Occupation

The Occupational Period was the 23-year period during which the interdimensional Combine held dominion over Earth. This era was marked by a radical restructuring of human society, widespread genocide of dissenters and the rule of a global government known officially as the Universal Union.

The Combine, who arrived on Earth shortly after the Black Mesa Incident, subverted Earth's standing militaries in a confrontation later dubbed the Seven Hour War. A "surrender" was negotiated on humanity's behalf by Wallace Breen, who ascended to the position of Global Administrator in the occupational government that would later become the Union. Though initially the rule of the Union was subtle, it grew to oppressive and draconian heights as control was consolidated through propaganda and quiet expansion.

The official timeframe of the Occupation is considered by most to be 23 years, spanning from 1999 to 2022 AD. It began immediately after the Seven Hour War at the conclusion of Wallace Breen's negotiations and ended with the passing of the Liberation, spearheaded by Gordon Freeman and the Lambda Resistance.

History
The seeds of the Occupation were sewn in the state of New Mexico by Black Mesa, a multinational government contractor. Black Mesa specialized in a variety of scientific and technological fields, but much of its manpower went into weapons R&D for the US government and research into

Government
The government during the Occupational Period was the Universal Union. The Union was a Combine-backed global government that controlled Earth through a collectivized military pact named Overwatch. In an effort to maximize surveillance, the Union herded all indexed "citizens" into numbered, fortified cities which acted as the primary nodes of residential and industrial power.

The Union was highly oppressive at the height of its power. Any forms of dissent, political or otherwise, were punished severely. Accused criminals were rarely subject to due process as there were no courts; the innocence of the accused was usually decided forthwith by the government agents performing the arrest. The primary executors of Union law were officers of the paramilitary Civil Protection, which fulfilled the role of a police force. Civil Protection officers operated at their own discretion, abusing, arresting and torturing civilians with little accountability.

Civilians were subject to a robust surveillance system that often robbed them of any privacy. Automated cameras watched most city streets, broadcasting to a virtual intelligence "Dispatch" core which coordinated Civil Protection teams. Spying on neighbors and coworkers was highly encouraged and those who reported criminal activity were rewarded with better housing and rations or with money. The criminal records of civilians were hosted on a global system of Dispatch cores which were accessible by Overwatch at any time.

Citizens were given the illusion of democracy through the Civil Council, a pseudo-senate comprised of aristocrats. Also known as the Civil Administration Board or simply the Senate, the Council regularly hosted "elections" in which citizens could vote or run. Much of the Council proceedings were illusory, dealing with mundane matters that did not affect the public. The true seat of power was the Intercontinental Security Board, over which Wallace Breen presided as Global Administrator.

Culture
The diaspora of human beings across Earth enabled a massive dispersion of cultures.