Alpha Centauri: Planetary Year 50 A Timeline

2100 AD / MY 40	Unity Incident
The United Nations Starship Unity arrives in the Alpha Centauri system and it is discovered that it has been critically damaged by a freak accident. Immediately anomalies in the mission planning and execution come to light and a series of events is set in motion that culminates in the death of the Mission Commander and Unity Captain John Garland and the scattering of colonisation modules under independent command across Chiron, the Unity’s intended destination.

MY 40 / PY 1.0		Planetfall
Colonisation modules led by Commander Yang, Commander Zakharov, 
Commander Lal, Lieutenant Commander Skye, Lieutenant Commander Godwinson, Lieutenant Santiago, and the stowaway entrepreneur Morgan all land on Chiron’s surface. Each of these modules forms the nucleus of a new society, a new political faction.
Pravin Lal, to whom John Garland gave command before the destruction of the Unity, establishes his faction as the ‘United Nations Council’, hoping to continue the Unity mission despite the terrible events of the Unity Incident. His followers construct the United Nations Planetary Headquarters in the ‘Riverlands’ of Ocyrhoe.
Prokhor Zakaharov’s faction locates itself on a small steep-sided island off the coast of Chariclo. He names his new home the ‘University Enclave’ and immediately begins the study the unusual structure his researchers discover there.
Deidre Skye’s followers, who reside in a lush valley in Ocyrhoe they call ‘Eden’, refer to themselves as the ‘Children of Gaia’ and pursue a life of harmony with the new environment..
Nwabudike Morgan colonisation module lands on the ‘Monumental Plains’ of northern Ocyrhoe where curious structures seem to march across the landscape. There he forms a capitalistic hegemony under his charismatic leadership that he calls ‘Morgan Industrial’.
Miriam Godwinson’s damaged module touched down on a plateau in the ‘Chironian Alps’ of Chariclo. The survivor’s call it ‘The Promised Land’ and, united by their fierce faith, they style themselves as the ‘Church of the Believers’.
Corazon Santiago’s survivalist cadre establish themselves on the wide ‘Coastal Plains’ of Chariclo, they declare themselves the ‘Spartan Coalition’ and commit themselves to defence of their harsh ideals.
The module commanded by Sheng-ji lands in the ‘Asbolus Canyon’, a vast fissure that splits part of the ‘Chironian Alps’ on Chariclo. His loyal followers, seeking secrecy, burrow into the caverns and commit themselves to the foundation of a new kind of society, the ‘Human Hive’.

PY 2.0		First Serious Exploration Efforts Undertaken
After a harrowing first year the various factions each begin to send out exploration parties to locate new resources and to make contact with any other survivors.

PY 3.2		Ulrik Svensgaard, former Unity astrogator and United Nations Council explorer, discovers an undamaged seafoil in a Unity Pod. After dispatching the members of his exploration team who refused to follow him Svensgaard sets off with those loyal to him to live upon the seas of Chiron. A series of raids and acts of blatant piracy, as well as clever scavenging of those Unity Pods that had fallen into Chiron’s oceans, enable Svensgaard to create a sufficient technological and industrial base to establish the first Chironian ocean habitat on a mineral-rich ridge between Chariclo and Ocyrhoe.

PY 4.0		Formation of the Planetary Council
The exploration efforts of the factions, particularly those of the United Nations Council, succeed in locating six of the factions; Sheng-ji Yang’s faction remains hidden below the surface and is not discovered. The other faction leaders believe that the pod he commanded must have been destroyed on re-entry.
Six of the new factions, once more in contact with each other, agree to form a ‘Planetary Council’ that meets annually through the use of an, allegedly, secure commlink network. The six members also agree to cooperate to ensure the survival of humanity on Chiron and to uphold the principles of the United Nations’ Charter. 

PY 6.1 – PY 6.9		‘Gate of Jericho’ War (SC vs. CotB)
A brief war between the Spartan Coalition and the Church of the Believers breaks out over disputes about control of a pass through the Chironian Alps. The pass, named the ‘Gate of Jericho’ by the Church of the Believers colonists who settled there, connects the ‘Promised Land’ of the Church of the Believers with the Coastal Plains claimed by the Spartan Coalition.
The Church of the Believers settled the area first, but the Spartan Coalition refused to concede such a strategically important position overlooking their own territory. The colony base was seized in a lightning raid by the experienced Spartan Coalition troops. The Spartan Coalition then reinforced the base with artillery and held out against all counterattacks by the Church of the Believers. The futile attempts to retake the base persist for nearly a year before the Church of the Believers abandons the effort.
Miriam Godwinson, leader of the Church of the Believers, decries the Spartan Coalition’s aggression and, having failed to rectify the situation militarily, vows to take the matter to the Planetary Council

PY 7.0	First invocation of sanctions against an aggressor on Chiron
		The Church of the Believers presses the other members of the Planetary Council to forcibly bring about the return of the bases at the Gate of Jericho that were seized by the Spartan Coalition. The Planetary Council refuses, on the basis of lack of consensus, but instead imposes economic sanctions on the Spartan Coalition. 
		Corazon Santiago, the leader of the Spartan Coalition, protests the sanctions, but refuses to return the bases to the Church of the Believers.

PY 10.0		Emergence of the ‘Human Hive’
During the annual Planetary Council commlink session Sheng-ji Yang, formerly Unity’s head of security, reveals that he and his pod survived Planetfall and have established a thriving new society below the surface of the Coastal Plains on Chariclo. The stunned Planetary Council members agree to accept the application for the ‘Human Hive’ to join the Planetary Council formally. The decision confirms the idea that population is the essential criteria for membership of the Planetary Council. The Human Hive also agrees to observe the United Nations’ Charter, provided the other factions continue to support and maintain it. 
Yang also indicates that the secure commlink network may need to improve its security and offers to head a Planetary Council Special Sub-Committee to review security protocol.

PY 11.0		The Planetary Council Special Sub-Committee on Security headed by Yang presents its findings on the state of network security on Chiron. The findings highlight the inadequacies of current methods and Yang presents some of his personal solutions. The other Planetary Council members doubt the altruism of Yang’s improvements however and adopt only some of the Sub-Committee’s recommendations. 
The Special Sub-Committee on Security, its brief fulfilled, is disbanded.

PY 11.3 – PY 13.1	‘Coastal Plains’ War (SC vs. HH)
The Spartan Coalition, noting the position of recently revealed Human Hive along its borders and disliking the possibility of facing enemies on two fronts, launches an attack against one of the Human Hive’s underground bases. The base falls, but the Human Hive mobilises its powerful industry and its, relatively, large population. 
The war becomes a protracted struggle between the Spartan Coalition’s superior operational skills and élan and the numbers and discipline of the Human Hive. Eventually the superior information warfare skills of the Human Hive result in discord within the upper echelons of the Spartan Coalition which causes leadership disputes, strategic indecision and, ultimately, a near collapse in the Spartan Coalition troops’ confidence in their leadership. 
The Human Hive shifts fully to the offensive and the Spartan Coalition bases fall rapidly. The Church of the Believers takes advantage of the Spartan Coalition’s effective collapse and retakes the ‘Gate of Jericho’. Corazon Santiago, the Spartan Coalition leader, immolates the final Spartan Coalition base, most of the remaining Spartans, and herself rather than permitting Sparta Command to fall to the Human Hive, thereby bringing the war to a spectacular and fiery end. The Human Hive is left in control of the entire Coastal Plains region.

PY 12.0		Sanctions imposed on the Spartan Coalition for initiating the ‘Gates of Jericho’ War end. The end of sanctions comes too late to be of use to the Spartan Coalition in the conflict with the Human Hive.

PY 15.0		Relations between the atheistic Yang and the devout Godwinson break down during the annual Planetary Council session. Both factions mobilise their forces in and around the Gate of Jericho. Outright conflict is avoided through the intercession of United Nations Council diplomatic personnel.

PY 18.5 – PY 22.3	Miriam’s ‘Crusade for Purity’ (CotB vs. UE; HH & MI)
Miriam Godwinson’s ‘Church of the Believers’ pronounces a crusade against the University Enclave. The Church of the Believers claim that the scientists of the University Enclave have “violated divine law with their unfettered experiments” and attack the University Enclave’s facilities en masse. 
The ‘wave’ tactics used by the Church of the Believers prove too much for the University Enclave’s defence forces and Zakharov desperately requests the assistance of the other factions. The Human Hive and Morgan Industrial respond; supported by the resolution of the rapidly-convened Planetary Council Emergency Session, the first session of its type to be called on Chiron. The forces of the allied factions attack the bases of the Church of the Believers in order to relieve the pressure on the University Enclave. 
The Church of the Believers, outnumbered and surrounded, initiates a campaign of “martyrdom operations” against the allied factions; primitive radiation bombs are detonated inside the forward positions of the allied factions resulting in massive casualties. The allied factions respond in kind and the Church of the Believers is eradicated, one base at a time, through the use of tactical nuclear weapons manufactured by University Enclave scientists. Miriam Godwinson is obliterated, along with her headquarters, by one of these devices during the final hours of the ‘Siege of New Jerusalem’. Former Church of the Believers’ territory is polluted with radiation, greatly reducing its capacity to support life. 
The use of the nuclear and radiation weapons also seems to trigger a response from the Chironian ecosystem. Xenofungus spreads rapidly across irradiated regions and mindworm boils of unprecedented ferocity prevent the allied factions from occupying the land.

PY 22.5		University Enclave Use of Research Declaration
To the chagrin of Prokhor Zakharov the Human Hive and Morgan Industrial both demand compensation for their defensive intervention on the University Enclave’s behalf. Zakharov agrees to a proposal put forward by Nwabudike Morgan of Morgan Industrial and makes the ‘University Enclave Use of Research Declaration’ of PY 22.5. This declaration asserts the neutrality of the University Enclave and its willingness to share its research findings with any who are prepared to contribute to the cost of future research. The University Enclave becomes, in effect, Chiron’s own dedicated corporate laboratory.
Not all of the members of the University Enclave approve of Zakharov’s solution, but the declaration is upheld in order to guarantee the continued security and independence of the Enclave, as well as its continued funding.

PY 23.0		‘Use of Atrocity-Weapon Punishment Protocol’ ratified
During the annual Planetary Council session Pravin Lal and Deidre Skye, outraged at the use of nuclear weapons in the war against the Church of the Believers, put forward a resolution for the punishment of the use of weapons of mass destruction or “atrocity weapons”. The other Planetary Council members agree, each fearful that they might be used against them. The resolution specifies economic penalties for minor infractions and global ‘police action’ for major infractions. 

PY 25.0		‘Conservation of Planetary Ecosystem Protocol’ fails to be ratified
Deidre Skye attempts, during the annual Planetary Council session, to have a protocol prohibiting what she describes as “the rampant exploitation of the Planetary environment” ratified. The United Nations Council and the Children of Gaia ratify the protocol, University Enclave and Morgan Industrial fail to do so and the Human Hive abstains. The measure fails and Deidre disconnects from the session in protest.

PY 26.5		Annual loss reports conducted by Morgan Industrial reveal increasing losses of personnel and facilities to the attacks of Chironian fauna, the so-called “mindworms”.
 
PY 28.7 	Emergence of the Parliament of the Sea
Motivated by the continuing exploration of Chiron by the other factions and his increasing population of followers, Ulrik Svensgaard pre-empts the discovery of his sea-bases and announces the presence of his faction, naming it the ‘Parliament of the Sea’. 
Due to the size and number of its settlements, the faction is permitted to become the sixth member of the Planetary Council after affirming its commitment to the United Nations Charter. Certain Planetary Council members view the Parliament of the Sea’s commitment to the United Nations Charter as rather half-hearted, however.

PY 29.0	Sovereignty of the Sea Declaration
Svensgaard, at his first Planetary Council meeting, asserts the rights of the Parliament of the Sea over the oceans of Chiron; the leaders of the other factions, lacking dedicated naval forces, are compelled to recognise these rights.

PY 32.2 – PY 36.5	Morgan’s ‘War Against Terror’ (CoG vs. MI)
The discovery of a Children of Gaia Empath during a mindworm attack on Morgan Industrial facilities in the Central Highlands of Ocyrhoe results in a declaration from Nwabudike Morgan, the leader of Morgan Industrial, stating that for the last six years the Children of Gaia had been waging “an undeclared war of aggression” against his faction. Morgan also stressed that this war had been waged through the use of native fauna, which he maintained were “an atrocity-weapon of major degree”. Calling for the surrender, trial and execution of all members of the Children of Gaia involved in the use of mindworms against his faction, Morgan declares his intent to “defend his citizens against the forces of terror”. 
Morgan Industrial gears itself for war and the Board of Senators and Directors grants Nwabudike Morgan ‘exceptional powers’ for the duration of the conflict. The war initially goes against Morgan Industrial and waves of mindworms and swarms of Chironian locusts drive it out of the Central Highlands, decimating the population at the same time. Eventually though the adoption of “trance techniques” by Morgan Industrial’s forces and the extensive funding of counter-Empaths initiates a shift in favour of Morgan Industrial. The Children of Gaia are driven back out of the Central Highlands into the Valley of Eden. The Children of Gaia lack extensive conventional defences, having relied on terrain and the native fauna, and their bases are blasted into ruins by Morgan Industrial’s artillery fire-bases in the Central Highlands. 
Eventually Deidre Skye offers to surrender to the Planetary Council; the Planetary Council accepts and Deidre Skye and her Empaths and xenozoologists are taken into custody by the United Nations Council, which also stations peace-keeping troops in the Valley of Eden to guarantee the cease-fire.

PY 37.0		Inclusion of Chironian Fauna in the list of Atrocity-Weapons
During the annual Planetary Council session Nwabudike Morgan successfully proposes an amendment to include the use of Chironian fauna in war in the list of major degree weapons mentioned in the ‘Use of Atrocity-Weapon Punishment Protocol’ of PY 23.0. On the basis of this ruling Morgan argues for formal charging of Deidre Skye and the Children of Gaia on charges of use of major atrocity-weapons and crimes against humanity.

PY 37.0		Trial of Deidre Skye and the Children of Gaia
Deidre Skye, the Gaian Council of Voices, and the Children of Gaia’s Empaths and xenozoologists are brought before the Planetary Council on the charges of making use of atrocity-weapons of major degree and crimes against humanity.
Nwabudike Morgan insists that the penalty of death be exacted on all involved in the research and creation of “indigenous atrocity-weapons”, on those who committed the attacks, and on those who ordered, or who simply permitted, the attacks. Pravin Lal argues instead that the death penalty is too brutal a sentence to be carried out by a civilised society. A compromise is eventually reached whereby the Empaths are executed, and the xenozoologists and leaders are imprisoned for life.
Deidre Skye, her advisors, and her xenozoologists are imprisoned at a United Nations Council facility where they begin to serve incommutable life sentences. The other Children of Gaia, lacking strong leadership and facing an uncertain future accept an offer of amnesty from Pravin Lal and vacate their old homes to become citizens of the United Nations Council.

PY 37.0		‘Valley of Eden Planetary Ecosystem Reserve’ Protocol
The question of who takes control of the territory of the former Children of Gaia is raised following the destruction of that faction. Nwabudike Morgan demands the territory becomes the property of Morgan Industrial, but none of the other faction leaders agree. Instead Pravin Lal proposes that the region known as the ‘Valley of Eden’ become a Planetary Ecosystem Reserve. Ulrik Svensgaard and Sheng-ji Yang agree to the proposal, since under the terms of the protocol the Valley of Eden becomes neutral territory and unable to be exploited by any faction. Morgan Industrial receives the right to continue operations in the Central Highlands while the United Nations Council is permitted to continue its activities in the Garland Range. In order to ensure Morgan’s acceptance of the protocol Pravin Lal offers Morgan Industrial sole rights over the development of the Southern Plateau, which had hitherto been contested by the United Nations Council; Morgan accepts and the Valley of Eden Planetary Ecosystem Reserve is created.

PY 41.9		Emergence of the Data Angels’ League
Asa Wright alias Sinder Roze, a former Unity Network Specialist and now a leading expert in Morgan Industrial’s network technology interests, completes what comes to be known as the ‘Three Second Buyout’ of Morgan PolySoft’s United Nations Council interests. 
The move consolidates Roze, as she again styles herself, as a financial power and also provides her nascent ‘Data Angels League’ with a base of operations. A combination of blackmail and greed brings several other Morgan Industrial’s nearby bases into the sphere of the Data Angels’ League; effectively gaining total control over the Southern Plateau of Ocyrhoe. 
The population of the new Data Angels’ League bases entitles the new faction to a place on the Planetary Council and the Data Angel’s League is accepted as part of the Planetary Council, despite the protestations of Morgan Industrial, provided that the Data Angels’ League affirm the importance of the United Nations Charter, which it does. The Data Angels’ League becomes the sixth Planetary Council member.

PY 42.0			Trial of Sinder Roze and the Data Angels’ League
Nwabudike Morgan attempts to bring the Data Angels’ League before the Planetary Council on charges of unprovoked aggression. The other members note that “aggressive purchasing strategies” are part of Morgan Industrial’s own repertoire of corporate techniques and are not prohibited by the United Nations Charter.
The case is dismissed and Nwabudike Morgan accuses the other members of being bribed or blackmailed by the Data Angels’ League. The other members make no further comments on these accusations or on the case.

PY 42.1- PY 42.5	‘Reincorporation’ War (MI vs. DAL)
Morgan Industrial, having failed to obtain a Planetary Council ruling against the Data Angels’ League, initiates a military operations in order to “reincorporate” recapture the “captured” bases. 
The Data Angels’ League, lacking sufficient forces to repel Morgan Industrial’s troops, obtain an injunction against the attacks during a Planetary Council Emergency Session by providing the Human Hive and the United Nations’ Council with detailed information on Morgan Industrial’s holdings. 
Nwabudike Morgan, CEO of Morgan Industrial, facing domestic pressure to end the war as well as the threat of intervention and commercial catastrophe, orders the withdrawal of the troops.
Morgan Industrial instead begins the task of remodelling its data-infrastructure in line with the recommendations put forward by the Planetary Council Sub-Committee on Security of PY 10.0-11.0.

PY 42.7		Emergence of the Free Drones’ Union
The future Foreman of the Free Drones’ Union, Domai, experiences a seizure during a botched Data Angels League probe attempt on a Human Hive base construction site in the Red Valley of northern Chariclo. The seizure frees Domai from the drone conditioning, or “re-socialisation therapy”, he had been forced to undergo and appears to cure the neural damage suffered when his cryostasis chamber was damaged in the ‘Unity Incident’. 
Domai leads a drone revolt and captures the base after a pitched battle with Human Hive security forces.
After having secured the base and loyalty of the newly freed drones Domai declares the formation of the Free Drone’s Union and offers sanctuary to any rebel drones on Chiron. 
The Planetary Council, under the influence of Pravin Lal and despite Domai’s revolutionary rhetoric, ignores Human Hive demands that the Free Drones’ Union be considered illegitimate and recognises the Free Drones’ Union as the seventh member of the Planetary Council; the Free Drones’ Union, for its part, recognises the importance of the United Nations Charter, especially the sections pertaining to individual rights and liberties.

PY 43.7 – PY 47.4	Domai’s ‘War of Liberation and Revolution’ (FDU vs. HH)
The Free Drones’ Union besiege several Human Hive bases in the northern slopes of the Chironian Alps, taking them with a combination of sustained artillery bombardment, fanatical commitment, and well-timed drone-revolts. Domai declares a “war of liberation and revolution” and vows to free the workers of Human Hive from the “tyranny of their society”. The Planetary Council fails to censure the Free Drones’ Union for this apparent act of aggression against a member; Pravin Lal suggests that perhaps the abuses of human rights alluded to by Domai are violations of the United Nations Charter and are deserved of ‘investigation’, Nwabudike Morgan was apparently unavailable for comment regarding his absence from the Planetary Council Emergency Session.
 The Human Hive, unable to obtain sanctions against the Free Drones’ Union, retaliates militarily and attempts to land troops on the coast behind the frontlines. The bold move only manages to carve out a small foothold before being pinned down.
The conflict continues for several years, but becomes a stalemate; the Human Hive cannot eradicate the Free Drones’ Union because of the distance of the frontline from its industrial centres, and the Free Drones’ Union does not have the materiel or troops to push the Human Hive back further. 
Outright war between the Human Hive and the Free Drones’ Union finally ceases although this is due to temporary mutual exhaustion rather than a desire for peace. Hostilities are maintained by sporadic raiding attacks and infiltration attempts on the part of both sides.

PY 48.5			Trilateral Trade and Relations Agreement
The Free Drones’ Union, the Parliament of the Sea, and the Data Angels’ League agree to a three-way trade and positive relations agreement. The Parliament of the Sea agrees to ensure that “criminal elements” avoid the shipping of the other signing factions in return for involvement in trade. In exchange for industrial aid and intelligence reports the Parliament of the Sea also provides the Free Drones’ Union and the Data Angels’ League with a small number of effective naval vessels.

PY 50.0		Scenario Start-Date

Notes: 		‘AD’ denotes “anno domini”, the standard Earth system of reckoning years. ‘MY’ denotes “Mission Year”, the system of reckoning used by the Unity mission. ‘PY’ denotes “Planetary Year”, the system of reckoning adopted by the Unity survivors after Planetfall; it is not the same as the ‘CY’, which denotes “Chironian Year”, the length of time Chiron takes to orbit its primary star. The number after the decimal point in ‘PY’ dates represents the “decimal month”.

In the brackets following a war the official aggressor in the conflict is mentioned first. In the case of police actions the intervening factions follow the semi-colon.
Faction abbreviations are as follows: 
United Nations Council (UNC), Church of the Believers (CotB), Children of Gaia (CoG), Morgan Industrial (MI), University Enclave (UE), Human Hive (HH), Parliament of the Sea (PotS), Data Angels’ League (DAL), Free Drones’ Union (FDU).