The E-Space Time Line

###-1,000,000C: Ancient Galactic Civilization While early hominids were still mastering stone tools, an alien race arose in another part of the galaxy. Their civilization flourished for perhaps 100,000 years before the decline set in, and their empire faded away. This ancient empire did leave relics and ruins on a number of worlds, enough to determine that they were in possession, at least at the height of their power, of some form of FTL technology.

###21C-23C: Emergence

During this period, the post-modern era (early 21C) descends into a dystopian Cyberpunk era as the global population begins to exceed resources/logistics. A handful of corporations gain international control of space. The Corporations are successful in exploring the solar system. They build mining colonies on Luna, the asteroid belt, and beyond. They colonize Mars with domes and begin an Iceteroid atmosphere project to make the surface livable at some point in the future. Ships travel primarily by rocket and ramscoop, with some using solar sails or laser propulsion. Interplanetary communications are through lasers and radio with occasional messenger boats. The era ends with the destruction of the corporations during a revolt by the colonies.

the Emergence Era has been voted on the list and under EmergenceEra

###24C-26C: First Expanse

During the First Expanse, humanity expands from the home system of Sol. Much of the colonization effort is handled by huge slowboat generation ships or sleeper ships. These ships were slung from Earth using huge lasers to push their solar sails. Some were aided by Ramscoops. Taking years to reach even the nearest stars, these ships had just begun the colonization process when String Theory finally panned out to yield faster-than-light travel. Small FTL ships started flitting out to, from, and among the colonies.

After the “Belter Revolt” that ended the EmergenceEra, Earth’s government is dominated by Belters as an ever-tightening Socialist regime. The Coporations didn’t take very long before they began exerting their influences again, although not as strongly as before. Countries, as we know them in the 20th century, cease to exist. Earth is united under the UN-Belter government.

The Colonists discovered that ecosystems with large, complex organisms were fairly common. This provided a rich bed for trade, science, and disaster. Only about 100 years after the introduction of FTL travel, stories began to return by the old message-lasers and recorded in the memories of the message boats. The stories told of surreal horrors that befell hyperdrive ships re-entering realspace. Navigational errors that doomed the crews to starvation or suffocation became more common, and severe. Ships “phased in” incorrectly, leading to horrid ghost-existences. To make it worse, these problems appeared first and developed more quickly along the most popular routes. Soon, hyperspace travel was a task for fools, and the interstellar community collapsed.