Archived: RIFTS-1

Description

300 years ago it was a golden age; Humanity was poised to leave its birth world behind for what lay beyond the solar system. But that was not to be... a nuclear exchange by two third world nations on the summer solstice brought about something no one save a handful had guessed: Magic returned with a vengeance and the world as it was known ended.

But humanity did not die that day. It fought back as best it could and now the remains of Earth's natives slowly work to reclaim their world but they are no longer alone. Aliens, demons and other beings prowl the Earth, and now both science and magic of amazing sorts can be found in this changed world -- but can humanity overcome its oldest problem? The urge to hate, fear and destroy that which is different?

Time

As of AU 23, on RIFTS-1 Earth it is 117 PA by the common calendar, or 2403 AD by the old calendar.

Metaplot

The Coalition v Tolkeen war and the secession of Free Quebec has happened, with Tolkeen being destroyed. Despite dire prophecies, the Mechanoids have not appeared, and the Xiticix are not yet approaching the point of becoming overwhelming within the next few years.

For 4 years Lazlo struggled with the huge number of refugees, but an influx of multiversal technology in late 114 PA (AU 20) ended the shortage of supplies for them and allowed for the rapid construction of new housing projects on the outskirts of the city. Nanofabrication and advanced computers decades ahead of most of RIFTS Earth are becoming increasingly common, and an experimental new method of civilian-grade 'borg conversion (actually conversion into a Transferred Intelligence!) is being used to save an increasing number of the terminally ill and elderly at an affordable cost.

The long-term ramifications of these changes are as yet unclear...

Warpgates

There is one publicly known warpgate east of Lazlo and west of the nearby human supremicist settlements, near the northern shore of Lake Ontario. A second warpgate appeared in Federation of Magic territory but was hidden by those who discovered it so that neither the Federation of Magic nor any other power of the world would find it -- its gate address is not ICly known by any played elite.

Timeline

2098 AD - The Coming of the RIFTS, beginning of the Three-Hundred Year Dark Age

2287 AD / 1 PA (Post-Apocalypse) - Founding of the Coalition State of Chi-town. Over the next century, the PA calendar becomes the de facto calendar in North America.

2386 AD / 100 PA / AU6 - Approximate end of the Three-Hundred Year Dark Age.

??? Unification of RIFTS Earth Americas in the Vast Marshes. (The rest of the Megaverse unifies elsewhere in the Multiverse)

2392 AD / 106 PA / AU12 - Free Quebec attempts to secede from the Coalition States -- CS Civil War begins, CS-Tolkeen war begins

2394 AD / 108 PA / AU14 - Free Quebec gains independence

2395 AD / 109 PA / AU15 - Sorcerer’s Revenge. CS-Tolkeen war ends with Tolkeen’s destruction.

2399 AD / 113 PA / AU19 - (April) The Oblivion Orb causes RIFTS Earth (and solar system) to recombine in the Void - Space-Time Storms.

2403 AD / 117 PA / AU23 - Present Day

Technology Timeline

Timeline of Multiversal tech being introduced to Lazlo:

114 PA (AU 20)

Sept 26

After extensive testing, Staren brings transhuman technology to the Council of Learning. It is agreed to begin testing the technology with several independent researchers, and then to first put it into production for the following uses:

• Recyclers used for waste disposal, retrofitted into sanitation systems.
• Fabbers for food and clothing provide for the poor, primarily the Tolkeen refugees. Nanoprogrammers develop food and clothing programs for D-Bees.
• Advanced computer systems (ectos and servers) are sold at a slowly-decreasing luxury price, the profits going towards a research nonprofit working on uses for all of this technology.
• Healing Vats - a few are installed in each hospital and used for human patients that cannot be saved (or who are at great risk) by conventional means. Healing and stasis functions only. Research begins on making them work for D-Bees.
• Mods (Basic biomods, mesh inserts, medichines, cybertools) - Used for experiments only
• Ego Bridges - Transfer to robotic bodies offered as a voluntary procedure for terminally ill human patients only.

Winter

• Fabbers - Food and clothing for D-Bees now widely available.
• Healing vats and ego bridges - In testing for near-human D-Bees.
• Healing vat use expanded to free up Body Fixers and Cyber-docs to work on the refugees.
• Mods (Basic biomods, mesh inserts, medichines, cybertools) - Offered at luxury price, NO CORTICAL STACKS, profits go to nonprofit.

115 PA (AU 21)

• Healing Vats and Mods work for an increasing variety of D-Bees

May 15

• Staren recieves his Abstractum. Medical technology (Including the Ego Bridge!) can now be rapidly adapted to almost any manner of D-Bee.

116 PA (AU 22)

Late April

• FullDive technology is introduced for training and entertainment.

Late June

• Staren licenses multiverse-based weapon designs to the Lazlo SDF at very favorable rates, including guided mini- and micromissiles, force fields, and variations on his personal powered body armor and mecha. Most items are restricted to the Lazlo SDF and trusted adventurers, but versions of the forcefield and powered body armor are available in mass-market models.