Timeline
Soviet Union reformed
The 2022- war with Ukraine was just one of many disasters which caused Russians to look to their past for a solution. With modern technology, they had greater hope of running a planned economy. Albeit without most of eastern Europe, the USSR was declared and accepted by the UN.
Fusion power harnessed
Fusion power uses fuel derived from helium-3. Its main sources are on the moon and the asteroid belt, for example Caelus Mons.
Fusion powered space-flight
Space flight within the solar system is limited only by the availability of helium-3.
To address the absence of gravity for long voyages aboard space ships, most use the 'flip and burn' technique. For the first half of the journey, the ships accelerate to their destination at 1g. For the second half, the ship flips 180 degrees and fires its engines at the same rate, decelerating at 1g. Apart from the disruption experienced at the flip point, a ship's crew can enjoy Earth-like gravity for the majority of the trip.
Ships are built around the flip-and-burn paradigm, so that the habitable module lies flat across an array of fusion-powered engines.
Mars colonsied
In the years following the development of fusion powered space-flight, the governments of Earth began transporting goods and personnel to the red planet en masse. One of the first tasks the early colonists tackled was to build a prison complex. Earth transported some of its most hardened criminals to this facility for use in terraforming projects too dangerous for the Martian colonists.
Genesis Toroid built near asteroid belt
Genesis Toroid is colloquially known as ‘The Steering Wheel’, which it resembles. The habitable section is found in the circumference of the toroid, with the low-gravity hub acting as a port for space ships. Genesis Toroid is in orbit around the sun in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter and acts as a transport and shipping hub for the asteroid mining industry.
Monolith discovered
Presumably of alien origin, the monolith is covered in unfamiliar sigils, hieroglyphics and text in an unknown language. Some think the information on the monolith could lead to technological breakthroughs, whilst others think the monolith's secrets could be of a metaphysical nature.
First attempts at interstellar travel made
Mars prison colony rebellion
Established to hold some of Earth's worst prisoners. Inmates were used in dangerous terraforming missions and were amongst the first to discover the Monolith.