After another minute, Eden had faded from the screen. I switched cameras to the one which showed me the warm blue-white star of Earth.

Timeline

2091 - Lunar referendum to terraform Mars.

2094 - Edenists begin exowomb breeding programme coupled with extensive geneering improvement to embryos, tripling their population over a decade.

2103 - Earth's national governments consolidate into Govcentral.

2103 - Thoth base established on Mars.

2107 - Govcentral jurisdiction extended to cover O'Neill Halo.

2115 - First instantaneous translation by New Kong spaceship, Earth to Mars.

2118 - Mission to Proxima Centauri.

2123 - Terracompatible planet found at Ross 154.

2125 - Ross 154 planet named Felicity, first multiethnic colonists arrive.

2125-2130 - Four new terracompatible planets discovered. Multiethnic colonies founded.

2131 - Edenists germinate Perseus in orbit around Ross 154 gas giant, begin He3 mining.

2131-2205 - The Great Dispersal. One hundred and thirty terracompatible planets discovered. Massive starship building programme initiated in O'Neill Halo. Govcentral begins large-scale enforced outshipment of surplus population, rising to two million a week in 2160. Civil conflict on some early multiethnic colonies. Individual Govcentral states sponsor ethnic-streaming colonies. Edenists expand their He3 mining enterprise to every inhabited star system with a gas giant.

2139 - Asteroid Braun impacts on Mars.

2180 - First orbital tower built on Earth.

2205 - Antimatter production station built in orbit around Sun by Govcentral in an attempt to break the edenist energy monopoly.

2208 - First antimatter drive starships operational.

2210 - Richard Saldana transports all of New Kong's industrial facilities from the O'Neill Halo to an asteroid orbiting Kulu. He claims independence for the Kulu star system, founds christian-only colony, and begins to mine He3 from the system's gas giant.

2218 - First voidhawk gestated, a bitek starship designed by Edenists.

2225 - Establishment of 100 voidhawk families. Habitats Romulus and Remus germinated in saturn orbit to serve as voidhawk bases.

2232 - Conflict at Jupiter's trailing trojan asteroid cluster between belt alliance ships and an O'Neill Halo company hydrocarbon refinery. Antimatter used as a weapon; 27,000 people killed.

2238 - Treaty of Deimos, outlaws production and use of antimatter in the Sol system, signed by Govcentral, Lunar nation, asteroid alliance, and Edenists. Antimatter stations abandoned and dismantled.

2240 - Coronation of Gerrald Saldana as King of Kulu. Foundation of Saldana dynasty.

Nyvan, 2245

New Days Old Times

Amanda Foxon was standing right beside the smooth ebony trunk of the apple tree when she heard the pick-up van's horn being tooted in long urgent blasts. She dumped the ripe fruit into the basket at her feet, and pressed her hands hard into the small of her back. A sharp hiss of breath stole out of her mouth as her spine creaked in protest.

She'd been out in the southern orchard since first light, seven hours ago. Always the same at the end of summer. A frantic two weeks to get the big green globes picked and packed before they became overripe under the sun's fearsome summer radiance. The trees were genetically adapted so that they grew into a very specific mushroom shape, the trunk dividing into seven major boughs two and a half metres above ground. Twigs and smaller branches interlaced to form a thick circular canopy of wood which was smothered by fans of emerald leaves. Glossy apples hung from the underside, clustered as tightly as grapes. Providing they were picked early enough their re-sequenced chromosomes would ensure they didn't perish for months. So every year a race developed to get them to Harrisburg in time. The contract called for the whole crop to be at the warehouse in another eight days; she had sold the futures early in February, anxious for a guaranteed purchase. Possibly a mistake, holding out could have meant a higher price.