Valve buys Muse, ports GOIO to Source engine, game conquers the industry...portal opens in game to an alternate reality where HL3 becomes a reality. Gamers unite and drive the industry to a new golden age. Soon all PCs, Consoles, and Handhelds play GOIO and GOIO becomes a cultural phenomenon. School is replaced with airship training institutions. Inventors spurred by this start creating real airships.
Then in a few years time...
War erupts between those who want a regression of technology to make GOIO a reality and those who want lasers on airships.
The world is brought to the brink of chaos, the Regressionists are close to being defeated because lasers > bullets. Then when all hope is lost, the Regressionists release their ultimate weapon...A giant farting Sky Whale. The lasers have no effect on the behemoth's outer skin and only help heat it's internal volatile mixture to the farting point.
The whale farts, it's cloud covers the entire Earth. Most of the population is obliterated except for the Regressionists who took shelter knowing what the fart would do. The world is reshaped by the fart into the likeness of the GOIO world. The Regressionists rejoice as they take to their airships and explore the new untamed lands crafted by the fart.
They never forget the moment it all began. The fateful day when Howard visited Valve.
