 In 1972, before the start of the narrative, Dr. Bruno Bluthgeld (German for "Blood-Money") had led a project testing nuclear weapons as a protectionary measure against Communist China and the Soviet Union.However, a miscalculation caused an atmospheric nuclear accident leading to widespread fallout and mutations.More recently the United States has been involved in a prolonged period of hostilities with China and the Soviet Union erupting in a war in Cuba.