January 31st, 2000: Multiple portals begin to appear and then sometimes vanish all over Earth, clustered roughly around major population centers. At first dubbed “Slides,” they appear to be two-dimensional views of other worlds, no matter what angle they’re approached from. The Slides vary in width from a few feet across to the size of a modest city block, and show scenes ranging from near-Earth ecology, to horrific hellworlds, to what can only be described as recognizable, mythical places. Every Slide, no matter what is viewed through it, seems frozen in time.

February 2nd, 2000: The rate of Slides manifesting and disappearing seems to stabilize, with news media estimating and arguing that anywhere from one to ten thousand exist across the planet. The last remaining records seem to indicate that the general attitude toward the Slides was wary, curious, and strangely optimistic. At approximately 3:00 PM GMT, all electronic devices cease to function and a small percentage of the global population immediately suffers from sudden and quickly fatal seizures. Millions, possibly billions die, but information is spotty at best.

Three minutes later, every living person sixteen years of age and above has the same collective experience: a new, sixth sense is forcibly injected into their awareness, a holographic field entirely outside one’s field of vision but constantly in focus, written in an alien language that is somehow as familiar as their mother tongue. The field reads:

Initializing [Infra] Emergency Protocols v. 171.01…

Your world, [Earth – Infra Emergency Zone 00171], has been discovered and targeted by various multiversal factions, including imperialist colonizing nations, exploitative multisystem corporations, and hegemonizing swarm entities. This is well outside the calculated bounds for system discovery and integration and this lapse in preparedness is currently being considered gross negligence on the part of [Infra].

In compensation, in addition to the planned upgrades to the [Earth] solar system, all [Humans – Earthborn Bipedal Sapients] will receive three free, semi-random [Talents] upon integration, from now until perpetuity.

The multiverse portals appearing as [Slides] will be fully operational within four [Earth] days. A defense against these incursion sites may not be safely possible at this level of [Infra] integration, so it cannot be recommended in good faith. Full integration will be complete in the next seven days. Please avoid national, historical, cultural, and geographical landmarks in this period, as they will be undergoing extensive metaphysical changes and will not be amenable to [Human] life.

Estimates based on current [Earth] resources and the number and origin points of existent [Slides] place an outer bound on total depletion of the planet at twelve years. If at least eight out of every nine hostile [Slides] are not closed and [Human] civilization is not stabilized and independent by the end of this period, this world will be reclassified as [Earth – Infra Exclusion Zone 00146]. [Messages], [Groups], [Menu] and partial [Talents] are all available.

February 6th, 2000: Utilizing the networking capabilities and supernatural abilities granted by [Infra], a large portion of the remaining [Human] population organize along three ideologies, later codified into [Paths]. Unintegrated minors, people unwilling or unsuited for combat, and those willing to defend them form [Redoubts] in areas less affected by [Slides], hoping to keep out of the way. What remains of governments, from local to international, consolidate their police forces, armies, and anyone else willing to join into [Orders] and prepare to combat whatever comes from the looming portals. Lastly, anyone too far away or unsuited to join a major defense, but still determined to combat the threat of invaders, becomes what’s quickly known as [Adventurers].

The [Slides] open fully and it is disastrous. At least one in three major cities are overrun. [Human] ability to gauge the threat of individual [Slides] is found to be woefully incompetent. Some heavily defended portals only discharge friendly beings, some nothing. Innocuous [Slides] left for [Adventurers] to clean up erupt into violent, aggressive packs of invading monsters. The fighting continues nonstop for three days until the next message from [Infra]:

Infra Emergency Protocols v. 171.03 Update

[Earth] integration is now at 85% and more functions are currently available to [Humans] sixteen [Years] and older. Your planet’s [Essence] generation has been successfully harnessed and contained into [Sources]. Historically, this makes a planet’s resources 56% more difficult to obtain by multiversal invaders. The previous restriction on visiting landmarks is hereby rescinded, and all [Humans] are invited to explore the [Sources] implanted there and reap the bounty of your planet’s existence. Warning: each [Source] is different and dangerous, due to random effects of high [Essence] concentration.

[Essence] distribution is now unlocked and rewards are calculated for the past three [Days] of offline conflict. [Essence] will now be earned immediately after actions which contribute to the well-being of [Earth], and can also be harvested from [Sources] and enemies. [Resilience], [Affinity], [Vigor]. [Stats], [Skills], [Levels], [Achievements], [Classes], the full [Talent] set, and [Help] are now available.

Progress and Statistics:

100% of hostile [Slides] active

86% of [Redoubts] intact (62% of population)

71% of [Orders] operational (34% of population)

30% of [Adventurers] alive (4% of population)

0% of [Sources] discovered

March 17th, 2000: The first recorded [Source] to be successfully raided, [Parisian Catacombs], is claimed by a combination of [Orders] working to retake Paris. The rewards provided by [Infra] bolster their efforts to secure the city, but the mechanism to close active [Slides] is still unknown.

March 29th, 2000: A lone [Adventurer] somehow irreparably damages the [Below Niagara Falls Source] and then closes the three nearby [Slides]. The process used for both acts appears to be reproducible, and involves shattering the [Fount] at the heart of the [Source] into [Shards].

December 31st, 2000: [Infra] reports the population of [Earth] has stopped declining just above two billion [Humans].

February 6th, 2001: A year to the day after full integration, the first [Human] reaches [Level 100] and unlocks [Ascendancy]. Large swathes of unclaimed land begin to undergo [Essence] mutations usually only seen inside [Sources].

April 10th, 2001: Groups of [Adventurers] join with the [New South Wales Redoubt] and create [Earth]’s first [Guild].

June 18th, 2001: Multiple [Orders] disband and form the [System Polity Grand Order – SysPol], dedicated to preserving and cultivating the largest [Sources] while still obtaining sufficient [Shards] to close [Slides].

October 12th, 2001: [SysPol] grows exponentially after sharing the trick to obtaining [Shards] nondestructively, absorbing multiple [Orders] across the planet.

July 6th, 2003: A South American [Guild] claims the [Hidden Jungle Temple Source], unlocking [Transcendency] and breaking the [Level 300] limit. [SysPol] and the [Manassas Redoubt Guild] close the [Slides] in Washington, D.C. and proceed to clear most of the North American east coast.

May 25th, 2007: The [Sublime] barrier at [Level 600] is broken somewhere in China. Chinese [Orders] and [Guilds] remain secretive about it, but rumors of a [Tamed Source] run rampant.

October 25th, 2007. [SysPol]’s [Sublimed] members close the largest remaining hostile [Slides] in Tokyo, Mexico City, and Sao Paulo. There is no general [Infra] broadcast.

December 1st, 2009: While monster invasions from hidden [Slides] continue to occur, the lack of major threats allow formerly walled and secluded [Redoubts] to open up, most contracting [SysPol] to provide protection. A roaming [Ascendant Adventurer] closes a [Slide] menacing a small Siberian [Redoubt], gaining a unique [Achievement] [Not the First, but the Last] and [Infra] updates once more:

Infra Emergency Protocols v. 171.27 Complete

Initializing Infra Regency Structure v. 1375.01…

Congratulations [Earth – Infra Probationary Member Zone 01375], 88.9% of hostile [Slides] have now been closed, and the worlds on the other side are no longer able to threaten you. The remaining portals will remain open, which has been scientifically proven to encourage [Essence] growth in member planets. The previous method to close [Slides] will now only serve to force them into a dormant, migrating state, as unlockable [Slides] have a tendency to grow in size and threat if left unchecked.

[Earth] is now at 97% integration, and will be granted [Full Member] status upon completion. In the interim, your solar system will be assigned an [Overlord] to assume responsibilities previously assumed by the [Infra Emergency Protocols]. Tax on all [Essence] generation will be limited to one part of every twenty-five (4%), and will be allocated to the [Overlord] to create opportunities for new [Essence] gathering and further integration.

After self-arbitration, [Infra] has decided to confirm the extra [Talent] allocation for newly-integrated [Humans], and at the [Overlord]’s discretion, more [Talents] may be added to the pool. [Quests] and [Currency] are now available.

Progress and Statistics:

11.1% of hostile [Slides] open (locked)

2.1 billion [Humans] integrated

74% [Level 1-100 Mortals]

16% [Level 101-300 Ascendants]

7% [Level 301-600 Transcendents]

3% [Level 601-1000 Sublimed]

0% [Level 1001+ Divinities]

93% of [Sources] discovered

37% of [Sources] destroyed

Estimated [Essence] generation planetwide: 60% of optimal

February 9th, 2012: On the former deadline for [Earth]’s exclusion from [Infra], [Overlord Crushes-Valiant] opens the first [Earth Advancement and Assessment Festival], a month-long fair in his own [Personal Source] to encourage [Human] progression toward [Full Member] status.