Transnationals were private mega-corporations that ruled the Earth economy in the period of 2030 to circa 2100. They were the result of mergers of smaller companies in search of economies of scale in the capitalist struggle for greater efficiency. They progressively took precedence over governments in many parts of the world, which resulted in continuing tensions between them and international bodies. The influence of the transnationals extended to Mars, where the entire economic activity and the quasi-entirety of the immigration was ensured by transnationals.

Strife between governments losing power, transnational in-fighting and discontent by the poor resulted in the third World War. This, however, solved but little and accelerated the transition of the transnationals into the metanationals.

Some transnationals:

• Amex
• Armscor
• BoeingMitsubishi: presumably a merger of today's Boeing and Mitsubishi
• East-Asian Commonwealth: constructed the first elevator cars
• EC: constructed the first elevator cable
• GE: presumably today's General Electric
• Honeywell-Messerschidt
• Praxis
• Shellalco: presumably a merger of today's Shell and NALCO
• Subarashii

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