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By the 2020s, the U.S. created Sanctuary Districts, walled-off areas meant to provide housing, food, and job assistance for the homeless and unemployed. Intended as humanitarian zones, they quickly deteriorated into overcrowded, neglected internment camps filled with the poor, mentally ill, and other marginalized groups known as “gimmies,” “dims,” and “ghosts.” The public, unable to access records from inside the districts, assumed the system worked and largely ignored the worsening conditions.
On September 1, 2024, a fight between a guard and a “dim” triggered a riot. Led by the “ghost” B.C., residents seized the Sanctuary Processing Center and took hostages. Gabriel Bell and Michael Webb emerged as negotiators on behalf of the residents. With help from Chris Brynner, the center was reconnected to the net on September 2, allowing residents to reveal the abuses inside. This sparked nationwide unrest.
Despite warnings, the governor ordered the National Guard to retake the district on September 3 at 0500, resulting in hundreds of deaths, including B.C., Webb, and Bell, who died protecting the hostages.
Public outrage following the massacre led to the abolition of the Sanctuary Districts, forcing the U.S. to confront the longstanding social issues that had led to their creation.
In the early 21st century, rising nationalism, economic turmoil, and ideological extremism heightened global tensions. The legacy of the Eugenics Wars left deep political and social divisions, and growing territorial disputes pushed emerging blocs toward conflict.
By the 2030s, cyber warfare, regional wars, and proxy battles created near-constant unrest. Infrastructure attacks disrupted communications and economies, while displacement and famine spread. These escalating conflicts eventually ignited World War III.
The war culminated in a full-scale nuclear exchange that devastated major cities worldwide. Environmental collapse, radiation, and disease followed, and global governments disintegrated. Roughly 600 million people died, and surviving populations focused on basic survival as political borders ceased to matter.
Humanity began to recover only after first contact with the Vulcans, which helped stabilize and rebuild civilization.
On Earth, the first television signals were transmitted during the first half of the 20th century, and it became a popular form of entertainment during the 1950s, especially for its news broadcasts.
During the 2020s, the multi-function Interface slowly began to replace the television, as it combined broadcast television, e-mail and access to the Net. This trend started in the late 20th century with the introduction of the internet.
Television as a form of entertainment did not last long after 2040.
Following the devastation of World War III, Earth was technologically and socially recovering. In this period, scientist Dr. Zefram Cochrane secretly developed the first functional warp drive, known as the Phoenix warp ship.
On April 5, 2063, Cochrane launched the Phoenix from Montana using a converted nuclear missile. The warp flight produced humanity’s first detectable warp signature, a milestone that attracted the attention of nearby Vulcan surveyors. The Vulcan ship, commanded by Solkar, altered course to investigate the unexpected warp signal. Recognizing Humanity’s achievement, the Vulcans landed near Bozeman, Montana, initiating peaceful diplomatic contact.
The Vulcans, observing Earth’s postwar condition, initiated a cautious but supportive relationship. They provided limited scientific guidance, primarily in the fields of warp mathematics, physics, and computer systems, while avoiding direct interference in cultural matters in accordance with their doctrines on non-intervention.
First Contact catalyzed the reformation of Earth’s geopolitical landscape. Within decades, regional governments consolidated into the United Earth Government, emphasizing planetary unity, reconstruction, and exploration.