History of Human Civilization in Space

In the early 21st century, the humans of Terra began expanding into their local planetary system, establishing numerous space stations and colonies throughout the system. During the 22nd century, humans expanded further into the solar system and began mining asteroids as well as exploring distant planets. The development of reactionless propulsion in the early 23rd century led to the rapid exploration and colonization of the outer solar system.

Computer technology had developed quite rapidly during the 21st century, leading to the development of dedicated and non-volitional artificial intelligence. Quantum computing and volitional AI developed slowly during the 22nd century. The widespread deployment of volitional AI in the early 23rd century led to the “robot wars” which plagued human civilization for three decades. The cessation of these wars and their aftermath resulted in widespread distrust of robotics and even rejection of advanced technology by many societies. Following the destructive robot wars, the technological progress of human civilization slowed until the development of faster-than-light travel in the 24th century.

Biotechnology was a notable exception to this widespread technological skepticism and fear. While advances in computing were somewhat restricted for over a century, advances in medicine and biology were not held back. Driven by both private and government investment, biotechnology advanced at a steady pace with the development of human genetic engineering in the mid-21st century and the invention of artificial wombs and cybernetic implants in the latter half of the century. Cybernetics suffered as a result of the post-23rd century distrust of robotics and computing technology, but by the following century development in this area was once again progressing. The demands of interstellar space travel and colonization also drove biotechnological progress as a number of 24th century colonists were genetically altered to better endure conditions specific to their world.

In the mid-25th century, the entire planet of Terra was suddenly destroyed. Details are uncertain, but it is believed the planet collided with a “black hole” and was utterly obliterated. Whatever happened resulted in severe spacetime anomalies that continue to effect a region approximately 30 parsecs in diameter around the Sol System. Less than one hundred thousand humans escaped the sector and survived the event, reducing the remaining population of the human race to a little over three hundred million people, all of them living on planets billions of miles from Terra. The remainder of human civilization was deeply disrupted by these events and many societies fell to a level of chaos and unrest that lasted centuries. Much of human history was lost or fell into myth during these dark ages as individual worlds fell into interminable wars and other chaos.

The political organization of human interstellar civilization has often been anarchic, with early colonies often defying original Terran authority. Interplanetary government was all but impossible until the discovery of the hyperdrive. The destruction of Terra caused many planets to seek alliances with their neighbors, if only to preserve the human species. Nascent forms of interplanetary government have evolved from some of these alliances. Unification within systems or sectors in defense of piracy has been the most typical political evolution, though these organizations are often unstable and dissolve once a threat has been reduced or eliminated. It was over a millennium later that humans began to rebuild their interstellar civilization. Those societies that had maintained their technologies were the first to return to space. Over several decades trade alliances were formed between planets. Hostilities between worlds was mostly avoided, but piracy became rampant throughout interplanetary space.

Confederations of planets were quickly formed and fell apart just as fast. The first successful interstellar reorganization of humanity was the Terran Empire, which established the Galactic Standard Calendar that became the standard of interstellar commerce. The First Terran Empire lasted for over a century until it was overthrown in an uprising of religious zealots known as the Palmer Jihad. These zealots also sought to return “purity” to the human race, and began violently genetically-altered and cybernetically-enhanced humans. With the death of its charismatic leader, the Palmer Jihad ended and the Second Terran Empire was established. For over two centuries this empire grew peacefully, establishing itself on other worlds primarily through trade and the offer of advanced technologies. Democratic rumblings in the empire resulted in the Foucault Rebellion and a prolonged civil war. The Phoenix Order and Third Terran Empire were both born out of this conflict. The empire proved to be short-lived with the assassination of the emperor and the establishment of the Republic, which itself evolved in just thirty years into the Federation of Planets.

The Phoenix Order continued to function as a branch of the Republic’s military, but it was inevitable that their philosophies conflict with the democratization of human civilization. An attempted coup led to the self-imposed exile of the Order, which settled on the distant planet Enlas-Dhu. Integrating with a human colony on the planet, the Order was able to rebuild itself and become the dominant political entity of the planet. Now calling itself the Imperial Phoenix Domain, it began a program of somewhat peaceful expansion through the sector, using the Second Empire practice of using advanced technology for political and social influence. The philosophies of the Order also proved quite contagious with those humans living along the limits of the Orion Spur.

Soon the Phoenix Domain was a serious economic power, trading with corporate and free worlds throughout the sectors. The Federation, however, banned all trade with the Domain, and even attempted to blockade some trade routes. This led to war, which itself led to a treaty establishing some limits to the Domain’s expansion. Being expansionist governments, the Federation and Domain quickly found themselves competing for the same planets and regions of space. Saber-rattling and other posturing aroused old arguments. Inevitable conflict was followed by another treaty, this one limiting the southward expansion of the Federation and establishing a demilitarized zone between the two sectors. The Federation and Domain have been at peace now for nearly fifty years, and recently exchanged diplomatic representatives for the first time in their history.