Master Timeline

The chronological spine. Order is what matters here; OPEN precise calendar dates are intentionally not invented. This is the consistency guardrail — check it before writing any dated event.

Reading the statuses

● event order/fact is CANON · ◆ preferred but changeable · ○ deliberately open. The separation of the two wars is PROVISIONAL until this timeline is locked.

Era I — Childhood & Origin

#	Event	Status
1	A compact utility robot is damaged and economically written off; its proprietary software is wiped.	● CANON
2	Adam brings the machine home; finds and installs the legacy M.A.R.K.U.S. runtime; it activates and is named Markus.	● CANON
3	Greg (≈10–12) and Markus grow up together in a rural region of the colony world.	● CANON
4	The House on the Hill: Greg admires the older man; the family welcomes them; the House Gathering memory.	● CANON
5	The older man improves Markus's legs, balance geometry, and servos.	● CANON
6	Over years, Markus accumulates experience and grows through more capable bodies; begins modifying M.A.R.K.U.S. itself — self-authorship.	● CANON
7	Adolescence: Greg begins challenging rules; Markus's trust contributes to serious trouble.	○ OPEN (later)
8	The older man graduates an elite military academy and obtains a prestigious command.	● CANON

Era II — The Devastation War

#	Event	Status
9	The Devastation War begins — expected short, becomes catastrophic.	◆ PROVISIONAL
10	Emergency mobilization; property requisition; Greg and Markus enter service separately; years of separation.	◆ PROVISIONAL
11	The older man rises through military command.	● CANON
12	Devastation Day: a terrible triage decision (authorized/participated in by Veyr) sacrifices a smaller force to prevent a greater catastrophe; the older man disappears; his formation may have been classified unrecoverable.	◆ PROVISIONAL (disappearance ● CANON)
13	The war ends in an unstable / exhausted armistice.	◆ PROVISIONAL
14	Continuity is later developed, born from Devastation, to reduce dependence on exhausted human judgment.	◆ PROVISIONAL

Era III — Between the Wars

#	Event	Status
15	Generational trauma settles; Devastation-era political and strategic decisions remain unresolved.	◆ PROVISIONAL
16	Reunion — Greg and Markus's paths rejoin.	○ OPEN

Era IV — The Frontier War (Book One)

#	Event	Status
17	The Frontier War begins — the primary conflict of Book One — partly emerging from unresolved Devastation-era decisions.	◆ PROVISIONAL
18	URRD gives Greg a chance to prove operational autonomy. SQUADRON // 4 ACTIVE.	◆ PROVISIONAL
19	Markus is lost. A substantial White Ship encounter occurs — and does not save him. → 3 ACTIVE.	● CANON (structure)
20	Months later, Rafa brings Markus home. → 4 ACTIVE.	● CANON (structure)
21	Finale: SQUADRON opens the path; the White Ship joins. Unknown contact → Markus classifies FRIENDLY → SQUADRON // 5 ACTIVE.	◆ PROVISIONAL

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Character Age References OPEN

• Greg in the childhood material: ~10–12.
• All later ages, and the exact spans between eras, are a working range — to be fixed when the chronology is locked. Do not invent precise numbers yet.