In the year 2032, things are well different. The world is a smaller place, information is the currency of the world, and those that control that information, control the world, a harsh lesson, learned too late by several world powers. But perhaps we should start at the beginning…
Giving Birth
In the year 2015, Dr. Lansing Phelps and Dr. R.K. Anusha give birth to artificial intellect. They are considered the parents and creators of S.H.A.E. (Sentient Hybrid Autonomous Engine), she is both state of the art hardware and software, although by modern standards, she is fairly primitive, she was a monumental step forward in computing and robotics; this single creation put Vanguard Secure Computing (VSC) on the map and launched a new age of research not only into cyber systems but several avenues of research… in essence the Age of the Man-Machine had begun.
Becoming the Machine
Prosthetic research, artificial implants were nothing new to the medical community but in 2020, the science of cybernetics blossomed in the wake of the AI boom, and the man-machine was all the rage in military circles as prosthetics not only replaced lost limbs but improved upon the whole, flesh it seemed was becoming obsolete in this new age. By the end of 2025, the first full conversion man-machine cyborg was introduced, and widely received, although it was soon found that such a conversion took its toll on the human mind and psyche, although successful full-conversion research died out quickly in the wake of several bloody incidents. But such technology still exists and it is widely suspected that several corporations, governments, and special interest groups employ these cyborg man-machines despite the risks.
In the Flesh
Genetic research exploded as well around the world, seeking alternatives to the man-machine boom that had taken the world by storm, several governments and corporations delved into gene research. Not until late 2025 would such research pay off as the first augmented humans would be realized, forced growth genetic creations free of flaws, and perfectly conditioned for any task they were created for. They were human in the literal sense, but still property given purpose, they had no families, and no loving ties only duty and service. Some were human-animal hybrids, some subtle, and others quite overt. They would become the second class citizens of the world, relegated to the level of property and totally expendable, since they could be easily grown to replace a lost product.
Man-Machine War
The rise of AI, genetic manipulation, synthetic soldiers, and a bloom in information revolution only raised the stakes in the world community. In the end the stakes rose too high and someone struck first, no one is sure if it was China, North Korea, or countless tyrants in the Middle East, but a tactical nuclear strike on German soil followed by a strike on San Francisco hours later put the world on alert. The year was 2029 and the world was at war a third time, but sides, allies, even causes changed quickly as world powers clashed all over the soil; new weapons were unleashed on the world, and the death toll was terrible. Man-machine soldiers, genetic soldiers, and even AI sentient soldiers were deployed in conflicts all over the world. Details are strangely sketchy of this period, due to several net viruses, and cyber-warfare attacks on information mainframes worldwide
No country, nation, landmass was spared the destruction and devastation of the Third World War, and perhaps at its close in late 2030, the Neo-Tokyo Armistice brought an end to the hostilities; communism had collapsed in China; much of the Middle East was simply craters and wastelands, meanwhile Europe had simply become one massive Union of states. The United States survived the war, but the government, and other world powers were weakened by the conflict and several private entities have grown in power, both in wealth and in influence.
In the Shadows
By 2032, the world is recovering from the conflict; the world is one that is small now and the cities have become havens for the powerful corporate entities that have all but seized control of everyday life from the governments. Life has become a struggle for those not in the upper echelons of society, everyone is an asset and information is the bargaining chip of the land. Violence is on the rise as war veterans try to find a place in this new world, science has no morality, and life is cheap.
This is the now, where even being human is not something special anymore.
