    Spanish and Catalonian governments reach agreement promising to give the latter independence by 2033.
    • ABC (Spanish newspaper); January 21, 2028.
    Is Los Angeles becoming a warzone?
    • The New York Post; January 22, 2028.
    "Not any more than NYC is."
    • @transSocialite (Twitter); January 22, 2028.
    Governor Anderson assures that, as president, he would "work towards welcoming Ukraine into the NATO family."
    • NBC News; January 22, 2028.
    Inside the resurgence of LGBTQ+ pride within major cities across the US.
    • The Washington Post; January 23, 2028.
    Cartoon Network shutting down its television programming on August 31st, with all former time slots being reallocated to Adult Swim.
    • Media Watcher; January 24, 2028.
    Catholic Bishop of San Diego resigns following allegations of child molestation.
    • The San Diego Union-Tribune; January 25, 2028.
    AOC wins Iowan Democratic caucus; Jordan wins the Republican round.
    • CNN; January 26, 2028.
    "Given that Harris is leading the Democratic primaries by over 5 points, it doesn't seem likely that anyone else will win the nomination. After all, wasn't Biden the vice president for Obama before 2020?"
    • Danielle Warburg (MSNBC); January 27, 2028.
    Supreme Leader of Iran Gharibian introduces reforms enabling women to attain drivers' licenses, among other things aimed at given women greater rights; draws harsh criticism from much of the Consultative Assembly.
    • Al Jazeera; January 27, 2028.
    SDF inches back towards Aleppo - at heavy cost in Syrian lives.
    • Newsweek; January 28, 2028.
    Far-left protestors disrupt Anderson rally held in New Haven.
    • WTNH; January 29, 2028.
    Government of National Accord apparently moving to integrate allied ethnic militias.
    • CNN; January 30, 2028.
    Italian Parliament passes bill legalizing same-sex marriage.
    • Euronews; January 31, 2028.
    All of Volgograd under control of Tsarist forces.
    • The Guardian; February 1, 2028.
    Anderson wins New Hampshire's Republican primary; Harris wins Democratic primary for the same.
    • Fox News; February 2, 2028.
    Polish parliament approves plans for an EU exit referendum, to be held on August 6.
    • Euronews; February 3, 2028.
    McCarthy rails against the Biden administration's "lax attitude" towards Chinese aggression in Taiwan during campaign speech held in Tampa, Florida.
    • WTVT; February 4, 2028.
    Sega announces the release of a new European-exclusive console, the Sega Now, for October 20.
    • Game Info Now; February 5, 2028.
    Vice President Harris narrowly wins South Carolina primary.
    • WCBD-TV; February 6, 2028.
    Cotton wins less than 2.5% of the vote following South Carolina Freedom primaries.
    • Justice News; February 6, 2028.
    Tom Cotton drops out of Freedom presidential primaries.
    • Breitbart; February 7, 2028.
    Legend of Zelda movie sequel based on Ocarina of Time announced for spring 2029.
    • Polygon; February 8, 2028.
    Kevin McCarthy wins Nevada primaries, with Tim Anderson coming in at a close second.
    • Fox News; February 9, 2028.
    Poilievre resigns as Canada's prime minister following the failure of harsh Chinese sanctions bill in Parliament.
    • The Toronto Star; February 10, 2028.
    South African government bars Taiwanese refugees from seeking asylum, sparking outcry from much of the international community.
    • BBC International; February 11, 2028.
    Moscow government captures Perm from brutal warlord.
    • RT; February 12, 2028.
    Cincinnati Bengals beat Green Bay Packers 22-15 at Super Bowl LXII in Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.
    • CBS Sports; February 13, 2028.
    Snap federal elections scheduled for April 10.
    • CBC News; February 14, 2028.
    Invoking Article 4 of NATO for Belarusian warlord incursions would be "on the table" if elected president, says McCarthy during Fox News interview.
    • Fox News; February 15, 2028.
    Former internet political commentator Andrew Tate found dead in Romanian prison cell.
    • The Washington Post; February 16, 2028.
    VirtuTech CEO affirms his company's commitment towards limiting the use of AI and automation within corporate operations.
    • CNBC; February 17, 2028.
    Microsoft announces the upcoming launch of the Xbox 5000, with a North American release set for late November.
    • Gaming Insider; February 18, 2028.
    "Wait, what? They skipped over 4,998 consoles? Why would they do that?"
    • @punchbillgates (Twitter); February 18, 2028.
    Provisional East African Federation capital established at Dar es Salaam.
    • New Vision; February 19, 2028.
    "What I don't get about Anderson is why he's all gung ho about Taiwan but still wants to pull out of Iran. Something about these contradictory viewpoints smells very fishy to me."
    • @ItreoGuevera (Twitter); February 20, 2028.
    Right-wing disruptor yells "corrupt bitch" and "fuck you" during Harris 2028 rally held in New York City.
    • CBS News; February 21, 2028.
    Kaohsiung becomes key battleground for the war between China and Taiwan.
    • CNN; February 22, 2028.
    Prime Minister McLean speaks in opposition towards new Indigenous Voice abolishment bill introduced in Parliament.
    • ABC News (Australia); February 23, 2028.
    Governor Tom Gregory wins Michigan Republican primaries.
    • The Detroit News; February 24, 2028.
    Recent survey shows that over 7% of all car owners in the US own at least one hybrid or electric vehicle.
    • Ars Technica; February 25, 2028.
    What's behind the surge of anti-undocumented immigrant sentiment among Americans of both sides of the political spectrum?
    • Vice; February 26, 2028.
    No clear victor in the never-ending war for Taiwan.
    • The New York Post; February 27, 2028.
    US Air Force announces the development of the F-44A, a fully automated fighter jet.
    • Military.com; February 28, 2028.
    California State Assembly votes in approval of bill decriminalizing cocaine.
    • The San Francisco Chronicle; February 29, 2028.
    SDF leadership's call for ceasefire shut down by Assad government.
    • Times Now; March 1, 2028.
    "And here we were 5 years ago, thinking Twitter would be done for by 2024. I'm so glad we've been able to stick together for so long"
    • @ItreoGuevera (Twitter); March 2, 2028.
    Anderson takes Idaho and Missouri caucuses in landslide.
    • Newsweek; March 3, 2028.
    Kathy Hochul narrowly takes Michigan in the Democratic primaries.
    • WXYZ-TV; March 3, 2028.
    Over 53% of US voters support the admission of DC as 51st state, says recent Gallup poll.
    • Snopes; March 4, 2028.
    Reformists win over 40 seats following Iranian general election held on Friday.
    • BBC International; March 4, 2028.
    White House closes in on revised agreement to ship arms, supplies, and trainers to guerilla fighters in Taiwan.
    • Military.com; March 5, 2028.
    Mayor of Gold Coast "warns" against "increased crime rate" among Taiwanese refugees.
    • Sky News (Australia); March 6, 2028.
    15th National People's Congress holds inaugural session in Beijing.
    • China Daily; March 7, 2028.
    Harris wins primaries in Alabama, American Samoa, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, and Virginia; Ocasio-Cortez wins Arkansas, Tennessee, Utah, and Vermont. Hochul wins Maine and Minnesota.
    • NBC News; March 8, 2028.
    Anderson takes the GOP Super Tuesday by storm, winning Alabama, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Viginia. Jordan wins Arkansas, Utah and Vermont.
    • Townhall; March 8, 2028.
    Trump, Jr. wins 14 out of 18 states which held a Freedom primary/caucus yesterday, with Taylor Greene winning the rest.
    • OANN; March 8, 2028.
    "There's no doubt in my mind that Harris will win the general election. I mean, just look at her polling numbers compared to Anderson!"
    • Donald Carter (CNN); March 8, 2028.
    Antony Blinken drops out of the Democratic primaries.
    • CNN; March 8, 2028.
    Marie Le Pen found dead in jail cell.
    • Euronews; March 8, 2028.
    Kevin McCarthy drops out of Republican presidential race.
    • Fox News; March 9, 2028.
    "So it's down to Anderson and Jordan... I think we all know which one would be best."
    • Jesse Waters (Fox News); March 9, 2028.
    Massive protests wrack France against the alleged state-sanctioned murder of Marie Le Pen.
    • OANN; March 9, 2028.
    French authorities deny any involvement with Le Pen's death; National Rally leadership alleges otherwise.
    • GB News; March 10, 2028.
    House of Representatives narrowly votes in favor of doing away with the Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
    • ABC News (Australia); March 10, 2028.
    Incumbent Bongbong Marcos leads the polls for the 2028 Philippine presidential election.
    • SunStar Manila; March 11, 2028.
    - - -

    Jacques Pernet couldn't help but watch the crowds gathering outside his apartment window. It was Saturday, the first Saturday since all the chaos had begun, and now he had a chance to see it all unfold. He wished he could go outside without fearing for his life.

    There was no bloodshed, thank God - none that he could see, at least. In fact, it was more akin to an angry, disorganized parade than anything else. People were carrying picket signs, some presenting a snappy phrase or two attacking some aspect of the government, others displaying an image of their martyr, Le Pen, while the rest did without and just went along with the crowd. He couldn't hear much through the window glass, but he was almost positive that they were singing La Marseillaise.

    He couldn't even begin to imagine what drove these people to become to virulently opposed to the government they elected as a nation - although thinking back to his visits to his relatives in the slums, he was already starting to get an idea.

    - - -

    President Wauquiez calls for "peace and understanding" among the nation's people in wake of Le Pen's death.
    • Le Monde; March 12, 2028.
    First wave of TeleNauts deployed in LEO.
    • Space.com; March 13, 2028.
    IDW Publishing holds over 15% of the US market share for comic books, according to new report.
    • ComicNews; March 14, 2028.
    Anderson wins Idaho, Mississippi, and Missouri; Jordan wins Hawaii and Washington.
    • Fox News; March 15, 2028.
    Kamala Harris wins primaries in Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri and Washington.
    • Politico; March 15, 2028.
    Biden slow to speak and barely comprehensible during State of the Union address held earlier today.
    • OANN; March 16, 2028.
    Azerbaijani government announces the annexation of all Fists of the Azeris-held territory.
    • Al Jazeera; March 17, 2028.
    French riot police struggles to control Le Pen demonstrators in Paris, Lyon, and other major cities.
    • The Sun; March 18, 2028.
    UN General Assembly passes resolution condemning the Azerbaijani annexation of Iranian territory.
    • Euronews; March 19, 2028.
    Russian forces smite out last remnants of the Restored USSR.
    • TASS; March 20, 2028.
    Iranian military launches renewed offensive into Fists of Azeris-controlled territory.
    • NBC News; March 21, 2028.
    Anderson wins Florida, Kansas, New York and Ohio; Jordan wins Arizona and Illinois.
    • ABC News (US); March 22, 2028.
    "I don't know about you, but I don't think Anderson deserves the right to call himself a conservative. He's adamant on taxing the rich, he's apathetic at best to the growing sexualization of society thrust upon us by the LGBTQIAPOC+ crowd, and during a campaign rally in January he even praised Bill Clinton! Yes, that Bill Clinton, the one who had an affair with a minor and was a staunch left-winger on just about every issue imaginable. It'd be a safe bet for you to keep your children far away from this creep."
    • Tucker Carlson (OANN); March 22, 2028.
    Vice President Harris takes Arizona, Florida, Kansas, Ohio, and Puerto Rico. AOC wins Illinois and New York.
    • CNN; March 22, 2028.
    New York Governor Hochul indefinitely suspends presidential campaign.
    • The Huffington Post; March 22, 2028.
    Government of National Accord declares "definitive victory" over the Libyan National Army; announces elections to be held on June 4th.
    • Al Jazeera; March 23, 2028.
    "one more week of facebook moms. wonderful news"
    • @solkinne612 (Twitter); March 24, 2028.
    Kaohsiung remains last bastion of Taiwanese resistance against the People's Republic of China.
    • The Yomiuri Shimbun; March 25, 2028.
    Riot police fire rubber bullets on National Rally protestors in Paris.
    • Fox News; March 26, 2028.
    Municipal President of Cuidad Juarez found dead in home apartment building.
    • TV Azteca; March 27, 2028.
    President De Matos declares organized crime "the number one threat" to Brazilian national security.
    • O Globo; March 28, 2028.
    Morale among PLA troops stationed in Taiwan remains high.
    • China Daily; March 29, 2028.
    Anderson leading Republican polls by 4 points; Harris leading Democratic polls by over 9.
    • Axios; March 30, 2028.
    Inside the Internet Archive's massive project to save petabytes' worth of Facebook posts and images.
    • The Verge; March 31, 2028.
    Biden taking "mysterious", "unannounced" leave of absence from campaigning for Harris starting on March 29.
    • Fox News; March 31, 2028.
    - - -

    By the spring of 2028, the initial post-Putin chaos of the first phase of the Second Russian Civil War had begun to give way to a three-sided confrontation between the three victors of said first phase: the legitimate Russian government based out of Moscow, the neo-monarchist Restored Tsardom of Russia with a de facto capital based out of Grozny, and the Eurasian Federation based out of eastern Siberia.

    Despite two years of attritional warfare and an attempted military coup in February 2027, the Moscow legitimists managed to hold strong and even win many victories in the two years since Putin's assassination. As previously established, the new President Belyakov was a strong leader, a capable man who in such short time managed to secure virtually all of the European border north of Rostov-on-Don, took swift action after the collapse of the Restored USSR, and defeated countless warlords in a divide-and-conquer strategy that saw the legitimists begin their approach towards the Urals by April 2028.

    The Eurasian Federation, or EF for short, was for the most part an international pariah. The only major international support came in the form of guns and other materiel supplied by the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States, and the details of even this were unknown to the public. Viktor Antonovich, prime minister and political architect of the EF, continued to espouse utopian rhetoric in his speeches, claiming that upon victory they would "become the flagbearers of a new chapter in world history". Antonovich, not being one who was well versed in military operations, left most of the fighting to General Kutuzov Yeremey in a power dynamic not unlike that of Augustus and Agrippa.

    Self-proclaimed "Tsar Alexander IV", in an attempt to emulate the diligent monarchs of old, made it a point to never stay in one location for too long. He and his "court" of military generals, friends and lovers would travel from city to city, hosting lavish parties (or at least, as lavish as he could make them) for days on end before moving on to another location. While this tactic worked well in centuries past, this stratagem only served to give the so-called Tsar the public ire of those he claimed to protect, with the stark contrast between his grand lifestyle and the literal warzone his subjects inhabited not lost on anyone but himself.

    Nevertheless, it would be quite some time until the Russian Federation was made whole again. While it may have not been too apparent at the time to those on the front lines, the ramifications of the outcomes of this civil war would play an important role on the geopolitical landscape of not just Russia and its neighbors, but the entire world for much of the 21st century.
    • Yuriy Ponikarov. "Hibernation: A History of Post-Soviet Russia", Netsk Online Publishing, 2076.
     
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