Initium Novum: New Beginnings

In the not-so-distant future, life as we know it will disappear. In a few decades humans will be responsible for the decimation of most of the Earth's natural resources. Greed and entitlement plague humanity and devastate the natural evolution of the Earth. Instead of conserving the remaining resources, humans use them to make weaponry and defend the remaining scarcities. Individualism replaces community. The scarcity of resources turns one against another, friend against friend, and family against family, state by state, territory by territory, and country by country. Wars rage, loyalties fade, armies implode, and basic social structures collapse. A dramatic shift in the Earth's atmosphere creates devastating seasonal changes. Hurricanes and monsoons flood coastal cities and towns. Tornadoes rip up crops and level homes across the prairies and inlands. Earthquakes demolish entire cities. Volcanos fill the skies with toxic gases and cloud the sun. It is as if the planet is just as angry with humanity as humanity is with itself. Seasons change; spring and fall all but disappear. Winter and summer become extremely polarized, with temperatures too intense to sustain life. The climate on the surface of the planet becomes too unstable and harsh. People have no choice but to go underground.