Table of Contents
1. Roberto Fortescue Universe Worldbuilding Notes
1.1. World Timeline
1.2. Timeline: Major Events
1.2.1. 2030
- Qin Xia and her team at a secret Chinese laboratory begin working on creating a system for heuristic construction of genetic code.
1.2.2. 2033
- American research begins on advanced nanoscale 3D printing processes for integrating artificial materials into bone and flesh.
1.2.3. 2035
- German scientists start work on an inverse vaccine that allows the immune system to accept introduced substances without immunocompromising the body, enabling localized biological grafting.
1.2.4. 2040
- The first person chooses significant bio/cybernetic grafting and implantation, replacing a limb with something better. This man becomes a prominent, if controversial, figure, named Person of the Year by TIME magazine.
- Further advances in neuromusculoskeletal control of electronics and miniaturization of wearable electronics take place.
1.2.5. 2042
- Humanity passes the threshold of catastrophically dangerous global warming. The world begins to crack under the weight of capitalism's consequences.
1.2.6. 2043
- Climate change results in devastating tsunamis, monsoons, floods, hurricanes, droughts, famines, and civil wars in third-world countries. The global North experiences food shortages but maintains some semblance of normalcy. The rich retreat into their air-conditioned bunkers, while the poor face starvation.
- Mass migration from affected areas to the global North begins. Refugees pour across borders, seeking sanctuary, only to be met with hostility and fear.
1.2.7. 2045
- Climate catastrophe intensifies; no coordinated movement towards a better future is formed. The world descends into chaos as governments collapse.
1.2.8. 2046
- Roberto Fortescue, an Italian scientist and billionaire, announces himself as their dark Messiah. His philosophical treatises and insidious novels have already sown the seeds of his ideology among the wealthy elite.
- Most wealthy elites align behind Fortescue ideologically. The air is thick with a mix of hope and desperation.
1.2.9. 2047
- The wealthy elites under Fortescue's command begin calling in every contact to buy a collection of ICBMs capable of glaasing the entire planet. The deal-making is shrouded in secrecy, but the sense of impending doom hangs heavy.
1.2.10. 2048
- Hundreds of thousands of workers are hired to modify the ICBMs for their new mission. The work is dangerous and brutal; many die from radiation poisoning as they toil day and night. The air is thick with a mix of sweat, fear, and desperation.
- Fortescue's vision is simple: seed the atmosphere with nanoparticulate to reflect sunlight and counteract greenhouse gases. No one bothers to check if it will work or what the ramifications might be.
1.2.11. 2049
- The project is ready, and ICBMs are launched into the atmosphere. The initial results seem positive, but as the spheres expand and merge, the minds behind the project begin to realize they have made a fatal miscalculation.
1.2.12. 2050
- Initial results seem positive, but the particulate doesn't dissipate as expected; the atmosphere darkens, leading to a permanent apocalypse. The world is plunged into darkness, and humanity begins to go mad with despair.
- Governments collapse across the world. Societies enter their final stage of collapse. The air is thick with acid rain that never stops falling. Crops die, and disease spreads unchecked.
1.2.13. 2050
- Roberto Fortescue announces that he will build a safe haven called New Tartessos. His vision is cold and unyielding; he sees it as the ultimate proof of his power and the salvation of capitalism in an apocalyptic world.
- The wealthy elites under Fortescue's command seize territory between Las Vegas and Los Angeles, claiming it legally using disintegration of the United States. The construction begins with a sense of grim determination.
1.2.14. 2051
- Plans for New Tartessos are completed. The city will be an island of iron order and advanced technology in a world of chaos. The air is thick with the smell of sweat, fear, and the promise of survival.
1.2.15. 2052
- Fortescue orders his followers to hire an army of paramilitary troops and seize territory between Las Vegas and Los Angeles about the size of Rhode Island. When any surrounding fractious powers challenge his right to claim that territory, he makes them back down with threats of nuclear hellfire.
1.2.16. 2053
- Hydroponics farms and barracks are constructed, attracting workers who will be paid in company script redeemable only at the city's facilities. The air is thick with a sense of desperation as people flock to build the city.
1.2.17. 2054
- Construction efforts intensify, and thousands of paramilitary soldiers rally to the banner. Fortescue’s followers are given lavish retainers to keep them loyal, ensuring their loyalty through fear and privilege.
1.2.18. 2055
- By this year, hundreds of thousands of desperate people have flocked to the city to provide labor in return for protection and access to resources. The air is thick with a mix of hope and despair as they begin building the new metropolis.
1.2.19. 2056
- Construction efforts intensify, and thousands of paramilitary soldiers rally to the banner. Fortescue’s followers are given lavish retainers to keep them loyal, ensuring their loyalty through fear and privilege. The air is thick with a sense of desperation as people flock to build the city.
1.2.20. 2070
- New Tartessos is announced complete. Workers who built the city are cut loose into it to find their own work. Fortescue envisions this as the apotheosis of his vision, where capitalism reigns supreme and all others must fend for themselves in a harsh world.
1.2.21. 2071-2089
- Merchants, traders, sea captains, and nomads re-establish some semblance of global supply chains through small city states and principalities. The air is thick with the promise of survival but also the threat of exploitation and cruelty.
1.2.22. 2075-2090
- Scientists and engineers necessary to keep New Tartessos running arrive, ensuring its continued operation. The air is thick with a mix of determination and dread as they work to maintain order and progress in this dark world.
1.2.23. 2100
- New Tartessos remains as the last superpower, shaped by those who had resources before the apocalypse. Fortescue's vision has become reality, but at what cost? The air is thick with a sense of grim inevitability as the city stands as a testament to human resilience and cruelty.
1.3. Characters
1.3.1. Roberto Fortescue
1.3.1.1. Early Career and Wealth Accumulation
- Former scientist for hire, involved in military-industrial complex operations.
- Worked as an intellectual Ronin moving from contract to contract with some of the biggest names in the Military Industrial Complex.
- Found out about a special military operation planned by the Russian government and made anonymous investments that paid off post-operation. These were his first millions.
- Grew wealth while remaining completely anonymous, transacting entirely in cryptocurrency and storing assets in real assets under shell companies and fake names in countries with little regulation.
- Without anyone realizing, he entered the top hundred richest people on Earth.
1.3.1.2. Philosophical Influence
- Wrote extensive philosophical treatises and novels under a pseudonym.
- Gradually influenced wealthy elites and the intelligentsia, making them believe in his philosophy.
- His writings were said to have a certain almost occult pull to them, making people abandon their previous values for the dark allure he offered. This was not true; his work was flattery with a sting.
- Core tenant of his philosophy: The world should be ruled by the wealthy elite through city-states governed by dynasties, making no pretense toward humane beliefs and no compromises with democracy or human rights.
- These cities would have laws only protecting property rights and intellectual property, managed by massive conglomerations organized by cartels, with the only laws being what corporations dictate.
- He proclaimed that these dictators must be philosopher kings and charismatic leaders.
1.3.1.3. Revelation and Acceptance
- Fortescue announced himself on the world stage as the author behind the writings wealthy elites had read and believed.
- Rich elites accepted him with open arms due to his perceived wisdom and persuasiveness in his writings.
1.3.1.4. Personality Traits and Public Image
- Charismatic, eloquent speaker with a verbose speaking style.
- Gifted at answering questions with a barrage of historical details and philosophical/literary references without concretely answering the question if it doesn't suit him.
- Not truly intelligent, but appears so due to eloquence and excellent memory.
- Prides himself on being a first-principles thinker, rationalist, and first-rate scientist, but is none of those things. Instead, he's a blinkered thinker, an engineer, and a contrarian.
- Creates complex reasoning to confirm pre-existing biases, incentives, and desires, impressing people who lack the time or patience to critique his work.
1.3.1.5. Emotional Traits
- Struggles with forming relationships due to a lack of emotional intelligence and difficulty in giving and taking.
- Appears calm and composed, even easygoing and forgiving, but panics under pressure.
- Shows signs of paranoia, pedantry, and fastidious anxious micromanagement when things go against him.
- Patient and strategic thinker who can see a way to get his way in the long term, even if he isn't winning temporarily.
