They all saw it coming. The end of the world, I mean. It happened just as the ancients said it would. Of course, it held one minor change. The world ended, just as promised, but 2012 was only the beginning of the end. It wasn’t as sudden as everybody said it would be, but took place after several long, suffering years.
In the year of 2012, the world hit its population limit; critical mass. In short, land space was limited, many people were hungry, homeless, economies faltered, resources dwindled and violence rose to a peak. Nothing could be done to stop it. At least, nothing could be done that people were willing to do. In such state, disease and starvation swept onto those unfortunate to have fallen into poverty, and those above even found shortages.
Because of this worldwide unbalance and shortage, wars began to spout up all over the world. First they started as squabbles between poorer countries and those able to supply a source themselves, but soon bigger countries began to scrabble around for what resources they could get to fuel the people they were held loyal to. Each had their own wants and needs, and each was unafraid to point and call their neighbors the enemy. These were the days of World War Three.
Nuclear weapons were inevitably introduced in that last year. Whether sent off to defend against other warring countries, or in a last ditch attempt to use them to solve the crisis by lowering population, I don’t think anyone these days could tell you which. For all I know it could be neither.
Of course, it had to have been the country with the largest stockpile to start it. I’m talking about good ol’ United States of America. The first attack landed somewhere in Republic of China, as I’ve been told, the second in Russia. Millions of people suffered from the explosions, many more died of loss of home, and cancers killed good portion of those who survived.
This of course gave way to retaliation and before the year was out, Other countries were hastily working on nuclear weapons, sending them back and forth across the globe.
This was, inevitably, a disaster. Not only did three fourths of the entire world population die off, Cancers, mutations and sickness began to procreate everywhere you look. Those who did not die from this myriad of struggles gave birth to nothing but malformed infants that were unfit to survive even days in the harsh world. Even worse, still more women found their wombs and partners barren.
On this dying world, humanity quickly became scarce.

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Many places on the earth were desolate; Humans all but extinct. In these places many animals had mutated drastically, able to avoid the entire wrath of humanities destruction. They became crazed and as hungry as humanity’s poverty had been in years past. Many of them appeared as unrecognizable monsters. As if knowing who was responsible for their plight, they showed an unheard of aggression towards the few survivors.
Despite all the odds stacked up against them, all was not lost. Humans, as a species, have always been quick and resourceful. They began to naturally come together, first in small nomadic groupings, surviving off some useable Prefall technology and shelters. The human race adapted, and the few able to successfully seed and bear children became the center of any group, ones to protect and hold dear.
A lot of technology was lost forever. Still, as more people settled into scattered villages, bits of old technology were rediscovered and used to their full advantage. A trade system set up between the villages, bartering whatever scavengers could find, and relations strengthened.
After years and years, the curse of infertility lifted as new generations stepped forth to fill the gaps. Finally our Humanity had the means to survive and multiply. We would take this rebirth we had been given and embrace it.