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Despite these
new measures, crime and civil unrest on earth worsened as increasing
numbers of people turned their backs on the laws and behavioral
norms of their societies. Respect for the rule of law and the authority
of the state rapidly disintegrated. This was due in part to 23rd
century earth governments' misguided insistence on maintaining the
inefficiencies of democracy in their failing attempts to restore
stability to an overpopulated and underfed planet. The Global Commonwealth
itself was formed as result of the realization by the earth's leaders
of the ultimate failure of the democratic construct. Stern law enforcement
and a structured re-focusing of the earth's resources would be necessary
if the human polity was to avert disaster. Restoration of order
was the first priority, and it quickly became apparent to the members
of the governing council of the Global Commonwealth that the highly
efficient JDA was the organization best suited to assist in identifying
and containing the world's most dangerous criminals. By 2339, JDA
outposts had been established near most of the world's great population
centers.
The work of JDA officers was extremely perilous, often involving
the pursuit of large gangs of thugs into vast city slums in the
middle of the night. While in later years the migration of many
of the world's people to the new, restricted access dome cities
helped enforcement officials to separate the productive and law
abiding from the corrupted and lawless, complications remained.
Despite the JDA's generous establishment of FDCs (Food Distribution
Centers) in the rapidly expanding slums around the domes, 'bread
riots' were not uncommon. Groups of bandits regularly raided supply
convoys, FDCs, and garrisons, forcing the JDA to enact sterner protection
measures. JDA officials also recognized that they would have to
step up their level of activity and streamline the process of deporting
criminals and gang leaders to the Io facility. In 2378, the Coorldat
settlement was agreed upon by the JDA Directorate, streamlining
the criminal clearance process by postponing hearings for prisoners
until after their arrival at Io. While some objected to the increasing
scope and regularity of gang 'round-ups' in the massive slums, it
soon became clear that the JDA was only doing what was necessary
to preserve the peace. The round-ups also offered the side benefit
of removing large numbers of unproductive members of society from
the earth and thereby reducing the strain on the planets' severely
depleted resources.
As mankind entered the 25th century there was much optimism. The
tremendous growth of the JDA meant that people enjoyed a level of
peace and security that had not existed for over a century. Space
exploration was gearing up to reach beyond our star cluster. New
scientific advances, such as terraforming, offered hope for revitalizing
the world's overburdened ecosystem. Fresh rehabilitation centers
were founded on Callisto and Triton, offering opportunities to millions
of otherwise irredeemable reprobates. Even the apparatus of world
government had been transformed as the inefficient and corrupt Global
Commonwealth had given way to the order, stability, and sensibility
of the JDA. While most people embraced these improvements, there
were those who attempted to cling to the old system. Even within
educated circles, some, like eccentric scientist Alpheus Togra,
turned to mysticism and irrationality rather than welcome the new
reality of mankind's potential.
It was the Bombay Nuclear Disaster in 2447, however, that presented
the JDA and the human community with its greatest challenge. As
a result of JDA President Edward Dalen's quick action, planetary
panic was suppressed and the threat of world chaos was averted.
Had the JDA not risen to its position of prominence in this period
of our history, civilization itself might have come to an end. Even
though food supplies around the world became contaminated with radiation,
only 35% of the earth's population ultimately died in the incident.
One unfortunate effect of the disaster, however, was a heightened
resentment between the citizens of the dome complexes and the indigent,
violent people who chose to dwell on the outside. This was because
the food stores of those residing inside the domes were relatively
unaffected. As a result, Domes across Asia and the Americas were
attacked and pillaged, their residents murdered. One army of fierce
rebels marched out of the Caucasus as far west as the great dome
of Bosporusus, but regiments of JDA troops held the line there and
turned them back.
Since the Bombay disaster the world has undergone many changes.
JDA scientists are now working on new types of terraforming that
may yet restore the earth to its former state of health. If these
attempts are unsuccessful, however, the JDA still has contingency
plans. President Dalen has initiated a bold new program by which
the task of planetary colonization will be undertaken by "Exploratory
Corps" made up of reformed prisoners from the rehabilitation centers
on the Jovian moons. Already the program has yielded some spectacular
results as several nearby planets are currently being prepared for
human habitation.
While the JDA has accomplished much, there is still danger. There
are still people who choose to live outside the domes, outside the
norms of human society, and outside the law. These people, commonly
known as "Sprawlers" because they live in the filthy, sprawling
slums outside the domes, have no wish to participate in human civilization.
They are bandits, cutthroats, and murderers - and each year their
numbers seem to grow, despite increased levels of deportation to
the rehabilitation colonies. President Dalen, however, re-affirms
each year his commitment to keep these outsiders 'outside' until
they are ready to participate in the civilized human polity. Until
then, they must be numbered among the lost, and the work of the
JDA continues.
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