The Age of Absorption

3596-3780CE

Overview

The second half of Rogar II's reign is known as the Age of Absorption, both for the period of growth and integration of territories conquered in the Federation War and Annexation Campaigns and for the renewed emphasis on spiritual development, cybernetic enhancements and genetic transformations. The question of artificial reproduction again emerged as a divisive issue.

The period began with continuing B'dr'rak piracy. While the Empire lifted martial law and colonization restrictions on the other formerly Grand Federation Races in 3600CE, the Emperor extended the occupation of the B'dr'rak worlds for another century and ordered continued Imperialization and anti-piracy patrols. The scourge of B'dr'rak piracy finally ended in 3660CE and the B'dr'rak occupation ended peacefully in 3700CE.

The 37th century saw major religious developments including the birth of Golden Stasis, the first successful Mechanist reincarnation, the codification of Ibrahimism and efforts by the Emperor and the Herculeans to develop dialogs between disparate religions and philosophies.

Renewed agitation over artificial reproduction among the Nobilis, with older families now demonstratively suffering from generational fatigue, led to the Artificial Revolt of 3704CE, a three month insurrection led by House Turki. After the revolt, the Artificial Question went dormant again, with twenty thousand Nobilis migrating to Caldera to practice artificial reproduction in exile under King Anton Turki-Mellon.

In 3730CE, the Rimward red giant Betelgeuse unexpectedly went supernova and collapsed into a black hole. The ensuing shockwave shutdown colonization in Sector 791 and disrupted the Trailing Rim economy for decades, though after fifty years, both tourism and super-heavy metal extraction industries benefited from the supernova display and debris.

After centuries of improving peaceful coexistence, trade frictions brought about by Imperial tariffs and export restrictions began to worsen relations with the Grand Federation of Races. The Kith'turi especially protested Imperial policies, and negotiations to resolving ongoing disputes dragged on through the 3770s.

Rogar's reign ended violently. In 3778CE, his only surviving child, Crown Prince Olav, died in a starship accident and Rogar married his seventeenth wife, Lady Margrette Donner-Zhou of Bengal. Crown Princess Jena was born within a year. In 3780CE, fearing for her life, Margrette arranged for the assassination of her husband, and after a lengthy debate and a brief revolt of the Coreward Command, Margrette was recognized as Regent for her daughter Jena. Two days after the final confirmation vote in the Imperial High Council, word arrived that Kith'turi raiders had crossed the border, initiating the Second Federation War.

By the end of Rogar's reign the Empire had more than doubled in volume, stretching over 850 light years across its average diameter and up more than 500 light years from Sol along the Taurus-Orion Trail and in the Coreward Bulge. The Empire contained over 7,000 colonized systems by 3780CE.

Political

The political climate of the later years of Rogar's reign was dominated by his marital relations and the renewal of the Artificial Question. The fallout from the Federation War had subsided along with B'dr'rak piracy and by the time martial law lifted in 3700CE, internal racial relations between Humans and the ten other Major Races were a minor concern. Crown Prince Olav worked diligently with the Minor Races and, had he lived, inter-species harmony would probably have been a major focus of his reign.

After a gap of seventy years, Emperor Rogar married his twelfth wife, Lady Manda Sullivan, in 3642CE. She was the first of four wives who died after less than a decade of matrimony. The Emperor's sixteenth wife was Princess Helena Turki-Bannon-Mellon. This marriage was an attempt to repair ties with House Turki and to reach out to the resurgent Artificial Rights movement.

As it became clear that Rogar was unwilling to institute the radical reform demanded by the Remnant Artificial Association, Helena and members of her House, including former King Kane, became further engaged in the Artificial Rights movement, which had already staged an occupation of the Imperial High Council and other protest actions. Empress Helena led the Artificial Revolt in 3704CE, and it cost her and Kane their lives. After forcing King Anton into exile on Caldera, the Emperor convinced Atlantis's first king, Karl, to retake the throne that Empress Katrina had forced him from in 2817CE, thus, ironically, restoring relations between the Emperor and House Turki.

The Artificial Revolt did have a legitimate origin in the genetic crisis facing the Nobilis race. In families that had reached their fifteenth generation, clear generational fatigue manifested in high incidents of miscarriages and genetic abnormalities, prompting fears of a genetic catastrophe before the Nobilis reached their thirtieth generation. Artificial reproduction could extend the span between generations and currently banned research into Nobilis improvements could alleviate generational fatigue directly, but the compromises that led to banning of Artificial reproduction were not subject to review in an era of renewed religious activity. Though Rogar drew his support mostly from Sapiens and kept the Nobilis at a distance, he did recognize the future implications of these issues. Caldera, an exile world for the Artificial Nobilis, could continue to practice artificial reproduction and did begin to research methods to combat generational fatigue, providing a safety value to combat current unrest and a hedge for solving the issue in a future age.

During the later years of Rogar II's reign, the demographics of the Empire shifted significantly. The bulk of Human population growth was in the New Colonies, and with greater acceptance of cyborgization and new genetic transformations, only four out of five Humans were completely "Standard" Sapiens by 3780CE, with Eternal treatment and low cyborgization accounting for over half the Variants. Extreme forms of genetic transformation such as Majestic Fliers and Tunes and extreme High Cyborgs like VISborgs and Automans gained much notoriety, often encouraging conservative Standards to adopt Ibrahimism as a response. The entire Human race accounted for slightly less than half the Imperial population in 3780CE, but despite the absorption of five Grand Federation races and the union with the Khruzi and Cubics, the Human population, spread over thousands of New Colony worlds, was growing much faster than any other race.

Technological

In the 37th century, Imperial technology began to clearly advance beyond that of the Grand Federation of Races, even in many forms of biological manipulation. The most obvious signs of this technological progress were the development of Mode IV microjump generators in 3631CE, allowing a 40% increase in interstellar travel velocity, and the incremental cellar biomorphisis techniques pioneered by Nestor Crowl that led to a myriad of Human genetic Variants and to the Elixir and Extensor anagathic medicines that pushed Standard Human life expectancies beyond one thousand years.

In addition to Mode IV generators, Imperial scientists and technicians also developed improved gravity shielding and compensation techniques and the first transstring force field generators, allowing energy and matter shielding without impacting vehicle performance. While these technologies eventual leaked into the Grand Federation, they did allow the Imperial Navy a considerable head start in fleet upgrades and led to a distinct advantage for Imperial traders and merchants, unfortunately cumulating in frictions with the Kith'turi and other border races.

Nestor Crowl's techniques ushered in a golden age of Human genetic transformation. Many accepted Variants, from Mesomorphs to Ions to Tunes first arose in the 37th century and Variant transformation became a growing alternative to cyborgization. The widest impact of Crowl's work came from the Ibrahimite church's development of the Elixir, a powerful anagathic technique that slowed aging to one fiftieth Standard rates without genetic transformation or undesirable side effects. When the generic Extensor became available in 3690CE, annual Elixir/Extensor treatments became the anti-aging regime of choice for most of the Human population, effectively diminishing the immediate need for NB treatments, Restoration regenerations or Eternal therapy until late in an individual's life. A Standard Human who spent 1,200 years on Extensor, followed by two Restoration regenerations and subsequent Eternal Therapy could expect a life span of well over 4,000 years, though accidents, suicides and other factors still limited life expectancy to no more than the effective Extensor limits.

Cultural

Along with the growth of alternative forms to the Standard Human, the 37th century was the incubator of maturing forms of many religious movements. In general, the period of Rogar's later reign was one of variety in form, religion and styles.

In 3618CE, Harlo Dilman published the Path of Golden Stasis, preaching an asymptotic approach to achieving an ideal future existence that was remarkably like an idealized version of the Empire of Humanity. Golden Stasis became a popular religion with the Nobilis and members of the Sapien elite, first spawning superficial alterations that formed the eventual basis for the later Futaris Human Variant.

The Mechanist Church finally achieved its founder's goal in 3624CE with the successful reincarnation of Fazzi Barduk, reapplying his stored memory and personality patterns into a quick-cloned body. Though the techniques employed were still primitive, the promise of returning as an Incarnate transformed Mechanism from a fringe religion practiced mostly on Karinsky into a growing movement with adherents on many worlds.

Norman Buchanan, the longtime leader of the Technologist Movement, published Discourse on the Future of Humanity in 3627CE as a response to Golden Stasis and Mechanist reincarnation and called for a middle path, embracing moderate cyborgization and genetic improvement. Technologist initiatives helped develop many of the genetic Variant transformations of the later 37th and early 38th century as the dangers of excessive cyborgization became more apparent.

The reaction to increased Human variation and the widespread prevalence of cosmetic cybernetic and genetic modifications led to a resurgence of interest in traditional religions and philosophies, most notably the Ibrahimite Moslem Church. Ibrahim Mustafa began forming his vision of Ibrahimite orthodoxy in the 37th century, calling upon the faithful to engage in pilgrimages to Terra, denouncing Mechanism and cyborgization in the 3620s, expelling Nobilis from the church in 3642CE and presenting the Golden Book of Ibrahim in 3658CE. The Golden Book became the core of orthodox Ibrahimism. It preached against alternation of the basic Human form by mechanical or biological means and encouraged modesty in dress, speech and actions. In the late 37th century, Ibrahimite dress, including robes and veils for both genders, became a near universal mark of piety among the billions of Ibrahimites. The allocation of Elixir to all of the faithful led to a dramatic increase in church membership, especially before the availability of Extensor in 3690CE.

By the end of the 37th century, the widespread divergence of religion and philosophical views caused some friction across the Empire. Emperor Rogar II's Conclave of New and Old Philosophies in 3682CE was the first attempt to forge greater understanding and tolerance among the varying philosophies, but that effort was overshadowed by the renewed controversies over Artificial Rights, and accomplished little beyond planting the idea of dialogue. The two Conference of Ideas summits on Hercules in 3694CE and 3708CE were more inclusive and better organized, and the second Conference produced the Declaration of Tolerance, a set of principles that lowered rhetoric and encouraged a multicultural peace for centuries.

The Age of Absorption was a period of colorful styles and forms of self-expression. Widespread use of cosmetic cyborgization and genetic alterations made the Human body a statement of individuality and personality for the majority of Humans unwilling to radically alter their internal composition. Especially in the later half of the 37th century and throughout most of the 38th, many of these external alterations became quite flamboyant and, in contrast to Ibrahimite prudishness, many Humans were quiet open about displaying their altered bodies as works of individualistic art and expression.

Chronology Table

3596	The Imperial Navy captures a Khabaderan vessel and crew during a raid on a B'dr'rak pirate outpost, sparking a diplomatic crisis with the Grand Federation.
3597	The Ministry of Colonization allows the Turgil, Khaddahl and Brennar to each establish a second colony world. The Grand Federation offers the Empire an official apology for not preventing aid from flowing to pirates and pledges to aggressively pursue any citizens aiding B'dr'rak "renegades".
3598	After a CID attack leaves him crippled, King William III of Mars abdicates in favor of his daughter, who becomes Queen Anna II.
3599	Ibrahim and two thousand attendants begin a tour of the Empire aboard a chartered cruise liner; the tour features public prayers and speaking engagements on fifty worlds. Queen Anna II of Mars announces a series of public works and monumental projects aimed at "affirming the pride and aspirations of Martians."
3600	The Emperor grants full rights and autonomy to the Cargomen, Birds, Orm and !Tak, reducing the naval presence in their territories and allowing them to maintain local system military units and to contribute vessels and crews to the Imperial Navy. Martial law continues in B'dr'rak space, with Rogar citing piracy and anti-Imperial sentiment for extending restrictions for another century.
3601	B'dr'rak pirates attack two !Tak outposts in Sector 396, prompting a retaliatory raid by the 162nd Fleet and attached !Tak units. The Time Travel Society awakens in Australia to thousands of eager applicants, encouraged by a popular biography of David Travers; Travers wisely decides to franchise the Society, filling all 120 births of the original facility by lottery and allowing the rest to build nearly twenty facilities scattered on Earth and other Solar planets.
3602	Crown Prince Olav leads a delegation to the Pasduchi homeworld to discuss Minor Race membership. Olav later accompanies several Pasduchi representatives on a tour of Minor world capitals and the Solar System.
3603	The Pasduchi enter the Empire as a Minor Race.
3604	The Imperial Exposition at Alberta on Mars showcases the Queen's grandiose Pavilion Complex and the growing Spires of the rejuvenated city.
3605	Crown Prince Olav travels to Khald'aron and later tours the Khald'aron base at Rigel. Ibrahim returns from his journeys and proclaims the importance for all Humans to visit their homeworld at least once, marking the beginning of the Ibrahimite Terran pilgrimage.
3606	On Cyclops, Army Chief of Staff General Arlo Dunkannan leads a coup that overthrows King Aaron II; the subsequent military junta strips the Nobility of all power and titles and exiles the royal family.
3607	General Dunkannan declares himself President of the Sapien Republic of Cyclops and begins detaining all two million local Nobilis for deportation; the Emperor dispatches the Eight Fleet, the Third Marine Army and an Imperial Guard cruiser squadron to Cyclops.
3608	The Emperor negotiates a compromise settlement on Cyclops, calling for free election in two years and the restoration of civil rights and most property to Nobilis citizens.
3609	B'dr'rak pirates seize the luxury liner Glorious Night, holding four thousand wealthy Imperial citizens hostage; Imperial Marines led by Major Bandar Kane use subterfuge to recapture the vessel, killing most of the hijackers, but saving all of the hostages.
3610	On Cyclops, Arlo Dunkannan dies in a disintegrator attack on his headquarters just weeks before the general election; as the world descends into riots and chaos, Imperial forces intervene to establish order and martial law, but over two hundred thousand perish.
3611	Baron Howlan Chin resigns from the Ministry of Commerce and begins his writings on economic history; Rogar creates him Count of Macao.
3612	Rogar marries his twelfth wife, Lady Manda Sullivan of Terra. Imperial supervised elections on Cyclops proceed smoothly, as does the adoption of a liberal Constitution that protects both Nobilis and Sapien rights.
3613	Emperor Rogar II issues an edict further limiting Ministry of Justice jurisdiction on Member worlds, though specifically exempting treason and murders of Imperial citizens from local law enforcement. Imperial forces withdraw from Cyclops.
3614	Lord Van Maxwell of Venus wins the Tigarvati prize for his Echoes of the World, a full sensory experience of the Gaian Venus.
3615	The outgoing methane-breathing Saa of Chundaan in Sector 38, first discovered in 2962, achieve spaceflight with fission rockets and accept an invitation to join the Empire as a Minor Race.
3616	Crown Prince Olav travels to Focus as part of the official delegation accompanying the new ambassador and meets with the leadership of the Primary Races.
3617	An unexpected catastrophic volcanic eruption devastates Janus in Sector 5, killing thirty thousand instantly and another fifty thousand in subsequent tsunamis and ash falls; Imperial relief agencies and Ministry of Science atmospheric modifiers struggle to save lives and stabilize the environment.
3618	Harlo Dilman publishes the Path of Golden Stasis, calling for a society that forgoes constant change in order to gradually stabilize in a secular technological paradise.
3619	Nestor Crowl wins the Tigarvati Prize for his incremental cellar biomorphisis technique, a method that leads to safer genetic alteration therapies and, eventually, the Elixir and Extensor anagathics treatments.
3620	The experimental shuttle Ultra successfully lands a crew on the white dwarf Procyon B in a test by Hercules Heavy Industries of their newest gravity shielding and force field technologies.
3621	The Imperial Navy discovers and destroys the combined B'dr'rak-Human pirate complex of Ragnarok on a rouge planet in Sector 397.
3622	The government of Europa declares the terraformation of their world to be complete, holding a celebratory ceremony at the new capital of Crystalis Utopia.
3623	A Natani assassin kills the Duke of Thebes. Workers on Luna uncover the shattered remains of a Dragon outpost near Mare Moscoviense, mostly destroyed by an ancient meteorite impact.
3624	Howlan Permas, Primal of Mechanism on Karinsky announces the first successful "reincarnation" of a computerized "soul" into the cloned body of Fazzi Barduk. Mechanism begins a resurgence as an accepted religion and life extension protocol, with property rights and Imperial citizen privileges granted to the subsequent incarnations of Mechanist followers. Ibrahim denounces the Incarnates as "soul-less simulacra" and other mainstream religious leaders ban Mechanist reincarnation and protest the Incarnates' legal standing.
3625	Empress Manda dies in a hunting accident on Dorian Minor; Emperor Rogar II was the shooter in the mishap.
3626	The Khald'aron report that their expedition to the Orion Nebula has been lost. Numerous wild theories of Nebular demons begin to replace Sagittarian conspiracies in the popular imagination.
3627	As a response to to Dilman's work and the Mechanist reincarnation, Norman Buchanan publishes Discourse on the Future of Humanity, calling for a path that welcomes change and progress but calls for gradual cyborgization and genetic improvement rather than Mechanist reincarnation or extreme cyborgization at the expense of biological life.
3628	Fire destroys much of the Kalmaran royal palace of Svartfjell; Prince Tor is credited with saving many ancient artifacts, including James McKnight's Martian EVA suit.
3629	The terraformation of Ganymede reaches official completion, marked by festivities attend by the Emperor.
3630	Prince Cleon tours the Jovian system, visiting his half-brother Alexander's tomb at the Jovian War Memorial and giving a dense and often analyzed speech concerning the past and future of Humanity.
3631	King Roban II of Paradise suffers a CID attack, rendering him partially paralyzed, and he abdicates in favor of his son, who becomes King Garth of Paradise. The Ministry of Defense tests a secret Mode IV microjump prototype, the X-47 Rapier, making a run from Sol to Fomalhaut at 13.68 light years per day.
3632	Emperor Rogar II marries Countess Melana Durvas of Caen, France, his thirteenth wife.
3633	The first secret Mode IV Dagger Class frigates enter service as military scout and communications vessels.
3634	After a disputed election, warfare erupts on Crius in Sector 51; the losing faction, the Progress Party of Crius (PPC), begins a guerilla campaign, sabotaging data networks and detonating explosives in the major cities.
3635	Three Imperial Marine regiments from the Coreward Command arrive on Crius to combat the rebels. Terraformation officially ends on Callisto, though the world remains cold with most surface settlement concentrated in the temperate equatorial belt.
3636	Venus uses the Imperial Exposition in Lakshmi to showcase new biological constructs and enhancements, proclaiming a theme of biological enhancement over cyborgization.
3637	The first genetically altered Fliers take to the skies above Luna, the Jovian moons and the rare colony worlds with high atmospheric pressure and low gravity, like Dorian Minor. PPC rebels on Crius kill Marine Major General Dame Regina Torvald, prompting a larger buildup of Imperial troops and pinpoint bombardments of rebel positions.
3638	Empress Melana dies of CID-related seizures; the Emperor insists on an independent autopsy, which verifies the Empress's death as a natural CID mortality.
3639	The Ibrahimite church begins distributing and promoting the Elixir, an annually consumed drug that slows aging to one fiftieth, allowing a Human life span of 1000-2000 years; Terran and Imperial regulatory bodies approve the Elixir, confirming that secret trial studies had been underway for decades. After a popular uprising in favor of the PPC, Emperor Rogar orders the withdrawal of Imperial forces from Crius and recognizes the provisional government's representatives to the Imperial Congress and High Council.
3640	An exposé by Shannea Fendal of Hercules exposes the military Mode IV program, leading to a public demonstration of the technology. Former King Roban II dies on Paradise at age 653, beginning an extravagant funeral proceeding attended by both the Emperor and the Crown Prince.
3641	Crown Prince Olav visits the B'dr'rak homeworld under heavy security, meeting with local officials to come to terms with the rights and responsibilities of Imperial Membership.
3642	Ibrahim officially expels the Nobility from his church, accepting the conservative view that they are an aberration of Humanity; he also affirms the prohibition against Eternal treatment and denounces regeneration therapies as a deadly sin against the Creator and the Human body; in return the, Ibrahimite church distributes the Elixir to the Chosen, all loyal members who adhere to church doctrine. The Emperor accepts Ibrahim's decision to expel the Nobility as an exercise of religious freedom, but warns Ibrahimites not to disobey Nobilis temporal authorities. The Emperor marries his fourteenth wife, the very young and beautiful Lady Shayla Trieburon of Luna, in a lavish public ceremony.
3643	Violent anti-Nobilis riots break out on Macaroba, Islam, New Palestine and Fatima, with radical Ibrahimites calling for the expulsion of all Nobilis residents.
3644	Empress Shayla commits suicide on her twenty-eighth birthday, completely destroying her body in a plasma gun discharge. Ibrahimite renegades assassinate the Duke of New Palestine and his family plus six other prominent local Nobles.
3645	The Emperor refuses to intervene when Amin, the new Duke of New Palestine reasserts control of his world and orders the mass execution of Ibrahimite extremists. Ibrahim denounces the New Palestinian Nobility as butchers, but renounces the actions of his extremist followers and announces that assassinators and their families will be denied the Elixir.
3646	The Ministry of Science licenses Mode IV microjump technology to major Imperial starship producers under restrictions preventing export to the Grand Federation or non-Imperial races.
3647	Hercules Heavy Industries demonstrates an 8m Mode IV personal starship at the Dragonfly Rally.
3648	The twenty-five year old Miss Venus Nobilis, Lady Elana Durabrovick becomes Emperor Rogar II's fifteenth wife.
3649	King Garth of Paradise dies suddenly of CID at age 562; his son, Ivan Kamarov, becomes King after another extravagant funeral ceremony, where the former king is buried in the pyramid erected for his father.
3650	The Imperial Navy thwarts an attack on Antares Station by B'dr'rak extremists; alleged cooperation from B'dr'rak authorities leads to some unrest and much debate in the B'dr'rak worlds.
3651	Ibrahim enters meditative seclusion in the Arabian desert.
3652	For the first time, the Betelgeuse-Antares Rally allows two classes of entrants, Mode III and Mode IV. Three Mode IV vessels enter the BAR, with the winner, Lord Anton Jurallos' White Fire, completing the race in 78 days 21 hours. The Emperor celebrates his six hundredth birthday in a lavish celebration in Byzantium.
3653	Maxwell Biogenics perfects its Majestic Flyer genetic modification; allowing a modified individual to fly from the surface of Mars or Mercury and soar from the cliffs of Terra or Venus.
3654	The terraformation of Io officially ends, completing the Jovian Collapse Project; the world remains a hot caustic desert, but surface travel is possible without protection.
3655	Crown Prince Olav breaks off his recently announced engagement to Lady Tania Turvel of Artemis, citing personal incompatibilities.
3656	Planetary engineers on Rama begin battling an ice age arising from a sudden decrease in solar output.
3657	Empress Elana and eight members of her entourage die when their touring shuttle crashes into the sea just north of Lada on Venus; the subsequent investigation blames multiple systems failures.
3658	Ibrahim emerges from his meditation to present the Great Book of Golden Islam, also known as the Golden Book of Ibrahim, which becomes the core text of Ibrahimism or Golden Islam.
3659	Prince Cleon undergoes Majestic Flyer modification on Mercury. The Martian government begins the Beads of Mars project, planning to string a dozen asteroids in orbit above the world.
3660	Imperial Navy squadrons destroy the last three major B'dr'rak pirate bases, effectively ending B'dr'rak resistance.
3661	The Naturalists establish a pre-industrial colony on Westphalia in Sector 419. A group of aging Artificially conceived Nobles form the Remnant Artificial Association, lobbying for reinstatement of Artificial conception for Nobles; they fail to convince either Prince Cleon of Mercury or King James of Africa, both Artificial sons of Emperor Rogar I to join their cause, which Cleon dismisses as politically and historically untenable.
3662	The Swarm Admiral Solid Road Ahead mutinies with a squadron of Swarm vessels from the 46th Fleet, proclaiming himself Protector of the Swarm race and calling for independence from the Empire; few Swarm citizens support his cause. The Imperial Rimward and Central Commands mobilize to search for the Swarm rebel squadron, destroying it in the pitched Battle of December Fourth in Deep Space near the renegades' cometary base.
3663	A Ministry of Science research team discovers a derelict Gatebuilder facility on an airless world around a red dwarf in Sector 254; though completely non-functional, the many nearly intact buildings make this discovery a trove of information on the Gatebuilder race.
3664	Human pirates led by Donavon Patrick capture the Mode IV racer Brennan's Flame during the Betelgeuse-Antares Rally, selling the vessel to Grand Federation agents, then releasing the crew for a ransom.
3665	After a series of appeals reach to the Emperor, the Ministry of Defense accepts Ibrahimite dress, prayer and medical protocols as approved variations of the Military Code.
3666	Imperial Marines capture Donavon Patrick and members of his crew; after a public trial for piracy and high treason, they face a military execution at Antares.
3667	With the resignation of Lord Regas Bannon as Minister of State and the appointment of Dame Heather Mbeki as his replacement, the Emperor's entire cabinet is composed of Sapiens.
3668	Ministry of Defense, Justice and Commerce leaders announce the commencement of Operation Clean Sweep, a coordinated, Empire-wide action against remaining pirate operations.
3669	A group of heavily modified Humans, calling themselves the Tunes, colonize the atmosphere of Neptune.
3670	The Mermen of Venus and Poseidon accept enhancements to allow survival at deep sea pressures.
3671	The liner Comet's Trail,with over 8,000 Ibrahimite pilgrims crammed aboard, disappears en route from Islam to Terra.
3672	The self-styled pirate Captain Adolphus XIII defeats a squadron of Imperial Navy ships at Bedouin Lun in Sector 211 and begins a spree of raids against Spinward and Rimward settlements and vessels.
3673	The Imperial Navy cruiser Black Diamond disappears while on patrol in Sector 187, prompting an extensive and futile search for the ship, a victim of an attack by Adolphus XIII.
3674	Emperor Rogar personally fires Command Admiral Lord Jonas Chin, an outspoken Remnant Artificial, as commander of the Central Command; citing gross dereliction of duty, though many observers suspect secret evidence of treason or a coup plot.
3675	Adolphus XIII raids, loots and destroys the Imperial Naval Base at Fafnir in Sector 199. The Emperor discharges the Sector and Command Admirals for the 199th and the Spinward Command and places a bounty on Adolphus XIII.
3676	A private team of retired Imperial Navy and Marine personnel infiltrates Adolphus XIII's organization and captures him, bringing him to Gades for trial and execution; Rogar knights the bounty hunters while dismissing ten additional Navy and Marine flag officers.
3677	Chameleon skin modifications become the newest rage among the New Colonies and later, the Central Region, with the genetic modification allowing nearly instantaneous changes to skin hue and patterns.
3678	Imperial Guard troops occupy the Imperial High Council after a prolonged occupation of the chambers by Nobles demanding a review of the restrictions on Artificial conception and protesting the declining numbers of Nobles appointed to high positions in the bureaucracy and military.
3679	Trials against occupiers of the High Council chambers mostly end in reduced charges and suspended sentences, though three ringleaders, known as the RA Three, receive fifty year terms to the Imperial Detention Center at Fomalhaut V. Modified Ioians begin a nomadic lifestyle on the world's surface, setting themselves apart from the unmodified inhabitants of the mostly subsurface cities.
3680	Twelve years after it began, and under a new set of mostly Sapien Command Admirals, Operation Clean Sweep officially ends with all major pirate organizations eradicated.
3681	The first group of Vacules, Humans modified both biologically and cybernetically for vacuum and zero gravity begin to appear in the Belts of Sol.
3682	The Emperor's Conclave of New and Old Philosophies convenes on Mercury, with representatives and philosophers from ancient and modern religions meeting to discuss common themes and tolerance; disruptions by Artificial Rights protestors over their philosophy's exclusion highlight the muddled nature and marginal benefits of this conference.
3683	Admiral Chingar Brootavarani becomes the first Khruzi Command Admiral, assuming control of the Spinward Command at its new Mendam headquarters.
3684	The Imperial Exposition on Io highlights the transformation of the harsh world into a technological paradise.
3685	King Kane of Atlantis makes a rare address in favor of "considering the Artificial Question", prompting a harsh rebuke from the Emperor.
3686	The Imperial survey border reaches four hundred light years from Sol, not counting the Coreward Bulge and the Taurus-Orion Trail, both of which stretch beyond 550 light years from Sol.
3687	Anton Turki-Mellon becomes King of Atlantis upon the abdication of his father, Kane, who cites personal reasons for ending his 870 year reign.
3688	Increasing insanity among the Tunes of Neptune leads to the end of the conversion project, with the remaining six thousand Tunes restricted to a monitored environment in the atmosphere of the gas giant. The Ministry of Science begins studies into the psychological effects of extreme genetic modification.
3689	Queen Anna II of Mars presides over the completion ceremonies of the Beads of Mars and delivers a speech emphasizing Martian Pride.
3690	Extensor, a generic form of the Elixir becomes available on Deseret and soon spreads to other worlds, allowing non-Ibrahmites to benefit from its age-reducing capabilities. Extensor's complex preparation process slows its standard adoption as a standard component of health care, but it does effectively replace Restoration regeneration therapy within decades.
3691	The RA Three disappear from the Fomalhaut V detention center in what Imperial Guard investigators uncover as an inside operation to free them.
3692	Vacules begin colonizing the asteroid belts of Alpha Centauri and the Hercules system. The acclaimed Imperial Exposition on Khruzi marks the first hosting by a non-Human world.
3693	In a bid to repair his ties to House Turki, Rogar marries his sixteenth wife, Princess Helena Turki-Bannon-Mellon of Atlantis, a great-grand-niece of his eighth wife and a great-great-granddaughter of King Anton, in a ceremony atop the Outer Centauri Ring.
3694	Hercules holds the Conference of Ideas, inviting religious, philosophical and activist leaders, including Artificial Rights activists, to discuss differences and coexistence; despite a failure to agree on a Declaration of Principles, the Conference is considered a positive move, with another scheduled in a decade.
3695	Ibrahim condemns all but therapeutic genetic modifications as violations of the pact between the Creator and the Chosen. More liberal Ibrahimite scholars, led by Josef Bkumi form the Open Islamic Church, call for allowing more leeway for minor cybernetic and genetic modification. Ibrahim excommunicates the "Open Heretics."
3696	The tragedy-plagued Imperial Exposition at Paris on Terra suffers from a fatal grav platform collapse accident, killing 107 just before Open Ceremonies, and a lethal genetic plague of unknown origin that kills 12 and sickens thousands, leading to an early closing right after the completion of Olympic competitions; investigators determine the plague to be of "probably natural" origin.
3697	A media blitz from the hidden RA Three and the now incognito Kane, ex-King of Atlantis, begins clandestine broadcasts calling for repeal of Amendment XI. Karl, the aged and long retired first King of Atlantis denounces Kane and the Artificial Rights movement.
3698	Mutating data viruses cripple the world sphere of Islam, leading to system failures and accidents that kill tens of thousands of people; an investigation panel blames improper controls, untrained staff and antiquated equipment for the disaster.
3699	Ibrahim, hoping to quell an anti-technology backlash to the Islam Breakdown, reiterates to his followers that technology is a tool of the Chosen and they must wield it well to avoid disasters.
3700	Rogar lifts military restrictions on the B'dr'rak, allowing them full integration as an Imperial Major Race. The Ministry of Commerce ends economic restrictions on B'dr'rak worlds and the Ministry Colonization opens a B'dr'rak settlement evaluation office.
3701	The long-awaited report on extreme genetic modifications documents the dangers of these procedures but indicate that the Vacule modification seems less hazardous than other extreme treatments; the concluding summary recommends that modifications be limited to cosmetic or minor enhancements or extensions of abilities. Members of the Time Travel Society awaken in Australia and at subsidiary facilities; the fad long gone, no new members join the program and 20% of the 3601 members drop out of the Society.
3702	The Imperial Guard arrests over thirty Artificial Rights activists on treason charges related to protest broadcasts; all receive long sentences at the reorganized and expanded Fomalhaut detention center.
3703	The Emperor travels to B'dr'rak under heavy security, receiving a generally favorable welcome.
3704	The Artificial Revolt begins when Empress Helena leads a widespread Nobilis insurrection in favor of Artificial Rights. Backed by renegade Imperial Navy and Marine elements and household units, the rebel Nobles attempt to seize control of Byzantium and Ultima Thule. With the aid of fanatically loyal Imperial Guards, Emperor Rogar and Crown Prince Olav escape ambushes and rally loyalist forces, capturing the Empress, and defeating the rebel fleet at the Battle of Proxima, a fray that also kills the RA Three and Kane Turki-Mellon. After a few minor skirmishes, the rebellion collapses as loyalist Nobles hurry to arrest AR dissidents and proclaim their loyalty to the Emperor. In a series of secret trials, the Ministry of Justice convicts and executes over 6,000 Nobles for treason, including Empress Helena.
3705	In a bargain to save his House from further prosecution, Atlantian King Anton abdicates and his ancestor, 1,500 year old Karl Turki, resumes the throne of Atlantis with Imperial blessing.
3706	The Betelgeuse-Antares Rally runs its last Mode III race with participants in the Mode IV contest outnumbering their slower colleagues four to one.
3707	The Emperor allows twenty thousand Nobilis active in the Artificial Rights movement to settle in exile on Caldera in Sector 391, twenty light years from Kumar. The Caldera colony, ruled by former King Anton of Atlantis, receives special dispensation to practice Artificial reproduction, but looses the privileges of Imperial Citizenship for themselves and their descendants.
3708	Delayed by the Revolt, the second Hercules Conference of Ideas finally convenes and produces a closing Declaration of Tolerance from all participants.
3709	Lord Stefan Altus of Hibernia forms the New Mystic movement after describing his visions of a higher plane of existence; drawn vaguely from Buddhist, Tao and Christian teachings, the movement influences styles and culture more than behavior.
3710	Social unrest on Nova spreads to violence between the "Clone Children" and the "Naturals"; the government of Nova begins an education and outreach program to lessen tensions. The Emperor's three hundredth Jubilee draws over a billion visitors to Terra and Kalmar.
3711	The Scout cruiser Adeline discovers a derelict Gatebuilder starship in Sector 956, surveying the vessel before the self-defense systems activate, kill four crew members and eventually destroy the artifact.
3712	The Imperial Exposition at Nairobi contains an exhibit showcasing last five million years of Human evolution; with primitive pre-Human species genetically restored and living in separate simularium ecologies.
3713	Crown Prince Olav, accompanied by Prince Cleon of Mercury, travels to Hallowed to meet with the Founders in a private discussion of cultures and history from which emerges Cleon's final book, The Tides of Orion.
3714	Lana Zhang wins the Tigarvati Prize for her epic Rivers of Mercury.
3715	King Joseph IV of Venus suffers a series of CID-related seizure and abdicates in favor of his daughter, who becomes Queen Eliza.
3716	A B'dr'rak delegation participates in the Olympic games of the Imperial Exposition at the Red Fort on Mercury; Prince Cleon opens the games with another dense speech on racial relations in the Empire.
3717	Colonists on Camilla in Sector 77 face the emergence of a hibernating predatory species that kills a third of the fifty thousand settlers before Imperial Marines eradiate the predator.
3718	Harlo Dilman publishes The Steps to Golden Stasis, a follow-up to his earlier work that lays out practical principles for achieving the Golden Stasis and calls for the creation of Enclaves, or worlds colonized on the principles of the Stasis; critics refer to Dilman's followers as "mental Statics".
3719	The Ministry of Science and the Alimeen Industrial Council begin work to recreate worm drive technology at the Halo Four research facility in the outer Alimeen system. The Scout frigate Aden discovers a rapidly spinning black hole in Sector 704.
3720	The White Plague, a mysterious illness causing insanity and occasionally death, spreads across Titan, instigating a quarantine that eventually affects the entire Solar system.
3721	A Titanian team lead by Sirin Baddok discovers the viral cause and cure for the White Plague, earning her ennoblement as the Countess of Enceladus; the Plague killed seven thousand and sickened millions before the cure was found and distributed.
3722	Crown Prince Olav begins a yearlong sabbatical among the Comans, learning their culture and songs. Prince Cleon's The Tides of Orion wins the Tigarvati Prize.
3723	Former King Joseph IV of Venus dies and receives an extravagant funeral supervised by Queen Eliza; an unknown assassin kills Eliza and dumps her body into the pyre of her father; her daughter Tabitha becomes Queen of Venus.
3724	Scouts encounter the microjump-capable Serlian of N'Cheeta in Sector 430; this former Grand Federation race is friendly but insists on maintaining cultural and spiritual purity through isolation; the Ministry of Science places the Serlian home system and two nearby colony worlds under protective quarantine.
3725	Reports surface that implicate a secret Imperial Guard bioweapons research facility in the Oort cloud as the accidental source of the White Plague; the Emperor orders a secret investigation and publicly calls for greater safeguards, moving all bioweapons research outside settled systems.
3726	The Emperor travels to Nova to praise the government and its people for successfully overcoming social unrest without violence; during the visit, the Imperial Guard foils an assassination attempt by Lady Silvia Kassidi of Hera.
3727	Disruptions, brawls and limited ship-to-ship combat at the Dragonfly Fair leads to new security procedures to protect rowdy participants from each other.
3728	Lord Sean Kassidi, brother of the executed Lady Silvia, attempts to kill the Emperor during opening ceremonies of the Imperial Exposition at Santiago on Terra.
3729	The Quick Pathers, an eccentric offshoot of the Golden Stasis, attempt to overthrow the government of Dionysus by taking control of planetary data systems; after assistance from the Imperial Sixth Fleet, the plot quickly collapses.
3730	Betelgeuse unexpectedly supernovas and collapses into a black hole just four days after the commencement of what turns out to be the last running of the Betelgeuse-Antares Rally; with less than a day's notice of cascading instability, haphazard evacuation of facilities leaves at least five hundred people reported missing and presumed dead; evacuees reach Kumar and other surrounding worlds, where panic precedes a more orderly assessment of risks. Science probes hurry to explore the expanding supernova shock wave. The scout cruiser Flannelly is lost with all 463 crew exploring the sixty-day shock wave and three other vessels suffer damage and casualties. Pavl Nerta's Fireward wins the last BAR in a record 78 days 4 hours, celebrating for two week before news of the supernova reaches Antares.
3731	The Rimward Command mobilizes to monitor the Betelgeuse supernova and supervise contingency planning, banning all commercial flights within ten light years of the supernova.
3732	Kumar begins constructing shelters and hardened facilities to withstand the supernova gamma burst expected in twenty-five years and the particle storms expected up to fifty years into the future. The Ministry of Colonization puts a hundred year moratorium on new colonies within fifty light years of Betelgeuse, effectively shutting down colonial operations in Sector 791 and most of 790.
3733	The heavily shielded scout cruiser Schrödinger enters the Betelgeuse system to examine the newly formed black hole and collect super-heavy element samples.
3734	An undetected 400m asteroid strikes the colony world of Hengshan in Sector 43, causing widespread destruction and thousands of casualties; an investigation blames a faulty sunward sensor array assessment AI, prompting a multi-world recall of the affected two hundred year old units.
3735	A second voyage to the Betelgeuse black hole by the Schrödinger establishes automated probe stations in the system and records dramatic images of debris approaching the event horizon.
3736	The Imperial Racing Federation runs the first Kumar to Nachen Rally with only twenty participants and marginal advertising revenues.
3737	The first Fire Dragon hunt on Io takes place, with hunters vying to kill the genetically engineered monsters across the scorched surface and skies of the world.
3738	The Flannelly Memorial Station opens at Dragonfly to host Fair participants. Emperor Rogar kills a Fire Dragon on Io after a hunt that causes the commander of the Emperor's Personal Guard, Brigadier Lord Tomas Bylen, to resign in consternation.
3739	The Ministry of Science establishes a permanently staffed Betelgeuse Monitoring Station in orbit around the black hole. A second running of the Kumar-Nachen Rally attracts a larger field and better revenues and establishes the new race as a regular event.
3740	The Imperial scout frigate Oasis first surveys Lanander. Terra celebrates the millennium of planetary reunification under Emperor Rogar I and Empress Hanna and begins preparations for millennial Imperial celebrations.
3741	David, King of Asia dies in a speeder accident at age 837; his granddaughter Randi becomes Queen of Asia.
3742	The Emperor authorizes strictly supervised commercial super-heavy element recovery in the Betelgeuse system.
3743	An unspecified accident at Maxwell Biogenics' bioresearch facility in the UV Ceti system forces the destruction of the station by elements of the Central Command; over seven hundred researchers and dependents lose their lives.
3744	Byzantium hosts the Imperial Exposition, opening the large New Mall near the Imperial Palace with bureaucratic offices formerly occupying the site shifted to underground or sky-borne facilities.
3745	After King Ivan of Kalmar suffers a mental breakdown, his son, Crown Prince Tor assumes effective leadership of the world and the Kalmaran branch of House Roosevelt.
3746	Crown Prince Olav sponsors the Heshar Conference, drawing delegates from Imperial Major Races, Grand Federation Primary and Secondary Races and the Khald'aron; the Emperor attends the final session to discuss peace, commerce and possible joint scientific endeavors.
3747	A team of seven Nobilis terrorists from Caldera dies in an exchange of fire with Imperial Guard units on the New Mall at Byzantium; the Calderan government disavows any sponsorship or knowledge of the attackers.
3748	The Betelgeuse supernova becomes visible on Luminous, the nearest inhabited world. Colonists and thousands of tourists endure the weather disturbances in shelters, then continue perpetrations for the particle onslaught expected over the ensuing decades.
3749	A group of Vacules establish a commercial outpost at the Masoud Memorial Station at Betelgeuse.
3750	Lady Margrette Donner-Zhou is born into a prominent new Nobilis family on Bengal.
3751	Fires devastate Swarm 021, a colony world in Sector 157, generating Rimward Command assistance to evacuate nearly a million residents from the northern continent and provide atmospheric relief.
3752	The Emperor celebrates his seven hundredth birthday with a yearlong event that coincides with the Imperial Exposition on Kalmar.
3753	Kith'turi merchants protest Imperial trading policies within their territories by boycotting Imperial goods and denying Imperial vessels transit rights though their systems; a joint Imperial-Federation commission convenes to mediate the dispute.
3754	After successful mediation, Imperial trade resumes in Kith'turi regions.
3755	Unknown assailants attempt to penetrate the Imperial reserve depot at Ultima Thule; sentry forces destroy both intruding microjump vessels, leaving little evidence.
3756	The Anderson Group on Libertas begins producing humanoid Leonid genetic Constructs for entertainment and household duties.
3757	The Betelgeuse supernova lights the skies over Kumar in an event witnessed by the Emperor and Prince Cleon.
3758	Undercover Imperial Guard agents foil a plot to smuggle antimatter explosives into the Golden Palace at Byzantium, arresting dozens of Nobilis conspirators and tracing the plot back to two minor members of the Turki family on Atlantis.
3759	The Ministry of Science sponsors Grand Federation and Khald'aron scientists in a joint expedition to the Betelgeuse black hole; a Zhretra science team launches probes to the edge of the event horizon. Four main conspirators in the Golden Palace antimatter plot are executed on Terra; the rest receive lengthy sentences.
3760	At the Imperial Exposition in Mexico City, Emperor Rogar II celebrates his 350th year Jubilee and announces that he intends to step aside after five hundred years as Emperor in 3910.
3761	An unknown intruder murders the popular and glamorous Baronial couple Luke and Tara of Sylmaria on Eden, prompting the "Mystery of the Millennium", a complex investigation immediately spawning rumors and conspiracy theories.
3762	The King of Eden orders Special Adjudicator Gwendolyn Rakash to solve the Sylmarian murders.
3763	The Justice Party, a hard-line authoritative organization ruled by a committee of five conservative zealots, takes over the government of Freedom.
3764	Gwendolyn Rakash arrests Lord Pavl Banderhas for the Slymarian murders, but he dies in custody before standing trial. Political refugees begin fleeing Freedom.
3765	In a rare public dispute, the Emperor overrules his Crown Prince Olav and denies permission for a joint Imperial-Federation mission to the Sagittarian Arm. Brigadier Lord Tomas Bylen becomes commander of defense forces on Erta.
3766	The Justice government of Freedom, citing unrest, bans three opposition parties and delays planetary elections for two years, prompting further unrest. The supernova particle storm peaks on Luminous.
3767	A delegation of Freedomian dissidents petitions the Emperor to mediate a return to democracy on their world; The Emperor invites Justice Party officials to meet with him and the dissidents at Kalmar, but is rebuffed.
3768	After bloody demonstrations on Freedom, the Emperor recognizes the Freedomian government in exile as the legitimate rulers of the world and authorizes the Imperial Third Fleet and Second Marine Army to intervene; after a quick strike on the Party infrastructure, the world welcomes Imperial intervention and temporary martial law; all five Justice Party leaders die resisting Imperial intervention, two in suicide attacks.
3769	Princess Melena Hu is born as the eldest grandchild of Randi, Queen of Asia. The Emperor pardons all Justice Party officials on Freedom of Imperial crimes, but suggests a reconciliation tribunal to settle outstanding claims of murder and torture.
3770	After free elections on Freedom result in a liberal coalition victory, the Imperial military withdraws from the world.
3771	The Ministry of Commerce agrees to allow full commercial development within the Betelgeuse supernova shell, designating a sphere expanding at .4c from the black hole to be commercially safe. Lady Margrette Donner-Zhou moves to the Imperial court at Byzantium to continue her education at the Imperial University.
3772	Kith'turi and Yerman merchants begin boycotting Imperial goods in protest of tariffs and trade dumping practices; many Coreward worlds respond by boycotting Grand Federation goods and increasing transit fees.
3773	A cold northern winter, including a freak snow storm in Byzantium, prompt greater examination of Terran weather controls now struggling for centuries to avert a new ice age.
3774	Khruzi explorers locate a failed Dragon colony in Sector 773, recovering hibernation chambers with dead but otherwise intact 143,000 year old Dragons.
3775	Crown Prince Olav accepts an invitation to visit the Than and renews the Imperial quarantine after touring the growing cities of the reborn civilization.
3776	Ceremonies in Philadelphia on Terra commemorate the millennial of the founding of the Solar Empire and complement the extravagant Imperial Exposition. Lady Margrette Donner-Zhou receives a Masters degree in Government with Highest Honors from the Imperial University at Byzantium and begins an internship with the Imperial Staff Office.
3777	Researchers at the Imperial University on Prometheus demonstrate a short-term stasis generator, able to stop time for up to six weeks.
3778	Crown Prince Olav and his retinue die in the accidental collision between the yacht Infinity and a half meter debris chunk near Terran orbit. Emperor Rogar II secretly declares his nephew Crown Prince Tor of Kalmar as heir. The Emperor marries his seventeenth wife, Lady Margrette Donner-Zhou of Bengal, in a private ceremony at the Golden Palace.
3779	Princess Jena is born to Empress Margrette; after confirming paternity, Emperor Rogar publicly proclaims Jena as Crown Princess and heir to the Empire. Minister of Commerce Sir Johan Merle resigns after fail to resolve the growing Grand Federation trade dispute.
3780	At Empress Margrette's bidding, Lord Stefan Patel assassinates Emperor Rogar II with a plasma pistol during the closing ceremonies of the Imperial Exposition on Luna. The Imperial Guard guns down Lord Patel and takes Margrette into custody. The Imperial Congress and High Council narrowly confirm Jena as Empress and Margrette as Regent, but the Imperial Guard does not release Margrette until both Crown Prince Tor and Prince Cleon publicly swear allegiance to the Empress and Regent. The three months of uncertainty on Terra prompt a brief revolt by Command Admiral Lord Joseph Trinh of Coreward Command in favor of Tor as Emperor, leading to a small skirmish at Antares before Trinh resigns and surrenders to Admiral Baroness Alyssa Tan. In the ensuing chaos, Kith'turi forces cross the Imperial border, raiding three trading outposts and two colony worlds and initiating the Second Federation War.