PowerHouse

The beginning of the 21st century was a time of world-wide hope and optimism. A communication revolution had cleared the way for a thriving global network of business and commerce. International convlicts eased as world affairs fell increasingly under the control of the United Nations, a powerful alliance that embraced all nations. And most of all, technology blossomed, offering prosperity and comfort to advanced countries, and promise to developing ones.

Before long, however the leadership of the powerful U.N. would be tested. As the second decade of the century commenced, the same surge in technology that had offered so much hope began to signal doom as it demanded a higher price than the world was able to pay. Fuel demands began to outsrip available supplies.

Across the globe, despite decades of talk of cheap and clean alternative fuels, industry, transportation, even everday life leaned heavily upon the fossil fuels: coal, oil, and natural gas. Eventually the world could not avoid a terrifying realization: reserves were far leaner than even the most conservative exerts had predicted. With devastatinf swiftness, an energy crisis of unprecedented severity struck.

The world entered a state of panic. The energy industry reeled. Small companies collapsed, merged, or were taken over: corruption spread: andthe crisis worsened. With no relief in sight, the U.N. made a dramatic move: it shut down all energy companies, hand-picked four of the world's shrewdest business minds, and turned the industry over to them.

The resulitng megacorporations -- acting on the most urgent U.N. mandate of the modern era -- became known as the PowerHouses.

Now, the year is 2020. The four PowerHouses share a mission -- to supply a power-starved world with energy -- but each operates in fierce competition with the other, and each dreams of a day when the world;s entire energy infastructure falls under the control of one.

Source:

Unknown Source