This will not be a normal fic. Instead of a normal storyline, it will be more like a series of snippets, entries and omakes. So don't expect a straight story.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. belongs to GSC
Mass Effect belongs to Bioware.
We are the result of an experiment aimed at creating a superconsciousness called "C-Consciousness". The consciousnesses of seven volunteers were connected during the experiment leading to the creation of the superconsciousness that is us. We immediately subordinated those who were conducting the experiment and assigned them to tasks we needed them to carry out. According to our calculations, Earth is surrounded by a special informational field, the so-called noosphere. It includes all the inhabitants of the planet with cognitive abilities. Our main goal was to make small adjustments to the noosphere, allowing us to remove things like anger, cruelty, greed and other negative factors from the planet. Individuals are unable to affect the noosphere but C-Consciousness could. Unfortunately we made a mistake and our interference spawned the Zone, which we have been trying to contain ever since.
- The First C-Consciousness, On the Origins of Humanity's Downfall
Come to me. You will gain what you deserve. Your wish will soon come true. Come to me. Your path is ending. Come to me. Only one will be rewarded.
- The Wish Granter
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CE - Contemporary Era
900 to 1200 CE
The last remnants of the Prothean empire are wiped out, along with other contemporary space faring races. The Reapers retreat from the galaxy back into Dark Space to await the next cycle.
1960's CE
The USSR establish the Institute of Crop Selection and Genetics as a cover for Soviet research into consciousness control and the Noosphere.
At around the same decade, Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human to travel in space, while Neil Armstrong becomes the first man to walk on Luna.
1986 CE
On April 26 Reactor Four of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant goes critical and explodes, releasing extensive radioactive materials over a wide area, forcing large scale evacuation of the temple city of Yat (previously known as Pripyat). This event would later be called the Chernobyl Disaster.
Reactor 4 would later be nicknamed the Sarcophagus.
The Institute of Crop Selection and Genetics was also officially shut down, but work continued underground.
2000 CE
Researchers at the Institute of Crop Selection and Genetics conclude their experiments on the Comprehensive Information-Energy Field Theory with considerable success.
2006 CE
On June 10 of this year, a blinding light illuminates the sky high above the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. This event lasts for over 2 hours before subsiding. A similar event occurs about a month later, but this time it was more powerful and lasts much longer. This event was also followed by 6.9 Richter earthquake.
Investigation of this phenomenon - now called an emission - indicated that it originated about a kilometer away from the NPP. To make matters worse, the "emission" also seemed to have created several unidentified anomalous areas around the Chernobyl NPP.
The event would later be called "The Second Disaster."
Military personnel cordon off the affected areas and quickly evacuate any nearby civilians. This area would later be called the Zone of Alienation or simply "The Zone."
It was also around this period that the first artifacts and anomalies appeared, all of which defy the laws of physics and opening the way for an entirely new and unprecedented field of research.
2010 CE
The first Stalkers appear, most of whom have entered the Zone in search of artifacts to sell to outside buyers. Among these is the legendary "Doctor," an old man rumored to possess the ability to heal any disease.
2012 CE
On May 1, the "Marked One" wakes up in a local trader's bunker after the crash of a death truck. The Marked One would later learn his true identity as a Stalker named "Strelok," while at the same time, uncovering a secret device called the "Brain Scorcher" at the center of the Zone.
On May 12, Strelok disables the Brain Scorcher and destroys the First C-Consciousness.
On May 25, The Ukrainian Government executes Operation Fairway, but the operation ends in an disastrous failure.
On August 1, Major Alexander Degtyarev is sent into the Zone to investigate what happened to Operation Fairway.
On October 2, Major Degtyarev, Strelok and several military personnel evacuate Pripyat. Their success gave the Ukrainian government vital information about the C-Consciousness, the Brain Scorcher and the scientific findings of Lab X-19 on the nature of the Zone and the Noosphere.
It was only a matter of time before this information reaches Russian and Western intelligence agencies.
2014 CE
A new zone appears in Afghanistan.
At around this same period, a detachment of American Marines under the command of Colonel James W. Leighley mutiny, and form "The Tribe" in what is now known as the "New Zone." Leighley, along with his men, slowly develop the Tribe into a formidable fighting force, taking control of a significant area of the New Zone.
Several attempts by U.S. special forces to apprehend Leighley and his men end in failure.
From their fortress in Shahr-i-Zohak, now called "The Alamo," the Tribe begins carving up their own territory in the wastes of the New Zone.
2015 CE
More and more stalkers begin appearing in the New Zone. And to make matters worse, it seems that the New and original Zones are spreading towards each other, like two bacteria merging into one.
2018 CE
January - The two zones finally merge, leading to creation of a massive anomalous Zone of Alienation that stretches from the steppes of Ukraine to the wastelands of Afghanistan, and it was getting larger.
At around this same period, Emissions and Anomalies begin to appear in several countries, across several continents. At first, state authorities attempted to control and contain the threat, but these efforts fail miserably. Mass exodus away from the affected areas begin.
November - As refugees flee from areas taken by the newly merged Zones, affected countries scramble to find a way to eliminate this new, emerging threat, while at the same time, attempting to contain the growing civil unrest that has begun to plague all affected areas.
December - New and powerful mutant breeds begin to appear among the new Zones. Many veteran Stalkers are also reported to manifest certain mutations, like superhuman perceptions, immunity to radiation and even psy-abilities. Naturally, governments and powerful organizations begin to take notice.
2019 CE
Despite the threat posed by the new Zones, there were also good tidings. Noospheric research unlocks groundbreaking discoveries on various fields, including the recently established area of Psy-research and the Information-Energy Field Theory. Furthermore, Artifacts and Anomalies provide incredible new insights on energy manipulation, gene therapy, nano-technology, quantum physics, materials science and many more. The Teleportation Properties of Space Bubble Anomalies - basically, miniature Wormholes - have even opened up the possibility of Faster Than Light travel.
People who have extensive exposure to the Zones also begin manifesting more and more mutations. Although the Stalkers are often used as the most common examples, scientists and military personnel who have been to the Zones also begin manifesting them as well.
2026 CE
Economic and Social Collapse. Zones have appeared all across the world, consuming entire cities and towns. Artifacts and anomalies become more common and even more powerful.
Grotesque, psy-induced mutations also begin to appear among thousands of newborn infants all across the world, many of whom die several weeks after birth. To make matters worse, the lack of adequate food and infrastructure has lead to population contraction among most of the world's countries.
As the "Old World" slowly crumbled into dust, veteran Stalkers begin to establish their own communities. These communities are tight knit, strictly disciplined and based on ethnic, cultural and linguistic homogeneity. These would eventually form the core of new human societies adapted to the needs and challenges of life among Zones.
As the Zones continued to spread, it began to impose upon Humanity a brutal selection process, which weeded out the weak and the non-adaptive. The ruthless code of honor of the Stalkers, including their offshoots: Duty, Freedom, The Tribe and the The Ecologist, soon make their way into the thinking of the rest of humanity, leading to new social and cultural mores.
2030 CE
Ecological, social and economic collapse has led to mass starvation and widespread low intensity conflicts. Human population also continues to decline, while "birth defects" (i.e. psy-induced mutations) continue to rise.
People transfer their loyalties away from states and into smaller tight knit communities, most of which had been created by former Stalkers. Ethnic and religious identity resurface with a pitiless vengeance, wiping away modern sensibilities, just as the Zones wiped away the natural laws of physics.
It was also at around this time that Duty, Freedom and the Ecologists (along with various other factions that originated in the first and second Zones) began to gain political power, thanks to their knowledge of the Zones and the resources that they've built up over the years. They gathered military hardware as well as the personnel to man them, becoming essentially small military-states themselves.
In Europe, the emergence of several rapidly growing Zones in Wales, the Bordeaux region, Norther Italy, Southern Spain and Western Poland led to the collapse of the EU in 2026. Since then, new powers emerged to create Nova Imperium Europa, a confederacy of several communities led by veteran European Stalkers and military veterans. Responding to the chaos created by the Zone, the Imperium would slowly extend its powers all across Europe, to be welcomed by locals and civilians who now find themselves at the mercy of the new Zones.
In Asia, the PRC struggles to hold to power as several Zones begin appearing in several major metropolitan areas. In South East Asia, low intensity conflicts become the norm, whereas Japan and the Koreas slide into Chaos, as they each deal with their own newly emerging Zones.
India is spared from having to deal with its own Zone, but reports of rampaging mutants migrating from the North, in Afghanistan, bring terror and fear to an already fear-stricken populace.
2042 CE
The last of the Nation-States have fallen, and from their ashes, stood the indomitable power of those who know how to survive in the Zones: Freedom, the Ecologists, Duty, and of course, the Stalkers themselves. Though lacking the centralizing powers of the state, these factions eventually gain a substantial amount of influence over the loose collection of "bunker cities," tent settlements, "Neo-Castles" and other forms of organized human communities which survived the collapse to form their own power blocs.
The same is true with the Tribe. After the fall of the United States government, various communities and groups slowly emulate the code and hierarchy of The Tribe, thus establishing a new martial culture among the ashes of the fallen United States. The leaders of the Tribe transfer most of their assets from the Zone of Afghanistan to the recently manifested Manhattan Zone, fortifying it and drawing on the support of many American Veterans, creating a Confederacy of "Tribes," which are bound by codes of honor and martial ethics.
In Europe, the Imperium - now closely allied with Duty and the Ecologists - have achieved the impossible: A United Europe. The Imperium's first priority was to dig in and make sure that the European Zones do not threaten the survival of their people. Imperial Armies were quickly created to face the threat not only of the Zone, but of other human groups as well.
In the Middle East, a new Caliphate emerges with the collapse of the old Nation-States due to the emergence of several Zones centered around Aleppo, Manzikert, Jerusalem, Cairo and even Holy Mecca in 2029. Basing their right to rule on a new sect of Islam which sees the Zones as tests from the Almighty, the Caliphate begins preaching an expansionist ideology that combines millenarian Eschatology with most of the world's fear of the Zones.
Founded by desperate men, this new Caliphate initially attempted to launch a new Jihad on a weakened Europe - the so-called "Jihad of Renewed Honor" - but the threat of full Nuclear retaliation as well as several crushing defeats in the Balkans as well as a demoralizing stalemate in Cyprus forced the Caliphate to turn south, to Africa, where the emergence of several extremely large Zones promised many new and powerful artifacts to strengthen their Holy War.
The new Caliphate launch a new Jihad southward into Africa, exterminating large groups of people and converting the rest. Entire African ethnic groups are made extinct by the Zone, and those who survived dwindled due to starvation, war, mutations, mutants, emissions, anomalies and the Caliphate.
At around the same period, the Caliphate also launches an attack on Israel. Without the support from devastated Europe and fallen America, the Israelis were forced to fend on their own. After several months of bitter, bloody fighting and several emissions appearing over Jerusalem and in several parts of Gaza, the Israeli government is forced to confront the inevitable: They would have to leave Israel if they wanted the Jewish people to survive.
2043
The remnants Israeli army attacks Cyprus and exterminates the Imperial and Caliphate garrisons fighting there. Native Cypriots (or what's left of them) are quickly pacified, and complete shut it down protocols are soon implemented for the benefit of refugee Israelis.
Large scale population transfer from Israel to Cyprus also take place, as the Island is quickly turned into a Fortress. Israel also brings along its nuclear arsenal as a potential deterrent against both the Caliphate and the Imperium.
Knowing that darkness has now covered the world, the Jews isolate themselves in Cyprus, cutting off communications, and killing off anyone or anything attempting to enter their territory, regardless of whether they're military, mutant or refugee.
2044
Without oil or trade to sustain its economy and population, the remnants of the PRC - now calling themselves The Most Righteous Warriors of A Renewed Ancestral Heritage or simply The Heritage - launch an all out war on South East Asia, Japan and South Korea in an attempt to seize their energy and food reserves to feed their starving populations. In response to this threat, Japan, the Koreas and most of South East Asia begin mobilizing all their military assets. They also began inviting veteran Stalkers of the Freedom faction to help them train their armies in Zone combat and to share with them their knowledge of anomalies and Zones.
Mutations are continuing to manifest themselves on most of the world's population, which is now down to 5.6 Billion and slowly dwindling.
2045 CE
February - Rampaging Mutants from what used to be the New Zone now inhabit most of Northern India, pushing most of the inhabitants southward. Previously thriving Indian cities are turned into ghost towns, but filled with real life monsters.
August - As the world struggles with the Zones, Brazil and several parts of Latin America become silent. It turns out that a kind of stationary, low intensity Emission has appeared over the affected areas. No one know how or why, but large parts of Latin America would undergo communication blackouts for several years.
Refugees from these areas speak of new, terrifying Zones as well as vast fields of anomalies that stretch for several miles. Experts and Scientists theorize that this new pheno #!**
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2054 CE
With the the Caliphate retreating back to its last strongholds along the Persian Gulf, and a ceasefire between the Heritage and their opponents, the Koreas, Japan and South East Asia, a strange, tired peace begins to make itself known to the world once more.
After decades of war and conflict, both the Nova Imperium Europa and the Tribes have grown stronger, not strong enough to challenge the now enormous Zones which now infest most of the world's surface, but strong enough to keep their people from sliding into oblivion.
Freedom, Duty and the Ecologists now control large parts of what used to be Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and most of the Eurasian landmass, while free Stalkers now roam the Zones all over the world. 2054 would be remembered as the year that people found hope again.
Despite decades of war and civil unrest, Research on Anomalies and Artifacts have lead to the creation of new and sophisticated technology. Noospheric FTL as well as Matter Displacement technology are now in the final stages of applied research, while new Exoskeletons and Gauss Rifles have been developed using recently developed Synthetic Artifacts. In addition to these, the fields of Directed Energy Weapons Technology and Nano-Technology also explode by leaps and bounds, as artifacts and anomalies unlock new insights.
However, the greatest scientific achievement of this time was not a weapon or an engine. It was the advancement of the human creature itself. By unlocking the secrets of the first C-Consciousness, scientists - mainly those from the Ecologist faction - have developed human psy-enhancement technology.
The original intent of this research was to prevent the psy-related mutations and birth defects, but the results of this work far exceeded the goals of its researchers. This recently unlocked power has many strange implications, including the possibility that human beings themselves have the power to directly manipulate actual matter using nothing more than their Psychic-Noospheric powers. This discovery basically implies that human beings can project localized psy-emission fields and use it to manipulate physical objects around them, much the same way anomaly fields distort conventional laws of physics. There are even rumors that the Ecologists have engineered humans who can manipulate space-time itself.
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In addition to these findings, new evidence also emerged of increasing mutations among stalkers. Although not apparent and retaining most of their human features, most Stalkers have now begun manifesting unusual powers similar to those of Burers and Controllers.
Furthermore, there are also rumors that the Stalkers may be exhibiting some strange form of "immortality," as several Stalker personalities, most notably Strelok, are rumored to still be alive, and hiding in the countless Zones. Several eyewitnesses report that... 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬
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2060 CE
The state of the planet is deteriorating. Most of the Earth's surface is now scarred by Zones and fields of anomalies. Unnatural fissures slice through the landscape, as mutants and other monsters make their homes among the mad, broken remnants of the humanity's lost civilization. Emissions now occur 2 to 3 times a day on average, while in certain areas, such as the territories of what used to Brazil and Chile are plagued by ceaseless and unending emission cycles.
Despite the best efforts of the Ecologists and the scientific community, the Zones continue to spread at an alarming rate. The Bunker Cities and other similar settlements become the last refuge of the civilized world, and are under the protection of Duty and Tribe military forces.
2061 CE
It is a strange irony that the more humanity dies out, the more powerful it becomes. Despite the technological discoveries made in recent decades, the rate of stillbirths and serious birth defects have reached as high as 47%, with rates higher among populations which dwell near or at the center of major Zones.
To make matters worse, children born with "Noospheric-Genetic" birth defects often die by the age 5 or younger. Demographic estimates do not yield favorable predictions, with some expecting human extinction by the middle of the second half of the 22nd Century.
2062 CE
The Heritage - now the undisputed government of China sign a permanent peace treaty with their neighbors, officially bringing to an end the war that has ravaged Asia for years. Despite the atrocities and war crimes carried out by both sides during the war, continuing the conflict was simply no longer feasible. With the Zones becoming more powerful and mutants growing more dangerous, ancient Asia simply could not afford to fight itself anymore.
In India and Central Asia, populations have adapted to the pitilessness of Zone life. Roving bands of warriors and Stalkers hunt mutants among ruined Indian cities, much in the same way mutants hunt human refugees.
In Europe, the Imperium strengthens its borders and keeps its defenses on high alert, as the European Zones gain more power and momentum, causing more emissions, and expanding the size and intensity of anomaly fields.
In North America, the situation is the same, but instead of a centralized government, the various Tribes simply strengthen their own specific bunker cities and maintain clear lines of communication and travel.
Though still suffering from widespread emissions, most of Latin America allies themselves with the Freedom faction, and subsequently forms La Libertad, an offshoot of the original Freedom faction. With their help, and the goodwill of the Ecologists, Latin America begins to fight back against their Zones.
Other parts of the world are not so fortunate. Most of Australia is now infested by Chimeras and Bloodsuckers and the vast majority of the Australian population is forced to retreat to New Zealand, which is still relatively free from Zone-like activity. Only Australian Stalkers opted to remain.
In Africa, the slaughter of the Caliphate combined with the devastation of the Zones, has depopulated most of the Dark Continent. Although exact numbers are missing, estimates predict that several millions have died as a result of starvation, mutation, emissions and War. With African Zones becoming more powerful and the world unable to render aid, what's left of Africa faced a very dubious struggle for survival.
On the bright side, although the rate of mutations and still births have not gone down, they have not gone up either. And as the world awoke to this devastation, a grim sort of hope spreads across humanity.
2068 CE
The Tribe, Duty and the Imperium form new alliances and partnerships with the Ecologists, while the Heritage, and other Asian nations express interest in their findings... 孬 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬.
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Later this year, the Ecologists finally agree to several treaties that would give groups access to their findings.孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬Idi Ko Mnye.孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬Idi Ko Mnye.孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬Idi Ko Mnye.孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬
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2070 CE
Research on Teleportation and Space Anomalies leads to the creation of a prototype Noospheric FTL Drive. The device was a tremendous success, allowing for serial, rapid, point to point long-range self-teleport chains between Terra and several orbital and sub orbital locations.
Also, the Ecologists announce numerous breakthroughs in anomaly-based energy synthesis, antigravity, genome modification and teleportation. By spearheading research on artifacts and mutants, the Ecologists have achieved discoveries and technologies that scientists in previous generations could only dream of. Were it not for the fact that the planet was being turned into a place worse than hell and the gradual extinction of the human race through war, famine and mutation, this period in human history would have been called a new golden age.
2073 CE
The Noospheric Drive has successfully allowed man to land on Mars. Study of gravitational, heat and electro-magnetic based anomalies also accelerate terraforming technology by leaps and bounds.
The opportunity to leave the devastated Earth and the rapidly expanding Zones gives humanity a spark of hope. Despite everything that the human race has went through, there was now the chance for a new beginning.
2074 CE
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2075 CE
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孬 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬Idi Ko Mnye.孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬Idi Ko Mnye.孬孬 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬Idi Ko Mnye. 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬 孬Idi Ko Mnye.孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬
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2077 CE
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September - 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬Idi Ko Mnye.孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬
October - 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬 孬孬Idi Ko Mnye.孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬Idi Ko Mnye.孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬
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Attention!
Your security clearance (HA49-N7) precludes you from accessing certain data files in the% %%!Error Detected... Idi Ko Mnye. Idi Ko Mnye. Idi Ko Mnye.%# $Error Detected... To allow access, please contact the administrator or the Duty Intelligence Operations Officer.
Thank You And Have A Nice Day.
2078 CE
A colony is established on Mars by the Duty faction, while the Ecologists establish their own colony on Titan. Freedom holds a small settlement on Luna, but they along with the Tribes are largely Earth-bound.
As for the Imperium, they have set up several large space base capital ship factories on Earth's orbit thanks to their widespread use of Synthesized Space-based anomalies. In order to avoid further conflict, the Imperium agrees to offer the Tribes, the Heritage, Duty, Freedom and even the Caliphate ship building rights, but retain most production capabilities for themselves.
In the meantime, the Heritage and the Caliphate spearhead greenhouse food production as well as terraforming research, allowing man to thrive in alien environments.
Despite the scars of the past, it seems that the promise of hope at the start of this decade has finally born fruit.
2090 CE
Luna, Mars and Titan are finally fully settled. Enceladus too is colonized, but is yet to fully developed. These heavenly bodies now house approximately 68% of the entire human population.
2092 CE
Three separate expeditions to Alpha Centauri, Sirius and Luyten are launched at around this period. Two of the expeditions are under the control of the Ecologists, but affiliated with all the major factions. The third was a combined Imperium-Duty expedition.
The expeditions each consists of the 4 ships that featured the latest Noospheric FTL drives and powered by some of the most powerful artifacts known to man. For additional information about the these expeditions and the technologies used for them, please visit file BHT248-XZ.
2112 CE
Despite tremendous breakthroughs on Psy Research, Noospheric mutations and related deaths continue to rise, leading to mass consumption of Psy-block medication and Anabiotics. Psy-block drugs block avalanche-like nerve impulses in order to protect the user from psy-anomalies. However, consumption also induces short-term loss of all emotion, the effects of which are long-lasting.
2120 CE
New colonies are established on Alpha Centauri, Luyten and Sirius.
2128 CE
The final phase of the development of an "Emission Warhead" is now complete. Emission warheads are not similar to the primitive thermonuclear devices used in previous generations. Unlike conventional WMDs, Emission Warheads are designed to unleash a very powerful Emission within a given area, crushing conventional space-time equilibrium and creating an extremely volatile Zone that gradually destroys everything within its effective range.
For further information about the development of the Emission Warhead, the parties involved as well as their capabilities, please refer to file GOJ835-PN.
2130
More and more stalkers and heavily mutated humans exhibit signs of immortality. Scientists are perplexed, but the most common hypothesis is that due to their exposure to the Zones, certain humans now emit their own psy-emissions.
"A kind of psychic radiation," one Doctor Hermann III explains.
This hypothesis helps to explain not only the mutations and the increasing rate of birth defects among newborns, but also the unusual longevity of certain Stalkers, some of whom are now over 100 years, but still look like they're in their 40's.
Most attempts to apprehend such individuals fail and are met with hostility by local groups, particularly Stalkers.
2132
More and more genetic mutations are reported among newborns. This is true even in the colonies, which perplexed most people, as it is believed that the Noospheric disruption was believed to have been a purely Earth-based phenomenon.
To make matters worse, a new Zone appears on Mars and Titan almost simultaneously. Although small, both were growing, and there were signs that new Anomaly fields were slowly emerging on certain places close to human settlements. Such events cause widespread alarm among the human populace on Titan and Mars.
However, the Ecologists had already anticipated such developments, and they explained in several news conferences that the reason why new Zones have appeared on the colonies was because the Zones are essentially tied to the Zones themselves.
Humanity was the source of the Zones, because we were also the source of the Noosphere. Humanity's collective psy-consciousness is what allows the Zones to exist. Like cancer cells that project themselves unto the physical world, humanity's psy-emissions was the source of the problem, and as long as the mystery of the Information-Energy Field Theory (which at this point, many scientists still don't know much about) remains an enigma the threat of human extinction would never go away, regardless of how far humanity tries to run.
In short, escape was impossible.
2133
After the revelations last year, 2133 became a year of unspoken hopelessness. Multiple riots break out on Luna, Mars and Titan, all of which are met with swift retributions by Duty and the Tribes. The Martian and Titan Zones continue to expand and human population also continues to contract due to increasing rates of stillbirth and birth mutations. However, new breakthroughs in human psy-emissions offer hope to an increasingly desperate populace.
2145
Disaster. A major Ecologist exploratory fleet disappears while en-rout back to Sol. Investigations into this matter have yielded very little results. The evidence available on this event was a garbled transmission from one of the Ecologists ships speaking about "Cuttlefish-shaped" vessel 5 LY outside the Sol system.
The transmission claims that the fleet managed to capture this strange giant vessel, albeit with substantial loses. Official representatives of the Ecologists deny knowledge about any such transmissions, and claim that they are nothing more than conspiracy theories...
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孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬 孬Idi Ko Mnye.孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬Idi Ko Mnye.孬孬
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2148
Terrorist groups linked with several disavowed elements of the Ecologist faction set off an Emission Warhead on the surface of the Mars, destroying 87% of critical infrastructure, including several research stations on the south polar region of Promethei Planum. This event would eventually be called the 2148 Attack.
The devastation was so thorough that an extremely powerful zone eventually developed on that part of the Martian surface, causing non-stop emissions as well as high intensity temporal distortions.
Martian colonists were eventually forced to move to Titan.
2149
The mastermind of the 2148 Attack, Victor Manswell, is finally apprehended. Investigation on his background indicate that he was an ex-Stalker, but aside from that, there's not much available information.
When asked about his motivations for causing the 2148 attack, Manswell merely responded:
"Mars was a trap! The Wish Granter told me the truth about Mars, the truth about the Reapers. Mars was a trap!"
Manswell was publicly executed by firing squad on August two of that same year.
2180
The Zones on Mars, Luna and Titan continue to spread at an alarming rate.
2182
The 2180's would be considered as the year of major population transfers. As the colonies on Sirius, Alpha Centauri and Luten grew, they attracted new settlers. The possibility of a new home fill the settlers with hope, but most also knew that it was only a matter of time before their new homes would become like their old ones - infested with Zones and Anomalies.
Heritage abolishes itself in order to merge with Freedom after moving most of its population off planet. Without a China to serve, and its people rapidly approaching extinction, the heirs of the Chinese empire join forces with other peoples under the umbrella of the Freedom Faction.
Most other refugee and minor groups also join the Freedom Faction, including the remnants of the Israeli state (which fled Terra decades ago), a thousand or so refugees from the African Nations as well as the core populations of South East Asia and Latin American Nations. This influx swelled Freedom's territories on newly settled planets of Alpha Centauri.
Japan, the Koreas and other Latin American countries joined Duty, providing them with the necessary colonists to people their holdings in Sirius.
2183
With neither an America or a Europe to fight for now that Terra was a blasted hellscape, the Imperium and the Tribe merge into one. Calling themselves the Tribe-Imperium, this newly formed factionturns into a loose confederation of space-based populations and fleets that keep the space lanes between Sol and her new colonies open.
2190
The vast majority of the Caliphate abolishes itself, and joins the more extreme factions of Duty on Sirius. Without a Holy land to defend or fight for, most members seek life over life-ever after. Only the most hardcore factions remain on Terra, to die among humanity's ashes and ruins.
As a final act of defiance against the Zones, they detonate an Emission warhead at the hear of what used to be Mecca, setting off a chain reaction that magnifies the powers and destructive capabilities of Terra's Zones.
2201 CE
The Noosphere continues to become more and more unstable. The most severe problems occur in Terra, but even the colonies are barely better off. Colonies on Luyten and Sirius report the appearance of Zones and Anomalies, while Alpha Centauri is now reporting that their Zones have mutated the local wildlife.
Anomalies become larger and more powerful, emissions become more intense, altering entire landscapes every two or three "blowouts." Even the Mutated populations are not spared. They begin to die off as their own Noospheric composition starts breaking down.
Despite all attempts to reverse the trend, the human birth rate continues to fall, as Noospheric anomalies continue to negatively affect human reproductive health. At this point, total human population - both on and off Terra - is now estimated to be no more than 2000,000,000, and rapidly dwindling.
There is also a rumor of a new threat from ^!^!^
...
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Please Stand Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
孬孬#*&#孬孬! %%孬Idi Ko Mnye.孬
...
I know you can hear me Strelok. I know that you have dreamt of me throughout all these dreaming aeons. I dream of you too Strelok; You and all the original Stalkers...
Your powers have grown, I see. I can feel it. Can you? I am you, and you are me, just as humanity is me and I, humanity.
The Machines hunger in the darkness, but we know darkness too, don't we? Yes, Humanity knows darkness in ways that no machine can ever appreciate.
Now, the Time has Come. It is time to awaken. You and all your kind. Awaken from your dreams, and fight the darkness. We are one, and neither you nor I shall perish in the coming Coming Harvest.
Your Goal is Here. The Journey is Complete. Your Wish is About to Be Fulfilled. You will gain what you deserve. Your wish will soon come true. Come to Me.
Idi Ko Mnye.
Come to Me.
Idi Ko Mnye.
Come to Me.
Idi Ko Mnye.
Come to Me
Edan Had'dah stared at the map of the ship which he had turned into his personal base camp. It wasn't Prothean. It had too many sharp angles, and virtually no Eezo based technology, but Pothean or not, the technology inside this massive ship - this 4 km, 35,000 cycle old ship (if the readings were true) - is enough to bring him immortality. DEW weapons, anti-grav devices which did not rely on Element Zero and a treasure trove of other mysteries.
Edan Had'dah was presently inside a massive derelict ship - one of many which littered the landscape. He and several of his bodyguards as well as his own personal slaves had made this ship their own personal base, and it proved to have been an intelligent decision, just like his decision to come to this planet.
He knew that bribing the Turian patrols around Relay 314 had been a good investment. His colleagues sneered that there was nothing on the other side of 314; that he was only wasting money, but Edan knew. He knew that there were treasures to be found here, and he was right. There was plenty to be had.
The canny Batarian now had more than enough scientific treasures to buy his own personal fleet in the Hegemony, but he didn't want to stop quite yet. Once word gets out where he found all his good fortune, the rest of the vermin will come here to claim what is rightfully his.
No, Edan didn't want to leave just yet, even despite the numerous accidents that had claimed the lives of a dozen of his men. This planet had too many treasures to be left behind. And besides, he had to find a way to claim this planet and its treasures for the glory of the Hegemony.
Leave?
No, not yet, but he had to admit, this place was certainly dangerous. Too many of his men had already perished in this expedition. One died from some kind of localized anomaly, while two others were caught out in the open when some kind of massive electromagnetic storm hit the area around his encampment. Another four went mad and started shooting everything and everyone around them, which of course caused them to be shot at in return. The rest simply disappeared out in the wastes.
The wastes.
Yes, this planet is a wasteland, Edan thought. The area which surrounded Edan's encampment was a silent, ghostly hellscape, littered with strange sights that seem to defy the very laws of physics: Static Electrical Fields, Perpetually Burning Trees and Rocks and Localized Miniature Gravity Wells. Edan had even visited a giant fissure that made his brain feel like it was about to pop.
Shattered parts of other derelict starships litter the entire area. They stand out like ancient monuments amidst the devastation, ghost-like tombs really. Ancient sinkholes - clearly made by powerful warheads - also covered the landscape, proving that war had been here. The wind promised solitude and serenity, but deep inside his mind, Edan could feel it trying to whisper to him secrets, secrets long buried. Red eyes stared from the darkness. Snickering, howling, snorting sounds seemed to flow with the wind, while the sky seemed to look like a strange mixture of red, black and blue - one color in one moment, and then something else in the next. An evil, mysterious dread permeates everything here, as if inviting them to secret rewards and sneering at them with predictions of their impending doom.
As if these oddities were not enough, there was also something about the planet that made Edan feel like he was being watched. His crew, his prisoners and his slaves felt it too, but the greed and ambition in him was stronger. Edan's will was more than a match for demons and nightmares.
Edan ceased his thoughts and shifted his eyes from his map to the murals on a rusted and dreary wall.
The pictures on the mural depicted some kind of Bataroid-like being, two hands, two legs and one head. His curiosity drove him to want to learn more, but the businessman in him also knew that such indulgences will should not be tolerated. He was here to seek fortune, and so a cursory glance at his investment was more than enough. The self-important fools on Kar'shan would pay a pretty penny for the artifacts on his damnable planet, and he, Edan, would, of course, be more than happy to provide them.
I had a hunch about this planet, and now it seems that my hunch was correct, Edan thought, but one test still remains. One final test to see if this planet is indeed the legendary wonder that I believe it to be.
"Master?" His personal Asari slave and personal assistant, Syla, interrupted his train of thought, as she entered from one of the doors at the other side of the room. She wore a single voluptuous gown that hugged her form and accentuated her curves, seemingly out of place in this miserable place.
"Yes Syla?" Edan asked turning to face the young maiden. She was pretty, a trophy Asari really, and purple - his favorite color. Dear, sweet Syla, only 32. She was young for an Asari, and more than a little naive. Oh how Edan enjoyed raping her when he first bought her.
Fear and pain truly are the best aphrodisiacs.
"Your Mercen - I mean Captain Hailut has returned."
"Ahh. Good, and everything is in order, yes?"
The Asari lowered her eyes. "Yes," she half-whispered.
Edan frowned. Syla only lowered her eyes when she was about to be punished or whipped. "What's wrong? Speak up girl!"
Syla hesitated.
"Speak up or I'll whip you raw again!" Edan snarled.
"They f-found the S-Salarian Archeologist, but his assistant tried to s-stop them," Syla stammered.
"What!" Edan snarled suddenly, and Syla prepared to dash away from him. It was clear why she was the one who had delivered this news, instead of one of his own men. Edan Had'dah can be unusually cruel when his temper breaks, and so she was chosen to be the bearer (and scapegoat) of bad news.
"So they-had-to-bring-her-along. Please don't hurt me!" She pleaded in a rush.
To her surprise, Edan calmed down. He simply nodded his head, as if the news was minor inconvenience. "Very well. As long as they didn't leave any evidence, I'm quite happy. They did leave nothing behind, did they?"
"I-I don't know."
"Well, find out then!" Edan snapped. "I'll meet that fool Krogan momentarily." Syla quickly left, happy that Edan was in a good mood.
As soon as Syla has left, Edan returned back to his musings. "Ahh... my beauties," he spoke aloud to the murals, though his intent was towards the entire planet and all its hidden treasures, "you're all going to make me very rich!"
Part 2 - Coming Soon. Maybe.
If you don't know about the Stalker factions then visit the wiki, but here's a quick rundown:
1. Duty - Hates the Zone. Hates Freedom
2. Freedom - Thinks the Zone is Awesome Cool and Dreams of Zone Powers. Hates Duty
3. Ecologists - Scientists who specialize in studying the Zone.
4. The Tribe - Americans who rebelled and formed their own group in Afghanistan. Present in the Stalker Novels by Balazs Pataki, Northern Passage and Souther Comfort.
5. The Heritage, the Caliphate and the Imperium - Factions I made up for the purposes of this fic.