TAU CETI opens about a decade after the end of the third world war. Many of the crew of the Santa Maria participated in that war in one form or another, although Janelle and Sumin were too young.
Jeffery Carter was a submarine commander during the war.
Michelle Patterson was a test pilot, testing new top secret aircraft and occasionally participating in events from a very high altitude.
Greg Haylin was working in a secret lab with Dr Valesco, trying to perfect a technology that would’ve guaranteed a win.
Marc Piñero was the lead flight surgeon at the testing grounds where Michelle was based. More than once he had to help her recuperate after an accident.
Thomas Blake worked in intelligence, Jennifer Trent and Amanda Haskins worked in cryptography, and Bill Pearson in code-talking.
It’s Jeffery Carter’s war story that plays the biggest role in the events of TAU CETI.
The war started as the Eastern and Western blocks consolidated their power and wealth. Western technology had advanced enough that the west was determined to make a space elevator, the east was determined to stop it.
The mostly neutral African nations became a key battlefield in the Cold War leading up to the actual shooting war. The western block ensured the allegiance of the African states by moving the proposed base of the space elevator from Ecuador to Kenya.
While this gained the allies in Africa, it also made the construction harder to defend, as unlike Ecuador, Kenya was at the edge of western influence. War quickly broke out all along the eastern shores of Africa and eventually beyond.
The Eastern block, meanwhile, had perfected a technology of their own, a shield that was impenetrable, but was highly unstable and could not be maintained for more than a few minutes at a time. With this shielding, the eastern block could launch a first strike nuclear attack and be able to repel any counter attack.
Using this as a threat, they ordered the surrender of the west.
Jeffery Carter was the commander of Swordfish, one of the six nuclear attack subs sent to counteract this demand. Their mission was to get to Eastern block harbors inside of this defensive shield, and fire exemplary nukes at key Eastern targets. The West would then demand the surrender of the east, lest the subs fire their remaining missiles.
Of the six submarines sent, only Swordfish managed to penetrate eastern block defenses and fire its missiles. This alone was enough to force the east to surrender.
Carter returned to the west a very damaged man, someone who had killed millions. “Just following orders” was no consolation to him. Much of his trauma and anger arises fro these events.