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Dispatch → Factbook → History

by The Republic of Sunset. . 719 reads.

Where Did We Come From?


From the Earth to the Stars...
On the 7th of December, 1972, the last manned Apollo mission left Earth for the Moon. This was to be the last manned mission to another body for nearly fifty...

Scratch that.

The Apollo program went on for nearly another decade and included another thirty manned space flights. There was no shuttle program with the accompanying vast waste of funds and NASA increased its share of the United States Federal Budget until, by 1988, it had overtaken the Department of Defense. Several space stations were built, a permanent moon base established, and in 1982 NASA launched the first manned mission to Mars.

It was supposed to be a one-way trip.

But we never leave a man behind and almost as soon as they left the public was clamoring for their safe return or - better still - the creation of a permanent settlement. By 2002 the population of that tiny outpost on the Red Planet had turned into a sprawling community of nearly 5 million. On December 31st, 2002, that outpost declared itself a new nation and the Republic of Sunset was born.

The original settlements that were to eventually become Sunset were constructed in the Valles Marineris; The massive super-canyon that stretches nearly one-fifth of the way around the Red Planet. The earliest of these were built inside existing cave and tunnel complexes - simple structures where the small population could find shelter from the cold and harsh solar radiation. As the population grew so did these tunnels until whole new settlements were drilled into the canyon walls. As the infrastructure grew more capable the size and scale of these settlements evolved. More and more the settlers were looking towards independent survival and this would require that they grow their own food rather than rely on shipments from Earth. This led to the creation of the first surface settlements, which were built into the smallest of impact craters and capped with inflatable domes to provide plentiful space for agriculture.

By this time Sunset was not the only Martian nation. Eniqcir, a nation of inveterate terraformers, had established its own colony in the Kasei Valles nearby. Further to the east, Mangala had been established in the region of the Hellas Basin. Between these three major nations and nearly a score of others Mars would slowly turn from red to green. Just as notable were the Republic's first contact with an extra-solar sentient species, the ArAreBee of New ararebee. Along with the Snel, they would help paint a broadly diverse portrait of sapient life across the Martian experience just as the world itself turned from rusty red to blue, green, and yes - still red here and there.

While the population of the Republic has diversified rapidly since the discovery of other sentient species, Sunset's ethnic heritage before that point consisted of two main groups; Americans from the Western United States and Japanese. Much of the settlement of the early colony was done by NASA with a substantial contribution from ISAS and members of these two agencies formed much of the core settlement population. This first diversified out to North America and the East Pacific, but has since begun to homogenize until most of the human population is multi-ethnic in background. Thanks to both lax immigration policies and a welcoming environment the Republic now boasts over a hundred different species among its population and with understandable advancements in bio-engineering there are many thousands of sub-species as these begin to establish relationships and procreate together.

In the meantime, the rest of the solar system was filling up as well. This led to the Republic of Sunset's first official contact with the Triumvirate of Yut, a multinational organization based on the Saturn moon of Titan. Locked in a war with a since-forgotten foe, the nations of Titan had come to assist their allies on Mars who had fallen under attack. This was Sunset's first exposure to stellar war, and it resulted in both a rapid campaign of armament and the government seeking out both friends and permanent allies. Eventually, after several joint operations and much friendly interaction, Sunset would be invited to join the Triumvirate of Yut as well as the nascent Martian Interdependent Defense And Security (MIDAS) organization. Perhaps because of its own ambition, the MIDAS organization was doomed to collapse. In this it left the seeds for two more organizations that would become important to Sunset in the years to come. The MIDASII treaty, a leaner and more selective organization than the conflicted jumble that was MIDAS, replaced the old organization and was supplemented by the Martian Duma. This diplomatic organization was founded to serve as a conflict resolution mechanism for the wide variety of Martian nations.

It was also during this time that the government embarked on two projects that would have an enormous impact on the future of Sunset. The first was the construction of the Aurora Transit Gate Network. This network, which now links all of the major Republic worlds, was originally only a pair of stations that would link Mars with the other major project; The colonization of the remote Ares System. This colony system - initially envisioned as a refuge in case of total war with the vanished adversary of the Triumvirate of Yut - would eventually grow to be the largest population center and focus of its extra-solar activities. This has set it as the center of the Ares Cluster, a region of stars packed with both densely populated worlds and sleepy colonies as well as the outposts and endeavors of both allies and friends. All of these are secured from trouble within and aggression without by the brave officers of the Republic Defense Force.

Which brings us to now. For many years the Republic has been in a slow period. A stable government, contented population, and lack of outside threat had lulled the nation to sleep. But something poked the slumbering giant into wakefulness and now it is stretching out again to find both new friends and potential enemies near and far. But is that the end of the story?

Well, no. But spoiler alert...

Timeline of the Republic

Continuing Event

Date

Notable Event

'000

Dec. 31st, 2002 - The Republic
is founded in the Vallis Marineris region of Mars.

The Ardan Wars begin between the Triumvirate of Yut and the Five Kingdoms of Melkor Unchained.

'001

Eric Thorgardson is elected as the first President.

'003

First outside contact with the nascent Triumvirate of Yut via the Federated Segments of Scolopendra.
The forces of Melkor Unchained attack Mars and are repelled by the allied nations of Mars & the Triumvirate of Yut.

Martian terraforming begins in earnest, largely driven by Eniqcir and later Zero-One.

'004

First contact with a non-Terran civilization; the ArAreBee. Doctors Printz & Iwamoto create their first prototype FTL drive based on observations of ArAreBee technology; this becomes the Printz-Iwamoto Space-Warp Drive.

The Republic joins the Triumvirate of Yut.

'005

'056

Edwin Smytheson elected as the second President.

The Mangalan Accords establish the Martian Duma with the Republic as a founding member.

'062

'089

The first polymorphic computer cores are created and the first evolved digital sentients arise, sparking debate about just 'what' and 'who' a person is.

'106

Fidelo Villanova elected as the third President.
As his first act, he signs the Universal Sentience Act which both codifies sentience and further expands anti-slavery laws to apply even outside of the Republic.

President Villanova Launches the Ares Colonization Initiative (ACI).

'108

The early Sunset Defense Force (SDF) begins a series of skirmishes with pirates and raiders near the fledgling Ares colony.

'110

Colonization of what will become known as the Ares system begins.

Construction begins on the first Mega-Project; The VLEMA Dyson Swarm in the Ares System.

'112

Atef Al-Zeif elected as the fourth President.

'124

The Ardan Wars; The events of 'Operation Roundhammer' unfold on Mars.

The skirmishes end with the conquest of what will become the core system of Docri.

'127

'128

Jon Thorgardson elected as the fifth and last President.

'129

SDF-White Nile discovers (what will someday be known to be Druth'Haari) Leviathans feasting on a planetary system near the galactic core.

'131

Mangalan colonists settle the Discouri system in the Ares Cluster.

'136

The 'Wilson's Wallet Scandal' results in the resignation of the President and the reorganization of the government.

'137

Erika Silaco confirmed as the first Secretary-General.

'138

The Quickbronze Event spells the end of the Vascilian League on Mars.

Secretary-General Silaco re-launches the expanded Ares Cluster Colonization Initiative (ACCI) with a focus on colonizing the worlds and systems of the Ares Cluster.

'140

The Ardan Wars transition into a Cold War.
The 'Quiet Years' begin.

'142

The Ardan Cold War ends in the fractal event known as the 'Break'.

'153

The 'Quiet Years' end.
The 'Great Displacement' sends a wave of migrants and refugees towards the Alpha Quadrant; many find the Republic waiting with open arms.

'167

The VLEMA in the Ares system is completed.

'168

The 'Boardroom Wars' result in a radical reorganization of corporations across the nation.

'170

The ExoCortex is introduced to the Republic from the Phoenix Domain.
The Outer Systems Alliance (OSA) is chartered on Juniper.
The existence of the Druth'Haari is confirmed by SDF-Heart of Gold.

'171

The government is reorganized into a Federal Republic alongside Mangala, Khenala, and numerous other Federal States.

The Senate authorizes the Coreward Expansion Initiative (CEI) to replace the ACCI in an attempt to bring as many civilized worlds as possible into the Republic.

'172

The Sunset Defense Force (SDF) is reorganized into the Republic Defense Force (RDF).

'173

A Druth'Haari Leviathan is destroyed attacking the Parson's Shoal system.
The Eien is created and the citizens of the Republic begin their migration into technological immortality.

The Ver'Lithil trigger a war between the Chosen Dominion of Ynij and the Republic, using the distraction to cover their own departure from our universe.

'174

The Ares and New Latin VLEMAs are transferred to the Phoenix Domain.
RDF-Ojeni discovers the Krȃng Circlets on the galactic perimeter; six of the eight are claimed by the Republic.

The Republic signs the Hyades Accord.
The Ynij War ends in the defeat of the Chosen Dominion; the nation is partitioned between the Republic and the UIK.
The CEI is expanded to include most of the western Beta Quadrant.

'175

The fractal 'Reorganization' results in the political map of Mars shifting once again.
The Anixtl Hierarchy is defeated in a bloodless conflict and absorbed as a new Federal State.

The Martian Forum replaces the long-idle Martian Duma and is immediately a hotbed of vicious politicking.
The Second Triumvirate of Yut is chartered with the Republic as a founding member, replacing the essentially-defunct original.
Triumvirate and Allied Operations begin against a Krȃng Infestation in the Triangulum Galaxy.
The CEI is reorganized into the Federal Expansion Initiative (FEI) involving all of Alpha and Beta Quadrants.

'176

Operations in Triangulum end with the Krȃng detonation of approximately 2000 stars and the creation of the Multinovae Sector.

'177

The YUT Rings are constructed under the aegis of the Second Triumvirate and placed in orbit around Jupiter.
A Universal Basic Income scheme is implemented across the Republic, applying to all citizens regardless of residency or status.

Continuing Event

Date

Notable Event

Some Notes on the Date Or 'Hey, Why Is This All Screwed Up..!?'
The previous is a (mostly) sincere effort to (mostly) accurately list important dates and events in the history of the Republic. This effort is complicated by the fact that many of the events now only exist in memory. Worse, those that are still recorded were done so under several different dating methodologies - including 'none'! Thus some of the dates are 'as best I can figure' or 'this looks good' while others are based on a crafted agreement between various conflicting sources. Still, once you start writing things down they have a habit of becoming canon so if you've got a problem best be raising your objections now!

Here a certain amount of insight into the date format is useful. Republic Date Format is laid out in three 'thousandths' - YYY.MWD.HMS - and is often shortened to 'XXX where 'XXX' is the most relevant thousandth to the conversation. Since it is based on a 'thousandth' system, the first 'year' is actually year '0' or more properly '000'. For those further interested in the nomenclature, the date format can (very) roughly be divided up like so: Years.Month/Week/Day.Hour/Minute/Second. These are in no way equal to our years, hours, or seconds. For those interested, Republic Date Format is essentially logarithmic to our own with the first Republic Year equal to 1.05 of our own and extending out from that. Sorta.

The Republic of Sunset

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