Aberrant: War Journal - War Journal Goodies!

[Heritage]

Okay, this is the new home of all the extra stuff you'll need to make for a richer WJ2 experience; much of this material appeared in other threads, but will be collected here for ease of use. I'll being doing most of the posting, but if you want to do a little fiction piece or something, go right ahead. I couldn't get the Fiction Database to work for the life of me, so Colby's Kettle Falls story might appear here as well.

Enjoy!

Edit: Link to character creation guidelines

[Heritage]

Okay, here are two maps, one of Base X4, the other of WS Bravo.

The X4 map was an excellent cleanup job by I believe Grizzly (thanks, man!) and is more or less accurate. A few details in the lower left corner would have been update by Delacroix and earth-moving Engineers - there should be twice the number of officers rooms (eight instead of four), the upper right hand corner of the enlisted bunks has been converted into a small med ward and the Armory was expanded for Walter's use - otherwise everything is spot on!

X4

The Bravo map is my original, so it's pretty damn hard to read - each square is 10 feet, double the scale of the X4 map, so you know it's big. Again, details are missing - the Trans-D quarters would be in the lower right-hand corner just past the Cobra area, and the family center would be somewhere near the med ward towards the middle. Still, something is better than nothing! T&S is upper left hand corner - the freight elevator can be switched to go down to the THRONE room.

Bravo

Let me know if these won't work for you.

[ezekiel]

they work

[Asbjørn]

This post deleted; see new Green rank system post below.

[Asbjørn]

Regional and Battalions Reputations

Colville is a mountainous forested region in NE Washington State, which puts it close to the border with Idaho, one of the Blues mightiest strongholds. Actually, there are several Blue enclaves in Washington, too, all just across the Columbia River. This is the home of the Scouts; their secret HQ 'Mount Doom' is here, and most of them train here as well. There is not a large military presence, but Blues from over the river often sneak in to raid, rape and kill the 'Abbie scum and their baseline whores'.

The RA's 1st, 2nd and 3rd Infantry Battalions are located here, with 1st (AKA 'Richter's Raiders') the closest to the Blues, and the other ones heading out West in numerical order. The Raiders are one of the most respected/feared units in the Greens; they took the brunt of the damage during the bloody Battle of Kettle Falls. The 2nd are their comrades-in-arms, but troops of the 3rd, which is technically outside of the Colville region, are seen as desperate clingy wannabes.

The North, home to 4th and 5th Battalions, is the area closest to the border of Canada in the Cascade range - it is the farthest from any of the ground fighting (at least with baseline forces), though the Navy does periodically fire cruise missiles into the area from Puget Sound and Navy pilots sometimes bomb or strafe as well. This is what passes for 'quiet' in the Greens. As it is slightly more tranquil, this is where Regular Army training usually takes place. There are also a lot of Green-sympathetic towns and campground 'villages' here, and when the Greens take any prisoners, they're usually kept up here as well. Because of this lack of combat, folks from the North are thought to be 'soft' and/or 'lazy' by those who fight elsewhere. The 4th actually is pretty sleepy, probably due to the fine Canadian marijuana they smuggle across the border; the 5th tries to distance itself from its errant sibling, pointing to the impressive new Warpstation Delta as evidence of their commitment to the Green cause.

The Core refers to the heart of the Green Movement, where General Chimera led her mercenary band after leaving Africa in 2044. They set up a training camp at Stevens Pass (which is now a weird sort of 'monument'), and spread over time from there. The 6th, 7th and 8th Battalions are located here, and this is where most of the Cobras do their work. The Core gets it from both sides, hammered by the Army's III Corps (based near Seattle) from the West, by mixed Army and Directive, American Division forces (based near Yakima) from the East.

The 6th Battalion is almost ceremonial, largely protecting General Chimera and her staff. The fact that their bases are old and outdated doesn't help either; Warpstation Alpha, for example, is claustrophobic logistical nightmare, with poor ventilation and Intelligence officers forced to sleep in bunks crammed into curtained niches.

The 'Bloody 7th' is aptly named, probably having done more killing than any other battalion, since their bases straddle the 'Yellow Brick Road' (I-90), the artery through which so many US troops and supplies flow. Their reputation, however, is a little unsavory; horror stories of what they do to captured soldiers may or may not be exaggerated, but everyone's too afraid to ask.

The 'Crazy Eights', whose lands you're currently in, are known for their excellent recon skills - there's a bit of a friendly rivalry between Major Kendall's boys and girls and the local Scout population.

The South is where the brightest minds seem to gravitate - the Engineers, who think of Warpstation Bravo as being their unofficial home, are always coming up with new devices that the unfortunate personnel of the 9th and 10th Battalions get to test in the field.

The 9th, under Major Schwab, is something of a 'hard luck' unit - closest to Yakima, they seem to have drawn a disproportionate amount of hostility and ordinance into their lives. The other Greens often tire of hearing pathetic 'Schwab stories', even though conditions there are truly quite grim. Last year Warpstation Charlie, once their pride and joy, was mercilessly pounded by a barrage of missiles, bombs and artillery fire, and then ultimately atomized by an OMEN skystrike that leveled Tieton Peak. The resulting wasteland, known among the troops as the 'Charlie Badlands', has a dark reputation that borders on the mythological.

Things are far more cheerful in the 10th, the southern-most battalion. The boys and girls at WS Bravo serve all of Greendom south of I-90 with a smile, and apparently the mood is contagious; troops from the 10th have volunteered to serve all over, even warping as far away as Colville to bring food, medical supplies or just a helping hand whenever it's needed. They may not be the most battle-hardened unit, but folks are always happy to see them.

Note:

The Scouts and Cobras have their own unit designations (1st thru 5th Scout Battalions, 1st thru 3rd Cobras) but the Infantry Battalions are the building blocks around which the Greens are built.

Each Scout battalion is spread over 2 Infantry battalions (1st Scouts works with 1st and 2nd Infantry, etc., with one Scout for each Infantry platoon), with a six person recon/infiltration unit assigned to each Battalion HQ.

The Cobras are built around packs of 5-man strike teams based at the three warpstations for rapid deployment (1st at Alpha, 2nd at Bravo. 3rd at Delta), with one solo Cobra attached to each Infantry Company (three companies to one battalion).

←

[Heritage]

War Journal Glossary

AOR - Area of Responsibility. The four hundred square miles surrounding a Green base that its personnel are theoretically entrusted with patrolling and protecting

The Apostle's Children - a faction of the Cult of Mal that follows the teachings of Marcel Delorimier in his absence. Mostly active in Europe

Badger - a Rover specifically designed to find and tunnel into underground bunkers. See Rover

BB gun - M-11 railgun

Betty Boop - from 'BB gun'. An Infantry railgunner

Black Beret - a Scout

Blackhat - an EMD trooper

Blank or Blanks - Short for 'Casablancas'. The only faction of the Teragen the Greens are on good terms with; the Blanks often provide valuable information on the armed forces or the DAD, for a price

BON - Baseline over Nova

Bon-bon - a baseline officer

The Blight - region of central US devastated by the Wycoff Detonation of 2054. See Wycoff Detonation

Blockhead - a Cobra

Blue or Blues - a member of the Free World Army. See Free World Army

Blueback - a Blue

Brick - a Cobra

Brownie - a female Scout

BS - derogatory slang for Transport and Supply. See Transport and Supply

Bulldog - MG 5000 ultra-heavy machinegun

Chim-tastic - hopelessly naïve, after the impression that General Chimera is out-of- touch. See Happyland

Cobra - a member of Special Operations, a novas-only branch of the Greens that specializes in fast, brutal assaults

Cohab - short for 'cohabitationist'. A nova or baseline that believes the world can be shared by both varieties of humans. In theory, all Greens are cohabs

Colville - the far northeastern corner of 'Greenland', occupied by 1st, 2nd and 3rd Infantry, known for its fierce battles between Greens and Blues. Most Scouts are trained here

Cool suit - a Thermopaq suit. See Thermopaq

The Core - central area of 'Greenland', occupied by 6th, 7th and 8th Infantry. The birthplace of the Green movement and home to the Inner Circle, 'the Core' is known for prolonged engagements with US and DAD forces

Crunchy - Cobra slang for baseline Infantry personnel

Cub Scout or Cubbie - a male Scout

D-Squad - short for 'Doover Squad'. A small group of SOC rejects that engage in 'suicide missions'. See Doover

DAD - the Directive, American Division. A division of the US intelligence community, the DAD is an espionage and police agency dedicated to 'neutralizing the Aberrant threat'

Daddy, Daddy's Boys or DBs - derogatory form of above

The Dead Zone - the large area of the Blight in which no crops or plant life can survive

Deadhead - a D-Squad member

DeathSat - short for 'death satellite'. An OMEN orbital weapons platform. See OMEN

Demo - an Engineer who specializes in demolitions

Doover - from 'do over'. Derogatory term for a trainee who failed his first attempt at the SOC. In six months, he can make one final attempt. See SOC

Dorm down - to internalize and shut down one's quantum signature, thus appearing as a normal baseline human. See Quantum

Dregs - derogatory slang for the Regular Army

Dub-S - warpstation. Spoken form of 'WS', though increasingly being written

EMD - Emergency Management District. One of the eight administrative districts that the US was divided into following the Omaha Declaration of martial law

Engineers - division of the Regular Army focused on technology, facility maintenance and demolitions.

The Five-oh-four - the SOC, during which trainees must be awake for three weeks, or five hundred and four hours. See SOC

Fletcher - M-47 Flechette rifle

Free World Army - a radical Michaelite survivalist movement, active in Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the northern Rocky Mountain States. See Michaelite

FWA - the Free World Army

Fweeks - derogatory term for member of above

Gearhead - an Engineer

General Ballard - the immensely powerful but soft-spoken leader of the Cobras. Co-founder of the original Green Machine mercenary company back in the Teens

General Chimera - the charismatic leader of the Regular Army. Was responsible for turning the Green machine into the Green Movement

General Hackney - the acerbic and volatile leader of the Scouts. Co-founder of the original Green Machine mercenary company back in the Teens

Gray or Grays - a DAD field agent

Grease Monkey - an Engineer

Green or Greens - a member of the Green Movement, a paramilitary cohabitationist group based mostly in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State

Greendom - the entirety of the Green Movement, or the geographical area it covers

Greenland - variant of above

Green Machine - Green armed forces. Also the refers to the mercenary company that later developed into the Green Movement

Grunt - Infantry personnel

Gumby - lightweight collapsible recumbent bicycles used by Intel and X-Ped teams to move rapidly yet undetected. See X-Ped

Happyland - General Chimera and her Inner Circle, believed by many Greens to be out of touch with the harsh reality of conditions in the field

Hellfest - the final three days of the SOC, when trainees cannot rest or eat for seventy-two hours, while undergoing constant physical assault. See SOC

Hob - short for 'Hobgoblin'. A small SI or TP operated combat jet used by the US Air Force. See SI and TP

Hole - short for 'Hobbit hole'. An underground Green base, linked to the surface by tunnels and to other 'holes' by t-ports. See T-port

The Hot Zone - the smaller central area of the Blight, largely confined to the state of Nebraska, that is still intensely radioactive following the Wycoff Detonation of 2054. See Wycoff Detonation

Infantry - the largest division of the Regular Army, focused on short-range and close combat with the enemy

The Inner Circle - the leaders of the military operations of the Green Movement, and de facto leaders of the group as a whole. Consists of three nova generals and seven baseline colonels

Intelligence - division of the Regular Army focused on gathering and interpreting data about the enemy and surrounding territory

Joe or Joey - from 'GI Joe'. A US soldier

Junior or Juniors - derogatory term for the Scouts

The Kabal - a faction of the Cult of Mal that follows David 'Clarion' Hefflender. Mostly active in the American Southeast

KT - from 'Kiss and tell'. A mine or other explosive device attached to a quantum detection sensor that broadcasts its position just prior to detonation. See Quantum

Mad Max - an attack on a US supply convoy

Med Corps - Medical Corps, a division of the Regular Army in charge of health and recovery

Med-corpse - derogatory slang for above

Michaelite - a follower of the Church of Michael Archangel, which maintains that all novas are servants or creations of Satan

Mount Doom - humorous term for the Scouts' secret headquarters somewhere in the Colville area; rumored to house the world's largest dry cleaners

MOX or mox - short for 'moxinoquantamine'. Synthetic drug used to limit or dampen quantum powers. Often used by US armed forces or the DAD in the form of a purple gas. Mox is instantly fatal to baselines

Mule - a Transport and Supply clerk, from the pack mule division logo

The Network - the various interconnected bases, warpstations and training facilities that make up the physical basis of the Green Machine. This does not include sympathetic towns or camps

No-neck - a Cobra

NOB - Nova over Baseline

Nob - a nova officer

(to be) Nobbed - a baseline soldier being passed up for promotion in favor of a theoretically less qualified nova soldier

The North - northernmost area of 'Greenland', occupied by 4th and 5th Infantry, known for its relatively light amount of combat. The North is where most Greens go through basic training

NSR - from 'Never send a robot to do a man's job'. A derogatory reference to the US armed forces' reluctance to commit human troops to the Aberrant War

OMEN - short for 'Orbital Military Network'. The US-launched network of monitoring satellites and orbital weapons platforms

One True Cult - a faction of the Cult of Mal that follows the teachings of Jeremiah Scripture in his absence. Mostly active in the American Northeast

OTC - short for above

P&P - short for 'Path and Port'. Immediate evacuation by warp, based on Path radio coordinates. See Warp

Path radio or Path - short for 'telepathic radio'. Special bio-mechanical devices bred by the Engineers to allow for untraceable long distance communication

PNC - Pre-Nova Content. The only kind of media that can be legally broadcast in the US, other than news or propaganda. Since all of this material dates back to the 20th Century, it seems hopelessly dated, so PNC is also used to mean 'lame'

Purple Haze - an MOX gas grenade. See MOX

R/I team - Recon/Infiltration team. Six man Scout units assigned to each battalion HQ that specialize in close contact or behind enemy line missions

RA - Regular Army. Very rarely, Registered Aberrant

Reg or Regs - a member of the Regular Army

Registered Aberrant - a nova who has consented to be registered and conscripted by the US government for military or intelligence duties in exchange for guaranteed safety from persecution

Regular Army - the largest branch of the 'Green Machine', consisting of five divisions: Engineers, Infantry, Intelligence, Med Corps and Transport and Supply

Rover - short for 'Remote Operated Attack Vehicle'. A TP or SI controlled combat robot

The Rubble - the ruins of downtown Seattle. Off-limits to non-military personnel, and a haven for Aberrant squatters

Scout or Scouts - the branch of the 'Green Machine' that specializes in trailblazing, infiltration and covert activities

Screamer - DAD Sonic Weapon

SI - short for 'sufficient intelligence'. The most advanced computers currently available, capable of massive computations and independent problem solving, but still far short of true artificial intelligence

Skystrike - any long-range attack launched from a satellite or orbital weapons platform

'Snake Eyes!' - battle cry of the Cobras

SOC - Special Operations Course. The brutal three week training course Infantry sergeants must pass to make it into the Cobras

The South - southernmost area of 'Greenland', occupied by 9th and 10th Infantry. Known for technical and tactical experimentation

Spook - an Intelligence officer

Supertranq - an extremely powerful tranquilizer used by the DAD to incapacitate novas. Supertranq is lethal to baselines

T&S - common abbreviation of Transport and Supply

T-port - short for 'teleport'. Any of several mass/energy transport units distributed throughout the Green network, used to transport personnel and/or equipment. T-ports require large amounts of energy to operate, and can only send mass a relatively short distance to another t-port.

Tac-suit - DAD tactical powersuit weapon system, used to engage novas directly

Tatter-tot - an FWA soldier, since many of them come from Idaho

Thermopaq - brand name for a special thermally opaque fabric used to avoid infrared detection. Also short for 'Thermopaq suit'

Tink - short for 'Tinker-Bell'. A Bell & Howell Long Range Surveillance Drone

Tommy - short for 'Uncle Tom'. A Registered Aberrant

'Tough Shit' - Transport and Supply, from what non-TS personnel say the letters actually stand for

TP - short for 'telepresence'. A control system that relays multisensual information to the controller, and allows for very precise, accurate maneuvers

Transport and Supply - division of the Regular Army focused on obtaining, storing and distributing supplies and vehicles

TS - common abbreviation of Transport and Supply

'The War' - the ongoing crisis between novas and baselines over the fate of the Earth and its inhabitants.

Warp - quantum-based long-range teleportation achieved by tearing a hole in the space/time continuum. Warping can only be done by novas or nova-made technology

The Warplift - Policy of sending warpteams to struggling Blight communities with food, medicine and supplies

Warpstation - one of three large underground facilities used by the Greens to assemble and transport forces throughout the Pacific Northwest

Warpteam - a group of Green personnel mustered at a warpstation for deployment into the field

WS - warpstation. Pronounced 'dub ess', since 'double u ess' takes too long to say

Wycoff Detonation - the catastrophic self-destruction of nova Calvert Wycoff after the FBI attempted to raid his small religious compound in Hastings, Nebraska in 2054. The resulting waves of force spread over several states, destroying property and somehow poisoning the soil of the American Breadbasket. The resulting devastation is referred to as 'the Blight'. See 'Blight', 'Dead Zone' and 'Hot Zone'.

X-Ped - the Expeditionary Forces. Small mixed Green units that engage in extended missions far in the field with little or no outside support

The Yellow Brick Road - Interstate 90, specifically the 200 km stretch between Seattle and Yakima, Washington used for moving troops, supplies and vehicles across the Cascades

Zero - from Enlisted Rank 0. Derogatory term for raw Green recruits, used by drill instructors during training

Zip - derogatory slang for a baseline

Zipgun - M-11 railgun

[Heritage]

The new rank system.

[Heritage]

The Regular Army

('RA', 'Regulars', 'Regs', 'Dregs')

The Regular Army is the largest of the three branches, and is divided into five sub-divisions: Engineers, Infantry, Intelligence, Medical Corps, and Transport and Supply. The Regs pride themselves on their flexibility - in a pinch, they can be almost as sneaky as a Scout, or pack a punch as hard as a Cobra. The Regs have the largest proportion of baselines of any of the branches, about 3 to 1, so there is often a strong desire to prove oneself next to your nova buddy or a loudmouth no-neck. Most of the Reg novas are officers, but many are specialists, especially in the Engineers, Intelligence and TS divisions.

There is a 'can-do' attitude among the Regs, who see themselves as the glue that holds the Greens together - if you need something or someone fixed, delivered or removed, call a Reg. Some baselines grumble about being stuck with the 'dirty work', but most enjoy being perceived as resourceful jacks-of-all-trades. Unfortunately the troops must often make do with meager amounts of ammo and rations - for example, Infantry are issued only three fifteen-round clips for their G1s, and are expected to procure additional clips by barter, purchase or off their fallen comrades. On the other hand, they're still expected to hump a lot of extraneous gear that they'd rather do without - 'too much and too little' is a frequent complaint.

Cobras and Scouts often use the term 'Reg' to mean any grunt in combat, but the Regs are actually extremely diverse in both attitude and function:

Engineers ('Grease Monkeys', 'Gearheads', 'Demos')

Insignia: Crossed shovel and pickax

The eighty men and women of the Green Engineers are in charge of doing three things: building things, fixing things, and blowing things up, and they appear to enjoy doing all three equally. All the Greens' underground bases were excavated by Engineers, all the t-port stations were built by the Engineers, and the ingenious (and somewhat creepy) Path radios were devised by Engineers, so in a very real sense there wouldn't even be a Green Machine without them.

And what thanks do they get? "Hey gearhead, the coffee machine's broken - how 'bout you get off yer ass and fix it?" Engineers and TS personnel frequently commiserate over their shared lack of status, and the two groups couldn't be any tighter.

There is some degree of specialization within the Engineers, but not enough to warrant the creation of sub-divisions. Every base, no matter how small, has at least one Engineer assigned to it, and they are expected to maintain power plants and atmospheric controls, repair weapons and communications gear, and be able to assemble or deactivate a wide variety of explosive devices. They are also expected to supervise construction programs and sabotage operations with equal facility.

Obviously, they don't have a lot of free time, but somehow most Engineers find time to indulge in dangerous side-projects and bizarre hobbies, like breeding explosive gerbils or assembling flame-throwers out of soup cans. This is another good reason to keep your resident Engineer busy.

Nova Engineers are typically unusually bright, intimate with machinery or have some control over matter or natural forces (perfect for burrowing into the earth's crust). Again, if idle hands are the Devil's playthings, than idle Engineers are just plain scary.

Infantry ('Grunts', 'Crunchies')

Insignia: Crossed rifles

With eight hundred and ninety active personnel, Infantry is by far the largest division of all the Greens, and is also almost entirely baseline, primarily because novas are encouraged to either specialize within the Regs or invited to join the Cobras or Scouts, depending on their powers. This disparity has been noticed, and there are many baseline grunts who feel they are being stuck in the front lines to fight 'their war', meaning of course the novas, who some rather unenlightened souls maintain started it. And while this last point could be the subject of considerable debate, there might be some truth to baseline claims of nova favoritism, for almost 90% of novas in the Infantry are officers, though this is still only a small portion of the Infantry command structure. The remaining novas are either staying with the Infantry to make a statement about nova-baseline equality or are desperately hoping to make it into the Cobras.

This policy of putting nova officers in charge of baseline troops is often referred to as 'Novas Over Baselines', a policy which some think is endemic to the Greens' attitude as a whole. This term has also given rise to the term 'nob' to describe a nova officer, a term that has proven so popular that it has been adopted by all branches of service, no doubt because it evokes images of the male anatomy. 'I've been nobbed' is a popular term used by baseline personnel who were passed up for promotion in favor of a nova candidate.

Infantry is divided into ten battalions; each battalion is further divided into three companies, led by a captain and his first sergeant and divided into two platoons. Each platoon has a lieutenant who, aided by a corporal, oversees two five-man squads, each led by its own sergeant. Each company has one Cobra on call, and both platoons each have a support staff consisting of a Medic, Scout and Engineer.

Intelligence ('Spooks')

Insignia: Compass rose

No one likes the spooks - no one. For starters, several of the fifty intelligence officers are ex-Directive, which to most Greens is like saying they're Satanists or baby killers. The spooks are also in frequent contact with the Blanks, the mercenary Teragen faction, which the baselines don't like because they're Teragen, and the novas don't like because they never work for free. Plus the Blanks are just plain creepy as hell - kind of like the spooks, actually.

Each Infantry company has one Intel officer, which does little to inspire confidence among the troops. The good news is that few Greens ever have to deal directly with the spooks - they tend to keep to themselves at bases and warpstations, and when they're in the field they're invisible, sometimes literally. No one outside of Intelligence really knows what their up to, and frankly no one cares.

Of course Intelligence is a vital part of the Green Machine - they take data culled from a variety of sources, assemble it into coherent form, and pass it on to the Inner Circle for evaluation. Intel agents often work closely with Scouts in the field on particularly sneaky operations, making them the closest thing to an ally that the spooks possess.

Novas in Intelligence are often scarily smart, preternaturally sneaky, or a frightening combination of the two.

Medical Corps ('Med Corps', 'Med-corpse', 'Docs', 'Medics')

Insignia: White cross

As fighting forces go, the Green Machine is not large, but their enemies are many and well equipped. If it weren't for the eighty men and women of Med Corps, the fight would have been over long ago. Perpetually low on supplies and manpower, the medics must battle exhaustion and stress while they struggle to keep men and women alive. The few nova healers in Med Corps are in especially high demand, getting little sleep and fewer breaks as they save the unsaveable time and again.

Med Corps trains troops in basic field medicine, supervises a growing number of baseline volunteer nurses, and offers a more advanced medical course for Scouts and Intelligence officers who must often work alone in hostile areas. The Corps also works closely with TS to acquire and distribute medical supplies throughout the Green network.

Each Infantry platoon has it's own field medic, with the remaining twenty senior medics based at one of the three warpstations. Most of them never leave the trauma wards, but a few are on call to be warped or ported where they're needed at a moment's notice. Medics also go on warplift missions or to sympathetic mountain towns to ease suffering and show a positive public face.

Transport and Supply ('TS', 'T&S', 'BS', 'Mules', 'Pack Rats')

Insignia: Pack mule

All TS personnel are based at one of the three active warpstations (Alpha, Bravo and Delta), and these fifty Greens rarely leave their respective installations. They are given the daunting task of maintaining up-to-date records of the current location of every man and woman, every bullet and biscuit, within the Green infrastructure. In addition, they are responsible for sending these resources wherever they are needed in the shortest time possible, an almost Herculean task for which they rarely receive proper credit. All vehicles are serviced by TS mechanics, and along with the Engineers, they maintain the vital t-port network that holds the entire Green Machine together.

Many Greens outside the unit think of TS personnel as being little more than clerks and pencil pushers, but this is a serious mistake. The next time you need some extra ammo before going out into a hot LZ, remember to treat the TS clerk with the proper respect; he might slip you an extra clip or grenade, or shave a few punches of the cost. But rude behaviour or impatience can lead to sudden 'memory loss', misplaced requests or bum ammo; there's a reason that the TS symbol is a pack mule, after all. Inconsiderate grunts and Cobras are the ones who say TS stands for "Tough Shit", because that’s what the clerks tell them when they bitch. And let is also be said that TS scrounger teams must frequently put their lives at risk by going out into the field in search of weapons, ammo and medical supplies, often raiding heavily-fortified Army bases to do so.

Nova specialists within their ranks include a few teleporters (necessary in case of t-port failure), high-Qs with enhanced memories or computational abilities, and the warpers, the handful of men and women who send the warp teams out into the harsh world. Warpers are the one group of TS personnel who are universally respected and treated as equals by combat troops, much like chopper pilots in other armies.

[Heritage]

The Scouts

('Juniors', 'Brownies', 'Cub Scouts', 'Black Berets')

The Scouts are the youngest of the three branches, and the other two are quick to remind them of their 'juvenile' status. They were originally the 'Green Watch', a training level of service for new recruits who were in charge of basic base security, but General Hackney saw their potential to be much more, and he shaped them into an elite recon/infiltration unit. One hundred and fifty strong, the Scouts are exceptional trackers and observers trained to quietly disappear into their environment, be it the backwoods or populated areas. The ratio of baselines to novas is about fifty-fifty, which is how the Scouts like it.

Unlike Cobras, Scouts never go through Infantry training; instead, they are trained in the field individually by a Master Scout. Many see themselves as inheritors of the Native American tradition of stealth and natural harmony, which can get a little irritating after a while, especially to the actual Yakima and Colville Indians who joined the Scouts. Scout combat training centers around two primary weapons: the silenced pistol and the knife, which are used to engage the enemy individually and quietly eliminate them one by one. They are also extensively trained in advanced medical and survival techniques, unarmed combat, improvised weapons and setting traps. As few Scouts are expected to be front-line combatants, they receive fairly cursory training in the use of the flechette rifle, the only assault weapon in their arsenal; having to use the fletcher is a last resort, and is seen as something of an embarrassment.

Scouts get minimal gear, but they don't grumble - 'a knife, a pistol and a good pair of boots' is one of their mottoes. The standard Scout uniform is beret, jumpsuit, greatcoat, leather boots and gloves, most commonly all black, but also available in urban gray and winter white. For extended operations in the field, Scouts use a bewildering variety of native camouflages to disappear into the surrounding terrain, and in populated areas, they are skilled at adopting local dress and customs to blend in with the crowd.

Scouts specialize in small team and solo operations, and thus are expected to act independently for long periods of time; this sort of life attracts a large number of 'lone wolf' types, which can be a problem from time to time. For instance, every Infantry platoon is assigned one Scout who is expected to take orders from an Infantry officer, which has been known to cause occasional friction, but the benefits of this system far outweigh any negatives.

Some find the Scouts to be somewhat aloof, unwilling to dirty their hands with 'grunt work', but they usually work well enough with Regular forces, especially Intelligence officers. However, the bad blood between Scouts and Cobras goes way back to a botched operation both blame the other team for, though neither side can remember the details. To a Scout, the Cobras are loud, coarse, stupid and rude, completely devoid of subtlety and gleeful wasters of precious supplies and ammunition. If the situation demands it, a temporary truce can be negotiated, but the partnership is guaranteed to be short-lived.

Scouts are all about the stealthy, and so their nova powers tend to reflect this, especially shapeshifting, invisibility or preternatural dexterity. Some of them also manifest nature-based powers, or are unusually resistant to the elements. And most importantly, all Scouts must have at least basic mastery of dormancy, the ability to withdraw their quantum energies into themselves, in order to pass for baseline if necessary.

[BlueNinja]

assembling flame-throwers out of soup cans.

I can so do this, too! ::w00t I need a flamethrower icon.

[Heritage]

Special Operations: The Cobras

('Bricks', 'Blockheads', 'No-necks')

The oldest and smallest of the branches with only seventy-five personnel, the Cobras were initially formed from the 'old dogs' that founded the original mercenary company back in the Teens. Over time, the unit became 'novas only', with an emphasis on fast, hard-hitting assaults utilizing enhanced strength, durability and heavy weapons. There isn't much left standing after a squad of Cobras screaming "Snake Eyes!" has passed through.

All Cobras start out in the RA Infantry, where they complete basic training with the other grunts and grudgingly rise up the ladder until they reach a rank of E3 (corporal or specialist), after which they can attempt to pass the grueling Special Operations Course. If they fail, they may try one more time six months later. If they pass, they can apply for transfer into one of the three SO battalions, assuming there's a vacant position; they are then inducted into 'the Brotherhood of Heroes' with great ceremony, where they ritualistically shave their heads and burn their old RA uniform. This last bit annoys the Regular Army a great deal, but at this point they're not about to push it. Some Cobras allow their hair to grow back, but most prefer keeping their heads shorn as a badge of honor.

The standard issue weapon of the Cobras is the MG-5000; easily the most powerful machine gun designed to be carried into combat. The MG, usually referred to as the 'Bulldog', is not an easy weapon to handle: fully loaded, it weighs about 300 kilos, jerks about violently when fired, and the noise is deafening. Only a soldier with superhuman strength can pick one up, let alone hope to hit anything with it. Cobras consider any weapon smaller than their beloved Bulldog to be a 'popgun', and practically useless against the combined forces the Greens must face.

Cobras tend to be rather arrogant and cocky, and treat their Green baseline brothers with a mixture of amusement and disdain. They have a reputation for being loud and none too subtle, both in the field and back at base, and aren't usually known for their brains, though there are, of course, exceptions. It should also be pointed out that Cobras are almost ridiculously brave, willing to go one-on-one with tanks, gunships and tactical powersuits, and more often then not they limp away victorious. True, everyone within four counties will have heard the fight, but if they have any sense they will relocate quickly to some safer continent.

When it comes to working with the other branches, most Cobras don't mind having to fight side-by-side with Infantry 'crunchies' from time to time, and the rest of the Reg divisions all have their uses. However, woe to the officer who meekly suggests a Cobra-Scout shared operation: these two branches could not hate each other more. Cobras see Scouts as weasely little über-pussies that think their shit don't stink, and the very idea of preferring to use pistols in the field is so beyond stupid that it boggles their minds. And Cobras are also offended by the Scouts use of dormancy to pass for baseline - this is directly counter to their belief in 'Abbie pride'. Of course, a few Cobras probably do know how to dampen their quantum, but would never admit it to their fellow bricks.

While their rivals the Scouts pride themselves on making do with less, Cobras seem to wallow in excess - there just isn't enough food, booze and ammo in the world to satisfy them. Much to the annoyance of the other two branches, they seem to have no trouble procuring as much ammunition and supplies as they want, especially 'carbo rations', five pound hunks of fortified beef and vegetable protein that the troops call 'shit bricks'. You need enhanced strength just to chew carbo rations, and the super-dense protein slabs have been used as thrown weapons more than once.

[Heritage]

Resolution 4287 (2049)
of 23 March 2049

The Security Council,

Expressing its continuing concern with the grave situation throughout the world,

Emphasizing the need to work for a just and lasting peace in which every State can live in security,

Emphasizing further that aberrant novas pose a real and continuing threat to both the human populations and governmental bodies of all Member States,

1. Affirms that the fulfillment of Charter principles requires the establishment of a just and lasting peace throughout the world which should include the application of the following principles:

(i) Detainment and registration of all aberrant novas within the borders of all Member States, by whatever means necessary;

(ii) Respect for and acknowledgment of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of every State and their right to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force;

2. Affirms further the necessity

(a) For guaranteeing freedom of thought and freedom of action in all Member States;

( For achieving a just settlement of the refugee problem in Sub-Saharan Africa;

(c ) For guaranteeing the territorial inviolability and political independence of every Member State, through whatever measures deemed necessary, including the establishment of further Aberrant Conflict Zones;

3. Requests the Secretary-General to designate a Special Representative to establish and maintain contacts with all Member States in order to promote agreement and assist efforts to achieve a peaceful and accepted settlement in accordance with the provisions and principles in this resolution;

4. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the Security Council on the progress of the efforts of the Special Representative as soon as possible.

Adopted unanimously at the 8463rd meeting.

[Heritage]

Forms of Identification

Resident's Card - These replace driver's license and state IDs. They are color-coded to the appropriate Emergency Management District, and list name, address, blood type, physical data (height, weight, hair and eye color) and a scanable DNA strip that looks something like bar code. Random blood tests are often done to ferret out novas in their various guises. If the bearer is a licensed driver, all appropriate info will also be present.

Inter-District Transit Permit (IDT card or 'travel permit') - Anyone who wishes to travel outside his or her own District needs to apply for one of these photo IDs. They are very hard to obtain, unless you are a corporate bigwig or work for the government. A computer chip, hologram and various other design features make them very difficult to forge, though it can be done.

Work Permit - If you are not working for the government or carrying military ID, you need to carry your work permit with you at all times. This is a simple plastic card with a magnetic strip that stores the bearer's name and current address, employer's name and address, and verifies that you are a current employee in good standing. Police rarely ask to see these, but not carrying one is a misdemeanor.

Selective Service Registration (Draft Card) - All able-bodied men between the ages of 18 and 35 not currently in military service need to carry this cheap plastic card at all times; draft dodging is a federal offense, and will get you put away for a long time.

Fuel Card - If you own a vehicle, this is the only way to recharge your fuel cell or buy a new one. Remember that it is illegal to own or operate an internal combustion or MHD powered vehicle, as gasoline is for government and military vehicles only. Credits can be put on fuel cards either by an employer or EMD officer, usually transferred from a wage card. Lost or stolen fuel cards must be immediately reported to the nearest EMD office. Fuel cards must bear the local EMD sticker.

Ration Card - The only legal way to purchase food, though barter is used secretly in urban areas and openly in rural areas. Cards are cheap plastic with a magnetic strip, and color-coded for each month, and arrive either by mail or can be picked up at the local EMD office. Ration cards can only be used at businesses displaying the distinctive red, white and blue US Market logo - food availability can very greatly, as can price, quality and packaging. Items like krill cakes and small, self-heating dinners are delivered by the truckload, but sugar, salt, coffee and chocolate are always in demand. Ration cards must bear the local EMD sticker.

Wage Card - All legitimate employers put earned wages on to these durable plastic cards, which contain small microchips for storing financial and transaction data. Wage cards are used to buy all non-perishable goods and services. Records are kept in case of lost or stolen cards - the local EMD office should be able to replace any lost or stolen wage card in about an hour after verifying hours worked and hourly wage with the IRS database. Stolen cards must be immediately reported to the nearest EMD office, so that the perpetrator(s) can be brought to swift justice. Wage cards must bear the local EMD sticker.

Military Identification Card (MID) - A military ID opens almost all doors; these durable plastic photo IDs contain complex circuitry chock full of the bearer's physical and personal data (including DNA records), military record and current posting. They also act as an all-around payment card, useable at a base PX, fuel station, US Market or retail center, with all funds drawn off the bearer's military pay account. There is also an imbedded tracking device that can be activated through any military or police card scanner, or remotely by a special device as long as the card is within three meters. They are almost impossible to forge, though a skilled technician can modify a stolen one.

- - - -

When a police officer or MP asks to 'see some ID', he mostly wants to see your resident's card and (if you're male) draft card, and sometimes a work permit if he's a real stickler. Only if one of these seems suspicious will other cards be examined. Anyone attempting to cross District lines will have to show a travel permit; all roads that cross between Districts have checkpoints, as do all airports, train stations and bus terminals. Travel on US Interstate Highways is illegal; the interstates are reserved for military or government traffic. Any commercial vehicles transporting goods on an interstate must have a military escort to guard against Aberrant or extremist attacks, and to make sure the vehicle doesn't enter any restricted or secured areas. The driver must also bear a stamped work order for the delivery, with clearly marked pick-up and delivery addresses, appropriate work permit and IDT card if crossing District lines.

Anyone found farther than fifty miles away from their place of residence without the appropriate work permit will be questioned - a reasonable answer without visible signs of nervousness will probably get you left alone. If you must bribe, contraband A/V chips with Nova Content are the best way to go, but be very careful - a pissed-off MP now has probable cause!

[Heritage]

The Cult of Alejandra

In 2056, few people remember that at one time, Alejandra Maria Magdalena Carranza was merely an extremely talented and popular performer; in the war years, she is always a symbol of one kind or another. To the faithful, she is seen as the herald of a new Golden Age, an incarnate angel who will end all the bloodshed and heal the world's wounds with but a softly spoken word. To the fanatics, she is a bloody redeemer whose righteous anger will shatter mountains and bring the mighty low. To those in power, she's a lethal siren who shall bring whole nations under her sway. But for whatever reason, just about everyone is looking for Alejandra.

For the Greens, the quest for Alejandra is far more pragmatic - long ago, General Chimera and Alejandra were on friendly terms, and the General hopes to bring her into the Green camp to inspire her warriors and draw more to the Green and White. Alejandra was always known to be a woman of peace, and Chimera definitely does want peace; she just wants to make sure that Greens come out on top, not as rulers of the world, but as key players in the world's rebuilding.

So where is Alejandra? It's a matter of public record that she retired from public life twenty years ago to take a firmer hand in running her charitable foundation. At that time she was still recording, and her music became increasingly personal and spiritual. After the inadvertent destruction of Mexico City by Feathered Serpent in 2043, she made her last recording, Navidad, which was never publicly released, though numerous unfinished versions made it onto the OpNet, where they have been exchanged and discussed ever since. Alejandra had intended to finish out her contract with New River Records with a simple Christmas album, but after the '43 quake, the project took on a far darker tone, a mournful requiem to the dead wrapped in songs that celebrated family and new life. New River canceled all plans to release Navidad after several members of the focus group had to be hospitalized for suicidal depression; to this day, it is not an album that one should listen to alone.

In many ways the cult of Alejandra really begins with this last unreleased album; true, there had been many obsessive fans before who had analyzed even her most innocuous songs like "The Sound of My Heart" and "Testing Testing", but with the arrival of Navidad suddenly everyone was looking for deeper meanings. Shortly after recording this final album, Alejandra simply disappeared, along with her entourage, leaving her Cancun estate dark and shuttered. A near riot began in town when word got out, and crazed fans rushed the compound gates, looting it and starting a fire that gutted the structure and spread to several nearby homes.

Now she is known to the devout as La Madonna de la Voce, the "Mother of the Voice" - many followers have taken to having the initials 'MDLV' tattooed on their right arm or over their hearts. Her ruined estate in Cancun is a place of pilgrimage, the whitewashed outside walls covered with colorful paintings detailing key moments from her life. No one dares to enter the compound itself, which is structurally unsound and rumored to be haunted, possibly by La Madonna herself. There are numerous shrines around the walls, where offerings are made and candles and incense kept burning.

No one is currently sure if Alejandra is alive or dead; some feel she has retreated from Earth, going to heaven or the stars, while others say she wanders the world as a restless spirit, visiting blessings on those who know her and recognize her. And many feel she is waiting to be reborn in a new earthly vessel; every year, another self-declared 'avatar' appears, and worshipers flock to her, hoping to receive her healing touch. Some of these are sadly deluded novas, while others are ruthless impostors hoping to recruit a legion of gullible followers for a more sinister purpose.

A typical mural, based off the cover of her third album.

[Heritage]

X4 Storage Area Inventory

,,

1 Sony chip player with 13 A/V chips (various titles)

3 lightweight collapsible recumbent bikes (‘gumbies’), folded for storage

1 plastic tacklebox, filled with assorted pieces of cheap jewelry

40’ of sturdy nylon rope

1 hydrogen fuel cell

7 five gallon plastic containers of distilled water

3 cases of paper towels

2 small palmtop computers (2 generations old)

1 set of locksmith tools in small plastic briefcase

11 dental hygiene kits (toothbrush, floss, small tube of toothpaste)

1 anti-tank laser with 3 power packs

10 cases of toilet paper

2 pump-style 12 gauge shotguns

4 boxes of 12 gauge shells (10 shells per box)

2 mops with 6 replaceable mop heads

1 EMT-style defibrillator, packed in a carrying case

40 pounds of C-4

3 sewing/repair kits

3 hatchets

35 square feet of heavy duty plastic sheeting, currently rolled up and held by a bungee cord

12 cases of hand soap

12 aluminum broadhead arrows in Styrofoam case

6 short-range walkie-talkies

17 olive drab t-shirts, size XL

1 NiCad battery recharger

5 pairs of laser-protective goggles

5 Duraflame logs

19 bottles of dish soap

1 Muslim prayer rug, rolled

8 volumes from a set of home repair ‘how-to’ manuals in a cardboard box

6 gallons of glossy white latex paint

19 bottles of Jack Daniels in an orange plastic shipping crate

4 bicycle tire patch kits

1 .22 bolt-action hunting rifle w/ scope

8 boxes of .22 Long Rifle rounds (50 rounds per box)

1 outboard motor

12 cases of freeze-dried meals

4 firearm cleaning kits

3 high-impact plastic riot shields (‘SPD’)

19 CS grenades

38 clips of 9mm ammunition

80 gallons of Mop-N-Glo

(Griff would be pretty familiar with this list, I imagine.)

[Heritage]

X4 layout

The center of X4 is the command center (also known as C&C), which is basically a long octagon, 25' x 35', with the long axis going east to west, and seven doors leading away from it. All corridors in X4 are 5' wide and 8' tall, by the way, and all doorways have a metal door that is lockable by turning a central wheel, not unlike those found on a ship or submarine, but most of them are left open at all time.

Starting at dead center south is the corridor that leads to all the crew quarters; the first branch to the west leads to the privates and non-coms cubicles, which are basically eight 10 x 10 plastic-walled cubes squeezed into a 25' x 45' room. Four cubes to a side plus a small latrine, with the hallway down the middle leading to the 'A' tunnel. There are thirty-two small lockers in the short hall leading to the quarters, most of which are currently unused. The walls of the cubes are thin, and there is little real privacy.

The southern hallway then has two side branches, one to each side that lead to the officer's rooms, four to each side, and they're all 15 x 20. At the end of the hallway is the beginning of the 'B' tunnel.

Back at the C&C, the short western hallway leads to the supply room, which is usually kept locked by Kelso. Mostly, this is dangerous stuff: ammo, grenades, demo charges and a few heavy weapons locked in 'the cage'. There are also locked cabinets that hold normal stuff, like cleaning products, toilet paper and office supplies. BTW, there is a short hallway that connects the cubicle area with the supply room, but it is an emergency corridor, and opening the door at either end sets off an alarm.

To the left of the supply room door is the 'snack station', an honest-to-goodness vending machine salvaged from god knows where; it doesn't take any money anymore, but everyone has a passcode to punch in, and it won't let you take more than five items a day. it's stocked with chips, candy bars, fruit juice and mysterious sandwiches in triangular plastic boxes. These sandwiches are rumored to have mystical powers ::shocked

To the right of the supply room door is a sealed hatch - this leads to the base atmospheric controls (AKA 'atmo'), where water is brought up from the earth and purified, air quality is monitored, etc. Typically only Jubersky ever goes down this shaft, and no one else really knows what's down there....

The northwest hallway leads to the 'garden' - every base has one, at General Chimera's insistence. Its primary function is to provide fresh air to the underground base, but it also serves many other functions as well. The simulated sunlight is good for avoiding depression, the veggies grown there supplement the crew's diet, and gardening can be a relaxing diversion from the horrors of combat. X4's garden is 25 x 45, making it one of the three biggest rooms in the base; the floor is actually planted sod, there are planting boxes against all the walls, a small stone bench and a cute little fountain dead center. A long work table is where Epstein does any repotting or pruning, and in the far corner is the 'shed', a locked 10 x 10 room with all the gardening tools, fertilizer, etc. The garden is also referred to as the 'make-out room', though no one knows why ::wink

The northern wall of C&C has the door to the observation post or 'OP' mentioned earlier - another place for couples to hang out ::blush

The northeast hallway leads to the 'engine room', home to X4's hyperfusion reactor ::blink It's a little nuke, as such things go, but it works like a charm. Four large tanks here hold the base's water reserves, and there are also stills for making grain alcohol (for a variety of reasons) and Capt. Blacknell's stoutworks (pretty much just the one reason). Both are maintained by Jubersky, who actually lives in this room on a crude bunk. He has a cube, but he never uses it - he says he finds the reactor to be soothing ::blink There's also a fold-down workbench, where he does repair work and invents things ::lookaround The room is a narrow 15 x 40, running north.

The eastern corridor leads to the 25 x 40 break room, the spiritual heart of the base; in addition to the kitchen area and break table, there are also two ratty reclining chairs and a battered couch, three bookshelves jammed full of all variety of reading material (much of it contraband ::ninja), a dartsboard (brought over from an English pub by the oh-so-British Blacknell) and the game station, a widescreen plasma TV hooked up to a variety of computer game sites off the OpNet. Up to four can play at one time, and inter-base rivalries can get intense ::devil There's also a coffee station where coffee, tea and espresso can be made near the kitchen area. Doors from the break room lead to the gym and shower to the north, and the 'C' tunnel to the south.

The short southeast hall from C&C leads to the t-port, a 15 x 15 octagon lined with white no-slip tile; the t-port controls are on the left-hand wall.

The walls of the base are periodically dotted with Red Boxes, emergency warning units to put the base on alert; one flips open the protective flap and hits the button to trigger alarms and warning light throught the base.

A final note on communications in the base:

There are intercoms on nearly every wall - every room has a numeric code, even the sleeping cubes, and you just punch in the code to talk. There's also a button to broadcast from every com, one for the C&C, one for the engine room, and one for the break room, and all four are clearly marked on each intercom.

The 'Green Screen' is the Green's internal network, using pirated bandwidth from the OpNet, which is secured by Intel spooks, Engineers, and some Blanks-for-hire (the chatroom admin is actually a jovial Teragen member known as 'sinner' ::devil)

The 'Green Screen' is your connection to the outside world, providing news on the war, gossip, contraband novox tunes, TV shows and movies, official orders and all kinds of other cool stuff - it can be accessed from any of the monitors in C&C, put up on any of the wallscreens there, or accessed from anyone's quarters via a HUDset and small alpha-num pad, though voice activation is also preferred. Late night chats with other base personnel are therefore possible with at least some degree of privacy - just make sure to set your HUDset for 'chime' or 'vibrate' per your preference. Voicemail and e-mail are included.

And a word on the tunnels, courtesy of Daniels:

If you want to get some air, Sarge, we got three tunnels to the surface if you're in the mood for a little hike.

He points roughly due west, and slightly south.

The 'A' tunnel, which starts just past Sergeant Colby's cube-

He grins.

Runs about 2 1/2 miles and comes out near the Copper Creek trailhead leading back to Goose Prairie, one of our towns and the home of New 21, where the rest of Bravo Company's now stationed.

He jerks his thumb over his shoulder, due south back towards the officers' quarters.

The 'B' tunnel is about the same length and starts just past all of you guys' rooms. It comes out near the Hindoo Creek trailhead that would get you to Rimrock after a lot of switchbacks.

He indicates the break room to the east with a nod.

The 'C' tunnel is a little longer, closer to three miles. Starts at the break room, comes out near Lookout Creek; basically, just an escape tunnel.

Finally, Daniels juts his strong chin due north towards a heavy door marked 'Observation Post'.

If you're not in the mood for walking, you can take the lift chair up to the OP, which has a fantastic view of Mount Rainier to the west. The rides kind slow, 'cause it basically takes you up seven thousand feet, and even with the insulation it's cold as hell up there, but it's f@cking awesome, man!

He grins and winks.

Best place in the base to do a little quiet reading, Sarge - y'know, provided you dress real warm, or you bring someone up with you.

Each of the three tunnels has a mountain bike in it to allow a soldier to rapidly reach the end of the tunnel, normally used for casual recon missions. I couldn't find this in my notes (I'm so disorganized!), but I know they're there, as Grizz reminded me ::thumbup1

[Heritage]

X4 Storage Area Inventory (after 30 second raid)

1 plastic tacklebox, filled with assorted pieces of cheap jewelry

40’ of sturdy nylon rope

1 hydrogen fuel cell

7 five gallon plastic containers of distilled water

3 cases of paper towels

2 small palmtop computers (2 generations old)

6 dental hygiene kits (toothbrush, floss, small tube of toothpaste)

2 anti-tank laser power packs

10 cases of toilet paper, one opened

2 boxes of 12 gauge shells (10 shells per box)

2 mops with 6 replaceable mop heads

1 EMT-style defibrillator, packed in a carrying case

40 pounds of C-4

3 sewing/repair kits

2 hatchets

35 square feet of heavy duty plastic sheeting, currently rolled up and held by a bungee cord

12 cases of hand soap

6 short-range walkie-talkies

17 olive drab t-shirts, size XL

1 NiCad battery recharger

4 pairs of laser-protective goggles

5 Duraflame logs

19 bottles of dish soap

1 Muslim prayer rug, rolled

8 volumes from a set of home repair ‘how-to’ manuals in a cardboard box

6 gallons of glossy white latex paint

14 bottles of Jack Daniels in an orange plastic shipping crate

4 bicycle tire patch kits

6 boxes of .22 Long Rifle rounds (50 rounds per box)

1 outboard motor

11 cases of freeze-dried meals

4 firearm cleaning kits

3 high-impact plastic riot shields (‘SPD’)

9 CS grenades

20 clips of 9mm ammunition

80 gallons of Mop-N-Glo

Can you spot the missing items? ::wink

[Heritage]

Here's a map of 8th Battalion HQ - note added rooms along central horizontal corridor.

[Heritage]

Map of Bravo escape routes.

Zeke, I'll try and have that 8th Battalion HQ inventory up for you in the next 24 hours.

[Heritage]

War Journal Timeline

2008 - Popular T2M member Jennifer "Slider" Landers is murdered in Calcutta; former T2M member André Corbin flees her funeral, and is widely believed to be her murderer.

2009 - Accusations are made that Project Utopia is involved in government infiltration, black ops, and a secret nova sterilization program. PU denies all charges, accuses Teragen of creating a smear campaign. Randall "The Fireman" Portman narrowly elected President of the U.S.

2010s – Elite warfare in Sub-Saharan Africa gets increasingly violent; several nations effectively become puppet states ruled by their mercenary forces. Other hotspots in Asia and Latin America fare as bad if not worse.

2010 – Corbin turns himself in; his highly publicized trial ends in a surprise verdict of not guilty. However the trial leads to the public exposure of internal corruption within Project Utopia, namely Project Proteus, a secret division within Utopia that was responsible for numerous unethical activities, including the probable murder of “Slider.” Proteus is disbanded, but several of its leaders go into hiding.

2011-2016 - Ongoing UN investigation of Utopia's operations and its use of donated funds lead to the organization being forced to forgo its non-for-profit status, and to sell off many of its holdings, which become publicly traded corporations. Apparent hoarding of illegal nova technology by Utopia's S&T division leads to the creation of the United Nations Technology Regulation Authority (UNTRA), which assumes Utopia's duties. Utopia's Peacekeeping division is absorbed into the UN. The Aeon Society, seeking to distance itself from its errant child, withdraws all funding from Project Utopia, and continues its own philanthropic agenda.

2013 – A clash between known Teragen members and several baselines in the Bay Area quickly flares into the now-infamous San Francisco Riots. After three days of violence and looting, National Guard units and T2M finally bring peace to the streets. 87 people are killed and hundreds more injured – property damage is estimated to be in excess of $145 million.

2015 - A battle between T2M and several Teragen members at the infamous Amp Room leaves much of Ibiza Town leveled - public opinion of T2M reaches an all-time low.

2016 - Crippled by the loss of so many of its sources of revenue, Utopia is forced to reorganize as a for-profit consulting firm, renamed Nova Solutions International, Inc. The various T2M units are now contracted out to various governments and corporations. With the "death" of Project Utopia, Teragen membership swells.

2020s – Rumored internal struggles within the Teragen leads to several nova and baseline deaths, including founding member Count Orzaiz. Cult of Mal gains popularity. Allegations of drug trafficking and fraud lead to the downfall of the XWF and the banning of nova “shootfighting” - former XWF fighters turn to Bollywood, which soon saturates the vid market with poorly-conceived, hyperviolent "shootfilms”. The audience soon tires of these derivative stories, and clamors for a return to “human cinema”.

2022 - Dr. Soguk Birlesme invents viable hyper-fusion - initially, the new technology is too expensive to be used by anyone outside of national governments, and development focuses on space exploration.

2024 - NASA unveils a versatile, fusion-powered orbital craft – within three years, China has success with a similar design. The US accuses China of industrial espionage, but no definitive proof is ever uncovered.

2024 - 2032 - Various nations launch orbital defense satellites. By far, the most advanced is the United States' Orbital Military Network (OMEN) defense system. It is used increasingly to monitor and, when necessary, counteract intensifying nova activities.

2030s – Nova entertainers find it increasingly hard to get work – many are forced to turn to the dark corners of the OpNet, where an increased interest in quantum-powered pornography and deadly combat fills the coffers of the Heaven Thunder Triad and the Nakato Gumi. Michaelite communes begin to dot the American West and rural France in increasing numbers as anti-nova sentiment continues to grow. Meanwhile, humanity’s exploration of space continues as colonies bloom on alien soil.

2031 - The US establishes the Olympus Lunar base – by the end of the decade, England and the Russian Confederation follow suit with bases of their own.

2033 – Teragen member Anna DeVries declares herself “Warrior Queen” of Namibia; her son, an influential anti-nova politician in South Africa, denounces his mother’s actions. He rapidly rises through the ranks and eventually becomes vice president.

2036 – Alejandra, once the most popular entertainer in the world, retreats from public life to focus on her charitable foundation. Her fan club grows increasingly obsessive, with members being arrested for all sorts of fanatical behavior; many nations outlaw the club altogether, and possession of Alejandrabilia is frequently considered a misdemeanor.

2040s – Hostility toward novas continues to rise, as novas themselves become increasingly aggressive. The UN asks for the Directive’s help in dealing with ‘aberrant novas’; the Directive agrees, and is soon working with UN and military forces around the globe to ferret out "the Aberrant threat". NSI and the few remaining elite agencies work almost exclusively for governments or large corporations.

2041 – Roger Delacroix, the 52nd President of the United States, is assassinated by an Aberrant. VP Elspeth Yeager assumes the Presidency. The first Mars colony founded by China.

2042 – Caestus Pax, the last original member of T2M still on active duty, disappears during an assault on Teragen forces in Sub-Saharan Africa.

2043 – Invention of superconducting batteries revolutionizes portable electronics. Anna DeVries declares Namibia to be the first trans-human free state; the human population is forced to flee into neighboring countries, most of which are already harboring thousands of refugees. The UN sends aid and peacekeeping forces to the area, which along with Kashmir is declared an ‘Aberrant Conflict Zone’.

2044 – Renee ‘Chimera’ Mohamed, leader of the Green Machine mercenary company, establishes a headquarters in Washington state. A former T2M member, her public statements and charismatic personality attract young people to her ranks.

2045 - Aberrant genome is considered being used to make viruses, but the info is so outdated it is useless; Camelot goes online, three weeks later, the unfinished Yeltsingrad is claimed as finished.

2046 - The Aberrant group calling itself Allah's Legion seizes control of the African island Bahrain, occupying the former Project Utopia facility. The event reignites debate over increased UN intervention in Africa and other ACZs. The Green Machine opens its ranks to all, becoming the Green Movement.

2047 - Japan closes it's borders but continues with worldwide commerce.

2049 - United Nations declares war on Aberrants, The Space Brigade seizes control of Olympus and destroys 75% of the O.M.E.N. satellites.

2050s - The Aberrant War rages across the face of the globe. The US withdraws its support from the other five nations of the Directive; the American Division becomes an official part of the US intelligence community. The DAD works with the US armed forces to fight domestic Aberrant threats. The Free World Army, a radical survivalist branch of the Michaelites, is founded in Minnesota; in time, the FWA has strong support in Wisconsin and Michigan in the Midwest and in the northern Rocky Mountain States in the West.

2050 - The Balkans erupt into "The Shatter", an intense, ceaseless conflict, Borsov takes presidency of Russia, directs nation's aggression toward Aberrants and throws down "the Gauntlet", Yeltsingrad is closed to humans.

2053 - China launches Xingyang Sujia, the first manned interplanetary craft, on it's mission to Alpha Centauri.

2054 - Wycoff explodes over Hasting after a raid on his compound.

2055 - Wycoff's detonation is discovered as being the cause behind a Taint virus that destroys the North American grain belt; U.S. Federal Intelligence agencies begin consolidating operations. A small force of Greens attacks the Columbia River Bridge near the Blue enclave of Kettle Falls, Washington. What begins as a simple sabotage mission evolves into a two-day battle that leaves 230 Greens dead and nearly twice as many injured; losses among the Blues are unknown, but estimated to be twice as high.

2056 - The Omaha Declaration is passed granting the military sovereignty to deal with the Aberrant menace, putting all major population and industrial centers are under martial law. A special task force reorganizes the US into eight Emergency Management Districts.

[Heritage]

Whew! After a lot of cutting and pasting and html encoding (not all of it necessary - grr!), I got my WJ stuff back up on the Fiction Database - yay! Only two of the five are finished stories, but I think they all have something to offer; enjoy them or not as you see fit. ::smile

[Heritage]

Here are ranks of the PCs and major NPCs to date:

O6

GEN Henry 'Manticore' Ballard (deceased)

GEN Seaton 'Hack' Hackney

GEN Renee 'Chimera' Mohammed

O5

COL Randolph Cyrus Bledsoe, Intelligence (accused of treason)

O3

CPN Eugene Delacroix III, Infantry

O2

1LT Robert 'Hawkeye' Griffin, Infantry

O1

2LT Hood, Scouts

2LT Emma Majors, Intelligence

E5

MSGT Sarah Chu’mana Adoette, Special Operations

MSGT Marena Colby, Infantry

MSGT Sydney 'Havoc' Freedman, Infantry

MCHF George Kelso, Transport and Supply

MCHF Alejandro 'Vlad' Muñoz , Engineers

MCHF Robert Rourke, Transport and Supply (but he doesn't remember it!)

E4

SSPEC Kyle Jubersky, Engineers

SSPEC Judy Kapriski, Engineers

E3

SPEC LeBeau Chambers, Engineers

CPL Philip Daniels, Infantry

SPEC David Mortimer, Engineers

SPEC John 'Nomad' Smith, Transport and Supply

E2

S2G Lynn Epstein

Technically, Dr. Vanderlay has no rank in the Greens, but was more or less treated as an O1 by the brass, though you are under no obligation to treat that way.

[Heritage]

War Journal PC Creation Guidelines

I hope this doesn't seem too anal or fascistic, but there are going to be some house rules in my upcoming Aberrant campaign. I'm trying to create a somewhat grittier, more realistic feel; I know, it's superheroes and all, but it's also going to be a war campaign, and for a war to exciting and scary, the threat of real harm must exist. Other than item A, none of these is carved in stone, or at least nothing harder than pumice. So bearing this in mind, here are the basic guidelines:

A. Allegiance - All characters will be members of the Green Machine, the military arm

of the Green Movement, so they'll have one of the three branches or sub-divisions as

their Allegiance; however, if players want their characters to be double agents, a

separate secret Allegiance can be purchased as a Background. Talk to me, and we'll

see about getting you dots in Backing, Cipher and/or Identity.

B. Points - 30 Nova points for novas, 30 bonus points for baselines

C. Merits and Flaws - Unlimited Merits, up to 10 points of Flaws.

D. Restricted powers - All 5 and 6 powers from the Player's Guide - they're just way too scary. And yes, that does include NPCs.

E. Starting power caps -

1. Quantum not to exceed five dots.

2. No mega-atts to start higher than three dots.

3. No more than 4 enhancements per mega-att - this includes the freebie.

4. No powers to start higher than 3 levels

5. No limits on how many powers or mega-atts you start with.

6. No limitations on regular attributes or abilities - go nuts.

(Note: these caps are only on starting powers - characters can exceed all of these

limits with experience points.)

F. Extras and Mastery - Extras are fine from the get-go, Mastery can be bought with

experience once you reach Quantum 6+.

G. Strengths and Weaknesses - These should be fine, but we'll talk about 'em as we do

character creation.

Regular Army Starting Package

No physical Attribute lower than 2

Free skills:

Brawl-2

Athletics-2

Firearms-3

Melee-2

Stealth-2

Awareness-2

Navigation-2

Medicine-1

Survival-2

Scout Starting Package

No physical Attribute lower than 2

Free skills:

Athletics-3

Firearms-2 (pistol)

Legerdemain-2

Martial Arts-3

Stealth-3

Awareness-2

Navigation-3

Medicine-2

Intrusion-2

Survival-3

Disguise-2

As far as Cobras go, they get the same as RA, plus Heavy Weapons-3 (Bulldog). Cobras also must have Mega-Strength 1 and Mega-Stamina 1, if only to survive their training.

The Engineer Package:

The engineer package is 24 dots and requires the nova in question to have either an Int of 5 or Mega-Int. As these are army engineers, they must also have all physical stats at 3+ (or have Megas).

Free skills:

Drive 2

Demolitions 2

Engineering 3

Firearms 2

Might 2

Artillery 2

Heavy Weapons 2

Gunnery 2

Navigation 2

Tactics 1

Survival 1

Athletics 1

Awareness 1

Brawl or Martial Arts 1

This is heavy on weapon abilities because in Aberrant 'Firearms' covers not only how to use them, but how to build, maintain, and repair them. Drive covers everything from driving tanks to repairing cars. Might covers digging holes with shovels. Many of these skills will be cross linked with Intelligence when repairing/breaking things.

[Heritage]

Weapons of the Aberrant War

US Army National Guard M-47 Flechette rifle ('Fletcher')

The standard issue weapon of the Washington National Guard (which is where the Greens got all of theirs), the M-47 fires a cluster of depleted uranium* fragments to devastating effect on soft targets. An extremely lightweight weapon due to the extensive use of plastics and ceramics in its manufacture, the 'fletcher' is also surprisingly quiet, at least compared to an assault rifle of the same size. These traits combined with the lack of a muzzle flash led to it's adoption by the Scouts as their 'official' combat weapon, though certain wags in other branches have joked that it was actually chosen due to the poor marksmanship of the average Scout.

A robust and reliable weapon, the M-47 can be fully immersed in water or mud and still fire accurately, a potential lifesaver on some Scout missions. Though most Scouts still prefer to use a silenced pistol whenever possible, the M-47 is an ideal weapon for when an operation 'goes south' and subtlety flies out the window.

*Note: The environmentally-conscious Scouts use novas to leach out the residual radiation from the depleted uranium rounds, since DU has been associated with cancer and birth defects; the term TDU (for 'true depleted uranium') is sometimes used to describe these rounds.

US Army M-11 Railgun ('BB gun' or 'Zipgun')

Perhaps the ultimate sniper's weapon, the M-11 combines durability, accuracy and lethality into a formidable package; it can put a hole through three cinder blocks at 1500 meters and has no muzzle flash, though the small electromagnetic pulse can be detected by highly sensitive equipment. This pulse also makes it dangerous for snipers to carry electronic gear unless it's specially shielded.

For the sake of accuracy, the M-11 was designed to be fired single shot only, but this is hardly an impediment for a trained sniper. The integral 8x sight can be set for low-light or thermal imaging, which allows a target to be detected and eliminated behind light cover or even thin walls.

DAD Sonic Weapon ('Screamer')

The advanced combat version of the old Banshee, the 'Screamer' is an improvement in all ways over the original. The Directive American Division knew that it needed a tough, dependable weapon that could be used in the field against heavily armored Aberrants, and the engineers at ClinTech redesigned the sonic technology from the ground up. Gone are the days of constant recalibration and delicate handling; the new Sonic Weapon can handle weeks of hard use with only routine maintenance, has better range and uses replaceable power packs that allow ten shots to be fired. However, the new weapon has only two settings, Stun and Kill (and a safety, of course), the old 'Shriek' effect being sacrificed in exchange for a stronger frame.

Regular Army Submachine Gun 1 ('RASMG-1', 'G1')

Based on a British design that is well over a hundred years old, the RASMG-1 (usually referred to as 'G1' for short) was created out of necessity when supplies of other weapons ran dangerously short. The design was selected because any trained machinist could assemble it quickly from available materials, and it fired the one type of ammunition the Greens have in quantity: 9mm pistol clips. The first G1s were full auto only, and were therefore in constant need of reloading, but this has been modified on all subsequent models, which can now be set for either single shot or three-round burst, but not full auto.

All new G1s are being issued with an integral silencer, as the Regs rarely have the advantage of numbers over their opponents; combined with the use of a subsonic round, this makes the G1 is a surprisingly quiet weapon.

One last curious feature is the incorporation of a bottle opener into the rudimentary pistol grip, for which the rough and ready Regs are eternally thankful when it's 'Miller time'.

MG 5000 ('Bulldog')

It's a well-known fact that a Cobra would rather sleep with his 'Bulldog' than a woman - well, usually. These massive guns are seen by many as the ultimate symbol of the Cobra ideal: heavy, loud and dangerous. Only novas with enhanced strength can carry one of the monsters, and even then accuracy is usually not the highest, but in most situations the Cobras find themselves, this is not an issue.

The Bulldog uses 500 round boxes (not shown), of which the Cobras never seem to be in short supply - the mysterious source of all this ordinance is a secret that burns both Scout and Reg.

US Army M-21 Individual Combat Weapon ('ICW', 'IC')

Developed as part of the Army's 'Land Warrior' project, the M-21 combines a 5.56mm assault rifle with a 20mm HEAP grenade launcher. When used in conjunction with the Land Warrior optics package, the M-21 can be fired day or night, from behind cover or even around a corner with deadly accuracy. The M-21 is currently standard issue to all US Army divisions, a fact that keeps many a Green up all night.

[Heritage]

Regular Army Standard Gear Issue

,,

Clothing:

3 sets RA battle dress

4 pairs socks (white)

3 T-shirts (olive)

3 pairs briefs

3 sport bras (females only)

1 wool sweater

2 sets winter underwear

1 pair fingerless gloves

1 baseball-style cap (olive)

1 pair steel-toed boots

1 rain poncho (olive)

1 pair sunglasses w/ impact-resistant case

Protective gear:

1 pair dust goggles

1 filter mask w/ 3 sets of filters

1 Kevlar helmet w/ low-light/GPS/digital compass visor and integral 3-channel radio

1 Pro-Tech vest

1 gas mask

Weapons:

1 RASMG-1 silenced assault weapon w/ maintenance kit and shoulder strap

3 clips 9mm ammunition

2 fragmentation grenades

Food and drink:

10 units daily ration:

3 strips beef jerky

3 powerbars

1 large bag M&Ms (plain)

3 pouches powdered sports drink

1 canteen

1 bottle water tablets, 30 count

Miscellaneous:

1 gear harness

1 basic medkit

1 K-Bar knife w/ sheath

1 mess kit

1 toilet kit

1 collapsible shovel

1 emergency blanket (double-sided)

1 bedroll

1 Maglite w/ red lens

1 Velcro strap (3 feet)

1 container camo paint/bug dope

1 impact-resistant watch

Note: Specialists would have additional and/or substituted gear, i.e. advanced medkits for Medics, tool and demolition packs for Engineers, silenced pistols for Intel, and improved gear harnesses and break-in tools (for scroungers) for T&S.

[Heritage]

Scout Standard Gear Issue

,,

Clothing:

1 wool overcoat (black)

1 wool overcoat (white)

1 wool overcoat (gray)

2 wool sweaters (black)

1 wool beret (black)

1 wool beret (white)

1 wool beret (gray)

2 pair leather gloves (black)

1 pair wool gloves (white)

1 pair leather gloves (gray)

2 jumpsuits (black)

1 jumpsuit (white)

1 jumpsuit (gray)

2 pair pants (black)

2 pair shorts (black)

2 pair leather boots (black)

1 pair leather boots (white)

1 pair leather boots (gray)

4 pairs socks (black)

3 T-shirts (black)

3 pairs briefs

3 sport bras (females only)

2 sets winter underwear

1 forest camo kit

1 grasslands camo kit

1 pair sunglasses w/ impact-resistant case

Protective gear:

1 pair dust goggles

1 filter mask w/ 3 sets of filters

1 Kevlar vest

1 gas mask

Weapons:

1 M-47 flechette rifle w/ maintenance kit and shoulder strap

2 clips flechette ammunition

1 Walther P99 w/ silencer and shoulder holster

2 clips 9mm ammunition

2 fragmentation grenades

Food and drink:

10 units daily ration:

3 strips beef jerky

3 powerbars

1 large bag M&Ms (plain)

3 pouches powdered sports drink

1 canteen

1 bottle water tablets, 30 count

Miscellaneous:

1 gear harness

1 pocket multi-tool

1 mess kit

1 toilet kit

1 impact-resistant self-winding watch

1 magnetic compass

1 leather map case

1 basic medkit

1 3-channel radio

1 Maglite w red lens

1 container camo paint/bug dope

1 hunter's knife w/ sheath

Note: Clearly Scouts do not carry all that extra clothing around; like ninjas, they have all their clothes reproduced in different shades for different types of work: black for night, white for winter and gray for urban, though by and large the black clothing is used the most frequently. Some Scout have taken to trading their extra clothing to non-Scouts for various supplies and favors; while this is technically frowned upon, punitive action is rarely taken.

[Heritage]

Special Operations Standard Gear Issue

Clothing:

3 pairs camo pants

3 T-shirts (black)

3 pairs briefs (white)

3 sport bras (females only)

4 pairs socks (white)

1 pair fingerless gloves

1 pair steel-toed boots

1 pair sunglasses w/ impact-resistant case

Protective gear:

1 pair dust goggles

1 filter mask w/ 3 sets of filters

1 gas mask

Weapons:

1 MG-5000 machine gun w/ maintenance kit and shoulder strap

2 boxes 30mm TDU ammunition

3 fragmentation grenades

Food and drink:

10 units daily ration

3 packs carbo rations

3 pouches powdered sports drink

1 canteen

1 bottle water tablets, 30 count

Miscellaneous:

1 extra-heavy gear harness

1 pair low-light goggles

1 3-channel radio w/ GPS and digital compass

1 impact-resistant watch

1 basic medkit

1 mess kit

1 toilet kit

1 Maglite w/ red lens

1 container camo paint/bug dope

1 K-Bar knife w/ sheath

Note: Though it may seem like the Cobras get a lot less gear than anyone else (especially protective gear), remember that they are extremely tough and get a seemingly infinite supply of ammo. Bowing to pressure from the rest of the Greens, Cobras also use only true depleted uranium (TDU) in their Bulldogs (like they really care).