In
2335, the destruction of the Lucifer super destroyer collapsed
the Sol jump node in Delta Serpentis, severing all contact with
Earth.
The
fate of the Terran home planet remains open to speculation,
though a number of scenarios are possible. As the center of
an interstellar community, Earth could not survive in isolation
without a radical transformation of its political and economic
structures. On this point, there is no disagreement. However,
the question remains whether this transition occurred peacefully
or whether Terran society collapsed into anarchy. Strong arguments
have been advanced for both sides.
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For generations, Earth had been the political,
economic and cultural center of Terran civilization. Humans
still measured time in hours, days, months and years. They named
their ships after the mythological figures of ancient Terran
civilizations, and systems were still identified according to
the constellations observed from Earth. The planet served as
a capital of the GTA, and the bulk of the Terran industrial
base was located in the Sol system. Offworlders identified their
nationality according to the old Earth boundaries, though nation-states
dissolved after the discovery of subspace and the emergence
of an interstellar Terran society.
Though necessity has diminished Earth's practical importance
in the post-war era, discovering the means to return home remains
a high priority.