Mirrored Heavens

2079:	Chinese hypersonic missiles strike American super-carrier USS Adams in the Indian Ocean. The Mauritian Standoff occurs. The Coalition destroys U.S. satellites in geosynchronous orbit above Eurasian heartland; U.S. retaliates in kind. World waits, but no further hostile actions occur. In aftermath of incident, both sides lay claim to adjacent portions of the geo orbits.
2080:	Conflict intensifies in Middle East between the superpowers’ proxy nations. Jaguar’s Sword begins insurgency operations in South America, rapidly subsumes other Latin guerrilla movements.
2082:	Scientists warn global temperature increasing far faster than expected.
2084:	Massive food and water riots occur within United States following the tightening of rations. Hysteria against alleged Eurasian infiltration, sabotage reaches fever pitch. Conditions within Coalition believed to be similar.
2087:	U.S. government defaults on debt, collapses. Military takes control of the means of production, restores order.
2088:	Reformed Constitution proclaimed in Washington. Executive powers invested in Inner Cabinet, presided over by president, and comprised of heads of global commands: Army, Navy, Air, Space, Information, CounterIntelligence. Senators serve terms for life, franchise limited to the military and to veterans. Martial law declared for the “duration of the emergency.” Ex-admiral Andrew Harrison becomes president at the age of forty- one.
2090:	Olenkov dies in Moscow at the age of ninety-five.
2091:	Eurasian Coalition announces the completion of military exercises across multiple theaters which successfully demonstrate the integration of the Russian/Chinese military infrastructures and information architectures. Construction on Roaming Tundra begins: massive space station at the heart of the Eurasian geo defenses.
2093:	The Euro Magnates begin work on the Europa Platform, at Lagrangian point L3.
2094:	Air Force Command loses an internal power struggle: the Inner Cabinet assigns its assets to Space Command. From here on in, most powerful commands are SpaceCom and InfoCom.
2098:	Arab-Israeli conflict escalates beyond control. Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Damascus, Tehran destroyed in a nuclear exchange. Radioactive fallout contaminates parts of southern Europe.
2099:	“The Quickening”—strange lights blaze across upper atmosphere, are seen by hundreds of millions. Superpowers begin secret talks regarding environmental degradation/atmospheric destabilization.
2103:	Moderates assume power in the Praesidium, the Eurasian Coalition’s governing entity. U.S. president makes first public statements advocating detente.
2105:	Treaty of Zurich signed. U.S. and Eurasian Coalition agree to enforce rigid environmental proscriptions in their respective hemispheres. New age of international cooperation is heralded. Plans are laid for joint transfer of industry into space, wholesale colonization of Mars. In accordance with Article VIII of the treaty, Eurasian Coalition begins construction of bases on Moon.
2106:	Jaguar’s Sword extends operations into Mexico and Los Angeles Sprawl.
2107:	Construction on Phoenix Elevator begins as joint project undertaken by the superpowers. Blueprints call for a four-thousand-kilometer-long structure that will orbit the Earth and whose nadir will be reachable by suborbital transport capable of attaining a height of 150 kilometers. Construction time is estimated at four years.
2110:	Autumn Rain initiates active operations.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

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