Timeline of Events

"*The right man in the wrong place can make all the difference in the world.*" -Unknown

Below is the chronological order of canon events of The Generation Lambda universe. The goal of this page is to lay out the basis of the lore and allow for a simplistic manner in which important events can be cataloged for the community to see in one place. You must speak with wiki administrators before adding events so that we can ensure only the most important dates are listed, and cluttering is minimal.

### 2001

#### May 16th

The Black Mesa Incident occurs as of May 16th, 2001 at 8:58 as Dr. Gordon Freeman inserts a specifically unstable and pure exotic matter sample known as a "Xen Crystal" into the Anti-Mass Spectrometer. The Experiment goes horribly wrong, triggering a Resonance Cascade, and causing creatures from Xen to teleport to Earth.

Throughout the course of May 16th, scientists, security, and responding military forces all attempted to survive and contain the incident. A small team of scientists manages to reverse the resonance; closing the portal between Earth and Xen. However, it is said that there were no survivors among this team and that all are reported missing. After reportedly failed evacuation attempts, Black Mesa was destroyed by an atomic bomb in order as an attempt to prevent any further spread of Xenian life.

The general public is widely unaware of May 16th's incident, or the first time a nuclear device had ever been intentionally used on U.S. soil. For those informed by the media, the news reported a New Mexican government base's nuclear reactor melting down and that cleanup efforts had begun. Despite the severity of the reported accident, the media would be very quick to move on to other topics.

#### November 3rd

For nearly half a year following The Black Mesa Incident, strange phenomena called "Portal Storms" have been occurring. These gravitational anomalies cause damage to the natural environment and man-made infrastructure through the manipulation of gravity. Furthermore, their ability to allow Xenian creatures and plants alike to travel to Earth through them has begun to spread rapidly throughout Earth's natural habitats. These zones as they form are targeted by United Nation Peacekeeping forces in an attempt to stop the spread. Many nations have begun to call national emergencies and martial laws, encouraging their populations to seek refuge in protection centers and major cities worldwide.

However, on November 3rd unknown extraterrestrial forces launch an organized and overwhelming assault upon Earth. Governments, including The United Nations, enter military operations to counterattack and protect the major cities they had corralled most of their populations into. This effort is short-lived, lasting only seven hours which former Black Mesa Administrator and figurehead for the worldwide effort against Portal Storms, Dr. Wallace Breen negotiates a surrender with the extraterrestrials. They identify themselves as The Universal Union. Dr. Breen is appointed as Planetary Administrator, tasked with organizing the global Reconstruction effort. For many citizens, this conflict would be called The Seven Hour War, while the Universal Union supporters refer to it as The Unification.

#### November 4th - Late December

Uncaptured remnants of the pre-war military, law enforcement, and civilian volunteers begin to assemble in decentralized guerrilla-style resistance cells. The vast majority of these cells begin to fight against pre-war military forces now working for The Universal Union; seeking an end to traitors as their first objective. In doing so, these small independent cells are often in conflict with one another as well as Union forces. Firearms and munitions scavenged from prewar buildings as well as improvised weapons are utilized primarily. Combat broke out across various major cities causing severe curfews as Universal Union forces begin to utilize volunteers to keep the peace.

### 2002

#### January - Mid-March

With reconstructive efforts being crippled as newly forming resistance cells pick up traction, The Civil Protection is founded. Utilizing human volunteers, The Universal Union can train and dispatch large numbers of peacekeepers to the city streets while freeing up their synthetic soldiers to focus on larger goals such as securing resources and deploying walls around population centers. Although Civil Protection units will be occupied with training for the foreseeable time, riots and resistance activity are alarm at the news. Most didn't anticipate a large number of willing volunteers, however, after months of unrest and little food, resistance cells shift their tactics to be less focused on riots and arson. Furthermore, resistance cells appear to begin seeking out cooperation among one another and wishing to focus on longevity. A key theme is a need for escape from the city walls, and into the outlands to network travel and establish hideouts.

#### Late March - Early May

As efforts to round up surviving pre-war government employees and figures continue, United Nation Representatives begin to release press conferences on Universal Union television and radio. It is months of lengthy announcements on how the prewar world government is now working in full cooperation with The Universal Union to guide Earth forward after the war. All prewar officials respectfully decline positions in The Universal Union's regimes, and introduce usually unknown or far lesser known colleagues to take the offered position.

Meanwhile, the resistance cells begin to negotiate alliances; headed by the best and brightest of the resistance; The Lambda Alliance is founded. Although Lambda's connection to Black Mesa is scarcely known, the public will begin to hear of "Anti-Citizens". Nightly propaganda demonizing and showing graphic video and images of resistance members being killed by union forces and confessing crimes while in custody by civil protection become a regular occurrence. Public opinion is mixed on the validity of these broadcasts.

#### May 21st

A Civil Protection facility is attacked by resistance in region 14. The use of multiple short-range mortars bombards the training facility. The Universal Union is swift to respond, claiming the attack left over thirty Civil Protection trainees dead, and nearly a hundred injured. The Universal Union declare May 21st, Martyr's Day. Consul Breen enacts a global policy in response to prioritize the security of citizens at the expense of further slowing the reconstruction effort. This act was widely unpopular, as the populace's daily labors began to focus on the building of further security and housing for Civil Protection and Union assets, not apartments and facilities for their own use. Although the resistance wouldn't seem to further stoke sentiments of unrest, cells begin to promote observing Martyr's day for their own deceased.

#### Late May

With mounting tension building in cities across the world, The Universal Union begin to formally appoint local leadership known as "Civil Administrators" to strike deals and organize labor. Improved safety, equipment, and even entertainment such as radios and an increase in rations are negotiated for. Regional-based labor unions would begin to form under the advisement of Civil Administrators, offering a share in future economic ventures in exchange for recruiting and meeting labor quotas. Although effective, a degree of criminality forms among the ranks of the labor unions. Often finding ways to cause laborers to become indebted, or use of even violence to keep workers in line. With this established, Civil Protection and Union forces are further freed of needing to stand guard over the reconstructive efforts and begin policing the cities and nearby outlands around cities.

#### June

Throughout the month of June 2002; reconstructive efforts make strides in further protecting and establishing factories within major cities. Resistance cells known to target these efforts become increasingly unpopular as the effort of citizens seeking to return to normalcy and fragile supply lines mean potentially starving their own people. The Universal Union maintains this fragility of supply lines, discouraging resistance from targeting cities to taking to the outlands to fight union forces. With union forces and civil protection requiring better armaments and equipment, resistance cells take to acquiring prewar surplus and theft from factories. An unavoidable game of cat and mouse between capable resistance arms smugglers and civil protection ensue.

#### July 4th

In celebration of American Independence, North American resistance cells begin mass assaults on union forces, sabotage of logistics, and patriotic events for recruitment. In response, nearly half of the North American cities have been evacuated and their populations transferred to Eastern Europe. In doing so, this region of the world would become a stronghold for resistance cells; potentially the center of operations for The LAMBDA Alliance. It was later revealed that a significant portion of Canadian and American Armed Forces have escaped Universal Union searches. This oversight gave North Americans the opportunity to begin rounding up arms and compelling many paramilitary organizations to their ranks. The aftermath of July 4th, 2002 would see casualties among the hundreds of resistance and civilians; while union casualties are debated. LAMBDA announced to their followers that over 3,000 Union personnel had been killed, while The Union reports only a thousand in losses. Among LAMBDA members and sympathizers, July 4th is observed in secret. For The Universal Union, July 4th is a day of public executions of anti-citizens in cities across the world.

#### Late July

In Eastern Europe, City 17 is established as the official center for North American relocations. With a lack of stable North American populace cities, the continual relocations become less common. Among the relocated populace, now divided between districts; resistance cells are temporary paralyzed as much of their equipment and contacts are lost in the mass migration. In response to the July 4th actions of LAMBDA, Civil Protection affiliated families begin the process of forming "The Humanist Party"; which seeks to promote cooperation with The Universal Union's aims.

#### Early August

The Humanist Party's gains traction within City 17, and upon their first mass assembly on August 28th; Consul Breen announces The Humanist Party is his party affiliation. With this announcement made, The Consul encourages other Loyalist Parties to form, however, he promises under The Humanist Constitution a brighter economic and societal future is ahead of humanity. The masses are unsure of what to think of The Humanist Party, outside of it giving loyalists seemingly higher status than citizens unable to join the party. In the months to follow, a clear loyalist upper class, a diminishing middle class, and large lower class begin to take shape. The economic disparity causing strife between those in the city, as well as leading to the formation of slums, middle class housing, and more pristine loyalist apartment blocks. Civil Protection are also noted as preferring to patrol loyalist and middle class neighborhoods, and almost entirely abandoning lower class to fend for itself.