So, while Taylor and his team have still been focusing on great gameplay, there has been more of an effort placed on creating a believable story that shows the beginnings of the three factions for the game and what led them to the time when the game begins. Now, there is a whole timeline from present-day Earth to more than 1,800 years into the future. The three factions -- the United Earth Federation, the machine-like Cybrans and even the bizarre Aeons -- all have ties to Earth.

Starting with the Quantum Age in 2018, Earth scientists begin experimenting with "quantum tunneling," which will transport living matter great distances. However, this technology is extremely expensive; one tunnel can use the combined output of 25 fission reactors. Earth had been focusing more on conventional space travel, only to start running into problems because there travel just does not happen fast enough. So scientists keep working on the tunneling technology and finally perfect it, first teleporting a single atom of cesium in a lab. Soon after, the first off-world teleportation moved a milligram of iron to Mars.

After those successes, scientists slowly started working up the food chain from inspects to mice and monkeys. The first human "tunneled" happens in 2062 when a group is sent to Neptune's moon Triton to explore interstellar travel. A quantum tunnel transport takes .26 seconds.

The galaxy slowly begins to be colonized through a variety of tunnel networks, radiating from the Earth. By 2284, 16 colonies (also known as the Prime Worlds) have been created, and by 2316, each of these 16 colonies begins their own expansion. More than 210 years later, 110 colonies begin their expansion. To this point, no alien life has been uncovered.