Zone of the Enders

NCA 64: Colonization spreads to Mars; segments of the planet are terraformed to better accomodate the people living there and provide a survivable environment on the surface of the planet. Colonies on Mars are kept relatively to themselves, staying out of the affairs of Earth. People born on Mars are soon viewed with a mild amount of prejudice from Earth-born humans due to their smaller sizes and weaker abilities, an unfortunate side-effect of Mars' lower gravity. Those born on Mars are soon referred to derogatively as "Enders."

NCA 85: After the discovery of Evidence 01 on Jupiter, a second, less-known expedition from Mars is taken to Jupiter once again in the hopes of finding other evidence of extraterrestrial life. While this crew does not discover any such evidence, they discover something else: a strange ore on Jupiter's moon, Callisto. This ore, when tested, is found to be an extremely potent energy source, as well as being able to innately bend and compress space around it, frequently giving it an ethereal, glowing quality. This ore is named "Metatron," and is brought back to the Martian colonies for further testing.

NCA 86: Metatron ore, while not fully understood, starts to be used in several practical applications throughout Mars. At the forefront of these innovations is Liquor Hardiman, a brilliant scientist and head researcher on the mysterious ore. Hardiman uses metatron as an efficient and clean energy source for locomotion, shielding -- it is even used to generate sophisticated aritifical intelligences. Metatron's bizarre space-compression abilities make it perfect for powering vehicles and other such locomotive devices. Eventually, most colonies on Mars are powered by metatron.

NCA 87: During his investigations of the Metatron ore, Liquor Hardiman uses the substantial influence he has obtained from his innovations to form BAHRAM, an organization which serves as a military organization representing the colonies of Mars. BAHRAM eventually unites all the Mars colonies under its banner, forming a coalition associated with EOTI. With the recent technological wonders achieved through Metatron, Hardiman turns BAHRAM's resources towards applying Metatron in weapons technology.

NCA 89: Surveyor drones locate an enormous vein of Metatron just beneath the surface of Callisto. Nereidum Universal Technology, Ltd., in an effort to reinvigorate their flagging market share in the space development industry, gambles its future on the construction of a space colony poised to exploit this resource.

NCA 91: Neireidum Universal Technology's gamble pays off. Construction of Antilia is completed in record time, in no small part due to the usage of the Urenbeck Catapult, an experimental launch catapult designed to enable high-speed interplanetary travel. The ensuing influx of Metatron into the inner system greatly aids development of Metatron-based technologies, and NUT shoots to the forefront of the industries of compressed space and quantum computing technology. However, the Urenbeck Catapult project is shelved due to power concerns, leaving only two catapults operational; one at NUT corporate HQ, on Mars, and one on Antilia.

NCA 92: Antilia, after sluggish immigration, reaches its population cap of 100,000. Ironically, the slur 'Ender' is picked up by Martians as a term for those from asteroid belt colonies. NUT, Ltd. constructs a research laboratory on Antilia, and begins working closely with Liquor Hardiman and BAHRAM regarding the advancement of Metatron-based technologies, using their monopoly on large-scale Metatron distribution to get themselves the contract.

NCA 96: Liquor Hardiman creates the first Metatron-powered mobile suit, dubbing it the Orbital Frame due to Metatron's tendency to compress space and thus put the suits in a state of constant levitation. The first Orbital Frame, Idolo, is created on November 4th, NCA 83; mobile suit pilot Radium Lavans is chosen to be Idolo's frame runner. The Idolo, while having no on-board A.I., boasts a superb level of synch-up between itself and Lavans, allowing him to operate it as if it were just an extension of himself.

NCA 97: January 12th: Two months after Radium Lavans becomes the frame runner of Orbital Frame Idolo, bizarre incidents begin to occur. Idolo becomes unresponsive to any pilot except Radium, and Radium begins to see visions of what he believes is "Idolo's will." Radium Lavans becomes increasingly more violent and irrational as he continues to run the Orbital Frame, coming to a head when he nearly beats another man to death. Regardless, due to his unusual connection with the Idolo, Radium is allowed to continue piloting it.

February 21st: Earth-based mercenaries infiltrate the Idolo facilities, capturing the doctor overseeing the Orbital Frame and Dolores Heyes, Lavans' girlfriend. In the ensuing conflict, Dolores is killed saving Dr. Links. Lavans, enraged, somehow manages to remotely activate Orbital Frame Idolo which, seemingly through a will of its own, goes berserk and destroys several military weapons and mobile suits before it is finally destroyed. Lavans is reduced to complete dementia, locked up in a facility for the mentally disabled. The event, thereafter referred to as "the Deimos Incident," is carefully covered up by the Martian government. Orbital Frame production continues as normal; no other such happenings as the Deimon Incident occurs in other frame runners, and the event is eventually lost to obscurity even on Mars.

NCA 117: Orbital Frames have become the iconic force of Mars and BAHRAM. Liquor Hardiman answers Bian Zoldark's call, devoting the resources of BAHRAM towards the cause of the Divine Crusaders. He develops plans for an immensely powerful superweapon to deal with the impending alien threat in Project: Aumaan. Shortly after these plans are developed, however, Liquor Hardiman is found dead, presumed of natural causes. His son, Colonel Ripley Hardiman, aka Nohman, takes over as the commander of BAHRAM and resumes work on his father's last project.

Late NCA 117: NUT, Ltd. unshelves the Urenbeck Catapult project, citing the advancement of Metatron technologies as making it viable. Construction begins on an enormous catapult on Phobos, the moon of Mars. Simultaneously, they declare their full support for the cause of the Divine Crusaders.

NCA 118: A pair of highly classified prototype Orbital Frames, Anubis and Jehuty, are stolen by a small squad of EFA infiltrators on the colony of Antilia. Though Anubis is recovered, the EFA manages to retain possession of Jehuty. Development continues with Anubis, and the initial stages of Project: Aumaan are pushed into development and moved to a secret location somewhere on Mars.