After Sunrise
"We'll meet again. Don't know where, don't know when."
Post-Apocalyptic Story Debate under development by Peel, FBH, and G.
Overview
The Intercontinental War ended in 550 with the detonation of atomics over the cities of Deden and Thessal. In the aftermath, the world was dominated by two superpowers: 回天国 (Huitianguo) and the United Kingdom of Austromarch. The two powers and their allies had fought together against the Socialist Union of Remus during the Intercontinental War, but they swiftly became irreconcilable enemies. Huitianguo could not tolerate the obstacle to the ‘Revolutionary Destiny of Man’ that the UKA and its allies represented, and it was precisely that threat to their cosy collusion that the elites of Austromarch and its compatriots had formed their alliance against. No peace was possible. But in the shadow of atomics, no war was either.
As the so-called ‘cold war’ stretched year on year, arsenals increased. Advanced missiles replaced bombers. Space and ground defenses promised to counter them. In the third world the two superpowers fought brutal proxy conflicts and shadow wars. Both began to experiment with more esoteric technologies to find an edge. Meanwhile the internal situations deteriorated. Huitianguo’s ideology of revolution could not handle long periods of stasis. Austromarch’s elites were unable to hold back the creeping tide of mass politics. The situation seemed unsustainable. And it was.
In 587, during a period of tension after the launch of a new generation of UKA missile satellites, a minor skirmish occured in the upper atmosphere. A navigation error escalated it into a full confrontation. Set procedures were followed, mistakes were made, and before cooler heads had a chance to try to prevail, the ultimate option was taken. The rest of the world could only watch as the two superpowers reduced themselves to ash and rubble.
In the wake of the end, dust chokes the upper atmosphere. The world shivers and the surviving lesser powers must find a way to survive and rebuild in the new world, without repeating the mistakes of the past.
You govern of one of them.