Germinant

Humanity as a whole had grown immeasurably sophisticated in their scientific exploits since the golden age of man, suppressing and mitigating all forms of conflict and curing nearly every disease known to the human species. This had come about after the creation of the miracle composite two-hundred and fifty-one years prior to the collapse, an essentially indestructible material defiant to all forms weathering, corrosion, and aging.

Vehicles, tools, weaponry, toys, consumables, bionics, furniture, medicine, electronics, all made from or incorporating the miracle compound known as ephemerite within their composition.

This was the golden age of man. All disease, suffering, conflict, pestilence, and hardship was not known to those born after the solar year of 3150, for all those residing upon Earth, Luna and Mars were born into a life of ease and privilege, never having to know the hardships of those who suffered before them. For two-hundred and fifty-one years, it was good.

But did those generations who took golden life for granted surely sully it, for Venutian-designed ephemerite, without a natural decay, would drown those who relied upon its majesty in tonnes of refuse – parts unused and discarded, never to biodegrade or become one with the soil, not on natural Earth or the terraformed Mars or Luna.

Ephemerite covered the scapes of these planets, too heavy to gift to the cosmos via rocketships and shuttles, but still comfortable enough to carefully manufacture from Earth's plentiful and natural sulfates, silicates, and algae.

Founded in the solar year of 3399, the biofoundry of the third Eastern oceanic platform began experimentation with a fungus that could be used to consume the leftover ephemerite, freeing the tribunal of planets from their burden.

These fungal cultures were bioengineered and tested for many months before a viable candidate was finally developed in 3400, formally dubbed "The Ephemeral Acid Denaturant".

The potency and efficacy of this EAD was absolute, practically melting each kilogramme of ephemerite into nothing within mere hours of exposure to the contaminant. Humanity's future of permanent perfection was just out of sight, but its destiny would ultimately take a different route of design.

Sixteen days after the announcement of the newly-developed EAD to the solar tribunal, 4000 20 mg vials were en-route via the shuttle Celeste VI, bound for Reyvic, Earth's capital megacity. Destined for study and approval, these vials were the last saving grace of mankind.

One hour and forty-three minutes after launch, an IED was detonated within the 62,000-tonne fuel compartment of the Celeste VI, resulting in her immediate destruction and the release of just under 8 kilogrammes of EAD spores into Earth's atmosphere.

This potent EAD, designed for supervised and incredibly astringently controlled application within dilution facilities, was spread worldwide indiscriminately, subjecting any and all exposed ephemerite to the contaminant.

Implants, prostheses, homes, tools, electronics - all essentials to human life and sustainability were eroded upon contact with the self-replicating, ever-expanding natural EAD spore cloud.

A global disaster was declared and broadcast to the tribunal public approximately thirty minutes later by the solar federation, and all of mankind was instructed to flock to emergency underground shelters for the time being.

18-billion denizens of Earth attempting to flock to a 2-billion-maximum capacity shelter did not end well. Those fortunate enough found their own solitary residence in caves and mines across the globe, however, other less-fortunate Earthlings were forced to fight for their place in their new to-be homes - the least fortunate of the population had their bionics destroyed by the EAD and were melted alive before they knew what was happening.

You made it just in time, having accidentally slipped into a vast vertical desert mineshaft before the EAD cloud could grace you with its destiny. With your bionics broken by the fall, it's up to you to make an impact of what little has been left of the promised Earth upon which you were born and entitled to.