2144(1391)-2154(1401) (Ætas ab Brian)
From Alternative History
History of Rome-After Ætas ab Brian
| The Space Age Cometh: 2134(1381)-2144(1391) | Mission to Mars: A Space Odyssey: 2144(1391)-2154(1401) | Future! 2154(1401)-2163(1410) |
2145-2150(1392-1397) The Muscovite Empire constructs a north-east canal connecting the Baltic Sea to the Arctic through Muscovite territory.
2146(1393) The Wei Hui Xing mission to Mars departs one of PASA’s space stations by the late of this year. It drops personnel, supplies, and equipment on the far side of Luna, setting up a ‘civilian spaceport/research’ station for later missions. After 2 months the station is in safe operation and the Wei Hui Xing leaves orbit for Mars, using top secret and still experimental cryogenic technology to transport the 10 Mars-bound crewmembers for the 8 months to reach Mars. With Sinica now with the first permanent research station on Luna, CMAS sped up its own Luna station mission from 2151(1398) to 2149(1396).
On Januarius 28th, four CMAS astrunauticai were killed when the protective seal around their rocket engine was burned away, detonating the craft during early lift-off.
2147(1394) CMAS launches a double rover mission to Mars.
Yousef Midhat Ihab Rashid joins with other religious leaders to form Kingdom of Rashidia under monotheistic Islanastrianism, uniting all of the remaining nomadic tribes in Arabia. Making alliances with UAR and Magan, Rashidia Arabia’s new government is peaceful if a bit nervous of being surrounded by Rome.
Also this year, now 2 months on the way to Mars, the Wei Hui Xing suffers a minor explosion after numerous system failures, mostly having to do with the cryo technology (CMAS and Rome had no knowledge of the cryogenic technology, they did not sabotage it). 2 crew members are killed from their stasis chambers’ failure, the rest are awakened by emergency systems. After assessment and communication with PASA control in Tai Po Hoi in southern Xun Sinica, the Wei Hui Xing is ordered to turn around. A large amount of supplies and even the building materials for the Martian base were lost or damaged in the explosion, and the materiél of the Wei Hui Xing was deemed too valuable to order the mission to go ahead with the knowledge of certain failure. The ship returns 3 months later though still with plenty of food and air to spare. The failure of the mission soon cannot be hidden by this time and PASA suffers a chatastrophic setback in publicity and private funds. Once de-briefed the surviving taikonauts are never publicly seen again.
Unrelated to PASA’s failure, Taioan Island suffers a massive independence revolt after being refused time and again to be granted autonomy, apparently the children and grandchildren of the Royalists who fled to Taioan felt 56 years under the ‘new’ Sinica was quite enough. The CM greatly supports the movement, hoping to give the PAB the same feeling the CM had when Dyapapaka joined the PAB and Chimud and Simbabwe had to deal with pro-PAB militants. The CM decrees Taioan as a nation trying to free itself and although does not have any forces deployed, does form an unofficial volunteer fighting contingent, mostly from Manana and Nihonia. Unfortunatly the overbearing Pan Asian Forces massacred the rebels and volunteer contingents within months; they also made sure such a rebellion unlikely to happen again as the PAB ruled that 30% of Taioan’s 19 million people to be executed, another 35% split up and scattered across the PAB (their status pretty much that of slaves), and the remaining 6.65 million allowed to remain in their province with increased military guarisons. The CM declares the execusions a genocide but with the ‘world council’ missing a large portion of the world, nothing can be done by peaceful means; and a war is still out of the question though each year it promises to be all the more devastating when and if it comes.
Also this year, Scandia joined the senate.
CMAS scientists build the first atomic clock in Britannia Sup.
Nero Mallius Accientulus, the Caesar, dies of skin cancer at 72 despite the use of the most advanced medicines and operations. The Senate appoints Macius Palaidigos Voteporix from Byzantium to succeed him.
2148(1395) The Muscovite Empire developes an independent special forces agency called the Qahzaqan-without Sinica’s permission. This act of independence is seen as a minor threat to the solidarity of the PAB. A few months after their formation, the Muscovite politicians are ‘convinced’ to have the Qahzaqan join with Sinica’s own far reaching surreptitious spies to form the Gong Ya-an Yi (Pan Asian Secret Service).
Also this year, CMAS launches Astrum Pulvisi I, a probe to collect information and samples from the comet Brutius, in an elliptical orbit usually getting near Mars. CMAS also begins building a giant Astro Telescopium called the Gaius Arminius Hunius Telescopi after its Lacota born project leader.
Also this year, the referendum in the Empire’s Superior and Inferior provinces for unition is held and expected to be completed in 2 years.
2149(1396) The Astrum Pulvisi I probe returns to CMAS’ Gravitas Space Station with information and samples from the comet Brutius. They are studied meticulously.
A Britannia Inf. ADA clones the first mammal (as far as they know) which is a lamb named Arria. There is intensified research into cloning for organ transplant, ADAs in Abenacia and Scanata work on controllable stem cell manipulation. There is some interest in Human cloning to deal with the limited number of slaves but these are met with protests by neoPruddai (the group seems to have stabilized itself though thankfully at a much lower level of influence and population than the first or second time) and other universal Human rights advocates.
The first bionic (Greek Bion=unit of life –ic=life like) limb replacements are developed in Lacota
The Gaius Arminius Hunius Telescopi is finished and operates without any problems for at least 6 years. The resulting clash by numerous scientists and their labs forces the CMAS to plan the launch of more telescopi within the next few years. PASA also prepares do the same. CMAS launches the first of 9 modules for its lunar research station on Mare Tranquillitatis. The completed base will be an asset to Terra-bound ADAs.
Also about the G.A.H.Telescopium, CMAS researchers observe similar odd-behaving stars as PASA did 14 years ago and begin mulling over similar questions.
2150’s(1397+) As a result of globalization and the super-specialization of the fields of science, ADAs in and outside the empire began to fracture into specialized fields or became privately owned by companies. This fracturing caused more competition, which is good, but also lessened the unity of their cause and hinders the sharing of info.
2150(1397) The first deinosauri fossils are found in Terra Australis by Patagonian paleotologists. They belong to the Tortusaurii family and are called Australisaegis (in Latin, the Patagonians named it in their own language).
Also this year, PASA’s Deng-yue 1 probe to Titan enters orbit, scanning the surface with advanced Telelexy Deprehensionis, giving a detailed though colourless map in 3 dimensions. Titan is found to have a frozen surface with an atmosphere of nearly complete Donqi (nitrogen) (Mephitium in Latin). This data is not shared with the CMAS of course.
Again also this year, the referendum uniting all inferior and superior provinces passes, removing the use of 4 senators (except Livia Inf and Sup. since their autonomy allowed them to exempt themselves).
Again again, though much more importantly, on the 15th of the month of Augustus, a CMAS telelexy telescopium array in Scanata received a single powerful burst of organized radio waves. Within seconds all other CMAS telescopii begin searching, within minutes the news gets to the general public and some people are silly enough to go out looking around with Biscopae (binoculars) thinking that they’ll see anything (but of course, how could one not try to when on the radio they just heard “extraterrestrial life has just made contact with a radio telescope in Scanata”?). The News could not hope to be kept a secret from the PAB either. A long-term effect of this contact is Som-Sci writers and film makers getting even more opportunities than before to make money and express their ideas.
A more significant effect is that fact that the CMAS and PASA begin to exhaustivly search the skies for a reaccurance while the signal is still being verified as authentic (which it defies all other convievable explainations). With this the first possible proof of extraterra life, both the CM and PAB begin projects for detecting intelligent aliens. Incredibly, the CM and PAB are able to negotiate limited collaberation once project Advenae Signa Conferre/Yilian Xuo was enacted in 2152(1399).
Still this same year, PASA, after 15 years of speculations and computing, believes they may have an answer to the strange distorted and funny-orbiting stars. Their odd behaviour may be explained by the presence of a super dense body, possibly a result from the ignition of an ultra-massive star.
2151(1398) Countering the CMAS lunar research base, now with 2 modules, PASA launches 2 rockets from two of its space stations carrying 2 large sections of their own more military based research lunar station. Other, smaller modules will follow. The station will have 17 regular military officers permanently stationed there for security to go with the 20 scientists; another 10 personnel will eventually be sent along with a special habitation module to the station first set up by the Wei Hui Xing mission – though that station is planned for deconstruction in another 5 years as technology advances and the station eventually reaches the limits of upgrading. These acts finally solidify the PAB’s claims to Luna almost 20 years ago. The CMAS is now forced to add military personnel to their own lunar station and all future bases to avoid hostile takeovers. If a takeover were to occur, it is unlikely a war would break out but domination of Luna would accelerate its arrival.
Meanwhile, after 12 years of assessment and marshal law, preparations for the division and dissolution of the Djgatai Khanate are put into motion. The establishing of Transaxana and Moghalistan will be completed by 2156(1403)
PASA launches a space telescopium to match the CMAS’s. It is called Taizu Hongwu Jian Wangupa.
Also this year, heavy droughts and tornadoes in North Terranova, heatwaves in europa, centred in Gaul but all over Europa, kills nearly 70 000people (moslty elderly and slaves working the fields)-agriculture output in europa including baltic nations falls between 5-20% Increased agriculture funding in africa, south Terranova, Asia Australis. The progressively more noticeable anomalies in weather systems the world over result in the CMAS beginning a massive weather study, using satellites, high altitude balloon sensors, and ground stations. The study is scheduled to take 10 years. The Muscovite Empire encounters some of the same problems but only in its most western provinces, which does not help with the ever more tense local political situation.
2152(1399) This year, the PAB and CM’s hard negotiating produced the Advenae Signa Conferre/Yilian Xuo. THE project to find alien intelligence. It is considered a great leap in diplomatic cooperation (practically the first) between the CM and PAB. This helps create some friendliness between the scientists in the project, but the global situation is still anxious, the sharing of data is limited, although the explainations for the star-distorting super massive objects is shared.
Also this year, the Appian railway is completely replaced by Magnescurr rails, the technology having become safe enough for wide use. Over the decades, virtually all vaposcurr and metroscurr lines will be replaced by the magnescurr, the PAB will catch on to the technologyt later.
Again also, Africa Australis joins the Senate. The CMAS launches H. Clodius Surius probe cluster to Saturn and Titan to conduct similar tests as PASA.
2153(1400) The CMAS space station ‘Mars’, obviously built and named for this specific purpose, released its hold on the space ship Ares in September, a large, cylindrical ship quickly rotating to provide gravity to its 6 crewmembers. The Ares took 7 months to get to Mars, they would stay for nearly a year until Earth is on its way back closer to Mars, and then take another 7 months to get back. The ship was designed to be as self sufficient as possible and included numerous mechanisms for rudimentary manipulation of the environment of the landing site to produce oxygen, water, salt, and hydrogen for their stay. The amount of radiation received on the journey was recognized to be very high and the insulation of the ship can only do so much but it would not be allowed to delay the mission.
Also this year, the Mali empire begins to lose substantial territory to the Mandai successionist empire in the north. In order to maintain the Mali empire’s strength, emperor Bonga begins expansions to the south to strengthen the empire’s Aro Gulf presence to intensify trade with other allied African nations. The Mandai Empire proves to be much more friendly to the CM than most African states and will probably join the CM once formal hostilities with the Mali are concluded.
Again also, telelexy reaches a new level. Since the start of its common use in civilian life began in rome in 2008(1255), now, the exact same versatility in multiple-way/channel communication is combined with the wireless telelexy technology of the military into a device slightly smaller than an average brick. Now people may communicate with anyone without having to be at home or near a coin-operated public telelexy.
Once more again also, the international electronic webwork of webworks became known as the Aranis Aranii Electrici Transnationem (Aranis) in the Roman world, in the PAB it is called the Weixu Zjing (Wei-kong) Currently there was still no direct compatability between the two systems but adapters would eventually be developed, they already had basic translation programs for the data sharing of the Advenae Signa Conferre/Yilian Xuo.
2154(1401) On Aprilis 22nd, spaceship Ares enters Mars’ orbit. The habitat and lander sections disembark leaving the rest of the ship as a communication sattleite until it is time to leave for home. The first astrunauticai to walk on Mars, Jesimus Socellius Boncinus proclaims ‘Nos Explorator Audentia Quo Nemo Ante’ [we boldly explore where no one has before]. The mission has so far had limited problems and Rome is on top of the world again. Already CMAS plans a mission to send as many as 100 people to Mars to build a temporary settlement. PASA rushes furiously to cut the time it will take to start another mission. Their original launch date was around 2166(1413).
Som-Sci writers, now that some of their fiction had become reality, were forced to delve ever deeper into imagination, resulting in some beautiful and expressive, although unrealistic and improbable tales of things such as gargantuan dragons ‘flying’ in space, planet sized space stations built in a matter of months, and most preposterous of all, people breathing open space and that Humans are just one of many similar alien lifeforms, being no more important than any other extraterrestrial. This increasingly distinct sub-genre becomes known as ‘Scientia Fantasium’ (Sci-Fan). Many older works considered Som-Sci at the time of their creation were moved to this sub-genre out of nessesity. This formation also created a lot of conflict between Som-Sci and Sci-Fan fanatics. This conflict eventually resulted in a number of literature, televisum, and film productions. Speculatorius as a main fiction genre slipped further in popularity, but its conventions were still nevertheless present in almost every published work.
ADAs in Britannia discovered that certain ceramics adhered to regular armour greatly reduced the penetration of armour piercing rounds. It would take time to perfect the process and would be expensive.
| The Space Age Cometh: 2134(1381)-2144(1391) | Mission to Mars: A Space Odyssey: 2144(1391)-2154(1401) | Future! 2154(1401)-2163(1410) |
