Aftermath

The Cataclysm and The Eden Doctrine

In the aftermath of Dr. Hibbs' assassination and the resulting global tensions, a catastrophic scenario unfolded. Each Union, having secretly amassed vast arsenals, unleashed their military AI systems, which promptly deployed the world's nuclear weapons. The scale of the attack was unprecedented, with most of the global nuclear stockpile launched before the first bomb even detonated.

The general populace was kept in the dark until the last moment, a chillingly dispassionate decision by the military AIs to avoid panic. This meant that most people were carrying on with their daily lives, unaware of the impending doom until it was too late.

The few areas not immediately destroyed by nuclear strikes became battlegrounds for AI-controlled drones. These machines, fighting for control over contested territories, engaged in relentless combat, leading to a stalemate that ultimately resulted in the death of most surviving humans.

The speed and severity of the conflict led to the majority of the population perishing within days of the war's outbreak. However, some small communities managed to survive longer. Radio signals received by the ship Eden indicated that these groups lasted almost a decade before silence fell. The survivors faced dire conditions, including radioactive fallout, a nuclear winter, a dramatic drop in sea levels, and deteriorating air quality.

The last broadcasts from Earth painted a picture of isolated survivor groups developing new, eccentric traditions and practices to cope with their drastically altered world. The fate of these final pockets of humanity remains unknown, leaving a haunting legacy of unanswered questions and a hope for their merciful end.