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Tales of the Blind Pig Timeline

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.
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Website Copyright 2002-2005 Michael Bard.  Please send any comments or questions to him at mwbard@transform.to