THE DAY EVERYTHING CHANGED
「Ocasek 678」
It began in the summer of 2021 when scientists discovered a meteoroid they would name Ocasek 678, one whose path was dangerously close to Earth. Despite the threat, most people of Earth were apathetic to its approach, having grown fatigued of one big panic after another. After all, this wasn't the first time such a news story had come up. Unfortunately, we would not be telling this tale if that was the case. Looking back, it seemed like a cruel joke as 9 years earlier, everyone had been abuzz about the supposed Mayan apocalypse when their records had been revealed to end abruptly on December 21, 2012. Some with darker humor say that someone must have gotten the last two numbers confused. It was on December 21, 2021, that Ocasek 678 reached the Earth, a majority of it burning up in the atmosphere with only a handful of sizeable striking the surface.
Salem, Massachusetts; Roswell, New Mexico; and Gibsonton, Florida: there were few little things that could be considered similarities between these cities before, but that had now changed as they were each struck by the fragments of the meteorite.
「The 25th Hour」
The first sign that everything had changed was when the clocks began to act up. The evening after the impact, at 0100 hours analog clocks paused for an hour before resuming, and digital ones displayed the time as 2500. As strong as our networks and cybersecurity are, all it took was messing with the clocks for a majority of computers to become little more than paperweights. Civilization ground to a halt, crippled from the disconnect. The casualties would have been horrific were it not for organizations like the Speedwagon Foundation, who had prepared for the worst of emergencies from the beginning. Reeling from three impact events already, the United States could not recover from the 25th Hour. Within the following year, the U.S. would collapse, merging with Canada and Mexico to become the North American Republic which would later expand with the inclusion of those of South America to become the United Unions of the American Continents.
「The Old Stars and Stripes」
Some people don't like change, especially when it comes to governments and when the United States forced to dissolve and eventually merging into the UUAC, there were some who protested this, believing it to be one of many conspiracies. In the chaos of a country trying to rebuild from several disasters, it was fairly easy for one to exploit those outraged and vulnerable, leading to the creation of the Old Stars and Stripes, a militant group seeking to bring the United States back to its former glory. The O.S.S.'s leadership comprising of former military almost seemed ready from the beginning, as they wasted little time in assuming command of Roswell.
「Night Fever」
Alongside physical destruction from the impact events and global technological disaster, the end of 2021 also brought with it a new global pandemic in what was named the Night Fever. The first outbreaks were recorded in areas close to the impact zones but quickly spread to the point where cases were reported from areas on the opposite side of the world. Its symptoms were flu-like yet doctors were baffled to find a solution to it, as no treatment affected it. Many who caught it would perish, their bodies seemingly attacking themselves until vital organs shut down and those who survived developed paranoia and anxiety with some mentioning that they always felt watched.
While there was never a cure or treatment found for Night Fever, it seems to vanish on its own and only becomes noticeable among the population every so often. It was during the latest flare-up that your characters caught it.
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A BIZARRE NEW WORLD
Life, for better or worse, has become a bit bizarre, although those born after the impact might not see it this way having known nothing else.
Some who have known the before and after often say that when the meteors struck, nothing had been taken away, but rather they had added to it. This contradiction of words is perhaps the best and only means to describe the changes that have occurred for these regions do not appear to be areas recovering from devastation; they are as if they had been replaced by something more.
「Salem, Massachusetts」
At first glance, Salem appears to have been the least affected by the impact, save for some overgrowth of nature; that is until you notice that a sapling can sprout into a fully grown tree in the span of a mere day. Already reeling from the impact itself, most places affected were overran by nature shortly after and those with enough resources have been fighting a never-ending battle since then to keep the overabundance of flora at bay. Lately, there has been a growing push to stop wasting resources and coexist with nature, inspired by those who have learned to adapt to the ever-changing forests. Comprising of a 100-mile radius from the town, the Salem Impact Zone (or S.I.Z.), takes up a chunk of New England and due to the constant growth of flora, most transportation and export/imports rely on the ports.
That is not why Salem has fascinated so many nowadays. That would be because the city has become a center of all things magical, as the town's history has seemingly come to life. Witches, wizards, and everyone in between thrive and study to their heart's contents (within reason), encouraged by the local government who seek to avoid repeating their morbid past and as result, new life-changing innovations in both mundane and supernatural have become daily occurrences. It is said that Salem is run by two, the mayor and Moonchild, the de facto leader of those familiar with the occult.
「Roswell, New Mexico」
No one has heard a peep from Roswell since the impact, save for rare statements from the O.S.S., so it is unknown just lies within in. When the meteor struck, it was as if the very land rose up to defy it as the entirety of Roswell and the surrounding 20 mile radius now sit atop a towering mesa. With its history of shady government experiments, extraterrestrial occurrences, and sudden silence, the plateau looms ominously over its neighbors.
「Gibsonton, Florida」
Out of the three, the Gibsonton impact zone (G.I.Z.) which spans from Tampa to Orlando, has been the most oddly affected. The landscape, warped and distorted, appears like something out of a dream and just as indescribable. Shortly following the impact, in what could be considered a rather distasteful move by Lucky Land, the company annexed the entire impact zone, turning it all into a massive theme park unlike anything ever seen on Earth.