Timeline

110/2350 :

Nine Years Later

Everything has changed in the solar system.  Earth is plunged into anarchy, billions have died.  Great swathes of the planet are inhabitable, and the nuclear explosions have altered the very climate.  UN government has either been transformed into a local, almost feudal power, or has fled to Luna.

On Luna are concentrated the remains of the UN, in a top-heavy bureaucratic structure that has consumed its reserves and is beginning to feel the pinch of slow starvation.  Loyalist elements of the UN fleet have rallied Luna and provide it with protection, but three Luna governments have already been overthrown and the military is increasingly present as time goes on.

On Mars, the Hybrids, despite their relatively small numbers and total lack of coordination, have wreaked terrible havoc.  They can survive without atmosphere where Martians cannot, which gives them a major advantage, and of course they know no fear, only hunger for energy sources to feed the proto-molecule that pulses within them.  The MCRN and its marines fight back unrelentingly, but one by one settlements fall, some even victims to a scorched earth policy aimed at slowing the enemy.  It is becoming increasingly difficult to uphold the terraforming efforts; however their failure will condemn Mars to a slow, painful, demise. 

The Belt has proclaimed its independence, and lives a period of much yearned-for freedom and relative prosperity; but as was to be expected, with such a sharp transition, there is bitter infighting between the OPA factions.  Civil war is clearly brewing.

Even amidst the worst horror, someone always comes out on top, and that is Jules-Pierre Mao and Mao-Kwikowski Mercantile.  The only thing saving humanity from his thrall, is that controllable proto-molecule hybrids can only be made out of children, and only those with immunosenescence disorders, not easily found at the best of times, and less so with the information breakdown on Earth.

An entire division of MKM, cynically named the Young Volunteer Corps, is dedicated to tracking down such children throughout the solar system.  It has to be remembered that Jules-Pierre Mao considers himself invested with a messianic mission, that of preparing humanity to face the alien race that first fired the proto-molecule towards them, all those billions of years ago.  MKM has become a heavily militarised scientocracy, governed not by ministers but by the PDGs of sprawling subsidiary companies, who are encouraged to rivalry, be it violent; the terrible experiment on Eros is the best example of what such a government is capable of.

Some do, however, stand against such tyranny.  From Tycho Station, defended by a powerful fleet of which the Nauvoo is the heart, Fred Johnson broadcasts a message of defiance.  Chrisjen Avasarala survived the nuclear holocaust on Earth, and escaped the first purge on Luna, and leads a rag-tag rebellion that operates under MKM's nose.  Mars spares what resources it can, wherever and whenever it can, to strike back at MKM.  There are also rogue UN fleets that have split from Luna; whereas some are little better than pirates, others sustain themselves by preying only on MKM.  As for the OPA, they are at each others throats until someone else tries to grip theirs.

 

110/2341 :

Immolation

Amidst the terrifying carnage, a huge and stately proto-molecule structure lifts off from Venus.  It will travel to the edge of the solar system, just outside the orbit of Uranus, where it will unfold into a giant ring structure, of unfathomable purpose.
 

 

102/2341 :

Triple Point.
Control of the proto-molecule hybrids is transferred by Jules-Pierre Mao to the UNN Agatha King, under Admiral Nguyen's command.  Although there are senior officers aboard who believe the stories about Errenwright's treacherous role in the war, none would now contemplate intervening.  Hundreds of stealth torpedoes attain Mars and unleash their deadly cargo, effectively contaminating the entire planet.

 

87/2341 :
Assured Destruction.
Errinwright and his faction now heavily influence the General Secretary, and control the UN General Assembly and the Security Council.  They obtain an order for a strike against Mars' first-strike nuclear capability.  All five launch platforms are destroyed, but a malfunction causes a delay in taking out one of them.  Several nuclear missiles are fired at Earth.  

And this is where I diverge drastically from the plot line...

Errinwright's gambit goes terribly wrong; Earth's defensive capabilities are greatly diminished since the Eros launch.  Earth is struck by multiple high-yield warheads, leading to hundreds of millions of dead.  In the months and years to come, the overwhelming disruption from the nuclear fallout causes planetary-wide rioting and civil war, and widespread famine.  As civil services quickly break down, and the situation spirals out of hand, Earth's government progressively evacuates toward Luna, leaving humankind's home planet in the grip of chaos.


299/2340 - 86/2341 :
War in the Outer Planets.
The UNN and the MCRN wage war; losses are heavy, but combat deliberately restricted by both sides to the Outer Planets; neither Earth nor Mars are directly attacked.
The events of the war seem, however, to pale before the extraordinary activity on Venus, where it is clear that the proto-molecule is "building" something.


298/2340 :
Casus Belli.
With the destruction of Phoebe and Deimos, the Eros Incident that many on Earth still believe Mars is behind, the general sentiment on Earth that this is their last chance to defeat their ex-colony; with the skirmish over Ganymede, the destruction of the Karakum and now the assassination of Defense Minister Korshunov that Mars all blame on Earth, the war that Errinwright and MKM were seeking has become inevitable.  It is officially declared by the UN Security Council on 298/2340 and Mars responds the same day.



265/2340 :
The Arboghast.
The UNN Arboghast, a science vessel sent to Venus, is unsuccessful in sending probes to Venus' surface and makes the decision to descend through the planet's atmosphere.  Arriving in view of the Eros Station crash site, the vessel is suddenly and dramatically "deconstructed" by the proto-molecule.  This event, witnessed first-hand and broadcast throughout the Solar System, makes the existence of the extra-terrestrial proto-molecule known to the general public.  Events as they unfold on Venus are now in the public eye.

250/2340 :
Drink to Peace

The risk of escalation has rarely been higher, but Avasarala manages to get a peace summit on the agenda.  The Martians, who do not want war, instruct Korshunov to take responsability for the Ganymede incident and promise to pay reparations.  During the hearings, the sole survivor of the Ganymede surface battle, MMC Gunnery Sergeant Roberta "Bobby" Draper, cracks and begins talking about a "seventh man without a vac suit".  Errinwright finally comes forward, admits to Avasarala that he has been working with Mao, and gives her information on the project, which she passes on to Bobby Draper.  The Martian marine then obtains information from the Martian Embassy on Earth, proving that a Martian faction was behind the slaughter of their own marines on Ganymede, and defects to Avasarala.  This leads to the peace talks being called off.

Jules-Pierre Mao then contacts Deputy Undersecretary Avasarala to arrange a meeting aboard one of his spaceships.  His intent is to give her full access to all information on the protomolecule, in return for his assets being freed from UN control.

Facing a hearing for his role in the Eros incident, Errinwright is thought to be out of the game. However, when the Martian vessel Karakum is sent to Ganymede to pick up the Hybrids, Errinwright has it destroyed and poisons Martian Defense Minister Korshunov during an informal drink.  He then contacts Mao, points out that with Korshunov dead that he is his only backer, threatens him too with destruction and tells him to "get back to work"...and kill Avasarala while he is at it.  It is unsure if his initial regret was faked, or if Avasarala's refusal to defend him in front of the UN Committee swung him back to his original course of action.

MKM moves the Hybrids back from Ganymede to Io, where they are to be perfected, made dormant and then loaded aboard stealth-fitted torpedoes, awaiting collection by a UNN admiral loyal to Errinwright, who intends to launch them at Mars.

Meanwhile, Fred Johnson is given a sample of the proto-molecule by Naomi Nagata, who thought she was going to die on Ganymede and wanted the OPA to have a weapon to defend themselves in the aftermath.

 

242/2340 :
Beltaloda
Those parts of Ganymede hit by the falling mirrors cannot be repaired, causing a chain reaction of environmental failures within the station, and its demise.  A serious humanitarian crisis develops.  Refugees are evacuated by a series of vessels.  One such vessel, from the Belt, creates a scandal when it separates the Belter refugees from those born on Earth or Mars, and eject the latter from their airlock into space.  This reflects the sheer frustration felt in the Belt at the Eros Incident.


230/2340 :
The Fall of Ganymede
UNMC and MCRN Marines are patrolling the frontier on Ganymede when UN Marines suddenly begin running towards the Martian line, firing.  All comms are jammed.  Earth and Mars vessels in orbit both believe the other side responsable and shooting breaks out in orbit and on the surface.  Casualties are high and several of the Ganymede orbital mirrors are destroyed, falling onto many inhabited areas.

Unbeknown to both sides, Ganymede was a - highly successful - test run for the protomolecule Hybrids, run by Jules-Pierre Mao and Defense Minister Korshunov; as the lone survivor would later say, it was MKM's "final sales pitch".  A single creature managed to take out several dozen UNMC and MCRN Marines.

102-114/2340 :
The "Eros Incident" : Leviathan Awakes.
A handful of Belters - including James Holden and his crewmates Naomi Nagata, Alex Kamal and Amos Burton, and an ex-Star Helix cop Josephus Miller, managed to escape Eros and have made their way to Tycho Station.  They provide evidence to Fred Johnson which allows him to track the Protogen lead scientist to an undeclared small orbital platform around Jupiter, named Thoth, where Dresden is executed.  With the sole surviving scientist in hand, Fred Johnson is informed of the sentient nature of the proto-molecule, whilst data from Eros shows that it is definitely preparing something.  

Since it is obvious to him that Deputy Undersecretary Chrisjen Avasarala has connected him to Errinwright, and Protogen to Phoebe, Jules-Pierre Mao informs Errinwright that their cooperation is over, and that he will be turning to "another patron".  It is quickly obvious that his new sponsor is Martian Defense Minister Korshunov, whose faction is also hell-bent on war.  

With the help of proof provided by Fred Johnson - an MKM stealth ship disabled during the attack on Thoth - Avasarala publicly links Protogen to the destruction of the Cant and the Donnager.  Mao however plays dumb, insisting that Protogen is simply one of many small companies that make up his commercial empire.

Miller having killed the mad scientist, and having convinced Johnson to kill his mad science project, the Tycho Station chief commandeers the Nauvoo and sets it on a collision course with Eros, on which explosive charges are being prepared by an OPA team.  Eros Station actively avoids collision with the Nauvoo and, with Miller aboard, heads towards Earth, at incredible acceleration, threatening the extinction of all life there. A significant part of Earth's nuclear arsenal is fired at Eros Station; the proto-molecule reacts by disappearing off the radar.  The attempts by James Holden's gunship, the Rocinante, to laser guide in the missiles with the assistance of Tycho Station has to be abandoned.  It does however end up with Fred Johnson getting his hands on thirty thermonuclear guided warheads...

Evacuation of Earth towards Luna begins.  At this point, Errinwright begins to realise that the proto-molecule is Pandora's Box, and comes to regret his actions.  For a reason unknown to the inhabitants of the Solar System - but caused by the link between Miller and the human seed of the Eros protomolecule, Julie Mao - Eros Station suddenly changes course and smashes into Venus.  On Earth, it is widely believed that Eros Station was some sort of Martian weapon.  The UNN fleets deploy, and the MCRN follows suit.

Avasarala is sanctified since she alone refused evacuation to Luna when Eros threatened the destruction of the planet.  She uses the widespread fear and her own popularity to launch a full-out attack on Mao, has his assets frozen and, to bring him out of hiding, ruthlessly pursues members of his family.

 

2-6/2340 :
An Eye for an Eye.
Undersecretary Errinwright, who wishes to link Mars to Eros, tips off his government is tipped off about Phoebe.  A UNN vessel is dispatched there.  Concerned about the possible evidence, the MCRN blow apart Phoebe with nuclear warheads.  Earth takes this as an attempt by Mars to intimidate them.  They respond by destroying the Martian moon of Deimos.


340/2339 :
The "Eros Incident" : Infection.
Having been deliberately infected with proto-molecule as an experiment conducted by Protogen, Eros Station is placed under quarantine.  There are virtually no survivors, which means that more than a million Belters have perished.  Increasing activity is detected from within the depths of the station.  Mars and Earth blame each other for the situation on Eros, the OPA blames both sides, and tensions flare.


280-290/2338 :
Remember the Cant.
The ice-hauler Canterbury is destroyed, by MKM stealth ships built by Errenwright on Earth.  The stealth technology used means that Mars is blamed for this act, both by the OPA and Earth.  Ten days later, the MCRN Donnager is destroyed by the same ships.  The sole survivors of both incidents  - led by James Holden - are suspected, but in truth Errinwright wants war with Mars, and MKM, who is still working underhand with the Martians, intends to fuel such a war in order to sell its proto-molecule based weapon; the end-game is control of a brave new world.  Riots break out throughout the Belt.

 

280-290/2338 :
The Big Empty.
Phoebe having gone dark for way too long, the MCRN flagship Donnager is sent to the moon, and reports the disaster.  The Donnager crew, however, have no knowledge of what was actually going on at Phoebe station.

 

151/2338 :
It all began on Phoebe.
Mars and Protogen have learned a lot about the protomolecule during the last three years, but apparently not much about each other.  No-one sees it coming when Jules-Pierre Mao's team are ordered to turn on their Martian counterparts and infect them with the alien compound, before destroying all the data cores and leaving without a trace.  This experiment allows lead scientist Dresden to test his plan : infect Eros so as to feed a huge biomass to the protomolecule.

 

60/2335 :

The Tears of Corruption Campaign : Chariots of Fire

Martian IS recover the proto-molecule sample.  Different OPA factions have, nonetheless, been alerted to the existence of some sort of bio-weapon being produced on Phoebe, which leads to a run-in between Fred Johnson's and Anderson Dawes' OPA on Ceres Station, on 85/2335.

56/2335 :

The Tears of Corruption Campaign : Not all that Glitters is Gold

A sample of the proto-molecule is smuggled off Phoebe station, by a concerned scientist, intended for the OPA.  It passes through the hands of a black-market trader on the moon of Pandora, who hires Fiday Cylus, captain of the Tears of Corruption, to transport it, whilst Martian IS, led by Armat Sin, is hot on the trail.

44/2335 :
Blue-Blooded Betrayal.
MKM  is used to playing Earth and Mars off against each other, but soon realises that the proto-molecule is a game changer.  MKM approaches UN Undersecretary Errinwright, the second-most powerful man in the solar system, who agrees to fund ongoing research and offer protection and resources.  Errinwright, and a shadow government within the UN, is obsessed by the idea that the window of opportunity for crushing Mars under Earth's heel is running out.  MKM offers, in turn, to build and test an unapproved stealth fleet for them.

Along with his chief scientist, Jules-Pierre Mao is convinced that the protomolecule represents the next step in the evolution of mankind, and also their only hope of defense at what lays outside the solar system.  The human race is on the cusp of a major evolutionary step, for which existing political structures - Earth, Mars, the Belt - are totally unadapted.

Development by MKM of Hybrids, a human / proto-molecule synthesis, begins on Io under the aegis of a sister company of Protogen.  This involves kidnapping children with a systemic autoimmune disorder called Myers-Skelton Premature Immunosenescence.  Being both children, and with a faulty immune system, these subjects are easier infect with protomolecule in a controlled way.


101/2331 :
We Are Not Alone.
An MCRN science expedition to Saturn's moon of Phoebe, looking at its potential as a source of ice, discovers a strange chemical trace - what will be come to be called the Proto-Molecule; this discovery will change the course of history.

The Martian Government, through Defense Minister Korshunov, form a partnership with Mao-Kwikowski Mercantile (MKM) to build a long-term research facility on Phoebe, which is achieved via the MKM owned company Protogen.  Protogen researchers soon realise that the proto-molecule is a sentient life-form, and that Phoebe is an extra-solar body, dispatched around 2,3 billion years ago, probably to Earth but having been caught up in Saturn's gravity.  As Protogen head scientist Dresden later says, the Solar System is unknowingly at war with an alien species, and the protomolecule was their first shot.