Sovereign Lore - Earth’s Final Years

2050 - Net Zero Climate Initiative

In the early years of the 21st Century, it became abundantly clear within the scientific community that the climate crisis facing Earth needed to be rectified by the year 2050 to avoid irreparable climate damage and remain consistent with 1.5C.

Many countries around the globe signed onto the initiative to achieve a net zero climate; however, a few countries either missed or completely ignored the target deadline. This set into motion a series of unavoidable events that would eventually destroy Earth through a series of devastating natural disasters around 2262 - destroying all life upon its surface.

2124 - Economic Downturn

Relatively major temperature shifts, abnormally longer seasons, and drought after drought began to create worry among the world's governments. Mass public outcry, protests and riots made those governments start to notice what was happening around them.

As the world slowly realized that a climate crisis was looming, the UN began trialling initiatives that may help reverse the crisis's outcome or at least significantly delay it. While these initiatives helped for some time, in the better part of 50 years, some governments began to fall into massive debt without a viable means of exporting to other countries, e.g., oil, gas, mining, etc.

Led by the United States of America, a contingent of major oil exporters began a series of petitions and proposals to continue import/export practices and mining to help subsidise some of the debt the countries faced throughout the Net Zero Era. Unsurprisingly, the UN denied all activities and requested that all countries stay the course and wait until the climate stabilises itself or an advancement in technology was able to do so. Begrudgingly, the countries agreed, and it would seem that the world was to stay the course.

2153 - Private Trade & Global Unrest

Many countries, including Russia, Saudi Arabia and the USA, began privately trading goods through back channels to help subsidise their debt, ultimately mining in secret. This was not to last. However, as the price set for such goods became so astronomically high, they could not truly service their debts, creating further problems.

Eventually, all trade halted around 2152 as keeping such trade secrets became unviable, and as the climate began to shift negatively again, the world took note. International hearings and sanctions began creating further debt issues for the participating countries.

As the debt grew, citizens' unrest grew. Poverty and homelessness began to run rife in most countries, and within a few years, the global population began to dwindle, around 3.6% over the next five years. Along with this, communication broke down between nations, and several countries began detaching themselves from the international community - opting to focus locally.

2200 - The Final War

After years of following guidelines, many countries once categorised as Developed Nations, now fell into Developing status. The USA began funnelling what money it had left into arms trade and fortification with Russia and Saudi Arabia, which rang alarm bells around the world.

On July 4th, the USA used its Independence Day as a guise to launch the majority of its Naval Fleet into the North Atlantic, masked as a naval display so that on July 5th, during Venezuelan Independence Day, they launched an attack on their country to obtain their massive oil reserves. The attack was synchronised with Russia and Saudi Arabia, each attacking its target. Russia attacked Canada from the west with help from US ground forces from the south, while Saudi Arabia invaded its neighbour Iraq.

Within hours, an international emergency was declared, and the world was once again at war.

2210 - The Fall of the Modern World

Near the final days of the war, desperation grew among the aggressor nations (USA, Russia, Saudi Arabia) as pressure mounted on their borders and supplies grew thin. A final threat was made globally that the use of nuclear weapons would begin if the allied nations did not back down and secede to their request to disband the UN and cease all bans on fossil fuel trade and mining.

The UN disbanded immediately, but the UK and many other nations were adamant about keeping all bans in place until a new technology was discovered to help repair the current climate situation. One such technology was being developed between South Korea and Japan over the last thirty years. The USA and Saudi Arabia agreed to the terms and laid down their arms. However, Russia refused to back down, stating that the world could not wait any longer, and on September 1st 2210, Russia launched seven nuclear warheads directly at London - the death toll in the millions.

The remaining international stock markets crashed, and The Final War ended with all nations ceasing communications indefinitely.

2193 - Project Exodus

Before The Final War began, several high-profile private investors, government organisations from the UK, Japan, and South Korea (to name a few) and what remained of the world’s international space agencies met in secret in Switzerland to discuss humankind’s final mission. A few years earlier, a discovery had been made about Proxima Centauri B, and its viability for life had improved drastically over the years. It was no secret in the scientific community that Earth would be decimated within the coming years, either by war, climate, or both.

Of course, the major problem facing them was space travel. As money was a huge factor, only one ship could be made with a maximum of 10,000 souls on board, enough to continue human life elsewhere in the galaxy. Construction began later that year in Australia, while research continued with a two-pronged approach: finding a solution for Earth and also a viable propulsion method for Project Exodus.
Due to its sheer size, the ship was to be built in pieces on the ground and then assembled in space; getting it off the ground would prove problematic otherwise.

This was, ironically, to be the one time in human history that governments of the world and private organisations worked in complete harmony to create something bigger than themselves.

2211 to 2240 - Cultural Regression

As the years dragged on, the world regressed to a simpler time; farming and toiling the land became the most valued professions and science was seen as more of a luxury that could not be afforded.

Ironically, due to the devastating impact of The Final War, any work done to undo the climate crisis was all but destroyed, and the final stages of a full-blown climate crisis had begun. Most countries experienced incredibly long, hot summers lasting five to six months at a time, and all major population centres were pushed to coastlines while inland cities were abandoned.

2241 - The Ark

By 2241, the ship, now named The Ark, was finally complete, and the search for crew, personnel and fertility candidates began. The difficulty was finding trained scientists and other specialised professionals, including doctors, professors, technicians and students.

Victor Kane, a bright young man, was selected to lead Project Exodus as its Captain, leaning all major decisions on his shoulders, including crew selection and was responsible for the training of his successor.

Over the next few years, the final team and participants were selected.

Oct. 12, 2251 - Project Exodus’ Launch

Project Exodus launched on its 85-year journey to Proxima Centauri B, carrying with it what would be the last humans in the galaxy leaving behind it their dying planet.