The collapse occurred In 2135, shortly after 10:08:00.000000 on 5 September. An experimental chemical fusion experiment detonated, turning to glass a huge chunk of the planet. This was the first “hypercriticality” event. Whereas supercriticality was able to be averted previously by quick scientists, this hypercriticality consumed itself and everything around it faster than anyone could react. Based off the best timeline people could place, 239875 periods of the caesium 133 atom after the chemical reaction started in the chamber, everything in a 23 meter radius was disintegrating. At 9192631770 periods (1 second) over 4 kilometers were ablaze, consumed at differing rates. By 14 seconds, 3000 kilometers were burning like the sun. Finally, at 97 seconds, or approximately 10:09:40.0012453 on 5 Sept, the outer edges of a 5000km radius were only suffering the heat blast and could maintain timestamps. Dust, or what is presumably the remainders of the reactions, drifted to the ground, glazing the curve of the earth in something like glass and sand. The rest of the planet suffered the fallout. Some radioactive ash, radiation zones, plant and animal life killed, oceans boiled, and ground torn. The feared apocalypse had finally happened, and though some blamed extremists or governments, it was ultimately ruled a failure to comprehend the magnitude of an experiment.
All other dates are best estimate. One of the first things after the collapse was the rise of false information seeding. With the digitization of as many things as possible, accurate records were attacked. Disinformation spread like wildfire across the remnants of the net. People hiding their past, companies revising history, conspiracy theorists capitalizing on the chance to proclaim their views, all of this ended up with fragmented histories between the end of the print era to the collapse. Best estimate based off star patterns and related events lead to a fairly accurate timeline, but there’s still margin for error.
