"Renewal" - A Potential Podcast... The Timeline Part Two

Post-Old World / “The Renewing”

reference estimations taken from: "How a nuclear war would kill you — and almost everyone else."

CONTENT WARNING: MENTIONS OF GLOBAL NUCLEAR WAR, GLOBAL NUCLEAR WINTER, DRASTIC OCEAN LEVEL RISE, MENTIONS OF ANIMAL EXTINCTION, BRIEF MENTION OF DEATH TOLLS, BRIEF MENTIONS OF NATURAL DISASTERS.

Image original source: The world with a 70 meters sea-level rise

Nuclear winter occurs first, a winter globally lasting for 40 years. Due to the amount of soot in the stratosphere (damaging the ozone layer in the process), many plant life and animal life suffers. Any humans left on the surface are assumed dead. The soot begins to slowly dissipate for approximately another 40-50 years. Because of the damage to the ozone layer, the global temperature is now 50 degrees hotter (2190-2200) since 2125. In another 50 years, global temperatures are back at relatively normal levels (3° Celsius). The time at the relative end of Nuclear Global Climatic Change is roughly 2265-2275. 

At this point, oceans have risen by a total of 70 meters since the late 21st century. Earthquakes during this roughly 150 year period have become common, as well as above ground natural disasters due to the rapid climatic changes. Many Old World fauna and flora have either gone extinct, or have rapidly evolved to adjust to the world changes. Those that did evolve are stronger and, in lots of cases, larger in size (i.e. birds, ocean animals, bears). Any animals that were in zoos were free due to structural damages, and have repopulated in most areas. 

(North America, old USA)

   Survivors in underground bunkers, by this point, have easily adjusted to their new lives. Technological advances underground have aided in their survival, and, 30 years after the Great War, have joined tunnels to connect other bunker “communes”, creating large communities under the earth. However, any bunkers that were close to coastal areas and heavy earthquake areas are decimated, either drowning or being buried alive. In some places, minor wars and fights, mostly caused by stress from not knowing if they’d survive, cause other bunker communes to become abandoned and forsaken. In most cases, however, survival is key and people learn to get along. Scientists in the connected bunker communes begin estimations on when the surface will be livable again (roughly 2290). More disagreements occur and some communities block off tunnels to other communities due to those disagreements, believing it’s safer to stay underground than return to the surface (causing some new “religious” beliefs to sprout). A consensus is reached by 2350, 225 years after the Great War.

   By this point, a lot of information about the Old World has been lost, partially due to archives being buried under the earth or simply lost (and, in some cases, destroyed). The current generations, by the 24th century, have next-to-know knowledge of what their planet used to look like. When these generations resurface, a lot of what used to be part of the Old World is either overgrown or obliterated, so in the majority of cases people have to completely rebuild. While a good portion of these generations return to the surface by 2380, some families and communities choose to remain underground, keeping with their technology (and mostly just not wanting to completely start over)

Continuation of the Renewing Period

   By 2400, new towns and villages pop up across the New World. With this, new histories are made, as well as deviations/variations of the English language are created (including writing). By 2425, most villages/towns have become official and stable and their new lives begin. Some people, however, chose to travel the landscape, either choosing to settle down and start completely anew all over again, or to continue the life of endless travel, becoming what most places know as Nomads (who, in some places, are hated by villages and towns).

   During this time, the Underground Communes return to their normal lives. Over time, they begin to slowly forget about those that returned to the Aboveground, only remnants of their loved ones leaving stay with their own histories. New connecting tunnels are created with some communities, others continue to live in solitude. Some places even create a new “job”, to go up to the surface to observe life up there for a day or so, and then return to their safe community to report their findings. 

Both Aboveground and Underground begin to forget about each other's existence, especially the former. In the case of the Aboveground, any mention of the Bunkers of Old are forgotten completely by the 26th century.

And thus begins the main character's story, approximately in the year 2602, roughly 477 years after the "Great Explosion," "Great War," or however else people at this age recalled what happened. As, over time, knowledge of such things get lost or changed. Especially this far ahead in time.