Global healthcare improves with the introduction of nanomachines able to cure cancer and other complex diseases. With this medical bloom, cybernetic limbs are later introduced as a much better tool for amputees. The idea of militarizing these new inventions does not come to mind until the very late stages of the era.
After decades of preparation and research, NASA finally starts Operation Artemis III+, as they launch a crew into space to colonize the Moon. This mission will take decades, but it will provide necessary research for NASA and other space organizations.
On the other hand, SpaceX begins the construction of a martian colony by year 2030, but just like Artemis III+, this mission will take a long time to finish.
Humanity’s presence in space is very well established by the year 2050. Civilian spacefaring vehicles are a distant dream, but most advanced governments can now access space with ease. The idea of populating other planets within Earth’s reach is discussed among government officials, and a national space agency forms to make this idea come true: SkyCalls.
Before 2050, the construction of the Martian colony stalls, as alien presence is discovered: Starchildren, a human-like race eerily similar to mankind. A conflict erupts across Mars, but is later resolved as the two species find common ground.
Starchildren are imported to Earth in secret. Studied, and taught how to blend in within humans. Their psychic abilities are suppressed by special glasses that allow eye contact with no severe consequences. Skycalls and Starchildren exchange information, which allows SkyCalls to dominate fields on Earth quicker than any other private company.
In the meantime, Earth begins to succumb to long foreseen effects of global warming, which makes every vital resource sparse, and reduces the number of inhabitable zones for humanity. This slow process escalates into a conflict across Earth, and in the climax of it, the USA falls apart into multiple autonomous city states at the height of a continuous domino effect which began in the late 2000s.
A portion of the Martian colony revolts, and attempts to become their own force. The Solar System is plagued by stellar pirates for the first time, and SkyCalls is having a difficult time keeping them under control, as a silent revolt spreads across the private company.
One of the at the time largest PMC’s has a large break, the Pale Horse Mercenary Company. With the destruction of the US and the world entering a state of conflict, contracts and bodies pour in, soon appointing Pale Horse as the largest private army, eventually ascending to the largest military force on the planet.
Closer to Earth, the moon colony becomes a successful powerhouse for multiple government officials from all corners of Earth.
Russia claims control over the oil industry, Northern USA blooms with corporate entities, Africa erupts with wars for sparse resources, and China becomes the strongest nation on Earth, and Russia along with Europe become the second.
New Dominion Confederation, the embodiment of all allied forces on Earth, forms. A banner for all European countries and parts of the USA, and soon Russia and China. NDC becomes the primary stellar force of the Solar System, and soon, begins expanding outwards. Materials are traded across planets, including the Moon, and Jupiter’s moons. An outcast society on Mars forms, and resists NDC’s constant raids, while the Moon progresses further as Humanity’s 2nd home. NDC is desperate for control over Mars, as the planet holds potential for terraforming and inhabiting humanity, as Earth has officially become uninhabitable.
In 2080, planet Udyria is discovered after one of NDC’s probes is swallowed by a wormhole and loses contact with humanity for a few years. Later, it is discovered that Udyria is a habitable exoplanet. Unsure whether or not it houses another sapient species, NDC begins Project Starbridge, and the wormhole is later intensely studied.
In 2085, Skycalls hosts a campaign, and the most skilled astronauts from all places of the Solar System are recruited by them. They will form a fleet called ASolaris, which is later sent down the wormhole to colonize Udyria.
Under the weight of the Solar System’s silent change, the New Dominion Confederation quietly begins transporting their most valuable individuals to Udyria. When the new capital is built, this emigration becomes planet-scaled, and Udyria is founded as the 2nd planetary base of humanity, the new stronghold of NDC. The planet is later officially named ‘Ophir’ to keep Udyria in secret, away from the Solar System’s involvement.
NDC does not stop there. When another opportunity to travel across the Galaxy without FTL arises, the confederation begins to rapidly expand outward. A colony settles on Udyria, and multiple others use the wormhole to travel elsewhere. At this point in time, the New Dominion Confederation is deemed the strongest force of man in space, yet, they occupy only three planetary systems with the bare minimum – space stations, and small colonies planetside within each system.