Judgment Day

When people began ripping each other apart on January 2nd, 1993, most people reckoned it couldn't get much worse. Then, a year and two days later on January 4th, 1994, nukes were dropped all over the United States of America. So, apparently, it could get much worse.

According to reports from international travelers (or just liars, who knows?), nukes were also dropped across Europe, Africa, Asia, South America - basically every single continent and country on Earth. The only places that didn't get nuked were Madagascar and Greenland, funnily enough. It's alway those two in the end.

## The Short-Term Effects of Radiation (Years 1 - 13)

Shortly after the bombs fell, a 13-year-long nuclear winter took place. Everything was dark and ashy, and if you didn't have some degree of protective equipment, you were probably going to die within a few weeks. Even if you did have protective equipment, you still had to be out there as you most likely didn't have a bunker. Nevermind the long-term effects of radiation of radiation on your health; the little stuff like mutations. The fact is, most people just straight-up died before they could see any long-term health defects. Those exposed to radiation had their organs liquified, those caught in blasts were turned to ash, and people just began bleeding from seemingly nowhere before dropping dead.

The life expectancy went from ages 72 to 30 - and that's if you were lucky, and it doesn't even include dealing with the infected. Things were so bad, they weren't even comparable to the Dark Ages. The Dark Ages were an objectively healthier and more prosperous time.

Those that came out of the nuclear winter alive were changed. Many people were left dark, sullen, and infertile - not that you'd want to have children in such a cruel world. The few children that could be had were forced to mature and work at a young age, as the work force had to be powered and the young hand healthy were few and far between; crops hardly grew.

In year 10 of the nuclear winter, a Dust Bowl occurred lasting 4 years. It swept across an already-ravaged United States. With the top soil of the Midwest largely broken apart, millions of tons of top soil were effortlessly lifted by this Dust Bowl and scattered across the United States; it moved as far as New York City, just as it had done in the 1930s. This left sand scattered across the United States at random. Mixing with the pre-existing grasslands, it created entirely new biomes.

## The Long-Term Effects of Radiation (Years 14 - Modern Day)

When the nuclear winter lifted, it was as if the survivors had found themselves on a new planet. Grass grew green, flowers grew in bright pinks and reds, mushrooms were dark and cloudy. Wildlife mutated, rivers flowed graciously, and the world was some sort of irradiated wonderland straight out of a painting.

And, yes, while the world was still populated by shambling, sprinting, and crawling bags of flies and teeth that tore and bit, the world was brighter nonetheless. There was finally hope after a period of long dark. Civilizations expanded, trade became more common, travelers leaving their homes. For the first time in a long time, the world was being reclaimed, and properly so.

But with new civilizations come expansion. Expansion means borders and border mean neighbors. No men agree, all men have the claim to everything, and greed rules as it always does. And just like with stone and spear in the past, now tribes settle their differences with guns and ammunition across a war-torn world. But maybe, just maybe, a better world can be built upon a foundation of blood and bone.

## Theories

No-one can know for sure why the nukes were dropped except the person who pushed the button.

Some nukes were targeted at cities, others were targeted at nothing at all. Or, at least, they hit nothing at all - well, nothing but empty fields and maybe a few lakes. Many theorize the reason heavily-populated areas weren't the prime target was because they weren't trying to kill the infected, but just make the radiation levels high enough so that all the tsetse flies would drop dead. Keep in mind that the tsetse flies were the only ones capable of spreading TBR aside from parasite-infected humans. However, the fact that some cities *were* targeted kind of pokes a hole in this theory. It doesn't disprove it, but why target some civilian areas and not others? For instance, most people are pretty sure that New York City is untouched, and that seems like a better target than Norfolk, Virginia, a place that got completely wiped out.

Others say that the nukes were launched randomly. When they were launched, it had been six entire months since they last heard any word from the United States government. The theory goes that some random guy found some random button in some random, probably fancy building, and then pushed it. Although, there's a lot of holes in that theory, as most people are pretty sure there's some level of security there. Or, maybe the president of the United States just got bored one day.