History of Empire, Part I

After the Geological Catastrophe, the Earth was reeling. Massive tectonic shifts had caused radical and devastating changes to the face of the planet as a result of the activities of the Geonites. Only the quick action of a team of scientists and engineers backed by the militaries of the great powers managed to destroy the Geonites before their endless hunger for the crystalline substance known as brikonite resulted in the complete fragmentation of the Earth's plates. Still, despite their victory, humanity's survivors knew that they needed more than ever to expand beyond the limitations of their home world lest some other threat end mankind once and for all.

Therefore the major powers, led by the United States but with significant Chinese, Indian, Russian, and European Union assistance, began a swift move toward the stars. A new international space agency was founded, called SPACE, or Species Protection by Attempting to Colonize Everywhere. SPACE's first mission involved establishing a permanent colony on the moon, taking advantage of the robust private space industry as well as the significant state-sponsored programs already in existence. Using the aging International Space Station as a springboard, SPACE managed to establish their moon base within a single decade. Moon Base, as it came to be known, quickly grew into a bustling center of research and industry, wholly devoted to the task of establishing humanity on as many different planets as possible.

A Mars exploratory mission determined that the red planet was indeed a prime candidate for experimental terraforming, and so within twelve years of its founding SPACE began dispatching its first major expeditions. Consisting largely of scientists, ranging from geologists and chemists to biologists and geneticists, the initial survey team were the first men ever to set foot on an actual planet other than Earth itself. Their goal was to analyze the soil and atmosphere of Mars and determine the best course of action for transforming the planet for human habitation. The first major success came when a way was found to engineer bacteria specifically to process the iron oxide in the martian soil, releasing the oxygen into the atmosphere. Unfortunately, it was also to be the catalyst for tragedy.