Chronology of the HARD universe. Subject to minor changes, and updated as I remember to when new posts are added. Includes notes and list of stories for each event/period (n.b. some periods overlap). Named ships and stations are listed parenthetically after the stories they appear in. As in the real world, such names are often reused.
Near Future
- Present Day – 2029:
- Prelude to space exploration and colonization.
- “A Monte-Carlo Simulation“
- “Scrawled Note“
- “Physical Exam“
- “The Forest Town“
- “Sex Discrimination” (ISS Clarke)
- 2029 – 2069:
- Discovery of near-Earth asteroid. Kicks off rapid colonization efforts. Asteroid impacts in 2060.
- “Rain“
- 2069 – 2070:
- Established outposts on Mars.
- “The Dark Mystery“
- “Living in the Future“
- 2070 – 2150:
- Early solar-system colonization.
- First colonies on asteroids. Beginning of significant sociological/intellectual divide between spacefarers and the planet-bound.
- Currency used is “ᙇ“.
- “Indian Food“
- “Causam Mortis“
- “Space Bums“
- “Material Science“
- “Upgrade“
- “Continuity“
- “Artificial Gravity“
- “Units“
- “The Second Filter“
Middle Future
- 2150 – 2297:
- Middle solar-system colonization.
- Royal empire established: UFP (United Federation of Planets).
- “Orbit Guard” (UFP Justice)
- “Gray Goo” (ISS Clarke)
- “Rhyme of the Future Mariner“
- “Request” (UFP Andromeda)
- 2197:
- “Phoebe Station” (Phoebe Station, Pasiphae Station)
- “Assignment“
- 2198:
- “Syllabus“
- 2218:
- “Titanic Trouble” (Phoebe Station, The Titan Protectorate/Titan Propellants)
- 2290 – 2294:
- 2294 – 2296:
- High Lord Marvin is king.
- Outer planets want independence.
- “U.F.P. Delegation“
- 2296 – 2297:
- Marvin is unpopular, heading an increasingly corrupt oligarchy. Officially, the regimented discipline requisite of space exploration has evolved into an absolute monarchy. In practice, the royal court holds equal authority. A measure of democracy is retained by blackmail from a larger, unofficial cadre of citizens known as “the council”.
- “The Opinion Court“
- 2297:
- Marvin is assassinated. The assassin is not known to the council.
- Jovian moons and some further outposts secede from UFP, form Jovian Trade Union (variously, Jovian Trade Alliance).
- “Tea“
- 2297 – 2305:
- Interregnum; regent is de-facto government of inner-planets.
- “Polaris Adrift” (UFP Polaris)
- “Likeable” (UFP Polaris)
- “Polaris Encounter” (UFP Polaris)
- “In Case of EMP . . .“
- 2301:
- 2305 – 2315:
- Civil war between outer (Jovian Trade Alliance/Union) and inner system (UFP).
- “Angular Momentum“
- “Brave New World” (UFP Relentless)
- “Fan“
- “The Battle of Outer Jovia” (UFP Corella)
- 2315 – 2335:
- Reign of Marvin’s orphan daughter -> queen begins.
- “Syntheogenesis“
- 2318:
- First (radio) contact with aliens.
- Civil war ends; UFP re-formed.
- 2318 – 2340:
- High tech, but most citizens still in poverty from effects of civil war.
- Haven station set up on Pasiphae.
- “Collections” (UFP Willow)
- “Haven’s Scavengers” (Haven, UFP Willow)
- “In Port” (Haven, UFP Willow)
- “Scattered Defenses“
- 2340 – 2360:
- Late solar system colonization (mainly improves existing colonies, some outer Kuiper-belt objects as well).
- Mercury laser-launching grid built.
- First interstellar colonization efforts with very slow seedships. Typical speed < 0.100% c. Fastest experimental craft 2.65% c.
- “The Fires of the Skies” (ISS Inferno)
- 2360 – 2600:
- Interstellar colonization efforts continue to be launched.
- “Famous First Words“
- 2401:
- Speed of new interstellar ships ranges from ~0.114% c to ~3.11% c, by Mercury laser launch.
- “Eggshell” (UFP Discovery)
- 2599:
- First successful attempt at interstellar colonization arrives at an exoplanet after a 248 year voyage (i.e. launched 2351). This was the result of a deliberate effort to get there before 2600.
- “Colonists“
- 2600 – 2657:
- At one point, 12 sapient alien species are known (still by radio), plus humans.
- “Nonvariable Intelligence“
- 2630:
- Solar system densely colonized, first interstellar colonies doing well, expanding.
- 2641:
- First encounter with an alien artifact.
- “Ring Device” (UFP Vega)
- 2657:
- Seedships already “centuries underway” (long since surpassed by faster ships).
- Best speed of interstellar ships ~5% of c. Faster ships being built.
- “The First Warp Field Generator“
Far Future
- 2657 – 4500:
- First proto-galactic empire.
- Some planets’ colonizations fail, and citizens revert to lower tech level.
- First (physical) contact with aliens.
- Fast-ish (a few decades) interstellar travel possible with laser launching and nuclear pulse deceleration; mortality rates high.
- “Defenses“
- “Experiment“
- “Interstellar Supercruiser“
- 4500 – 5500:
- Depression, empire decays, but doesn’t go extinct.
- 5500 – 8000:
- Renaissance; beginning of “second” proto-galactic empire.
- 7531 – 7551:
- Human/Tassad war.
- 7550:
- Invention of the pinch-field generator.
- “The Shield” (UFP Dauntless)
Distant Future
- 8000 – 14200:
- Second proto-galactic empire building.
- Hundreds of sapient species known (by radio contact only); haven’t visited most of them.
- “First Impressions” (UFP Enforcer, UFP Polaris)
- 14200 – 14500:
- Apex of second proto-galactic empire.
- Centauri system holds empire capital.
- Stargates exist, must be put into place by slower-than-light transport.
- “Annihilator Station” (Annihilator Station)
- 14500 – 20000:
- Second proto-galactic empire grows into first galactic empire.
- Dyson sphere swarms.
- UFP now an antiquated but still-used name.
- “Niven Ring“
- 20000 – future:
- Galactic empire.
- 23120:
- UFP Discovery arrives at Gliese 667 Cc, discovers that system colonized.
- 27000 – unspecified:
- Galactic colonization complete.
- Over a thousand known sapient species, trillions of non-sapient.
- “The Great Filter“
- “Xenoarchaeology“
- “God, to Itself“
Undated:
Chronology of the SOFT universe. Same deal.
Near Future
Middle Future
- “Subspace“
- “Cosmology“
- “Reorientation“
- “Ransomware“
- “Replay Attack“
Far Future