Reflections in the Chrome
Western civilization was collapsing, and not with the triumphant conflagration envisioned by the doomsayers and prophets. A blood poison simply ate along the pathways of society long enough that the heart could not overcome the cascade failure of the internal organs. Even when the wretched shit stink of corruption boiled into the daylight, enough blind eyes turned to allow the wounds to fester. The world saw it coming, but the disease had spread too far.
The Chromes finally put an end to the misery.
History was shattered, so the origin of the beings with extraordinary abilities was lost amidst a host of half-truths and misinformation. Early theorists had proposed a chromosomal addition as the unique factor which forced the human species to evolve. No solid proof was forthcoming before the information networks disintegrated however, but the name stuck. Chromes were branded, and then they were persecuted, and then they rebelled.
Crippled infrastructures could not support the human host. Cannibalized military assets fractured into self-serving legions. Centralized corporate powers salvaged available resources to exert influence. Religion teetered on the brink of extinction and rapture.
The Chromes carved a place for themselves amidst this chaos, some ruling, some serving, some simply surviving, but only one thing was certain. The number of Chromes was growing.