Post by Lawman on Mar 28, 2008 22:54:40 GMT -5
In the beginning...
The United States and China, the two great superpowers of the Earth, gradually grow together and form the Anglo-Sino Alliance (though their empires remain separate), rather than killing each other as originally predicted. In a somewhat ironic reversal, the American Empire annexes England.
[Firefly website and "A Brief History of the Universe, circa 2507 A.D." In an interview on the site, series creator Joss Whedon first described some of this background to account for the mix of cultures in the Alliance, and the pre-production memo gives further details. This history is implicit in the design of the Alliance flags seen in "The Train Job" and "Bushwhacked," a combination of the present-day flags of the two countries in question.]
The Lassiter, the original hand held laser pistol and forerunner of all later laser technology, is invented. It will one day be universally known for its historical significance.
["Trash" and "The Message." The Lassiter's status as an Earth-That-Was artifact means that, by definition, it would have to be developed while the Earth still was. Saffron also describes it as "an antiquity of unspeakable value," suggesting its extreme age.]
The Earth is "used up," rendering it uninhabitable, as the planet cannot handle the growing population and resource needs of humankind. Amazingly enough, instead of wiping itself out, the human race rises to the challenge of finding a new home for the species. A nearby star is located, with a new solar system that is home to dozens of planets and hundreds of moons, almost all of which have enough mass and solidity to be templates for new Earths.
[Opening narration and "A Brief History of the Universe, circa 2507 A.D." It is never made entirely clear whether Earth still exists physically or not by the time of the series, although its description as "Earth-That-Was" makes that somewhat unlikely. On the other hand, the opening scenes of Serenity show ships leaving an Earth that appears devastated but not completely destroyed.]
Through giant atmosphere processing planets, terraforming technologies, gravity regulation, and the introduction of every known form of Earth life, each planet in the system becomes its own little (or, in some cases, huge) Earth, though the process takes decades. All of these worlds are specifically made as close to Earth-That-Was as possible, matching Earth's gravity and atmosphere.
[Opening narration, "Serenity," Serenity, and "A Brief History of the Universe, circa 2507 A.D." Zoe tells Dobson that the central planets, as well as the border moons, were made to resemble Earth, while young River's teacher and the pre-production memo describe the process in further detail.]
Humanity emigrates to this new solar system en masse, with every person willing and able to leave the Earth migrating there to colonise its worlds. The journey takes so long that an entire generation never even sees the outside of a spaceship, but the planets are ready for habitation and civilization begins to rebuild.
[Opening narration, Serenity, and "A Brief History of the Universe, circa 2507 A.D." The shadowplay seen in "Heart of Gold" provides a visual representation of the human diaspora, while the opening scenes of Serenity actually show ships (what the shooting script calls "huge, intricate space-freighters") leaving Earth-That-Was itself.]
America and China work together throughout the colonization process, and their cultures gradually meld at many levels. Over time, American and Chinese culture meld together to the point that English and Mandarin even become integrated languages.
[Firefly website and "A Brief History of the Universe, circa 2507 A.D." In the same website interview mentioned above, series creator Joss Whedon explained that this was his contextual justification for including Chinese dialogue in the series. Although the characters we see over the course of the series speak primarily in English, with the occasional Manadarin interjection, one might presume that at least some of their contemporaries prefer the reverse.]
The two central, major planets that form the Core of this new system are Sihnon (an outgrowth of Chinese influence) and Londinium (an outgrowth of American influence).
[Firefly website. In an interview on the site, series creator Joss Whedon explained this aspect of the series back story, describing Sihnon as "basically China" and Londinium as "basically America." Although these details are not addressed directly in the series, Sihnon is mentioned in "Serenity," "Bushwhacked," and "Heart of Gold;" Londinium is (obliquely) mentioned by Mal in "Serenity;" and the names of both planets are listed on a screen in young River's classroom displaying a map of the new system in Serenity.]
As Sihnon develops, it is more crowded and more complicated, but ultimately not that different, from other developed planets. The Great City itself is said to be "like an ocean of light," in a way that cannot be captured by pictures.
["Serenity." Inara described what Sihnon is like to her client.]
Several other planets in the system are also considered part of the Core, including Ariel and Osiris. Ariel is quite a nice place, by most accounts, with beautiful museums, some of the finest restaurants in the Core, and the opportunity to go hiking or swim in a bio-luminescent lake.
["The Train Job" and "Ariel." Book describes Simon, who is from Osiris, as having been "a doctor on the central planets," while "Ariel" is quite explicit in describing its titular planet as part of the Core. Contrary to what some viewers may think, Persephone is not part of the Core--Kaylee describes her trip to Ariel as her "first time in the Core," though we have seen her on Persephone several times before that.]
Prostitution is legalized in the form of the Companion Guild, whose registered Companions have great social status conferred upon them--to the point that some planets will not even let a ship dock without a decent Companion on board. The Guild is organized into Houses (such as House Madrassa, based on Sihnon) run by a House Mistress or House Priestess, who has a say in how Companions conduct their affairs. At a Companion Academy, present and future Companions engage in an intensive--and arguably lifelong--course of study that includes training in seduction, body language, and signals, along with music and rituals such as the Companion Greeting Ceremony, involving tea.
["Serenity," "Bushwhacked," "Our Mrs. Reynolds," "Jaynestown," "Trash," and "Heart of Gold." Mal explains to Book how restrictive planets can be without the benefit of a Companion aboard one's ship. Inara tells Magistrate Higgins that "the Companion Greeting Ceremony is a ritual with centuries of tradition," suggesting the age of the Companion Guild. I have placed its establishment at this point on the assumption that the concept of Companions was developed in the Core after the initial human exodus.]
Companion Guild law stipulates, amongst other things, that Companions choose their own clients from a Client Registry, and no Companion will ever contract with someone who has earned a black mark in that registry. Guild law also requires all Companions to undergo a physical examination once a year in order to renew their licence. Other guidelines include the notion that Companions do not "kiss and tell" about their clients, and a "complicated" policy on dating.
["The Train Job," "Shindig," "Out of Gas," and "Ariel." Inara explains all of these rules at different points to different people. As you can see, nearly every episode of Firefly reveals a new detail about the Companions.]
Humanity continues to spread out throughout the system, terraforming and colonizing hundreds of new Earths. Some are rich and flush with new technologies, while others struggle to get by with the most basic equipment, though all are as close to Earth-That-Was as the terraforming process allows.
[Opening narration, "Serenity," and Serenity. It is difficult to reconcile the "new solar system" described in Book's narration and later in Serenity with the "whole new galaxy of Earths" described in Mal's narration. The idea of two waves of terraforming and colonization--the first to the Core, followed by a more widespread outgrowth--helps explain why the outlying colonies would be so much less advanced than those which had been established first, and why the Core planets would eventually be motivated to form the Alliance themselves.]
Every planet that is terraformed for human life has its own "little quirks," amongst them Bowden's Malady, an extremely degenerative affliction of the bone and muscle that can nevertheless be treated effectively with regular doses of Pasceline D. One planet in the Georgia System, in particular, finds that the air down underground, mixed up with the ore processors, is a perfect recipe for the disease. Everybody in the mining community of Paradiso on that planet eventually comes down with Bowden's, even those who have never set foot in a mine.
["The Train Job." Sheriff Bourne describes the nature of Bowden's Malady to Mal and Zoe, including its connection to the terraforming process. It is unclear what significance a term like "the Georgia System" would have, given that all of the settled worlds are described as being in a single solar system.]
The psychotic dictator Shan Yu, fancying himself quite the warrior poet, writes volumes on war, torture, and the limits of human endurance. Amongst his works is the adage, "Live with a man forty years. Share his house, his meals, speak on every subject. Then, tie him up and hold him over the volcano's edge--and on that day, you will finally meet the man."
["War Stories." Book discusses these writings with Simon, and Niska is also shown to be aware of them. Although the place and time of Shan Yu's reign are not specified, he appears to be considered a somewhat distant historical figure. I have placed him here to allow for any number of possible locations where he might've ruled, while acknowledging that he probably does not date from the era of Earth-That-Was. Shan Yu is a fictional character unique to Firefly, and should not be confused with the character of the same name from the animated feature film Mulan, nor with the historical Chinese general Xiang Yu or the Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu.]
As the Alliance terraforms its border moons, settlers are dumped there with nothing but blankets, hatchets, and maybe a herd. Some of these moons manage to make it, but others end up in bad shape, suffering plagues and famine--though some of the reports of such suffering are exaggerated.
["Serenity." Dobson asks about the border moons, and Mal and Zoe describe to him what they're like. Mal's comments suggest that this practice of careless colonization is an ongoing problem.]
And then the War...
2506
There is a call for settlers on Miranda, a world at the far edge of the system. Thirty million people settle there, and the Alliance mixes a chemical called the Pax into the air processors in an effort to curb aggression. The chemical is too effective, with the majority of the population becoming so passive that they eventually die. However, a tenth of one percent of the population have the opposite reaction, becoming uncontrollably violent.
[Serenity. Kaylee remembers the call for settlers "a while back," while Mal and Zoe mention that this was "just before the war."]
The Alliance sends a team to investigate what happened on Miranda, but they are all killed on the planet. One scientist survives long enough to send a message with their findings, along with a few of the images they had recorded of the dead, but she is killed in the midst of sending the signal.
[Serenity. Mal says that the signal is "about twelve years old."]
The Alliance suppresses the secret of their failed experiment on Miranda, along with any record on the Cortex of the planet's existence. Rumor spreads that Miranda is a black rock, where the terraforming didn't hold, and that just a few settlers died.
[Serenity. Mal offers vague recollections of what he's heard about Miranda.]
The central planets of the Core which form the Anglo-Sino Alliance decide that all of the settled planets have to join under their rule.
There is some disagreement on that point.
As a result, the Alliance wages the War to Unite the Planets (or Unification War) to bring those planets under their rule, fighting against the Independent Faction, also known as Browncoats.
[Opening narration. The specific year is seemingly conjecture, but would have to be after the events on Miranda, described as being "just before the war" in Serenity; and before the initial flashback seen in "Safe," as young River makes reference to an "Independent squad," suggesting that the war is already underway. The name of the "War to Unite the Planets" was given in a deleted scene from the episode "Serenity," available on the DVD release of the series and (in rough form) on the Firefly website; while the name "Unification War" is given on the Serenity website. It is likely that the Independents would have a different name for the war...but then, history is programmed by the winners.]
Malcolm Reynolds joins the war as a soldier on the side of the Independents, attaining the rank of sergeant in the 57th Overlanders unit of the Balls and Bayonets Brigade, under the command of Colonel Orbrin. Over time, Sergeant Reynolds gains a reputation for inspiring loyalty in people.
[Opening narration, "Serenity," "Bushwhacked," and "The Message." Mal describes himself as one of "a few idiots" who tried to fight the Alliance, while both Badger and Commander Harken mention his rank. The name of Mal's brigade, also mentioned by Badger, may not be what it was formally called (suggesting a sobriquet similar to that of the Iron Brigade in the American Civil War), but an information screen in a deleted scene from Serenity, available on the DVD release of the film, gives this name as well. According to "Bushwhacked," Mal's tendency to inspire loyalty is well-known enough to be indicated in the Alliance's record on him. Colonel Orbrin is mentioned in "The Message."]
Amongst those Browncoats who fight alongside Mal are Corporal Zoe Alleyne (also part of the 57th Overlanders), Lieutenant Ben Baker, Bendis (also in the 57th), Bourke, Sergeant DeLorenzo, Green/Grin (from Sergeant DeLorenzo's platoon), Johannsen, Kiri, McAvoy (also in the 57th), Monty, Tedesco, Private Tracey, and Vitelli.
["Serenity," "Bushwhacked," "Trash," "The Message," the Serenity DVD, and the Serenity novelization (pages 5-6, 15-16, and 176). Mal and Zoe are seen fighting together onscreen, though Zoe also tells Commander Harken that she "fought with a lot of people in the war." In the same deleted scene from Serenity referred to above, an information screen shows Zoe's rank and indicates that her unit was the same as Mal's. Lieutenant Baker, Bendis, and Green are casualties of the Battle of Serenity Valley, as shown in the episode "Serenity," though the Serenity novelization gives Baker a first name and refers to the character named Green (per the subtitles on the Firefly DVD) by the nickname Grin. The Serenity novelization also names Sergeant DeLorenzo, McAvoy, Johannsen, and Tedesco as casualties, and Bourke and Kiri as survivors, of the same battle. Monty is described by Saffron as a "war buddy" in "Trash." Tracey is seen and Vitelli is mentioned in "The Message."]
Jayne Cobb does not join in the conflict, as the pay isn't good enough on either side.
["The Train Job." Jayne notes that he "didn't fight in no war." The idea that this was because of pay comes from the Serenity novelization (page 62).]
Mal acquires an antique gun that will get him through the war, and that he will ultimately keep afterwards.
["Those Left Behind." Mal recalls the gun as "one of only two things" that stuck with him after the war, although he does not specify exactly when he acquired it.]
2507 to 2510
Merciless cannibalistic killers known as Reavers begin appearing at the edges of the system, "like the bogeyman from stories." Not knowing their origins, the general populace comes to think of this as the natural consequence of humanity pushing out further every year--some men go savage on the edge of space after being too long removed from civilization. They have no philosophy, having forgotten how to be men, and some believe that they became nothingness itself when confronted with the nothing at the edge of the galaxy. However, Reavers are only the stuff of campfire stories to most people, and no Alliance government ever confirms their existence, so many do not believe they really exist. Legend has it that if Reavers take a ship, they will rape its crew to death, eat their flesh, and sew their skins into their clothing--and if the crew is very, very lucky, they will do it in that order.
["Serenity," "Bushwhacked," and Serenity. In the film, Jayne mentions that Reavers have been showing up over "the last ten years," though they presumably started heading out from Miranda soon after the Pax had its effect on them. Zoe assures Simon that Reavers are more than just stories, and describes what they are capable of doing, in the episode "Serenity;" while Mal and Book later discuss the humanity, or lack thereof, of the Reavers themselves in "Bushwhacked." Kaylee also quotes Book's observations in the film. Interestingly enough, Reavers are always described specifically as men, so it is unclear if there are actually Reaver women.]
Simon Tam enters the best MedAcad on Osiris.
["Serenity." Simon describes the quality of the institution to the crew. Simon's path through medical school is assumed to be roughly analogous to the present-day US method of becoming a doctor, though it is also assumed that he undertook both his undergraduate and medical studies at the same academy. It is unclear exactly how old he was when he began on this path, but one can imagine that he was fairly quick to keep his promise to his father.]
Mal and Zoe's platoon is stuck in a trench outside of New Kashmir during the winter campaign for more than a week, while the Alliance is entrenched less than ten yards away. With no ammo to speak of and no orders, the platoon gets to talking to the Alliance soldiers, yelling across insults and jokes. Ten minutes after mentioning that they are out of rations, a bunch of apples rain into their trench. The captain tells them to wait, but they are so hungry that they start eating immediately--not realizing that the apples contain Griswalds, grenades about the size of a battery which respond to pressure. Though the grenades don't make much noise, three guys get their heads blown off, leaving bodies which just end at the ribcage. From that point on, Mal and Zoe always cut their fresh fruit before eating it.
["War Stories." Zoe tells this story to Kaylee to explain why she and Mal never just munch on fruit, although it is unclear which winter she is referring to.]
Alliance bioweapons expert Durran Haymer targets neighborhoods with valuables, wipes out every living soul without damaging the goods he is after, then goes in and takes whatever he wants. Haymer becomes one of the biggest collectors of Earth-That-Was artifacts in the universe this way, with warehouses full of items, but his prize piece is the Lassiter--one of only two known to still exist--which he was lucky enough to pick up for nothing. He eventually obtains a private estate on Bellerophon and exhibits the Lassiter in his parlour along with other artifacts from his collection.
["Trash." Saffron describes Haymer's history, indicating how he obtained the Lassiter. She only offers that this practice took place "during the war," without mentioning a more specific time or place. Amongst the other items glimpsed in Haymer's collection are several classical paintings, a grandfather clock, a model sailing ship, an early payphone, and an entire telephone booth, though it is unclear how or why the last item would've been taken off Earth-That-Was in the first place.]
Colonel Orbrin gets dead drunk and spends three hours "pissing on" about the enlisted men under his command--saying they're scum and that they're not fighters--before passing right out. No one is able to even move him, so Private Tracey takes the opportunity to snip off his walrussy, waxed up mustache, which the colonel is extremely proud of. When the colonel wakes up the next morning, he is furious to discover it is gone, but he can't simply say, "Someone stole my mustache," so he calls together all of the platoons, fiercely eyeballing all the men without saying a word. They think he's going to shoot them, but he finally comes up to Tracey, who has glued on the mustache and is staring the colonel down while wearing it on his own face.
["The Message." Mal and Zoe share this story with Inara in the midst of reminiscing about Tracey, although they do not mention precisely when it took place during the war. It is unclear exactly how Tracey got through this predicament, although he seems to have a knack for getting out of difficult situations.]
The Battle of Sturges is fought in space, leaving many shipwrecks in its aftermath. It will become notoriously well-known, considered by some to be the bloodiest, shortest battle in the entire war, with many lives "snuffed in a blink." Unbeknownst to the general public, the battle is actually fought over a stash of money.
["Those Left Behind." Badger brings up the battle and its reputation, though Mal contends "it was a distant second" in terms of casualties. I have assumed that Badger is telling the truth about the reasons for the battle.]
A shepherd says to Mal that the Biblical commandment is not, "You will not kill," as it is often mistranslated, but in fact, "You will not commit murder."
[Serenity novelization (page 9). At the time of the Battle of Serenity Valley, Mal recollects that this happened "round a year or so back."]
2511
Hoban Washburne spends six weeks on a moon where the principal form of recreation is juggling geese, particularly goslings.
["Our Mrs. Reynolds." Wash tells Zoe this happened "about a year before (they) met."]
The Battle of Du-Khang. In the ruins of a Buddhist temple, Private Tracey is nearly killed by an Alliance soldier sneaking up on his position, but Zoe gets behind the soldier and slits his throat. Zoe berates Tracey for letting his guard down and forgetting about stealth--and at that moment, Mal charges onto the scene, shooting wildly and yelling about where he is before taking cover. The Independents are over matched, and Tracey tells his superiors that "this rock" isn't worth their lives. Zoe asks Mal if they're to hold, and Mal decides to cover for their shell-shocked lieutenant by inventing an order from him to join up with the 22nd. Zoe and Tracey go along with this, and Zoe is ready to round up the troops, when a seeker comes in. Mal uses a decoy so that the seeker explodes above them, but shrapnel rains down and injures Tracey, making him unable to walk. Mal carries him off as the Alliance forces roll into the temple.
["The Message." These events are shown in flashback, and the on screen caption indicates this happened "Seven Years Earlier," but this must have taken place before the Battle of Serenity Valley, at which Mal and Zoe were also present. Although it may not seem like this was intended to be set so close to the end of the war, the dating of the episode itself leaves no other interpretation, and the scene does convey a sense of the Browncoats being on the verge of "inevitable crushing defeat."]
Late March
The Battle of Serenity Valley is fought on Hera. It is among the most devastating and decisive battles of the war, as the valley is considered a key position by both sides, and it is bitterly fought over. The Alliance says they are going to waltz through the valley, but the Independent Faction, with sixteen brigades and twenty air-tank squads, do not make victory easy for them, holding the valley against Alliance forces for almost two months.
["Serenity," the Firefly DVD, and the Firefly website. Mal tells the other Browncoats about the Alliance's claim, saying that they "choked them with those words." A deleted scene from "Serenity," available on the DVD release of the series and (in rough form) on the Firefly website, provides additional details about the battle.]
Sergeant Malcolm Reynolds is stationed on Hera and in command of thirty-odd grunts, including Zoe Alleyne. Five days into the battle, there are so many officers dead that he commands two thousand, and he keeps all of them together, fighting, and sane. The Browncoats are forced to pile up the bodies of fellow soldiers and friends to build a wall because they have no cover, while blood just keeps pouring out of them. The survivors slip in it half the time, finding out that "bloodbath" is not just a figure of speech.
[Firefly DVD and website. In the same deleted scene, Zoe tells Simon about the role she and Mal played in the battle, though they "didn't turn the tide of glorious history."]
Mid-May
Superior numbers and a brilliant deep-flank strategy by General Richard Wilkins begin to turn the tide at Serenity Valley in the Alliance's favor.
[Firefly DVD and website. The same deleted scene indicates that this changed the course of the battle. Along with its use here, Richard Wilkins is the name of the Mayor of Sunnydale who served as the main villain in the third season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, also created by Joss Whedon.]
Malcolm Reynolds's unit holds while waiting for air support from the 82nd, which never arrives. As a result, the Alliance overwhelms the battleground with their firepower.
["Serenity." These events are shown in flashback, and the on screen caption indicates that the present-day events of the episode occur "Six Years Later."]
Nearly half a million people lie dead on the field at the end of the battle, about a third of them on the side of the Alliance; Malcolm Reynolds himself has maybe four hundred grunts still intact. Although the fighting is over, both sides leave their survivors there--wounded and sick and "near to mad as can still walk and talk"--while they negotiate the peace, and those soldiers keep dying.
[Firefly DVD and website. In the same deleted scene referred to earlier, Zoe also describes the aftermath of the battle.]
Unification Day - Late May
After a week of negotiations, a peace agreement is reached, with the Independents surrendering to Alliance forces.
["The Train Job," the Firefly DVD, and the Firefly website. Lund says it was "(s)ix years today (that) the Alliance sent the Browncoats running." In the same deleted scene referred to earlier, Zoe tells Simon that they were left at Serenity Valley for a week while both sides negotiated the peace, so I have taken Unification Day to be the day those negotiations were finalised, providing an official end to the war.]
All of the settled worlds are united as a result of the peace agreement and the Anglo-Sino Alliance, which had originally formed on Earth-That-Was, comes to be formally known as the Union of Allied Planets. It is considered by some to be the dawn of a new galaxy.
[Opening narration and "The Train Job." The notion of "the Allied Planets" is first mentioned in "The Train Job," while the full name of the Alliance is stated in "Ariel." The Serenity website, however, refers to both the "AngloSino Alliance" and the "Universal Alliance" in the same paragraph, causing further potential confusion. The idea that one Alliance replaced the other is somewhat conjectural (suggesting a political evolution along the lines of the League of Nations giving way to the United Nations after World War II), but it would help explain the two names given for the Alliance, and why it was called the "War to Unite the Planets" to begin with.]
The duty status of both Sergeant Malcolm Reynolds and Corporal Zoe Alleyne at the end of the war is that of a "NonTrialed Browncoat," though Mal is also awarded a valor commendation for his actions in the Battle of Serenity Valley.
[Serenity and the Serenity DVD. An information screen viewed by The Operative in the film lists Mal's commendation, though it is unclear who would be left amongst the Independents at this point to give out such an honor; while a deleted scene available on the DVD release of the film includes different information screens which list Mal and Zoe's status.]