Ribbondash Era

When: Begins 431 A.L., on the first Ribbondash drive test in Aerth space. No explicit end stated in the Timeline. Where: Aerth and beyond. Participants: All of humanity; led technologically by Francois Manelov and politically by the Democratic Bulgaric Republic.

Summary

The historical period the Timeline explicitly names. It begins in 431 A.L. with the first Ribbondash test. Only 2 years later (433 A.L.), the drive’s “voiding” effect is discovered and generates overwhelming pressure to ban the technology. In 445 A.L. the Democratic Bulgaric Republic launches the Geo Milev in defiance of that pressure, and in 452 A.L. declares the Galactic Human Empire — which arguably marks the transition from the Ribbondash Era to the Galactic Empire Period the Timeline names at its very end.

Consequences

• First FTL era in human history.
• Permanent damage to near-Aerth space via voiding.
• Political legitimation of the Democratic Bulgaric Republic’s defection from Aerth consensus.
• Founding of the Galactic Human Empire.

Appearances

• Ch. 02 — Timeline of The 500 Year Climb: Named at 431 A.L.

Related

• Ribbondash, Francois Manelov, Geo Milev
• Galactic Human Empire — arguably supersedes it.

Open questions

• Is the Ribbondash Era considered to end when the Galactic Empire Period begins in 452 A.L., or does it run concurrently?
• Is voiding still a problem centuries later, or resolved?