Quentin Long and I compiled a rough
timeline of the Blind Pig universe. It's broken up both by when major
events occur, and by major clumps of stories occur. This timeline is
rough, so use it at your own risk.
| 2001-2002 |
The 'Beagle II' spaceship crashes and releases its biological
cargo. |
April 19, 2002
|
First spontaneous morph occurs in Austria. Thomas Hassan becomes
a horse (of course, of course). |
| 2002-2003 "The Plague" |
The immediate consequences of releasing an extraterrestrial
pathogen on Earth.
- USA: Primary services restored in a month or so. The US's
long-standing "melting pot" tradition may have been a factor in its
relatively quick recovery.
- Canada: Splintered into several independent nations. It's possible
that Canada's relatively homogeneous populace/culture left it
unprepared for the advent of SCABS; likewise, Quebec's separatists
may have (unwittingly?) exacerbated the stresses of the Collapse to
the point of national dissolution.
- Guyana: Regressed to a pre-industrial condition on contact with
the Martian Flu. Still no signs of recovery after nearly four
decades. |
Nov 2002
|
Dr. Bob Stein collapses during a news conference on 'The Flu' |
Feb 2003
|
The Panic: Some people hoard supplies (food, water, ammunition,
etc) and barricade themselves fearing the plague; others just panic
when anybody gets sick |
Mar 2003
|
The Collapse: Terran civilization breaks. The severity of the
Collapse varies from nation to nation, but declaration of martial
law and (temporary?) interruption of primary services, such as
electricity and phones, are quite common even in First World
nations. Long-term repercussions seem to include a sharp drop in the
rate of technological advancement, perhaps due to a global
resurgence of the Luddite tradition. |
| 2004-2022 |
|
| 2023-2026 |
First major story cycle. Main focus: A virulently bigoted
politician runs a Hitler-esque anti-SCABS campaign for mayor of The
City, and is opposed (sometimes violently) by various concerned
citizens. |
| 2026-2031 |
Second major story cycle. Main focus: A whitetail deer SCAB
regains his sentience after 20-odd years as a dumb animal, then
acquires a loving family. Most of these stories are based around the
major writers on the TSA list (Jon Sleeper, Bryan Derksen, etc).
The Blind Pig Gin Mill opens a family restaurant off to one side and
has a club upstairs. |
| 2032 "Requiem for the Shadow People" |
The most recent main-line continuity story from Mark Van Sciver. |
| 2033-2040 |
Third major story cycle. Main focus: Coping with SCABS. The end
date is the most recent story that we're aware of and is based on
the character of Jubatus having contracted SCABS in 2036, two years
before his introduction to the Blind Pig. These narratives are a
hodgepodge of stories, most telling how an individual deals with
SCABS. A non-trivial percentage of them involve Phil's rabbit
counselor as a participant.
The family restaurant and club appear to have vanished at some point
before this story cycle. It's not clear whether this is due to
economic fluctuations, anti-SCABS prejudice, or something else
again. Also MIA are the practical jokes which were a notable feature
of earlier cycles; fortunately, various authors are working to
reinstate the Pig's venerable tradition of pranks and japery. |