In 2013, the Federal Terror Czar was forced to grant wide powers to the local state governments, declaring "Defend your land!" But what was seen by many as a tacit admission of defeat was actually only a minor setback. The following year, Operation Local Shield set up compact automated factories in secret locations throughout the country. Each station was designed to independently provide supplies to local military forces in a national emergency. However, many conspiracy theorists pointed to this project as proof the US government engineered the troubles of the following years.

As random terroristic acts continued, tourism dropped, collapsing the industry and crippling the economies of several states. People were afraid to fly and avoided major amusement parks, malls and tourist sites, opting instead to "get away from it all" with drives into the countryside.

2016-2018

In 2016, a microorganism appeared in the grain fields of Nebraska and Ukraine. Called the Blight, the virus destroyed crops in the US and Russia, including stored grains, and leaving famine in its wake as it spread across five continents. (Australia was spared due to strict quarantining.) Bacterial warfare is suspected, but no group took responsibility. Finger-pointing and unsubstantiated accusations brought a halt to trade and a breakdown in international politics.

Big cities were in chaos and farms were raided as initial efforts failed to provide anything close to relief. The Food Riots had begun. However, massive starvation was prevented with the production of algae food products. Quality wasn't spectacular at first, but it beat the alternative. "Food vats" quickly appeared in cities worldwide, although rioting continued sporadically for another two years while the distribution network was established.

New Dark Age

2019-2025

The New Dark Age began in 2019 when six backpack nukes detonated simultaneously about the US, devastating major metropolitan centers. Panic spread rapidly as people fled cities for the countryside in large numbers - only to discover "survivors" of the First Mutant Plague. New York City, which had been spared, was struck the following year by a coordinated NBC attack that destroyed all of lower Manhattan, including Wall Street. At the same time, a computer virus, called "The Worm," wiped out computer networks across the country. The national infrastructure unraveled. Financial markets plunged into chaos worldwide.

With breakdowns at federal level, state officials assumed wider powers, becoming more and more independent from the national government, culminating in 2024 with the formation of the Free Oil States by Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma. Congress tried to force the rogue states back into the Union, but ultimately disbanded when politicians flee D.C. Few changes were noticed at the local level.

2026-2030

When roving bands of cycle gangs terrorizing the small towns that had survived the dark years, citizens united together in militias with the sole purpose of exterminating this latest menace. Fortifications were built around food warehouses and even around entire towns, and patrols were sent out to look for the cycle gangs. The term "Fortress Town" was coined to describe these areas. By 2030, they had sprouted up across the country, and the first trade routes were established. Two decades later, many pockets of society have almost returned to normal - though they've redefined "normal."

Coming Next: Anatomy of a Fortress Town