Early Occupation

The Early Occupation

Timeline

09/10/12 - Black Mesa Incident

In the deserts of New Mexico the Black Mesa facility goes through a renaissance cascade. The events are mostly unknown to the public, but the storms of creatures that spewed forth from the resulting portal storms could not be ignored.
After strange occurrences in the New Mexico desert rumours spread like wildfire across the United States and internationally. Mainstream press is silent on the issue, wild conspiracy theorizing takes place to explain the unknown flora and fauna that was spotted in the area before all land nearby was restricted by the military.

15/10/12 - The Portal Storms

Not more than a week after the Black Mesa incident and before any real press has broken the story, a repeat event appears to happen on a much larger scale. Instead of the relatively small portal storm located over Black Mesa, large urban areas see mass amounts of portals with unknown alien wildlife spewing forth and wreaking havoc across the planet. What we now know as vortigaunts are seen as human eating aliens which seem only interested in killing humans, and are openly hunted by citizen and military alike.

23/10/12 - The Urban Centres

The vast majority of human population on the planet is moved to urban areas where various world governments can ensure their safety, those left on the outside are stranded and alone facing horrors the military has struggled against.

01/11/12 - The Seven Hour War

The carnage from the portal storms was yet to be cleared up when the Union finally unleashed it’s attack on Earth, they had time to prepare while the world's government was too busy on damage control and by the time they arrived it was too late. Militaries were mobilized but could not compare to the advanced technologies and creatures at the Combine’s disposal and within seven hours Doctor Wallace Breen had negotiated the surrender of Earth on behalf of the United Nations.

04/11/12 - The Last Surrender

While the seven hour war marked the official militaries of Earth surrendering to the Union, most notably in Europe, North America and Asia there were many militias and forces which refused the ultimatum. Some deserter forces and some local militias, crime organizations or terrorist cells continued the fight for a few days afterwards most notably in the Middle-East, Central and Northern Africa and parts of South-East Asia. Smaller forces existed in rural parts of Europe, America and Australia but these were isolated and quickly forgotten about. This is the first time in which vortigaunts are rumoured to have been anything other than crazy aliens which simply kill humans, as they are seen fighting alongside some humans against the invading Combine forces.

02/11/12 - 26/11/16 The Purges

The terms of Earth’s surrender was unconditional, figureheads of the armed forces were interviewed and those deemed likely to cause issues were executed and replaced with the more sensible kind that the Union was looking for. Many military forces of the earth were entirely disintegrated with all the individuals who make them up being killed, while the more receptive to the Union were assimilated into the Combine Conscript program (which later might come to be the Overwatch Transhuman Arm). While the military was the most high profile area of conflict, at this point the police force also underwent a similar treatment with many forced into serving as the first force of Civil Protection while the less reliable were weeded out and removed. Politicians, actors, anyone with any name recognition were forced to endorse the Union as part of propaganda campaigns or face death.

29/11/12 - Union Camp Programme

Until this point, much of the Earth’s citizenry were still controlled by the Earth’s military and police forces even having surrendered to the Union. Once the various purges were complete, these cities were swept through and all individuals within them were forced to register as citizens and given an identity number which would later become an identity card. During this stage many were killed who refused or were unable to comply, but there were no mass executions. Once inducted as formal citizens, they were separated into various prison, camps and urban areas away from friends and family whom they could organise with. The young were brought to separate camps to begin a program of extensive propaganda and attempt to indoctrinate them into being idle in the face of the Union.

25/12/12 - The Christmas Uprising

In New York the first recorded civilian uprising took place, despite being seperated from families and friends local identities allowed people to group together and organise against the Union. They were unarmed and had little power but constant chants and a refusal to cooperate with the demands of civil protection. The Union reacted with lethal force, Civil Protection officers who were not weeded out during the purge were removed after failing to follow orders. The vast majority of the protestors were killed, those that escaped were not pursued but a change in the Union’s policy took place.

01/01/13 - The City Programme (Now)

Recycling the urban centres used by Earth’s governments during the portal storms, citizens were no longer simply separated by family. Extensive boating, train and convoy operations took place in the days leading up to the New Year as people were transported across the world to places they had never seen before with people who they often shared no cultural middle ground.


Lore

World Lore

The early days of occupation are now, the Union is disorganised and split into local bodies which take orders from a central governing body in the Union but these messages are sporadic and as of yet with little enforcement beyond the threat of another horrendous war. The power structures are beginning to be set in place, administrators vy for control and civil protection is establishing itself as the new world police force with power granted by the Union and not the administrative class. This conflict and lack of cohesion allows for a great deal of corruption and abuse, as well as a lack of foresight into the future of the planet. With the start of the city project for the first time since the war people have been pushed together in apartment blocks, walking down streets and working in shops and factories though now under the ever present eye of the Union. It is the start of a new era for humanity, as the Union would have you believe and where it goes from now is a mystery to all, whether they are the lowliest of citizens or the grandest of administrators.

City Lore

After the Christmas uprising such a short time ago, much of the original inhabitants of New York have been picked up and scattered across the world to be replaced by others who the Union hoped might not have a uniting cultural link. People have been taken from across the pacific from Asia, across the Atlantic from Europe and Africa and up train lines in the country from all over the Americas until what remains is truly a mix of cultures with no cohesive link - at least that is the intention. The city is planned to be the central hub of Union activity on Earth and hopefully afterwards the world, that is if the City Administrator and other powerful individuals in the new Union regime have anything to say about it. To start off this grand endeavour the Union’s citadel has begun construction within the city, much of the technology and overall structure has been provided by the Union through means unknown to the mere humans below but all have been signed up as manual labourers in the construction process unless they can find other lawful employment. The management of the union’s’ representatives on earth is currently rather lax, strict protocols have not been ordered and the Union is not so much an overarching police state but more in the preparation of creating one. Civil protection has had some experience in the smaller camps but a city of this size is a new task for those in their ranks, and the potential for corruption and power-plays remain immense with the construction underway. Meanwhile, the disorganised state of the Union might easily be taken advantage for personal or political gain by actors who support or wish to undermine the union, the city or humanity.

additional: ive thrown this together quite quickly and may work on it more but it's a general idea, feedback would be appreciated

 

like a div i forgot to add the poll thing so hey there you go

 

Can we completely void Gordon post-Mesa?