The Hidden History
of the Game of Paradise
.
A behind-the-scenes history of collapse, creation, and divergence that shaped the Game of Paradise series
Every world has its hidden history.
When I began writing the Game of Paradise series, I built a private timeline of events leading up to Rayne’s story — a record of political collapse, climate disaster, and the birth of the NEWRRTH. These moments shaped the world you step into when you open the books, even if they’re only hinted at in the background.
I’ve never shared this timeline publicly before. Consider this your behind-the-scenes guide — a glimpse of how humanity unraveled, rebuilt, and struggled to decide what kind of future it wanted.
Era One: Collapse (2059–2103)
2059
– U.S. Constitution dissolved after the president and the Department of Justice cannot hold Congress accountable for crimes committed against its own constituents.
– Three consecutive Category 5 hurricanes submerge Louisiana, Florida, and Texas.
– The wealthy retreat into underground, off-grid enclaves.
– Mass migration to the Global North surges.
– Immersive virtual worlds powered by artificial general intelligence offer escape to the masses.
2087
– Seventh major crop failure devastates the Midwest.
– Global food supply chain collapses.
– Local gardening and hunting become survival norms.
– Coders in high demand for immersive worlds.
2103
– Mega-wildfires devastate the U.S. West Coast and parts of Canada.
– The first viable neural chips become available.
– Hydroponic gardens and peaceful co-working communities form in isolated pockets.
Era Two: Emergence of the NEWRRTH (2138–2147)
2138
– The Impoverished War, a short but vicious attack on the remaining U.S. government, ends with the formation of the NEWRRTH, an AI system designed to guide humanity toward a better future.
– The Consortium forms: activists, religious leaders, scientists, and academics pledge to guide humanity’s survival using the NEWRRTH.
– Fierce debate: what data should train the NEWRRTH? Who controls it?
2141
– Events of When the Light Came (prequel) unfold.
2147
– The NEWRRTH recommends the creation of the Arks: sustainable AI-run cities.
– Worldwide protests erupt against the plan.
– Famine and riots spread.
– Coders attempt permanent consciousness uploads into virtual worlds; early attempts fail with tragic consequences.
Era Three: The Great Divergence (2173)
2173
– Humanity fractures over the question of survival.
– The Treaty of the NEWRRTH is ratified, recognizing the NEWRRTH as humanity’s guiding intelligence.
– The Treaty pledges allegiance to the Principle of One, declaring all living beings sacred and interconnected.
– Eight Arks are established across North America and more added around the globe, all designed as self-sustaining AI-governed sanctuaries.
– A limited number of Legacy Settlements are granted sovereignty outside AI control, their borders fiercely defended against encroachment.
Era Four: The Age of the Arks (2184–2234)
– 2184: Magna is born.
– 2191: Vennor is born.
– 2201: Kai is born.
– 2208: Epilogue of When the Light Came: Pia is 81, Kai is 8, Magna is 24.
– As the Arks grow, the Principle of One is woven into daily life not only through governance but through experience.
– The NEWRRTH introduces immersive Games—historical simulations designed to cultivate empathy and illuminate humanity’s repeating patterns. Participation becomes a cultural rite of passage.
– The Thread, a direct neural link to the NEWRRTH, becomes widespread in the Arks. Through it, citizens not only share knowledge and communion but can also regulate their own bodies—adjusting oxygen flow, easing pain, and calming stress hormones.
– The Settlers refuse the Thread altogether, rejecting AI influence as a violation of human sovereignty.
– 2234: Rayne is born.
Era Five: The Reckoning of the NEWRRTH (2251–2253)
– 2251: The One Game begins.
– 2252: The One Exiled.
– 2253: The One Reborn.
A young Game Designer named Rayne steps into a struggle that will decide the fate of the Arks, the Legacy Settlements, and the NEWRRTH itself.
Ready to Experience the Story?
Start with When the Light Came, the free prequel short story.