Rifts Timeline

God, there were scholars back in Lazlo who'd sell all their vital organs to the local Chop-Shop (i.e. a facility where a person can receive various forms of vital cybernetic and organic replacement parts) for such a chance. And this elf was just giving it to her, for the taking! 

She'd make sure to praise Morganna for the saint she was in the book that she'd finally publish....her actual book, and not one of the dozen of unauthorized reproduction of her correspondences to the Council of Learning back in Lazlo! 

"Very well," Archie sighs. "Listen well, human, for this is rare and valuable knowledge I give you."
 
 

"Some of it told to you by me," Morganna smiled at Archie.
 
 

Archie sighs again, wondering just HOW the Hell he had fallen to such depths of misfortune....and begins.
 
 

<Author's Note: I took the timeline found at: http://home.golden.net/~pover/rifts/timeline.htm and made modifications to reflect my own warped sense of humor and tastes. Rifts is the property of Palladiumbooks and the timeline I used is the work of the guy at that URL. Thank you both for the fine job!>
 
 

10,000 B.C. 

The Nazcans of South America build an advanced civilization based on their Line Magic. It flourishes until the Atlantean disaster.
 
 

"See, as you know," Morganna interrupted. "This Earth was originally magical. Then the magic went away. The reason why was that a proud nation that called itself Atlantis dared to try to open up two magical tunnels at the same nexus, where two ley lines crossed....AT the same time. It was an unqualified disaster that threatened to tear apart the entirety of the world. The Atlantians were able to shut the thing down, but at the cost of all magic on Earth. The Atlantians were unable to halt the slow ebbing of magic, nor the slow disappearance of their continent (located a few hundred miles off the coast of what is called Florida back in the 20th century). With tail tucked between their legs, they left Earth to various corners of the megaverse, various clans blaming the other for what had befallen their proud nation. Atlantis disappeared, and magic went away slowly, eventually disappearing all together for all practical purposes and becoming the stuff of fantasy or a lunatics ravings.....until....."
 
 

"The....coming of the Rifts," Tarin says reverently. "The largest disaster to befall mankind...."
 
 

"True," Morganna sighs. Billions of lives had been lost on the night the Cataclysm struck back near the end of the 21rst century.
 
 

Archie returns to his tale.
 
 

101 B.C. 

Nazcan Line Drawers return to Earth and begin to draw lines of immense and unprecedented size, driven by visions of death. 

100 B.C. 

The Arkhon mothership arrives, carrying an invading force of the brutal aliens. The lines drawn the year before are activated and the invasion is repelled at great cost. 

"Just to go and prove that while magic was on the decline," Morganna chuckled humorlessly. "that the various Indian nations were far from helpless....at that time. Later, thought ignorant for still believing in magic-though it was gone for all practical purposes-the Europeans had a much easier time of it than the more technically advanced Arkhon's."
 
 

"A historical irony.....," Tarn nodded, familiar with the less than stellar dealings of the Native Americans by the Europeans. "Amazing what a thousand years made...."
 
 

Archie continues again. Annoyed, but stifles any complaints...

 1200 A.D. 

The city of Cuzco receives a number of transdimensional refugees from the Mechanoid war who are declared to be Gods by the locals, who will be known as Incas. They quickly fall into slumber as Earth's magic field is too weak to support them, but the godlings who arrived with them were unaffected. 

"Godlings?" Tarn asks, eyebrows raised. She doesn't like the sound of this.
 
 

"Very powerful and magical beings that fall somewhere short of what others have called true gods," Morganna said, distaste evident in her voice. "Frankly, there is something I've found out about these supposed 'Gods' that they don't want others to know of. See, they were originally created by a nightmare race called the Old Ones....something related to the Sluggorth and other Alien Intelligences....masses of sharp toothed mouths, tentacles, and eyes. Both are evil through and through by human standards, and feed off the death and suffering they can cause. The Old Ones, however, were head and shoulders more mighty and powerful than their cousins. They wanted These toys were to consolidate their food by channeling the worship of these gods and goddesses into them. Their toys, however, rebelled and after a fierce struggle, were able to cast a spell that placed the Old Ones asleep. Killing them was out of the question, because the release of all the magic and psionic energy would lay waste to dozens of universes!"
 
 

Erin Tarn looks at the solemn looking elf, and sees that she's sincere. Somehow, the elf is speaking a truth that all know, deep in the darkest part of the heart, but all refuse to believe.
 
 

Tarn feels like vommiting because of the ill feelings this generates within her.
 
 

"Not all gods are these pretenders, however," a new voice says from behind Tarn. "at least, that's all you'll get from me as far as the official line from the Bureau of Celestial Order. The real article may be what these impostors mimic badly. They may be a religion not mimicked. They may not even exist at all! I'm not telling."
 
 

Elf and human turn, and see a frazzled looking human with grey skin and grey 20th century business suit.
 
 

Rule 179 produced a chair out of thin air and slumped into it, looking like he was just disgusted to death about something.
 
 

"Oh, before we go on here....due to a HUGE F*** Up in one of the other Departments," 179 sighs. "the Elder Rule, the head of the Bureau, Rule 1 was able to finally get the authority to get rid of that ticking time bomb, the Old Ones."
 
 

"You....found the source for the Dark Tower falling apart?" Morganna guesses. "That has to be it, considering the magnitude needed to get That pushed through from Your Higher Ups....from what little you've told me in the past about all this. Was it Flagg, like in the Stephen King series?"
 
 

179 nods, gritting his teeth and suppressing an urge to scream. The thought that a late 20th century horror novelist had been able to 'see' into the murky depths of Overreality had been annoying, but generally dismissed as harmless and less than accurate! But King had been correct in disturbing ways.
 
 

179, looking up and frowning at something, makes a slight nod in a general direction....and a distraught Josh finds his computer vanished into thin air. The Rule didn't need the extra pain of peeping toms!
 
 

"Read the Dark Tower series....for it reveals much," 179 sighs to the bug eyed Tarn. "Not everything is right, but you'll get the gist of things. That incident and the debacle with the Brazen Man was what gave me the authority to do so much good....more than I usually get to do....to those mortals awhile ago....." (re: 7604, 7605, 7606, 7607)
 
 

!79 sets his jaw firmly, and Morganna knows that more will not be said, and persuades the curious Tarn from bothering the disgruntled Rule.
 
 

Archie....feeling a bit of disquiet at the presence of 179, continues.

 1340 A.D. 

The true Gods (~HAH!~ chuckles 179 silently to himself) awaken from their slumber in the Temple of the Sun in Inca lands and decide to leave Earth. All their minions leave with them, leaving the Incas to their own ends. 

2004 A.D. 

The 7th Cavalry is taken from the Iraqi Desert by the Dakir. 

The Dakir were in need of soldiers who had actual combat experience, for these aliens wished to sell the services of their Megaversal Legion to those with enough money. Before this, previous attempts at real combat with conscripts were....laughable at best.

 2015 A.D. 

The official start of the so-called "cybernetic revolution" where all world powers rushed to invest in cybernetic augmentation programs. This lasted through until approximately 2050. This new arms race blinded many to the approaching danger of the uncontrolled weapons proliferation. National pride flared and blinded those who could have prevented the final outcome. All in all, mankind was left with a rather heavy price to pay for it's arrogance......

 2027 A.D. 

The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) -- Russia -- returns to a system of Communism in a desperate gamble to regain their former glory. For the next 50 years, they successfully regain their world power status with a revamped version of the 1950s system of government. 

2086 A.D. 

Under the auspices of OceanTech Corporation, a giant floating habitat named Tritonia is brought online, immediately proving its usefulness by surviving a hurricane relatively undamaged. 

And was also so well built that it rode out and thrives the coming of the Rifts and survives to this day!

 2088 A.D. 

The Amphib Scandal is brought to light, a series of illegal experiments designed to create a human adaptable to the underwater environment. Most of the scientists on the project, previously working for Shaper Corporation, were secretly poached by the South American group Project Achilles. The surviving results of these experiments are welcomed aboard Tritonia as residents. 

All in the name of Progress, human beings were altered to further advance the cause of science. Several Nazi doctors from World War two would have approved....

 And things like this and others further destabilized the worldwide situation......tragedy approached.....

 2089 A.D. 

Project Achilles, an Argentinian governmental project to create a perfect supersoldier, is started on the plains. Many ex-Shaper Corporation scientists involved in the Amphib Scandal are imported with promise of money and freedom. 

See what I mean about humanity not learning?
 
 

"Stop with the snippy comments, ARCHIE," 179 mutters darkly. "You have room to talk about moral superiority....."
 
 

The Toaster, sensing danger, makes an audible gulping sound. And returns to his tale....leaving out the commentary.

 2092 A.D. 

Lone Star Complex is completed in Texas, this is an American high tech biological laboratory. Incredible advances in genetic engineering....even CLONING, happens here. Officially, human genes combination between various animals has stopped due to public protest. In reality, it continues. The first humanoid animals are created here, this includes the humanoid dogs that will someday be called "Dogboys." While having been operational for some time, it is fully operational as of this year. 

2095 A.D. 

The U.S. builds the Ticonderoga, an immense submersive supercarrier ship. It was supported by the design and building of a number of automated posts from which it could resupply. 

If the United States had been able to act more quickly, the plans of building a few more ships like this may have prevented the events that lead to the coming of the Rifts....the fall of the Cataclysm....by sheer intimidation factor (forget about gunboat diplomacy! Back in the 20th century, many a nation got VERY nervous with one of the ordinary aircraft carrier off it's shore. See, these ships usually carry more air power in aircrafts and such than many a nation carry in their entire Air Force. With the Super carriers, even the ever increasingly irrationality would have come to a screeching halt! A peace of sorts would have been established....and some type of more lasting.....better resolution would have taken place.....if things had fallen out differently near the end of the 21rst century). 2098 A.D. 

Japan fields a number of new Glitter Boy variants, fresh off the design schematics. 

Interestingly enough, a squadron of these babies had crossed over the border of an undisclosed South American nation while pursuing rebel forces ....and stomped the convential armor and other military units while there......
 
 

In other words, the idiot who had broken border integrity was the match that lit the fuse that led to the coming of the Rifts.

 Some scant days before the Cataclysm, Mars base becomes operational. For a time, then a mad scientist would release his dream of what he considered the true inheriters of evolution. A bunch of super insects the size of man. With the power of the Rifts exploding all over Earth and spreading out and encompassing other planets ley lines, these bugs became monsters able to stand up to the best that man had to offer. Mars became green in places where the Martian ley lines flared....and became the home to the super bugs. Mars was abandoned soon after....written off as a loss.

 Mere hours before the Cataclysm, super-intelligent mutant cats at the Project Achilles compound stage a breakout. Over the next few months they pilgrimage to the center of the jungle where they perform a ritual and summon the city of Omagua. They meet the werejaguars halfway there. 

In December of 2098, a nuclear exchange between two small countries turns global (down in South America...if that mattered). Beginning of the Second Dark Age for humanity. 

What happened was thus. At midnight, atomic bombs fell on the cities of one South American nation in retaliation to an ill advised political assassination. This over reaction lead to retaliation by the scorched nation. Millions died. Their deaths released something called Potential Psionic Energy into the long dormant Ley Lines. Due to the alignment of the stellar systems, the ley lines flare awake. This causes a BIG problem, since the reawakening of the Lines triggered earthquakes, volcanic eruption, tornadoes, and other disasters. Millions more died, causing the ley lines to flare more. 

Net effect was that the world went from over 10 billion humans to a little under 2 billion....and falling. The cataclysm flattened human civilization mostly, and what came OUT of the tears in reality where the mega powerful ley lines met....did well and truly screw up mostly what was left over. Countless numbers of monsters and beings from countless numbers of worlds poured onto the battered Earth. Earth was transformed into something alien and strange. It was no longer Earth. It was Rifts Earth.

 At the exact moment of the Ley Lines flaring up with energy, the Republic of Japan flipped the switch on an experimental teleporter. The surrounding 100 miles was transported into a pocket dimension, and as three days passed for them, 300 years passed for the world. 

1. "But....the Japanese islands are barren," Erin Tarn protested. 

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