Earth (2024)

Earth is the third planet in the Sol system. It is the original home of humanity, and is orbited by a single moon, Luna.

Overview[]

Earth has been uninhabitable since 2203, when the planet's magnetosphere collapsed and the atmosphere dissipated into space.^[1] This disaster was precipitated by the invention of the Grav Drive by Dr. Victor Aiza in 2138. A theoretical physicist and NASA astronaut, Dr. Aiza took part in an expedition to investigate a gravitational anomaly on Mars, where he discovered an Artifact and reverse-engineered Grav Drive technology from it. Extensive testing and usage of flawed early model Grav Drives near Luna between 2141 and 2149 resulted in the destabilization of Earth's magnetosphere, and in 2150, scientists announced that the magnetosphere would fail completely in approximately fifty years, rendering the planet uninhabitable. Earth's nations banded together to coordinate a massive evacuation effort, which spurred the first colonization expedition to Alpha Centauri in 2156 and the formation of the United Colonies in 2159. Although the official evacuation continued until 2199, only a fraction of Earth's population was rescued and billions of people perished when Earth's atmosphere was lost in 2203.

By 2330, Earth bears no sign of its former abundance of life, and almost all human-made structures have been obliterated. Some Earth artifacts survived the destruction because they were taken off-world by evacuees, and archaeologists and treasure hunters have also turned up preserved artifacts on Earth itself from time to time. A number of Earth's plants and animals were also evacuated, but certain species, such as the chicken, the chocolate Labrador Retriever, and the horse, are reportedly extinct.

Few are aware that Earth's destruction was avoidable. Before his death, Dr. Aiza confessed in a personal journal that when he originally came into contact with the Artifact on Mars, he experienced 12 days of lost time, during which he encountered a version of himself from another universe. Aiza's other self taught him the secrets behind Grav Drives, but also warned him what would befall Earth if he pursued this technology. Aiza chose to continue developing the Grav Drive anyway, rationalizing it as acting for the benefit of science and the greater good. He believed that sacrificing Earth would be a worthwhile and ultimately necessary decision since it would grant humans access to the countless other worlds beyond space, as well as security from existential threats to humanity on Earth. Aiza later began to second-guess this decision in his twilight years.

Locations[]

Some human-made structures and natural landmarks from before the catastrophe have survived and can be found by landing at the sites of certain former cities:

• Empire State Building - New York City, New York, USA
• NASA Launch Tower - Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA
• Gateway Arch - St. Louis, Missouri, USA
• US Bank Tower - Los Angeles, California, USA
• The Shard - London, England
• Great Pyramids of Giza - Cairo, Egypt
• Burj Khalifa - Dubai, UAE
• International Commerce Centre - Hong Kong, China
• Shanghai Tower - Shanghai, China
• Abeno Harukas - Osaka, Japan
• Leaning Tower of Pisa - Pisa, Italy

Resources[]

Earth has mineable water, chlorosilanes, mercury, chlorine and lead.

Notes[]

• A Snow Globe can be found at each ruined landmark on Earth.
• At some ruin locations, such as the Great Pyramids, a recurring type of cave can be found that is not marked and does not require loading into a new cell. These caves contain various pieces of equipment, items, and bones, but the most interesting feature is a glowing fungus, which makes these caves the only known places on Earth where life still naturally exists.
• The Makkah Clock Royal Tower in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, is present in Starfield game files, but is currently cut content and cannot be visited in the game without modding.
• Universal Time is based on Local Time on Earth.

Gallery[]

References[]