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========================================================================== L U N A Resistance Information File ========================================================================== TABLE OF CONTENTS HISTORICAL BACKGROUND TACTICAL SITUATION LONG-RANGE STRATEGY E-MAIL RESISTANCE OPERATIVES ON LUNA WEAPONS AND FIELD EQUIPMENT I. PROJECTILE WEAPONS II. ENERGY WEAPONS DEMOLITION EQUIPMENT PERSONAL EQUIPMENT ENEMIES I. ENEMY PERSONNEL II. ARMED SERVOMECHS III. ANTI-PERSONNEL PLATFORMS HISTORY ============================================================================ HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ============================================================================ RESISTANCE SITREP G43-DELTA: LUNA Prepared by General Staff Precis: Summary analysis of tactical and strategic Resistance options regarding operations on or involving the LMC Darkside Base on the moon. The Lunar Mining Base in the Mare Nubium crater, aka "Darkside Station", has been in operation for more than a century. The original base was constructed in 2091 as a joint project of several multi-national manufacturing concerns. (This alliance, usually referred to simply as "The Lunar Partnership", has been regarded as an important predecessor to the WEC.) Originally, the Darkside mines were largely engaged in producing raw materials for the new Orbiting Production Platforms, first providing construction materials, then later producing raw materials for the orbital stations' manufacturing operations. Shipping raw materials up from Luna and finished goods down to Earth was, in the long term, a far more economically efficient model than a closed earth-to-orbit loop, since the Luna-orbit-earth model minimized the economic impact of overcoming earth's powerful gravity well. Even at its inception, however, the LMB site was selected because of the high concentration of the radioactive compound di-coreallium. Even if the eventual economic dependence on Di-Cor was not foreseen, its potential usefulness as a power source and catalyst was obvious from the very beginning.Lunar Di-Cor mining, however, proved to be an economically problematic endeavor, and the problem was not so much the logistics of spaceflight, but the human element. Because of the hazards of the lunar environment, particularly the high radioactivity of Di-Cor, prospective Lunar miners demanded and received extravagantly high wages and radical (and expensive) safety precautions. This extremely high overhead kept Di-Cor prices inflated, which in turn kept the demand for Di-Cor low, which kept production at a trickle. Although the scientific community was constantly discovering new applications for Di-Cor power, that potential remained largely theoretical, until the rise of the WEC and the creation of the cartel system. In 2152 the original Lunar Mining Commission (the predecessor of the Lunar Mining Cartel) was established with the mission of fully exploiting Lunar resources; Di-Cor is explicitly named in the Commission's charter as its highest priority. By 2176, when the Cartel system was introduced, the LMC and the Security Cartel were ready to move immediately on a previously negotiated co-operative venture. SecCart would allow the LMC virtual carte blanche to select "conscripts" from among SecCart prisoners to serve as lunar Di-Cor miners. In return for the use of the conscripts, and for providing personnel to guard the new lunar penal colony, SecCart would receive a flat 20% of LMC gross Di-Cor revenues. The advantages of conscript labor were obvious. In addition to massive savings on wages (most conscripts receive nothing whatsoever; a few senior prisoners receive a minuscule wage for the purchase of small luxuries), the WEC could also cut down radically on safety precautions. The pre-WEC, highly efficient safety devices were reserved for the use of supervisors and guards, while the conscripts were issued vastly inferior protective measures. Immediately, the lunar mining operation expanded from a large industrial site to humanity's first non-terrestrial city. Not only did the importation of the conscripts cause the population to balloon, but the non-conscript citizen/partner population also expanded. By 2189 there were almost 10 conscripts and three citizen/partners for every pre-Cartel lunar resident. The death toll among Di-Cor miners also soared. The Resistance estimates that 25% to 40% of LMC conscripts die of Di-Cor related injury or illness, with an additional 15% to 25% suffering permanently incapacitating injury or illness (official public WEC estimates are 7% death, 5% injury). The current director of the LMC, and the de facto chief executive of Darkside Station, is Judith Leach. Leach was appointed director in 2192, and immediately began work on an administrative program that combined a zero-tolerance policy for conscripts with a series of improvements, upgrades and amenities for lunar citizen/partners. Although her strict policies toward conscripts have not wavered, the reforms for citizen/ partners have constantly lagged far behind projections, and have recently slowed to a halt, as ever-increasing WEC demand for more raw Di-Cor has forced the LMC to devote all its energies to increasing production. ============================================================================ TACTICAL SITUATION ============================================================================ Passive Resistance The Resistance estimates that 70% of all prisoners currently detained by the WEC are imprisoned for political (as opposed to felonious) activity. The penal colony on Luna reflects these proportions. Furthermore, even those prisoners who were convicted for crimes against person or property have little reason to be loyal to the WEC. Since, as has been pointed out above, the Lunar conscripts outnumber Lunar citizen/partners by more than three to one, it is obvious that the Resistance has a tremendous pool of potential recruits on Luna.Unfortunately, the Security Cartel is not inefficient in its task of controlling prisoners. There have been prisoner riots both in the mines and in the conscript barracks - at least three in the last five years have been confirmed by Resistance intelligence. The Security Cartel is quite merciless in controlling such outbursts. In the three known incidents, one was controlled by simple force of arms, while the other two (one in the barracks, one in the mines) were controlled by sealing off the area, then withholding life support. In all three cases prisoner casualties were at or near 100% in the area.Likewise, the flow of information and goods in and out of the conscript population is effectively controlled. This does not mean that there is no access to the prisoners whatsoever - every large-scale prison in human history has succeeded in evolving some sort of black market with the outside, regardless of all security precautions. However, SecCart is normally able to keep such exchanges well below the threshold necessary for effective, organized operations. A few operations have been successfully coordinated through the prison population, but logistics and intelligence factors make such operations difficult to coordinate and unacceptably risky, except in the most extreme necessity. The Resistance is, however, far from dead among the conscripts. There is a highly efficient, if subtle, "passive resistance" dedicated to undermining WEC authority and productivity. This conscript effort is largely coordinated independently of the external Resistance effort, due to the logistical difficulties noted above. The informal conscript resistance can and does undertake minor industrial sabotage and even occasional anti-personnel actions against specific security cartel targets. However, the primary function of the passive resistance is to simply ensure that cooperation and production among the conscripts remains at the absolute minimum possible without arousing active LMC retaliation. Although precise estimates of the passive resistance's efforts are extremely difficult to derive from available data, a tentative estimate of a 10% to 20% reduction in productivity has been calculated. This means that, without the passive resistance, the WEC's current "Di-Cor crisis," (a 7.9% deficiency in worldwide Di-Cor demand) would probably not exist. Active Resistance The organization of a traditional, active Resistance cell on Luna has been a slow and dangerous process, but the beachhead has been established, and there is every reason to expect more rapid growth of our movement in the future.When Darkside Station was first established as a penal colony, Resistance recruitment was difficult to the point of impossibility. All lunar citizens were gainfully employed, carefully screened WEC professionals - traditionally not the most fertile ground for fifth-column operations. The discontented majority among the Conscript population was inaccessible.In time, however, this equation became much less clear cut, and therefore Lunar operations have become a much more attractive Resistance prospect.Despite the health hazards of the mines and draconian WEC sentences, many conscripts have managed to complete their sentences and be released. As has been the case in penal colonies throughout history, many of the recently released choose to remain on Luna and work for the LMC, rather than return home and face social and professional ostracism as malcontents. The LMC, for its part, is often content to allow former prisoners to stay on, because of their experience and willingness to take on more dangerous assignments than most citizen/partners. Although this population of released prisoners is small (about 3% of all non-Conscript personnel) they already form a crucial recruiting base for the Resistance, and their numbers are expected to continue to swell over the next several years.Also, and perhaps more significant in the long run, intelligence indicates a dramatic downward shift in morale among the lunar citizen/partners over the last few years. Since the establishment of the LMC, earthside demand for Di-Cor has risen steadily and quotas have increased dramatically. At the same time, on Luna, wages have remained largely static, workloads have shot up, and improvements in the Lunar quality of life have been negligible. In short, the free population of Luna started out as a WEC elite, but is now well on the way to becoming yet another population victimized by the WEC, and ripe for Resistance influence. At present the full-time Resistance garrison on the moon remains tiny, with only one officer who does not also maintain a full-time WEC cover identity. Nonetheless, operations are efficient and effective given the current personnel situation. There is a small unit of guerrilla forces trained, active and on-call at all times. There is also a large and extremely efficient intelligence network. (There is presently, however, a significant flaw in the Lunar Resistance intelligence operation, in that the absence of secure communications between earth and the moon require that intelligence reports either be smuggled to Central by hand, or encrypted and sent over public information networks. For the moment, there seems to be no obvious solution to this problem. Immediate goals for the Lunar Resistance cell, in addition to general readiness and crisis management, include enhanced recruiting with an eye to augmenting available guerrilla forces, and cultivation of deep sleeper operatives in the LMC leadership hierarchy. Logistics are, for the moment, not a problem, as sufficient stockpiles of munitions and provisions exist to support an operation up to five times the current force, for a full year. ============================================================================ LONG-RANGE STRATEGY ============================================================================ Staff has identified three possible strategic options for the Lunar Resistance. Lunar command should ready its forces for any one of these options, depending on the strategic situation as it develops earthside. Note that two of the options below place Luna as a cornerstone of Resistance strategy in "all-or-nothing" gambits designed to decisively end the conflict with the WEC. This makes Luna one of the five most important Resistance operations, in the long term. Option 1: Maintenance and Readiness In this plan, Darkside Station is treated just like any other urban center in the ongoing struggle. Recruiting and training are prioritized, and activist operations are kept small-scale and infrequent, in order to maximize operational security. The long-range goal for Luna is to become one more link in the chain of resistance, so that at a pre-arranged time the Lunar Resistance can rise in concert with cells all over Earth, and simultaneously end or disrupt WEC control in each individual locality, compelling the Consortium to enact sweeping democratic reforms. This is the default strategy for all Resistance operations. In this plan, control of the moon becomes a strategically significant objective (because of the necessity of ongoing Di-Cor production after the action). Lunar Command should prepare contingency plans not only for military and propaganda operations during the action, but also for sustaining mining operations throughout the re-organization period to follow. Option 2: Takeover This high-risk, but extremely attractive, strategy makes Luna a Resistance beach-head, and a catalyst for earthside action. Its basic premise is for the Resistance to take control of the moon, and thereby take control of all Di-Cor production, forcing the WEC to negotiate with the Resistance, exchanging Di-Cor for lunar autonomy and for democratic reforms and concessions to the Resistance earthside. In essence, Luna offers the Resistance a unique opportunity to successfully re-create the Petra experiment, without the strategic flaws that doomed that operation. A Resistance occupation of Luna would represent a significant military threat to the WEC, since an effective counterstrike against orbital targets is far easier to launch from the lunar surface than from the earth. Likewise, a retributive assault against terrestrial targets from the moon would be relatively simple to mount, and this knowledge should serve as an effective deterrent to WEC retaliatory action.There also seems little risk that the WEC could simply refuse to negotiate with the Resistance. Available intelligence indicates that Darkside station could be maintained without any earthside support for nine months, whereas if Di-Cor production were cut off entirely, the WEC would face economic collapse within no more than three months.The primary drawback to this strategy is that it would require a far larger and more highly trained Lunar force than that currently maintained, and it may in fact prove impossible to build the Lunar organization to a level that makes this option viable. In the event of a successful Lunar coup, it becomes even more vital for Di-Cor production to be sustained without interruption. Option 3: Demolition The final option is highly problematic due to humanitarian concerns, but should be reserved as an option in the event of catastrophic reversals against the earthside Resistance. Command should plan for this contingency, but it should not be revealed to or discussed with any subordinates unless it becomes essential to do so.This operation is, in essence, a suicide strike against the lunar Di-Cor operation with an eye towards precipitating the economic collapse of the WEC as discussed above. Such an operation would probably result in the deaths of virtually all Resistance personnel on the moon, and possibly all human life on Darkside station. For such an operation to be effective it would be necessary not only to stop all Di-Cor production, but also to leave the mining operation in such a state that production could not be resumed without a major construction effort. In short, the wholesale destruction of the entire Lunar colony is implied. Furthermore, if the WEC economy was externally destroyed in this fashion, there would also be tremendous resultant human suffering earthside.Lunar Command is not to initiate this operation or any similar action without express authorization from Central Command. ============================================================================ E-MAIL ============================================================================ Message From: Maxis, Q96.09.01.14.22.54 Captain: If you are reading this, it means you are well and at large, presumably on Luna. Your orders, for the record, are to make contact with our forces on the moon and put yourself at the disposal of Lt. Col. Shepherd. I imagine that by the time you read this, you will already have accomplished the above.My congratulations on your successes in the Vigilance Platform affair, and my sincere condolences for the loss of so many of your comrades. Despite these losses, I am fully aware that your actions turned what might have been a crippling loss for the Resistance into a major victory. Finally, since the question of your loyalty seems no longer in doubt, even to my most skeptical officers, I have expanded your clearance on this server. In your main directory, you will find an area called LUNA, which contains information on our current lunar operations. Please examine it in detail at your earliest convenience. This is, of course, sensitive information of the highest level of secrecy - please exercise all due caution. Likewise, I have cleared you for personnel profiles of some of our key Lunar operatives. If you're reading this, it is likely at least one of these individuals has already contacted you, but this information should help you to adapt to your new theater of operations. Good luck.- M_ Message From: Brooks, L96.09.02.07.55.23 Hey, Red. Well, I still feel like one big bruise, but the docs say I've got no excuse for more sack time, so I'm shipping out. Can't say much about my new assignment, of course, but {TEXT REMOVED BY RESISTANCE CENSOR: Gen. Auth. 14.2}, so maybe we'll work together again sooner than you might think.Anyway, just wanted to say way to give 'em hell, and keep up the good work. Good luck, sir. ============================================================================ RESISTANCE OPERATIVES ON LUNA ============================================================================ Denning, Allen (civilian op) Citizen # 4F-16DT-2729-EXX Age 36, Height 172 cm, Weight 82 kg, Hair brown, Eyes brown b. 60.7.6 Liverpool Denning was an 18-year-old high school student in Sydney when he and four school friends were caught vandalizing a food processing plant. The five were convicted of willfully causing 40,000 cr damage to the facility. The other boys, all being under 18, were sentenced to local work/detention facilities, but Denning was sentenced on 79.2.2 to 5 years hard labor. In '81 he killed a fellow prisoner. According to Denning's own account, the prisoner believed, incorrectly, that Denning had informed on him for smuggling narcotics into prison. The prisoner attacked Denning and was killed in the ensuing struggle. Denning's sentence was extended for 10 years. In 91.4 he was transferred to Luna. Upon completion of his term, he was offered training as a shuttle pilot by an LMC administrator who had befriended him during his sentence. He accepted, knowing that as a former convict he was unlikely to find an equivalent job on Earth. Denning's patron was a Resistance sympathizer, and he introduced Denning to the movement. In '95.5 he was diagnosed with untreatable leukemia linked to Di-Cor poisoning. At the time doctors gave him no more than six months to live. He has requested that he be allowed to continue Resistance operations as long as he remains physically able. His position as a shuttle pilot makes him one of the Lunar Resistance's most trusted operatives for smuggling and courier operations. Shepherd, Matt (LtC) Citizen # 3D-24GT-4742-DDD Age 36, Height 183 cm, Weight 82 kg, Hair brown, Eyes brown b. 59.12.2, Toronto g. 80, BA (admin) ULV, Las Vegas g. 82, SecCart Acad OT, SingaporeReported d. (disinfor) 95.10.2 Shepherd served 15 years as a Security Cartel officer, holding several site chief and subchief assignments across the globe. He was assigned to Luna in 93.4 as Deputy Security Chief (Mines), in charge of supervising the physical security of the mining operation itself.His disenchantment with the WEC and SecCart began with misgivings over the treatment of WEC convicts in the mines. In screening interviews he has stated that, in addition to reservations over the general inhumanity of the mining operations, he was particularly aware of the fact that nonviolent political dissidents were often more harshly treated by their captors than violent criminals and social deviants.He first made contact with the Resistance in 93.11, desiring to leak information on human rights abuses and obtain covert humanitarian relief for members of the mine gangs. Over the course of the next 16 months he steadily increased his Resistance involvement to encompass general intelligence gathering, smuggling (material and personnel) and occasional sabotage. He became the Resistance's highest-level operative in the LMC hierarchy. In 95.6 Shepherd and central command came to a joint decision that further double-agent operations might jeopardize Shepherd's safety and Resistance security. Shepherd returned to Earth for a seven-week furlough, during which time he received further Resistance training and indoctrination. After his return to Luna, on 95.7.25, Shepherd's "death" in a prospecting hovershuttle crash was successfully staged. After the "accident", Shepherd was smuggled back to DarkSide Station, where he became the Resistance's first full-time underground guerrilla officer on Luna, with a Resistance rank of Major (promoted 96.4). He now serves as commander for all lunar military operations.Shepherd is an experienced and competent commander and administrator. In his months in charge of Lunar operations he has been responsible for major improvements in recruitment and training, and has materially assisted intelligence in enhancing the efficiency of their operations. Note: Although Shepherd is still officially regarded as deceased on public records, it is by now a virtual certainty that WEC counter- intelligence on Luna knows or strongly suspects that he is alive and operating on behalf of the Resistance. As long as his location remains secret and operational security remains intact, this is considered an acceptable level of risk. Leibnitz, Marian "Torch" (civilian op) Citizen # 9G-26TF-3732-AXX Age 30,Height 193 cm,Weight 132 kg,Hair black, Eyes brown b. 66.7.5, Houston "Torch" Leibnitz (he expresses an extreme distaste towards being addressed by anything other than his nickname) grew up in the slums of the Houston metroplex, and made a name for himself within the local youth gangs by showing a remarkable affinity for explosives, even as a small child. Torch was arrested for the first time in 78.2, at age 11, on charges of arson and looting during the Houston riots of that year. He was incarcerated at the high-security Dormitory for Violent Youth near New Orleans. He escaped three years later, and fell in with the Resistance in 81.10. For the next 12 years, Torch distinguished himself as one of the movement's most proficient explosives and demolitions experts. However, he fell into Security Cartel hands during a sabotage operation in London in 94.8. Sentenced to conscription for life on Luna, he did not stop his Resistance activities, but soon joined up with the other Resistance sympathizers among the conscript population. His specialized skills have allowed him to earn a position of responsibility and relative trust in the mines, which grants him a certain degree of freedom for Resistance activities.His demolitions experience made him a natural saboteur for the Resistance. However, the loss of an arm in 95.6, due to a Di-Cor contaminated injury, caused him to largely forgo actual commando operations in favor of mission planning and coordination. Torch is one of the Resistance's most effective undercover ops within the conscript population. His special skills make him one of the most dangerous guerrilla operatives on Luna. ============================================================================ WEAPONS AND FIELD EQUIPMENT ============================================================================ I. PROJECTILE WEAPONS ------------------ RP-32 "Pacifist" Semiautomatic Assault Rifle .30 Loaded Weight: 2.4 kilos Effective Range: 75 meters (single shot), 25 meters (autofire) Maximum Refire Rate: 10 shots/second The standard infantry weapon for all WEC military forces, the RP-32 can be fitted with optical or electronic sights, which increases its effective range to about 200 meters. It's constructed entirely of ballistic-grade plastics, and fires a frictionless, caseless .30 round. It normally mounts a 60-round magazine, and is preset to fire in 3-round bursts. Standard options include shoulder sling and bipod- mount. SG-A1 "Conformer" Shotgun Loaded Weight: 3.1 kilos Effective Range: 20 meters Maximum Refire Rate: 2 shots/second This deadly anti-personnel weapon is standard issue for riot control and urban security units. It fires a 13-gram fragmenting shell, and carries a 12-round magazine. AC-88 "Reaper" Riot Gun Loaded Weight: 3.25 kilos Effective Range: 20 meters Maximum Refire Rate: 6 shots/second One of the most devastating anti-personnel weapons in the WEC arsenal, the AC-88 is a variation on the SG-A1, with an improved semi-automatic action that allows it to be fired at more than twice the rate of the SG-A1. AR-7 "Rico" Rocket Launcher Loaded Weight: 3.25 kilos Effective Range: 1,200 meters Maximum Refire Rate: 6 shots/second The unique round fired by the AR-7 is a low-power canister shell that, immediately after discharge, ablates to release three self-propelled micro-missile rounds which take off from their point of origin in a "fan" formation encompassing an arc of roughly 45 degrees. The Rico canister round is 9 cm long and 6.3 cm in diameter, and the individual micro-missiles are 5 cm long with a diameter of 3 cm. The magazine can hold up to 8 rounds. This experimental weapon, not yet in general use, is designed for anti-sniper, anti-siege and recon-by-fire applications. GL-303 Grenade Launcher Loaded Weight: 4 kilos Effective Range: 50 meters Maximum Refire Rate: 1 shot/second A GL-303 is carried by at least one member of every WEC fire team, and is also used extensively by police and anti-terrorist units. The normal Consortium anti-personnel load for this weapon is a grenade that combines concussion damage with limited incendiary capabilities. Standard grenade rounds are streamlined, 9.2 centimeter plastic projectiles weighing 102 to 144 grams. The GL-303 mounts an internal, 10-grenade magazine. BK-16 "Crystallizer" Molecular Inhibitor Loaded Weight: 6.7 kilos Effective Range: 30 meters Maximum Refire Rate: 3 shots/second One of the most technologically advanced projectile weapons ever created, the BK-16 fires a low-velocity 12 cm cartridge which, upon impact, creates a field that inhibits all molecular motion within a area that conforms tightly to the target's shape. This creates a "freezing" effect comparable to several minutes' exposure to absolute zero. This instantly immobilizes the target. Humans in the inhibition field are killed instantly and their flesh becomes extremely brittle. Servomechs usually suffer massive and irreparable damage to circuitry and hydraulic systems. This weapon mounts a 10-round magazine. LNR-81 "Liquefier" Catalytic Cartridge Loaded Weight: 6.4 kilos Effective Range: 33 meters Maximum Refire Rate: 4 shots/second This weapon fires cartridges that carry a highly classified, wide- spectrum chemical catalytic agent, designed to break down complex organic molecular bonds. The agent is dispersed through a powerful, localized concussion charge which ignites upon impact. Against flesh its effect is catastrophic, capable of reducing a human body to a small accumulation of semi-solid matter in a fraction of a second. The cartridge is also effective against mechanical targets, since it triggers rapid transmutation in alloys and synthetic materials which make it impossible for most electromechanical devices to continue to function. II. ENERGY WEAPONS -------------- PA-31 "Adjudicator" Laser Rifle Weight: 2.22 kilos Effective Range: 50 meters Maximum Refire Rate: 5 shots/second Power Drain: 45 Power Units/shot At least one trooper in every WEC infantry squad is designated the "lightning rod", and carries this weapon. In addition, the WEC maintains special-forces "lightning teams" where all the troops carry PA-31s as their standard arm. These "lightning teams" are used for anti-armor, attacks on armored emplacements, and special missions. This weapon is particularly effective against robots and ambulatory weapons platforms. It fires a single pulsed varicolor laser beam. PL-1 "Unifier" Plasma Rifle Weight: 3.7 kilos Effective Range: 40 meters Maximum Refire Rate: 12 shots/second Power Drain: 80 Power Units/shot The PL-1 is the WEC's only plasma-based rifle. It fires a pulse of superheated plasma along a condensed magnetic field. A direct hit from a PL-1 is capable of literally disintegrating a non-shielded human target, leaving behind only a small scattering of carbonized residue. Its incendiary capabilities also make it extremely effective against vehicles and servomechs. This fully-automatic weapon is capable of firing up to six bursts per second. It is normally used for military commando operations and police SWAT teams. EM-4 "Vortex" Electromagnetic Pulse Rifle Weight: 4.4 kilos Effective Range: 150 meters Maximum Refire Rate: 3 shots/second Power Drain: 200 Power Units/shot Originally designed as an anti-servomech weapon, the EM-4 is also highly effective against human targets. It fires a concentrated electromagnetic pulse, which interferes with the guidance mechanisms of all standard servomechs, temporarily nullifying their offensive capability. Against humans, the electromagnetic charge is capable of instantly incinerating an unprotected target to the point of vaporization. UV-9 "Pulsar" Ultraviolet Rifle Weight: 5.7 kilos Effective Range: 50 meters Maximum Refire Rate: 2 shots/second Power Drain: 210 Power Units/shot Still in development, the UV-9 generates and fires a pulse of highly concentrated ultraviolet energy. This charge has an extreme incendiary effect on any substance it impacts, and is capable of literally burning all the flesh and organs from an unarmored human target. At present, field trials are being conducted by experimental heavy-weapons units. XP-5 "Broiler" Microwave Projector Weight: 5.9 kilos Effective Range: 25 Meters Maximum Refire Rate: 5 shots/second Power Drain: 140 Power Units/shot This experimental weapon fires an intense and tightly focused microwave pulse. This charge is powerful enough to liquefy the flesh of an unprotected human target. Against mechanical targets it is also extremely effective, producing damage effects comparable to extreme heat as well as disrupting and destroying most electromagnetic processes. =========================================================================== DEMOLITION EQUIPMENT =========================================================================== Detpac: The standard-issue WEC military satchel charge, the detpac is a two-piece unit consisting of the actual explosive and a hand-held radio remote control detonator. The range of a detpac is quite limited - it must be detonated from no more than 50 meters away in open terrain, considerably nearer than that indoors or in rough or heavily forested areas. It weighs slightly less than 1 kilo. Limpet Mine: A limpet mine can be affixed (via electrostatic charge) to any reasonably flat, firm surface. Once placed and activated it will detonate when any moving object approaches within about 1/2 meter (there is a built-in three second delay after activation to allow the placer to get out of range). Limpet mines are used for territory denial in areas where it is not practical to place larger mines, or when time does not permit the use of more permanent mines. Extremely small and light (less than 0.3 kilos), several limpet mines can be carried by a single soldier, even on a light patrol. Spider Bomb: This ambulatory munition can be released by a soldier from concealment, and literally walks on mechanical legs to the point of detonation, guided by a hand-held joystick unit. Spider Mine: This is a spider bomb with a proximity sensor built in. Once set, it waits for an enemy to approach, then homes in and moves into position to detonate. Pocket Betty: This defensive munition must be manually detonated. On detonation it flings out four "minelets" to a distance of about three meters, which explode on impact. Mine-Det: This is a single-use, hand held detonator which can be used to detonate limpet and spider mines from a distance. Disrupter: This munition is placed on a teleporter platform. When an incoming teleportation signal is received by the platform, the disrupter activates and scrambles the teleporter signal, resulting in the death of the incoming personnel, and the destruction of the platform. =========================================================================== PERSONAL EQUIPMENT =========================================================================== Ionic Shield: This personal shield generator surrounds the wearer in a protective sphere of highly energized electrons capable of absorbing the kinetic energy of ballistic projectiles, greatly reducing their lethality. The ionic shield is often used by police and riot-control units. It weighs 1.2 kilos and can be belt- or shoulder-mounted. Plasma Shield: This shield surrounds the user in a sphere of plasma, which reduces the energy of ballistic projectiles more efficiently than the ionic shield, and also provides an effective reduction of the destructive potential of energy weapons. The plasma shield weighs 3.3 kilos and is either worn in a web-harness or built into a rigid armor suit. Graviton Shield: The highly experimental graviton shield surrounds the wearer in what is, essentially, a localized space-time distortion. It provides unprecedented protection against large projectiles and high-power energy weapons. Unfortunately, the expense and extreme power drain of this shield make it impractical for general issue at this time. It is only used for VIP protection and special missions. It weighs 5 kilos and is built into a special vest (which can be worn beneath normal business clothes) or into rigid armor. Radiation Shield: This device emits an energy field which protects the wearer from all known forms of hard radiation. This compact (1.7 kilos) unit can be worn on a belt or slotted into a suit of powered armor. EMP Inhibitor: This defensive weapon is capable of emitting a tuned, high-powered electromagnetic pulse which will temporarily cause all standard-model servomechs within an approximate 10-meter radius to malfunction. Due to its extreme power requirements, use of this defense must normally be strictly regulated under battlefield conditions. It's usually used for infiltration, sabotage and other commando-style operations. It weighs 0.7 kilos. Datalink: This is a hand-held mission computer and communications device. A datalink is often built into combat-armor uniforms. A datalink can hold mission briefings and intelligence reports for in-field review, and can also receive tight-focus satellite communications (usually encrypted). Medikit: The medikit is a one-use, electronic field dressing. Upon application it seals wounds and injects anesthetics, stimulants, antibiotics and anti-shock medications, and is also effective at countering the effects of several common respiratory and contact toxins. Its effect is not so much to heal the user, as to keep him alert and functioning until he can accomplish his mission and get medical attention. Because of the radical nature of medikit treatment, there is the potential for long-term side effects or delayed reactions. Therefore, use of the medikit is recommended only in hazardous conditions, when under imminent threat of loss of life or consciousness. Each kit weighs 0.4 kilos and can be carried in a belt pouch. Each medikit carries its own internal power cell, and it does not need to be linked to an external power supply. VIR Chip: This is an optional enhancement to visual imaging devices (for example, the faceplate of standard combat armor) which allows the user to see normally invisible infrared beams. Batteries: A battery or other personal power supply is necessary to run shields and energy weapons. There are three types of portable, rechargeable battery currently available, the chemical (maximum charge 2500 power units), fission (maximum charge 50,000 power units) and fusion (maximum charge 100,000 power units). Multiple devices (i.e., a shield, an inhibitor and an energy weapon) can all be run off the same battery. Most batteries weigh about one kilo. Energy Cubes: Energy cubes are disposable, non-rechargeable energy storage units. Equipment cannot run directly off an energy cube, but cubes can be used to recharge a battery when its reserves are starting to get low. Energy cubes initiate a catalytic reaction in a battery that will cause any given battery type to recharge about 1/3 of its total storage capacity. =========================================================================== ENEMIES =========================================================================== I. ENEMY PERSONNEL -------------- Guard: In response to increased Resistance action, the WEC has been upgrading their guard forces. Today's guard is a well-trained professional, probably armed with an RP-32. Special Forces: The WEC employs several distinct varieties of special forces unit. He's probably carrying an AR-7 or a PA-21, but some elite units will deploy with PA-31s or even PL-1s as their standard arms. In addition, his combat uniform includes built-in nuclear-biological-chemical protection. Special forces troops are highly trained and motivated. Elite Guards: These special forces troops are assigned to defend the most sensitive WEC facilities and the most important leaders. They usually carry a UV-9 or sometimes an LNR-81. Enforcer: The cream of the WEC's conventional forces. He's often encountered using a PL-1 or even an AC-88, and always wears a plasma shield and NBC gear. Extremely deadly alone or in a group, in any environment. Silencer: Definitely not conventional forces - a killing machine trained to be the ultimate soldier. Silencers are given complete freedom to choose their own weapons and equipment, but can always be recognized by their unique uniform of rigid plastic-armor plates. II. ARMED SERVOMECHS ---------------- MS-110 Android: The human-like android is a common maintenance servomech. Some androids, in use in sensitive areas, are capable of carrying and effectively using small arms. MS-40 "Roaming Susan": The most common maintenance servomech. Optional programming and hardware allow a light weapon to be mounted on a Roaming Susan for site defense. M-35 "Roach": These small, low-profile servomechs are designed to carry messages and light cargo around a site. Recently, some have been issued with an integral small-arms mount. III. ANTI-PERSONNEL PLATFORMS ------------------------ APP-4210 Vetron: This was the first autonomous security anti-personnel platform in general release. Current models are normal armed with an integral PA-31 laser. APP-4400 Thermatron: The follow-up to the 4100, the heavily-armored 4400 is still one of the most effective combat servomechs available. It is usually armed with an RP-32 gun mount. APP-4450 Avatron: The small Avatron is lightly armed, lightly armored and cheap. It's a security cartel attempt to provide a APP option that falls between the armed maintenance servomech and the heavier APPs. APP-5100 Cryoton The first of the advanced-weapon 5000 series in general release, the 5100 mounts a BK-16 molecular inhibitor weapon. It is a rather light platform, with armor only slightly heavier than the original Vetron's. APP-5200 Solartron In addition to mounting the devastating UV-9 microwave projector, the 5200 is also the heaviest APP ever produced for security purposes, having almost twice the armor protection of the original Vetron. APP-7200 Cametron Almost nothing is known of the capabilities of this experimental prototype other than its codename and designation. Rumors suggest that its major innovation is a radical new stealth technology application. =========================================================================== HISTORY =========================================================================== Message from Gen. Q Maxis, CIC AVOIDANCE OF ACCOUNTABILITY The Death of the Old Order The Dawn of Dissent The Rise of Resistance The Petra Experiment World Economic Consortium: Origins From: Gen. Q. Maxis, CIC To: All field commanders and special operatives Re: "Avoidance of Accountability" by Dr. Singh The attached document is an article entitled "Avoidance of Accountability: The Rise of the World Economic Consortium," by Doctor Ethan Singh. I consider this to be one of the cornerstone documents of our movement - it will come to be regarded much as the Federalist Papers were to American democracy. Every senior officer in my command should study this work carefully. You will notice that when Dr. Singh discusses the growth and mission of the Resistance, he does so "warts and all." Dr. Singh is a committed member of our movement, but he has not allowed that to cloud his scholarly objectivity. The Resistance is a movement of ordinary people reacting to extraordinary provocation. In the course of our history, mistakes have been made, opportunities have been lost and principles have sometimes even been compromised. This in no way detracts from the essential justice of our mission. What would, however, compromise our credibility would be to resort to the sort of whitewash and distortion that our enemies employ on a daily basis. As a life-long soldier, though, I recognize that wartime is not always the appropriate time for absolute historical objectivity, Therefore I leave it entirely to the discretion of each unit commander whether to distribute this document to his troops. I only encourage you to distribute this document to the maximum degree you find consistent with unit morale and efficiency.At the moment, HumOps is considering how best to move this document out to the general public. Therefore, for the time being, it remains "Confidential." Please do not distribute it outside the organization, even via secure channels, as such efforts may compromise future efforts to capitalize on this information. =========================================================================== AVOIDANCE OF ACCOUNTABILITY The Rise of the World Economic Consortium ------- By Ethan R. Singh, Ph.D. It is the nature of civilization to progress from chaos, to a strongly controlled social order, to a social order founded upon individual liberty and maintained by the consent of the governed. There are those who charge that the cycle then proceeds once more to chaos, but it is more accurate to say that chaos is always the result of the breakdown of the social order at any stage of this evolutionary process. It is the chasm which social evolution constantly skirts. In understanding the rise of the World Economic Consortium (WEC) and the revolutionary Resistance which now challenges WEC global dominance, it is necessary to remember that all human progress is incremental. It is impossible for a civilization to go from anarchy to utopia in a single step. When the reformer of today asks himself, "Why did people ever surrender their liberties to the WEC?" he is avoiding an answer that is painfully simple - there was a time when the WEC was far preferable to any of the other available options. The Death of the Old Order Every school child knows that at the dawn of the 21st century the globe was divided up into hundreds of autonomous states, which often warred against one another. It is commonly believed that the peoples of the world turned to the WEC to unify them and save them from war and international strife. This belief is completely erroneous.Although international war was tragic on a human scale, it was also, in many ways, a sign of social health and vigor. It often stimulated industry and trade, and increased overall economic efficiency by bringing the population together in a common cause against a common enemy. Nations often emerged from wartime stronger than they were when the war began - and if this statement is more true for winners than losers, it is by no means exclusively true for winners. The fears that caused the people of the 22nd century to turn to the WEC for relief were, generally speaking, not fears of violence from without, but fears of stagnation and chaos from within. Across the globe the old social orders were breaking down. National authorities were ineffectual or simply absent. Crime was not merely rampant - in many places organized crime had, in fact, become the de facto government for neighborhoods, communities, sometimes whole regions. Often, such informal gangster "governments" were more stable and less corrupt than in those areas where the remnants of the original government still held sway. The reasons for this international disintegration of the social order are, of course, extremely complex, but they can all be boiled down into three words - global economic collapse. By the end of the 20th century, governments had completely ceased to be self-contained economic units. The economic well-being of each government had become completely dependent upon the economic health of the rest of the world's governments. Various policies and agencies were created to regulate this global economy, but all were entirely dependent on the consent and co-operation of the governments they regulated. There was no central economic authority with the power to enforce financial prudence on the world. The history of the early 21st century is one of nations sacrificing one prudent economic safeguard after another in response to some local or short-term need or crisis. Each such action only set up more such crises in the future. The remaining leaders of the 21st century, however, were by no means unconscious of the roots of their problems, or of the obvious solution. They needed an economic compact with teeth in it - something that could restore order to the economy, and if necessary enforce that order against destabilizing forces. By the last half of the 21st century, when DOMO, followed by NAA, EEI and ALN, came on the scene, the people were more than ready to welcome any organization offering relief from civil disorder and poverty, and the former national governments were so weak and decentralized that they could not offer any effective resistance. The effects of membership in one of the new economic alliances were marked and nearly immediate. Hunger was drastically reduced, employment rose, medical care improved. Those regions which tried to hold out for autonomy were soon forced by their own population to join a union. It is at this point that we begin to see the first glimmers of imperialist ambition in the new alliances. Prospective members were told they must capitulate entirely to the new order, or they could not participate at all. This refusal to compromise was portrayed as a necessary safeguard against the kind of creeping isolationism that had destroyed the first global economy. Certainly a more potent economic regime was needed, but it would have been entirely possible to make certain concessions to local rule without seriously compromising the mission of the organization. It is clear that, in refusing benefits of membership to nations with any degree of hesitancy whatsoever, the economic alliances were not merely after stability, but were in fact actively pursuing the economic subjugation of the member states. Any remnant of the original national government was so thoroughly stripped of real political power as to be left a mere ceremonial courtesy. (A few such ceremonial relics of the pre-alliance past still survive to the present, including the monarchies of Denmark and Kuwait, and elective ceremonial offices like the Mayor of Chicago and the Governor of Texas.) In the early '60s, a few areas of the globe, although officially part of the WEC for more than a decade, still held out against full assimilation of all local autonomy. The WEC, in its first blatant act of global suppression, embargoed all such territories for three months, from August through October of '62. All official trade was ended to seven cities worldwide, and they were blockaded to prevent citizens from leaving. Economic chaos soon reigned in the affected areas, and starvation loomed. In all seven cities, rioting broke out among residents convinced (sometimes with cause) that the local government was withholding stockpiles of food. The food riots effectively crushed any lingering spirit of independence among the local governments in the embargoed territories, but it also created a lingering mistrust against the WEC. Decades later, the Resistance would find its most fertile recruiting grounds among the survivors of the food riots. In general, however, it must be admitted that the member states were only too happy to be subjugated. For most, the bottom line was that, for the first time in several generations, hunger was on the decline, employment was on the rise, and children were being educated. Most regions welcomed the new alliances as saviors; only a few yielded to them as conquerors. In either case, the end result was the same.As long as the WEC endures, the average scholar will probably never have access to any of the records of the secret negotiations and behind-the-scenes machinations that finally led to the formation of the WEC in 2150. By all standards the consolidation was an astounding success. Disorder vanished, crime continued to fall and the economy continued to soar. The WEC probably reached its all-time apex of success in 2176, when the original "five states" were abolished and replaced by the cartel system as the primary administrative sub-unit of the WEC. For the first time humanity had achieved a dram of centuries - a world completely devoid of geographical borders. The Dawn of Dissent About the same time that the WEC was achieving its greatest success (with the establishment of the cartel system), it also began to feel the first real pressure from dissident reformers. Their message was simple - the WEC had been formed using emergency powers during a crisis situation. Now the crisis was over, and it was time for the WEC to step back and allow its "partners" to explore other alternatives of self-governance. Scholars had, of course, long been speculating about the proper limits of WEC power and the long-term options available for the new global economy. The 2170s, however, were the first time such speculations began to gain popular support. The average citizen-partner remained grateful to the WEC for providing him with security, employment, health-care, education and sustenance. He was, however, beginning to question whether those benefits really justified the average 55% of his nominal earnings withheld by the WEC for ôsecurity and economic development. It is difficult for us, in these days of 90%+ taxation, to appreciate how indignant the world population could become over a 7% rise in the tax rate between 2167 and 2173. This issue led to public demonstrations and even some isolated incidents of rioting. The anti-taxation movement of the early 2170s is historically significant as the first organized resistance movement in WEC history. It was also (at least nominally, and in the short term) a success. The tax rate was reduced below 50% in 2173 and did not rise to pre-movement levels until 2181. However, even if the WEC was willing to cut its own profit margins a bit to ensure public tranquillity, that gesture was far removed from actually compromising its political autonomy. The WEC response to calls for political reform has always been, to say the least, ingenious. The WEC claims that it is not responsible for governmental reform because it is NOT a government. Whenever it needed to claim one of the traditional prerogatives of a national government the WEC would do so, but publicly it maintained the fiction that it was merely an economic regulatory body, with no interest in how its "partners" chose to govern themselves, so long as their policies were not bad for business. Of course, every time a policy was proposed that compromised WEC political authority, that policy would turn out to be somehow "bad for business." It has, of course, been repeatedly pointed out that the WEC had all the authority of a government, that there was no other governmental body to be found anywhere, and it seemed to be functioning as a government. However, these arguments were at first ignored, and later violently suppressed. After the anti-taxation unrest, the WEC moved on to a new method for avoiding public accountability. Previously, the WEC's justification for its own existence had been entirely functional - the WEC deserved to exist because the alternative (pre-WEC chaos) was infinitely worse. Now, people were actually proposing viable alternatives to the WEC.The WEC's answer was "Scientific Administration." Basically, it began to present its policies not merely as pragmatic responses to new circumstances, but as scientifically established, and PROVEN, optimal responses. No longer were the WES's ideas simply the best ideas of informed individuals - they were now scientific FACTS, as unquestionable as a proven mathematical theorem. Of course, the actual theories or algorithms that determined these policies were never revealed to the public. The Rise of Resistance The introduction of the "Scientific Administration" propaganda campaign proved remarkably successful among the general populace, but it was far less so among intellectuals. When told that a given idea is "scientifically proven," the average worker will probably respond, Oh, that's good then," and go about his business. Saying the same thing to a scientist, however, will immediately awaken a burning desire to examine, dissect and elaborate on the theory and its proof. When the WEC claimed scientific infallibility, but refused to present the proofs underlying that claim, suspicions soared. Even among the intelligentsia, however, opposition to the Scientific Administration movement was muted. This is not surprising, since the WEC has always been a scientific meritocracy, seeking out the most gifted scientific minds and rewarding those who contribute most to Consortium interests. Scientists might have been intellectually skeptical about Scientific Administration, but pragmatically they knew where their bread was buttered. Those who could come up with plausible-sounding support for the WEC's scientific administration claims were richly rewarded; those who challenged them were disgraced. Inevitably, however, the friction between the claims of Scientific Administration and the demands of real science increased in the minds of at least some intellectuals. In 2186, several economists attempted to publish criticism or refutations of Chen's "Predictive Economics" - one of the cornerstones of Scientific Administration theory. These works were systematically suppressed, and the authors were made the targets of WEC surveillance and harassment. Word of this program of intellectual repression quickly spread on the academic grapevine. Here and there, cells of scientists began to meet secretly to consider what they had come to regard as the "problem" of the WEC. In a very short time these clandestine reformers began to reach out to one another and form a worldwide underground movement. Popular disgruntlement with the WEC was both wide and deep by this time. Citizen anger had been growing steadily for years, due to taxation, corruption, bureaucratic stagnation, and even lingering resentment over the food riots of two decades past. Rioting and anti-government sabotage was an ever-growing menace to the Consortium's world-wide social order. What this tide of resentment lacked, however, was any sort of central organization to give it direction and make it effective. It is the seemingly-minor academic backlash against "Scientific Administration," and the semi-organized network of dissidents it spawned, which provided the catalyst and nucleus around which the global Resistance (capital-"R") could form. The Petra ExperimentGradually, these intellectual dissident cells began to reach out to the general public. There they found an ever more willing ear for dissent. Government monitoring of citizens, on the rise since the turn of the century, was starting to chafe. The temporary propaganda boost the WEC got from the introduction of Scientific Administration had exhausted it in the face of the old specter of rising taxation. In 2189 taxes, for the first time, rose over 75%. Once again there were protests, but this time the protests turned much more easily to violence, and this time the WEC did not back down - the violence was suppressed. Even more alarming, for the first time since the introduction of the cartels, parts of the globe were experiencing food shortages, and while employment remained nominally at 100%, rumors were on the rise of whole communities where the people's "jobs" didn't involve actually doing any work ... or collecting any pay. The "refusenik" anti-registration movement surged during the late '80s, from a worldwide total of barely a thousand ideological extremists in 2185, to at least a half-million non-registered persons by 2190. At the beginning of the decade, the Resistance began to go cautiously and quietly "public," actively recruiting new members from all levels of society, and taking a generally more militant stance in demanding WEC reforms. They even won a few victories, here and there, notably the de-installation of cameras and microphones from the non-public areas of all Ontario housing complexes in 2192. Of course, WEC reaction was growing at an even faster rate. The Resistance estimates that at least 75,000 dissidents were incarcerated or assassinated by the WEC between 2190 and 2193, and countless more were harassed or demoted for Resistance activities. One of the main reasons for both the success and the persecution of the nascent activist resistance was a small but efficient underground cadre that specialized in harassing the WEC through guerrilla tactics. The Resistance guerrillas became almost folk-heroes in certain areas, due to their success at creating violent demonstrations that seriously impeded WEC operations while minimizing civilian casualties and collateral damage. Gradually, even WEC administrators and civic authorities began to be influenced by Resistance rhetoric, and to formulate their policies accordingly, often in direct defiance of WEC policy. For a time, it seemed that sheer concentrated public will would restrain the WEC from taking any extreme reactionary measures. "Policy reviews," "public inquiries" and "blue-ribbon commissions" were promised by the WEC, with the professed purpose of evaluating the possibility of reform along Resistance lines. Few of these efforts ever came to fruition. Those that were actually formed either stonewalled and stalled, or turned in reports supporting existing WEC policy.The whole thing came to a head in the city of Petra in 2194. In January of that year, Petra announced that a public referendum would be held March 1st, on the question of whether the city should renounce its affiliation with the WEC. Much to the surprise of everybody, the election was allowed to proceed. 71% of the populace turned out to vote, and the final tally was 82% in favor of secession. Immediately, the provisional government of the city declared itself in power and took over all WEC administrative functions. Any Consortium officials that opposed the takeover were held for deportation.A full month passed as the Petran government established itself. New civic elections were scheduled for September. A trade delegation sent to Admin Cartel headquarters to attempt to negotiate with the WEC for commercial relations was arrested and imprisoned, but allowed to stay in contact with the Petran government, and apparently not mistreated. Other cities with strong Resistance ties began to make plans for a referendum on secession. Speculation was voiced about the possibility of a worldwide network of Resistance enclaves, offering an alternative to WEC control - trading freely with each other, and perhaps even with the WEC, but each with purely local administrative jurisdiction. In what later proved to be a major strategic mistake, Petra began to welcome thousands of Resistance sympathizers from around the globe. On April 7, 2194, at 0545 hours, more than 300 stratospheric fighter- bombers were launched from the MilOps cartel air base at Brasilia. At 0700 hours, the Petran trade delegation was executed without trial. Simultaneously, saturation tactical nuclear bombing of Petra and surrounding regions began, first with a missile barrage launched from the still-under-construction Vigilance Platform, followed by a second strike from the stratospheric craft. The last bomb detonated at 0744, at which time 14 million people were dead or dying. Over the course of the next four days, the WEC began a vicious worldwide pogrom aimed at stamping out the Resistance movement. A further 2.3 million people were summarily executed, and more than a million were imprisoned. The entire globe remained under martial law for six months while Security Cartel monitoring was stepped up, and the tax rate was raised to an all-time high of 94%. The WEC announced that Petra had been reclaimed by the MilOps cartel, and that further separatism would not be tolerated. The official death toll was set at 440,000. Despite this crackdown, riots occurred on an almost daily basis, all over the world. WEC economic loss due to civil unrest for the year 2194 (excluding Petra, which was not restored) are conservatively estimated at 700 trillion dollars.The Resistance has reappeared during the last year, literally with a vengeance. Since Petra it has regrouped, reorganized, and has begun operations as a full-scale guerrilla army. Although care is still taken to avoid civilian casualties, military operations have been seriously escalated. Before Petra, guerrilla operations were mostly intended to harass and demoralize the WEC. Since that time the goals have changed to serious and continual disruption of the WEC economy and direct action against WEC security measures. At this point, the economy of the WEC continues to worsen, public dissatisfaction grows, and Resistance opposition becomes increasingly focused and effective. To the objective student of history and economics, the signs of irreversible societal decay are unmistakable. The timing for dramatic reform along Resistance lines could not be better.However, the odds against the Resistance remain astronomical. The rebel forces live a dangerous, hand-to-mouth existence completely surrounded by their enemies. WEC personnel and resources can only be described as infinitely more extensive than the Resistance's. Nonetheless, the genie of revolutionary change is out of the bottle. If this Resistance should eventually fail, a new one will soon arise in its place, and if that movement is not immediately successful, it's only a matter of time until, like the Soviet Union of the 20th century, the WEC crumbles beneath the weight of its own corruption. Origins of the World Economic Consortium:The origins of the WEC can be traced back to the beginning of the 21st century with the economic decline of geographically defined countries as the cornerstone of world power.With the decline of the superpowers (formerly known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and The United States of America) in the late 20th century, a new economic power struggle began to rise in the wake of the failure of Russian economic reforms and the US protectionism amendments. Early attempts to form multinational coalitions (The Common Market, League of Arabic States, NAFTA) met with little success within the global community. It was not until the creation of DOMO (better known as the Asian Alliance) that the true economic power of a multinational affiliation was realized. After the collapse of the United States (due in part to the loss of California in 2025, and the continental flooding of its eastern coast caused by global warming), the remaining states voted to incorporate the last states of the former countries known as Canada (in 2037) and divided federations of Mexico (in 2064) to become the North American Alliance. Though not as economically powerful as DOMO, the NAA shortly took over as a world leader when China left the Asian Alliance after a long battle over scandal and corruption within DOMO. 2067: The North American Alliance jointly puts the first Orbiting Industrial Platform (OIP) in space. This is followed closely by the Europa Economic Interest completing theirs in 2069, and the first venture of DOMO in 2070. 2094: After years of famine and civil war, peace is finally established on the continent of Africa with the signing of the African League of Nations. Though renegade states threaten to destroy the alliance during drought of 2094 to 2097, the ALN survives its most bitter years of internal fighting. 2098: DOMO establishes the first permanent lunar colony. Minerals are mined on the moon and transported to the many DOMO OIPs for processing, demonstrating for the first time a full scale extra-terrestrial mode of production. 2105: The NAA becomes the American Alliance after La Unidad (its Latin American counterpart) signs the historic pact that merges the whole of North and South America into one single economic superpower. 2109: With their reserves of fossil fuels depleted, the League of Arab States declares bankruptcy. The territories are soon annexed after a long proxy war fought between the EEI and DOMO. The Asian Alliance emerges victorious, but at a cost that weakens DOMO financially for the next decade. 2112: Though never a strong power, the New Russian Republic of States divides again after the food riots at Yeltsingrad. This time the eastern-most provinces vote to join with the Asian Alliance, while the western ones decided to side with their longtime allies of the Europa Economic Interest. In a surprise move, the orbiting industrial platform of Pasternak joins with the EEI and its fleet of OIP, even though Pasternak's main spaceport had sided with DOMO. This is the first time an OIP becomes an independent entity from its parent corporation. 2125: Under an equal charter, the EEI, the ALN, and the American Alliance establish the first colony on Mars, setting the stage for the ongoing program of terraforming and colonization. 2147: Under the burden of its failing economic empire, DOMO is the last of the coalitions to concede and agrees in principle to a pact that will combine all of the world's coalitions into one super coalition with five economic states (America, Europa, Asia, Africa and a blanket state for all ETs). Talks between the major coalitions take three years to reach a full agreement. 2150: The World Economic Consortium is founded. WELCOME TO THE RESISTANCE ------------------------- If you are reading this document, that means you have chosen to throw in your lot with the global Resistance opposing the tyranny of the World Economic Consortium. The fight ahead of you will be long and punishing. The enemy is alert and powerful. Only through the absolute loyalty of its operatives does the Resistance have any hope of success.What is the Resistance?The Resistance is a global network of individuals dedicated to the ideals of freedom and individuality. The Resistance has no fancy, high-sounding or "impressive" name because it needs none. We are a movement dedicated to action, not rhetoric. The Resistance is both a subversive movement and an armed rebellion. As a subversive movement, we seek to infiltrate and educate the public, informing the general populace that an alternative to the WEC regime exists, and that it is within the power of the people to reach out and take it.As a rebellion we make armed surgical strikes against the most important and vulnerable bastions of WEC social and military power. Because the physical and personnel resources of the WEC are vastly greater than our own, we rely on guerrilla tactics, taking full advantage of the element of surprise by maintaining a cloak of absolute secrecy over our operations. Why Do We Fight? ---------------- The WEC is a failed experiment built upon a deliberate lie. It is a corrupt and tyrannical regime sustained only through ruthless oppression of the common citizen. Its promises of equality and prosperity are only hollow mockeries, except for the tiny privileged cabal of the elite. The Resistance advocates the institution of an enlightened and progressive government based on the principles of constitutional democracy, individual rights and free enterprise. Don't be surprised if some of these terms seem unfamiliar to you. The WEC has labored for decades to suppress these ancient and proven governmental ideals. Now that you're a full agent of the Resistance, you'll be educated in real history and social science - not just the lies and propaganda that pass for education in the WEC schools. What Are My Duties to the Resistance? ------------------------------------- As an agent of the Resistance, your most fundamental duty is to do anything necessary to advance the ideals of the Resistance, and further the cause of Revolution. Your first duty to the Resistance, at all times, is absolute secrecy. Never discuss Resistance business in public, unless at a specific time and location that your leadership has pre-cleared as a secure area. Even in private, avoid casual discussion of Resistance business. Always assume that the nearest person is a WEC agent or sympathizer, and the nearest object conceals a WEC microphone.Even if talking with someone you know to be loyal to the Resistance, in a secure area, keep your discussions of Resistance operations on a strict "need to know" basis. This is for the protection of both yourself and your Resistance comrades. If an agent of the Resistance is captured and subjected to WEC interrogation, he should not be able to reveal anything about any operation he was not directly involved in. Remember, if you are ever taken alive by the WEC, you will tell everything you know - no agent is ever "tough" enough to resist WEC interrogation techniques. Do not, under any circumstances, attempt to recruit anyone else into the Resistance. If you know someone who seems to be sympathetic to our cause, report that individual to your leaders. He or she will be evaluated and approached by Resistance recruitment specialists. The Resistance is not the only side in this war with secret agents, and Security Cartel spooks are always on the lookout to gain the trust of some overly-optimistic agent. Obedience and discipline are the duty of every agent. You must be willing to follow the orders of your leaders to the letter and without question. You must also resist the temptation to take direct action against the WEC without first clearing that action with your leaders. Such rogue activity can seriously threaten your own safety, the security of the local Resistance forces, and possibly even long-term Resistance operations of which you have no knowledge. Finally, while the Resistance seeks to avoid all unnecessary violence against innocents, the WEC thugs have no such scruples. It is expected that all Resistance operatives will be willing to give up their own lives in the pursuit of the cause, but you must also realize that if the WEC comes to know or suspect your identity, they will not hesitate to harass, torture or kill your friends and loved ones to pressure you into surrendering yourself or betraying the Resistance. This is the greatest sacrifice any agent is ever asked to make, but all agents must resign themselves to such possibilities.