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Dispatch → Factbook → Overview
The History of New Lundus
No one took the asteroid seriously. Sure, a massive space rock hurtling toward Aetherea was a scary thought, but surely it was something they could deal with. Lundus was a rich and powerful nation, if they threw enough money at the problem, it would eventually be solved, no? And besides, the rail guns defending Aetherea were the most advanced ever created in the history of mankind. They would easily obliterate the asteroid before it even had a chance to hit. So why worry?
But, just in case, there was a contingency in place. A plan that would create tens of thousands of jobs and millions on revenue for the government. It was quite simple, really. The Lundus Republic would begin immediately creating an untold number of bunkers all around the nation. Both government agencies and private companies got in on the action, and began to dig bunkers literally anywhere that they could. Spaces ranged from large enough to hold an entire city to small enough to comfortably hold a family of four. Having a bunker in your backyard was all the rage those days. Of course, no one expected them to be used for their intended purpose. Their biggest concern was how the space would be used after all the excitement died down.
Thus, the day of the strike came, little more than a massive media spectacle. Government warnings to get to the bunkers were ignored, as tens of millions watched the asteroid live on TV, ready to see it blow up in a massive, fiery explosion. Of course, that would never happen.
For instead of all eight rail guns obliterating the asteroid, a paltry three was all that had fired, damaging but not destroying the asteroid. Lundians watched in horror as the asteroid continued on its path of destruction, intent on reducing the world to ash.
That’s when the panic set in.
A mad scramble began for any and all bunkers, fellow Lundians trampling each other in a vain attempt to reach the bunkers. Most would perish before getting inside, as the mass of their own bodies prevented anyone from getting far. Those who did make it in time soon found that many of the bunkers were not the safe havens that they promised. Many of the government contractors and private companies had cut corners on construction. After all, they never thought the bunkers would be used for their intended purposes. Their air filtration systems failed spectacularly, and in came clouds of toxic gas, suffocating those would were supposed to be protected from them.
The few who had found good bunkers, bunkers that actually worked, would find themselves in an alien world, where the very air was toxic to them. From the ashes they sought to reclaim their world, to learn from their mistakes and begin anew. Thus, the Republic of Lundus was dead. In its place…came New Lundus!