Timeline (Square One)

A timeline for Square One. Certain events are abridged or not included.

May

 * May 5, 2026: The American Astronomical Society estimates a 73% chance of 2024 DS14 colliding with Earth, up from a 42% in early March.


 * May 11, 2026: Columbia II, a last ditch effort by NASA to knock 2024 DS14 out of Earth's orbit, after several failed attempts by the Chinese government and European Union, fails. The asteroid, already in Earth's gravitational pull, is still on a collision course. The entire crew of the Columbia II is killed.
 * May 15, 2026: Unification talks between South Korea and North Korea break down.
 * May 19, 2026: The Department of Defense and NOAA release the now famous Barnum Report detailing that 2024 DS14 is bound to crash somewhere near South America in late June, however the report is dismissed as likely inaccurate.
 * May 22, 2026: A modified version of the Barnum Report, released by the United Nations, states that 2024 DS14 will crash into the Great Barrier Reef on June 17. The United States also enacts the National Near-Earth Object Preparedness Strategy and Action Plan this day.
 * May 23, 2026: Evacuations of Queensland, the Northern Territory, and much of New South Wales start this day.
 * May 27, 2026: UN members convene in New York City to discuss possible ways of dealing with the imminent impact. No consensus is reached. The last residents of the International Space Station are also vacated by this day.
 * May 30, 2026: A final calculation by the Department of Defense estimates that 2024 DS14 will impact near Toowoomba, Queensland on June 16, at the asteroid's current velocity.

June

 * June 1, 2026: The last day of evacuations in Queensland and the Northern Territory.
 * June 3, 2026: Rapidly trending downward since early May, stock markets across much of Asia and North America are closed indefinitely.
 * June 13, 2026: All flights across Oceania and Asia are ordered to be cancelled by the International Civil Aviation Organization from June 13 - June 20. All nations except South Korea and Pakistan comply with the order.
 * June 16, 2026: 2024 DS14 crashes near Toowoomba, Queensland. Ash and dust is lifted up into the atmosphere. Thousands are vaporized from the blast immediately, however the most harmful effects will clearly be the dimmed sunlight and negative effects on crop life.

June

 * June 18, 2026: Australia closes its ports and airports, forcing most unevacuated citizens in Queensland and the Northern Territory unable to leave the country. Many still do, illegally, but most either stay put or head in troves towards New South Wales and Victoria.
 * June 24, 2026: East Timor is the first national government to dissolve completely, and the ensuing War for Timor occurs.

July

 * July 2, 2026: The London Stock Exchange, the last functioning stock exchange on Earth, is shut down.
 * July 3, 2026: The government of Australia relocates to Hobart, Tasmania, as anarchy ensues in Canberra.
 * July 13-17, 2026: Representatives of several member states of the European Union meet in Brussels for the Brussels Conference.
 * July 15, 2026: The suspension of habeas corpus in the United States occurs with Executive Order 14107. Despite being considered unconstitutional by federal courts, it is mostly ignored by federal agents.
 * July 18, 2026: A massive breakout at ADX Florence in Colorado occurs, with law enforcement unable to stop most of the escapees.
 * July 22, 2026: In a surprise act, most military units located in the northern reaches of Canada are relocated to Lower Canada.

August

 * August 5, 2026: Extensive flooding in Jakarta forces the Indonesian government to temporarily relocate the seat of government.
 * August 7, 2026: American military units stationed in Lower Manhattan to maintain peace are ordered to leave the city.
 * August 10, 2026: An attempted military coup in Indonesia fails, resulting in the deaths of 68 people and the arrests of nearly 300 military officials. The entire nation is thrown into disarray.
 * August 16, 2026: West Papua declares its independence from Indonesia, and with the Indonesian military in disarray, the West Papuan government, along with loyal guerrilla forces were able to wrestle control of the island from loyal military units.


 * August 20, 2026: The Department of Defense announces it will be recalling American soldiers from across 200+ American military bases worldwide.
 * August 28, 2026: Tensions flare up across the Taiwan Strait as three Chinese naval destroyers cross into Taiwanese waters. Japan also orders the American government to remove all American soldiers deployed in its military bases in Japan, leading to a breakdown in U.S-Japanese relations.

September

 * September 3, 2026: The Great Transnational Famine starts on this day with the Chinese government running out on its grain stockpile, unable to provide rations to local governments to hand out.


 * September 14, 2026: The United States announces 60% tax on most fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat, and steel being exported out of the United States, effectively stopping most American food and steel exports. Many nations follow suit, interested in feeding their own populace.
 * September 19, 2026: New Zealand and Australia (now in Tasmania) sign a free trade agreement, the first since the Impact.
 * September 28, 2026: The mayor of New York City orders the evacuation of New York. Subways and public transportation are utilized to transport some civilians to a safe point in White Plains, where many will be processed for evacuation out of southern New York.

October

 * October 3, 2026: Flu season officially begins this day in North America with influenza cases across New York and Vermont. The state governments, swamped with maintaining order and stockpiling food for winter, are unable to contain the spread of the virus, and with the lack of pharmacies and clinics to hand out vaccines, the flu quickly spreads.
 * October 7, 2026: The flu is identified as the H1N1 strain of influenza by a WHO paper, the same deadly strain responsible for the 2009 swine flu pandemic and the 1918 flu pandemic (or the Spanish flu).
 * October 11, 2026: Some members of the House of Saud evacuate Saudi Arabia.

November

 * November 2, 2026: 


 * November 14, 2026: The United Nations "temporarily" shuts down, but still encourages member states to work together. United Nations headquarters in New York is closed, however many UN facilities and bureaus continue operating.
 * November 21, 2026: The United States federal government announces its "stable zone" measures, creating "stable zones" where order is kept and food is being rationed, and "dark zones" where there is a lack of order. Notable dark zones include Southern Michigan, New York City, the Texan Coast, and the San Francisco Bay.
 * November 28, 2026: The United States government relocates to Richmond after days of riots in Washington D.C and the death of the Secretary of Agriculture in a car accident.
 * November 30, 2026: Anarchy ensues in the Northern New York "stable zone" after the spread of the influenza virus and the collapse of the state government of New York.

December

 * December 17, 2026: The last passenger flight until 2034, a British Airways flight from London to Paris, is conducted.
 * December 20, 2026: The Wisconsin Stable Zone falls into anarchy, as the Governor of Wisconsin commits suicide in a hotel bedroom, leaving only two remaining stable zones.


 * December 24, 2026: The Last Broadcast is broadcast across America, as the President announces the government's intention to evacuate to a secure location, following the breakdown of order in much of the United States, and the inability of the government and the military to successfully contain the situation. In a heartfelt moment, the President ends the broadcast by apologizing to the American people for this "grave failure", but promises that America "shall return, stronger than ever".


 * December 25, 2026: The Great American Evacuation occurs. Important government officials are evacuated to Cheyenne Mountain Complex, while military officials are sent to Raven Rock.
 * December 29, 2026: Malaysia and Singapore finally reach a unification deal after months of negotiations.
 * December 31, 2026: The Bread Wars begin in the United States. Following the withdrawal of the federal government, many gangs, communities, and states begin to use force to protect the little agricultural land still producing food. In California, the Central Valley becomes a bloodbath as the traditionally poor area descends into anarchy.

January

 * January 1, 2027: The unification of Malaysia and Singapore occur on this day, forming the Union of Malaysia-Singapore.
 * January 6, 2027: The Governor of Arizona announces his intention to declare independence from the United States, "following the federal government's decision to abandon everyday Americans". The motion is contested by some members of the State Legislature, but Arizona goes on to declare its independence the same day.
 * January 17, 2027: The Government Continuity Charter is signed by the President of the United States, now in Cheyenne Mountain Complex. The GCC establishes the American Provisional State.

February

 * February 13, 2027: A fragile peace is made between Northern Irish dissenters and the Irish government.

March

 * March 17, 2027: A shooting from a Falangist in the Palacio de las Cortes leaves the Spanish Prime Minister and much of the Cortes Generales dead, effectively leaving Spain without a functioning government. The President, King, and some members of the military evacuate to the Baleric Islands.
 * March 24, 2027: Several military officials in Toledo form the Toledo Emergency Junta.