21c-24c: The Emergence Era
From post-modern, dystopian beginnings, corporations led humanity to reach beyond Earth and colonize the solar system with unanticipated technological advances until humanity overthrew the corporations. Our post-modern society strained Earth’s resources as our population grew. Trans-national mega-corporations led humanity out of its dystopia through colonization of the Solar system. Luna, the asteroid belt and other key planetary moons were colonized first. Eventually, humanity domed parts of Mars and began a long-term terraforming project. Technological advances in subluminal propulsion, laser-burst communications and messenger boats helped keep humanity together. However, as humanity prepared to reach out into the stars, colonial revolt overthrew the patronizing corporations.
Problems in over-population increased throughout the 21C. Space provided the escape valve. It also allowed humanity to tap new resources as our access to earth-borne resources finally reached the point of diminishing returns. Immigration of lower-income foreigners into affluent nations led to dystopian circumatances. Cybernetics and hedonic technologies proliferated, which only served to compound the problem. Less affluent nations continued being rended by civil strife. Multinational organizations failed to stem the avalanche of human misery.
Corporations, however, had the means to effect change. Without governmental bureaucracies, corporations adapted to the changing world. Private Military and Security Corporations (PMCs and PSCs) provided stability in ravaged nations. Corporations solved problems with space travel and helped humanity finally sever ties with Earth. Through effective lobbying, corporations loosed themselves of oversight and developed quasi-sovereignty—a status which zenithed with the establishment of the United Corporations (UC) organization. Through the UC, the corporations invalidated United Nations (UN) treaties on space and were themselves able to acquire entire planets and other heavenly bodies as corporate holdings.
With these new rights in hand, UC corporations established permanent settlements on Luna, the asteroid belt and other key planetary moons. Some corporations, seeking to avoid potential backlash, moved their corporate headquarters to Luna. Colonies in the asteroid belt (a.k.a., “Belter colonies” provided raw materials necessary for continued space dominance. Some corporations even established their headquarters among the Belters. (OTHER MOONS)
Martian colonization developed more slowly due to problems of distance. Only in the early 23C were domes established that could manage substantial populations. Once the domes were built, terraforming of Mars began in earnest.
- WHY? (Y)
Advancements in the 21C in various fields led to explosive growth in space technologies. While travel was still subluminal, scientists learned to tease new sources of power to allow effencient solar sails, ram scoops, laser propoulsion and improvised fusion rockets. This was done in response to corporate need to maintain control of astrographically diverse holdings. However, due to limitations in travel, communication remained strongest via laser burst technology, with messenger boats providing limited parcel delivery.
The problem with corporations is their inherent psychopathic personality. Corporations focus on its own advancement regardless of the price borne by others. This characteristic was felt as humanity’s reach skyward became more routine. Colonists demanded better treatment and more rights, and Corporations established private armies to quell dissent. In response, colonials banded together in militant trade unions. The most notorious (and longest enduring) of these was the Independent Asteroid Miners (IAM). Conflict with the IAM reached epic proportions and led to the overthrow of corporations.