Main Events in History
Interstellar Transitions
In year 0 of the Stellar Era, the first successful transition through warp was made using a warp engine.
The warp engine was invented jointly on Jupiter’s moon Europa. Jovian Europa was a research station where scientists from different empires and planets worked together to create warp. A jump requires a massive body with gravity, such as Jupiter, that can accelerate a reactor using lawrencium or nobelium and fold space into a corridor leading to another point in space.
The first three interstellar guests were the heads of the warp-engine development departments, each representing one of the earthly pre-stellar empires. Before humans were launched, there had been about forty successful launches of animals and plants. The journey was programmed so that after two days on the far side of warp, the ship would initiate a warp transition back to the Wastes of Jupiter. Once enough evidence had been gathered that warp travel was safe and that time stayed synchronized, with animals returning neither younger nor older, the first interstellar cosmonauts were approved. The transition was programmed for three days near Alpha Centauri with an automatic return, though if the human warp jump succeeded, the crew was to return after two Earth days.
The launch was broadcast to all four inhabited bodies of the Solar System: Earth, Mars, Europa, and Earth’s first artificial satellite. About twenty billion people from all empires watched the ship depart Europa and head toward the Wastes of Jupiter for the warp jump. In the Wastes themselves, the cosmonauts sent their final signal, “Hayda,” and vanished from Solar System radar. The gravitational wave of the transition shook the planets, though only instruments registered it.
Two Earth days later, another gravitational wave struck the sensors placed around the Wastes. A few hours after that, Europa received a video signal from the cosmonauts. The astronomical time of their return from warp became the beginning of the new Stellar Era, or SE. Humanity gained access to any star.
The Martian Division of the Universe and the Teegarden Incident
Every member of the European (Jovian) International Research Station received access to all developments of the laboratory. In year 23 SE, each empire had already founded one colony in the nearest star system, Alpha Centauri. The search for further systems able to host humans showed that there were fairly few of them, and even fewer systems rich in useful minerals. Warp jumps were also expensive, because lawrencium and nobelium are unstable and must be held calm only under micronuclear explosions. The empires began debating who had the right to mine asteroids, comets, and planets and to create colonies there.
In year 31 SE, the first armed clash erupted during the exploration of Teegarden’s Star, specifically on the human-habitable planets Teegarden b and c. The Corporate Republic informed Europa that it had occupied Teegarden b. At the same time, the Empire of the Sun informed Europa that the Corporates had attacked its ships in the system and seized the warp-control point, effectively driving out the Sunflowers.
This incident entered stellar history as the Teegarden Incident. It triggered unrest in the Solar System, and all three empires entered an undeclared war. The battle groups of the Hetmanate, the Corporates, and the Sunflowers drove toward Jovian Europa to seize control of warp crossings and their further development. Entering Europa’s gravity zone would have meant the first solar world war, because the Jovian Europa zone was demilitarized.
The heads of warp-transition development on Jovian Europa, Mykhailo Sahaidak, Jack Mo (马云), and Richard Stalman, announced that any further movement by any empire to seize the warp laboratory and warp-engine production would cause the collapse of civilizations. Therefore, the research station’s staff would start a warp engine directly on Jovian Europa, causing a gravitational rupture that would destroy the moon and the entire station.
Because any military presence on Jovian Europa was forbidden, and the emperors of all three empires were military men, a conference was convened on Mars to resolve the division of the universe and clarify access to warp engines.
On July 24, year 33 SE, the Martian Division of the Universe took place. The entire universe was divided into three sectors. Each sector was one third of the sphere that represented the Universe. The division was conducted by lottery: each emperor drew a ticket with a sector name. As soon as an emperor drew the third ticket for a sector, that sector was automatically granted to that empire for eternal use.
Dan Rios, emperor of the Corporate Republic, was the first to draw three tickets. The Corporates received the upper-right sector. Between the Sunflowers and the Hetmanates, a heated struggle arose: each wanted the “left” sector, because the “lower” one contained the enormous Canis Major Void, where there is almost nothing. Emperor-Koshovyi Taras Velychko and the Sunflower emperor Wang Mang (王莽) could not draw the third “left” ticket. Five times in a row each drew an already occupied sector. Finally, Wang Mang drew the “left” sector, granting his empire rule there, while the Hetmanates automatically received the “lower” sector. Though the Hets were in despair, an agreement was an agreement.
Results of the Martian Division of the Universe in Year 33
- Each sector was granted to an empire in eternal possession.
- The Solar System was to become demilitarized, with no troops of any empire present by year 100 SE.
- Each empire was obliged to pay a science tax to Jovian Europa to continue research.
- The empires had to leave the Solar System for their own sectors.
- The empires were forbidden to develop their own warp engines.
- All warp technology belonged to Jovian Europa.
- In case of violation of the rules, laws, or the Martian Division, Jovian Europa would disconnect the offender from warp crossings.
- The Solar System became demilitarized, with a population of about 15-20 billion.
- Order was enforced by Peace Troops directly subordinate only to the three heads of the laboratory on Jovian Europa.
- Each empire had a group of representatives on Jovian Europa.
- The laws of the empires did not apply in the Solar System.
- Jovian Europa was forbidden to research or develop any military technology.
- Jovian Europa was forbidden to favor any empire.
A 200-year period of continuous expansion of warp stations and space settlement by the three empires began. Humanity conquered the Universe. The resettlement of the empires became known as the Great Departure.
The Hetmanate finally departed in year 91 SE. Zoryana Sich, or Star Sich, was founded in the Virgo Supercluster.
The Corporates departed in year 96 SE. Star Washington was founded in the Centaurus Supercluster.
The Sunflowers departed in year 87 SE. They founded Star Shanghai in the Pisces-Cetus Supercluster.