When Earth Went Dark
Inktober 2019, 'freeze'
In the year 180, a rebel group known as the Libérateurs crashed a 27 kilometer wide asteroid into the Indian peninsula, obliterating the town of Dehradrun and killing everyone in a 250 kilometer radius. This included India's capital of New Dehli, with @Todd Thompson and the United Nations Council inside. The world was plunged into darkness as ash from the impact covered the upper atmosphere and coated the planet's ground. The massive impact triggered earthquakes across Nepal and Malaysia, while Indonesia was devastated by volcanic eruptions. Over half of Asia's 5 billion population died in the following 5 years.
The disaster's most far reaching consequences floated high above the planet, in its orbit and upper atmosphere. Dust and volcanic ash coated the planet's skies, and temperatures dropped across the surface by roughly 3 degrees Celsius. Snow was reported as far south as the Bahamas, and crops across Europe and the American Midwest failed after early frost. Many tropical species were driven to extinction during this period, such as the Tapir and Rhinoceros. Overhunting and the desperation of human's living near them destroyed an estimated 9% of all Earth's species. Atmospheric ash reduced sunlight reaching the ground by 17%, and would remain a significant factor in global circumstances for 50 years. The climate would not stabilize until nearly 240 years later.
Earth's orbit experienced a terrible rash of Kessler Syndrome, as thousands of unguided satellites collided to make billions of debris pieces. Space travel to and from earth ceased completely during this period, and a human would not survive a journey to orbit after the disaster until 23 years later. Earth's colonies were forced to fend for themselves, and hundreds of millions of brave humans died in the dark cold of space, starved of supplies and far from any help. Earth had lost its luster, and proved the weak link in Human civilization. The governors on earth would never regain their formerly glorious position as the center of the Solar System.
After 20 years of falling population, Earth finally started to recover after 200, when humanitarian efforts from the newly created North American Confederation and the The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St John of Jerusalem of Rhodes of Malta and of Space began to trickle into the worst affected areas. Earth's government would once again unify in 211, when the UN was reformed. This reformed group would officially meet and thank Joergen Rance in 222, when he landed on Earth after finally clearing its orbit from the debris of lost satellites.
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments