Japan Tourist (Part One)

Japan just sounded like a neat place to visit. For all the energy shortages, social security problems, and rising sea levels there was still something to experience. Somehow it maintained or recreated that image from the late nineties - half samurai mysticism, half neon insanity. It seemed like a parody, like they were trying too hard to hold on to the days when economists talked of the coming war between the great economic powers. (No really, I've got a book "The Coming War With Japan"). You kind of just had to go and see what was real.

Well, I finally managed to find a tour group and uploaded translation software into a brand new set of headphones. It was going well - that perfect mid part of a trip when you're over jet lag, but still have some fresh clothes, and have not yet experienced stomach problems from the big shift in diet and eating street foods.

That is when The Event hit.

Everything in your life suddenly shutting down and states of national emergency are bad enough. When you don't know the language, your computer is wiped clean, outside communication is shut down, and all your currency records are wiped out?

I woke up in a hospital. Apparently it was just a panic attack, but bad enough I couldn't breath and passed out anyway. It didn't go full on movie cliche, fortunately. There was plenty of staff, they took excellent care, and even put me in contact with a girl who spoke fluent English. She's an otaku, but for Dungeons and Dragons of all things. Simply could not ask for a more perfect match.

Reanimates didn't show up immediately in the wake of the Citizens arrival, but things were in rationing and emergency mode pretty quickly. Probably comes from living with tsunamis, and the limited resources of the island. I imagine Israel got through it all pretty well too - albeit for less natural reasons.

I also imagine that the USA fared decently well due to the high per-capita gun ownership when reanimates really did show up. In a place where most of the police don't have firearms - it was hammers, kitchen knives, and table legs - the JSDF at one point was dropping loads of baseball bats and golf clubs onto rooftops to give people they couldn't get too a fighting chance!

The nation changed from the "land of the rising sun", to the "land of only sun". Reanimates have better night vision than humans, even if they can't see as well overall. Everything just shuts down and locks up a bit before sundown. I've been through orthodox Jewish neighborhoods on Friday night, and it still isn't as quiet as this. I swear the fog horn that sounds the all clear each morning is actually the nation's collected farts because they're that unwilling to make noise in the darkness.

Cloudy With a Chance of Doom

Much has been said about the miracle that is nano-vaccine, and the great conditions provided by planned communities like the NEST system. However, the truth is these things were not made simply to acknowledge Utopian dreams. We don't like being killed by hurricanes or starving when food deliveries are cut off and worsening environmental situations in the thirties and forties were threatening just that. To this day, the weather can be as much of a threat as the reanimates.

An odd little fact for you: King Gillette,- the man who literally and figuratively changed the face of capitalism by popularizing the disposable razor, was a socialist. In 1894 he wrote a book called "The Human Drift" about how to create a workers' utopia. It proposed moving the entire population of the United States to a giant city in New York state that derives all the electricity it needs from hydro-electric dams placed across Niagara Falls. In turn, economies of scale from factories running off this abundant power (derived from Tesla's recently developed AC current generators no less) would allow everyone to be clothed and housed. 

Of course, relocating entire populations and building super cities proved to be far too difficult. Land prices remained cheap, food in fairly abundant supply, and existing infrastructure means it was far quicker to expand existing cities and towns. 

However oil shortages and changing climate in the late twenties and early thirties changed that. Sea levels and storms foxed people away from coasts, desertification started immigration to more habitable climates, and crop failures drove up food prices and delivery charges - making life away from existing hubs difficult. As present as mild winters are - a good cold snap is needed to kill the vermin that carry disease - warm climate and refugee camps began to yield epidemics, and threatened pandemics.

Not every place got warmer - it would be more proper to call the process global shifting than warming really - some places in Europe got very cold, and if they didn't - temperature deferential made for more powerful storms. Adding to the chaos - when everything shut down during The Event - cities stopped generating micro-climates. You might hear about the small town that gets wiped off the map by a tornado - but they don't hit downtown Chicago, because the heat and altered wind patterns around buildings break them up. 

The silver lining to this might be that with industry stopped, oil use at a minimum,  and populations reduced the Earth might heal all these problems. But its not not going to be overnight, or even within one or two lifetimes. Storms will be bad, drought will be as likely to kill as reanimates, and home grown mosquitoes far more dangerous than invasive aliens. Come to think of it - I don't think citizens can catch Earthly diseases - so we may be wiped out by Lyme disease rather than Laser towers.

AZ Mouse, GZ Mouse

No one initially planned if they would end up in wild territory or where a government still held sway.However, once the worst of The Event  passed, they could chose where they would stay. It isn't so much a matter of occupation, knowledge or politics that determines where a person ended up, but a mental state. Those who ply the Anarchy Zone are marked by adaptability, liked to a certain form of intransigence. Government Zone Citizens show a certain form of intransigence, and a marked form of adapability. The younger generation does not always have a choice, but most know where they want to be.

The Zoner abides, adapts, and advances - working towards goals of their own. Life in the uncontrolled portions of the zone is not easy, and those who chose it must wear many hats. Scavenger, trader, technician, trail blazer, soldier, doctor - fending for oneself on the frontier requires a lot of knowledge. Food is never certain, environmental hazards can silently kill as easily as reanimates, and Citizen encounter suits can tear apart small hamlets with ease.

All these troubles and tasks could be easily traded away for security, if they were to just settle down in a Government Zone. But that would mean giving up on their own dreams, and accepting often over-crowded conditions managed by other people. It may mean acquiescing to a theocracy, acting as a second class citizen under a cadre of mad scientists, or being drafted for dangerous missions by executive order - none of which will suit a person that chooses the zone.

Conversely, the Government Zone seeker is looking for stability in the world, even if it comes with a lack of personal control. They stand by the old traditions, believing it is better to restore what remains than to create something new or go off adventuring. Even this requires some flexibility however. New jobs have appeared - like salvage artist and bounty hunter - while old ones like lawyer and advertising executive mean a bit less when so many of the rules have changed. So they remain in society, yet still must struggle to find a place in it.

It is quite hard to tell who belongs in which category by simply looking at them or by occupation. A combat medic might feel that they are best serving  the community by staying in the city, while an accountant sees that their old knowledge of tax code is obsolete, and thus sets out for a new life in the wild. People will sometimes cycle through the two options - finding they can't fit in a G-zone, but can't fight their way through the AZ, thus seeking out a different enclave to serve.

At the heart of it, choice matters. The time of last stands in old farmhouses and malls is over, the time to chose a path is upon them.

Boneroads, Murderyards, Boilertown

Boneroads
A century after its construction, and a radical shift in transport patters and fuel source -  the US Interstate highway system remained a major part of life. Despite decades of dreaming futurists, flying cars don't exist - getting to altitude would be inefficient, and hundreds of people above the ground could render any crash potentially catastrophic. Even after the event, most people still think of distance in terms of driving.

However, the savy ones know to avoid the highways and major road systems when traveling through the Zone.

Even with the automatic guidance systems, the roads could get fairly choked up on holidays.One can use tele-presence to replace trips to the office, but that doesn't work so well for swimming with dolphins in in the Florida Keys.

Remote operation works even less well when trying to evacuate enmasse from cities where the dead are beginning to rise and rumors are flying that an alien orbital strike could be only hours away. The roads quickly became choked with vehicles of all description, many driven under manual control by those who wanted to get out faster than the automatic systems would allow, or when those systems were out of commission entirely. But each accident, as seen on highways streching back into the 20th century - means an exponential slowdown at the bottleneck, and when the columns of cars got too slow, creatures would emerge from the shoulders.

Five years later, the service roads and off-ramps are still littered with the bones of those too shredded or trampled in the panic to be reanimated. Weather-beaten, looted, and smashed cars are parked bumper-to-bumper for miles in some places - a good supply of spare parts, but unlikely to move again, and choking the thruway. Since the roads channel people into predictable paths - bandits are a bit more likely than if blazing a trail.

Murderyards
Most people are reasonably sure that the Reanimate phenomenon is not a supernatural one, and yet at least some are convinced certain places are haunted. The one agreed upon fact, however, is that there are areas of unreasonably elevated danger. Few people are willing to approach an area rumored to be a muderyard, and even fewer - if any - return.

Of course, there is some contention on this point. It could be that the rumors are simply a ruse to keep people out - if outsiders are too afraid to approach the walls, they're unlikely to climb over them. Many supposed murderyards coincide with places that would feature heavy environmental contamination - old bomb ranges, Superfund waste dumps, unmaintained chemical refinery and the like - meaning that toxins, hallucinogenic compounds, radiation, or normal wildlife exposed to teratagens - could play play a part in the deadly reputation of these places.

Also detracting from the veracity of these claims is the wide range supposed phenomenomn observed in or near these places. A partial list includes:

• Large concentrations of reanimates
• Claims of type Four, Five, or unclassified strains of reanimate
• Military vehicles that match no known human or citizen models
• People in hazmat gear and gas-masks moving about aimlessly
• Mirages, unexplained fires
• Aggressive and deformed wildlife
• Citizen Military Outposts
• Military or Center for Disease Control camps (of either refugee or termination variety)

Boilertown
Some places just smell like trouble. Any building is up for looting, but a few are rumored to be true treasure troves. Anyplace with water and a bit of flat terrain could house an outpost - but some areas are just the perfect location. If someone doesn't take control of the area decisively and quickly, it becomes a warzone. Like an uncovered pot- they're dangerous, and can spill over into surrounding territory.

It would not be incorrect to compare boilertown to the boom-towns of of gold-rush fame. A lot of people after the same resource, and then some more that are preying upon the former group.

If a boilertwon is ever covered, it can turn into a nice place. The Capital of New Birmingham would be archetypal of a site that would instigate this kind of fighting - water, sea access, power, a nearby city, and of course a research hospital. However, since the area is secured, it is instead the linchpin of a powerful and expansionist state.

Apologies and a Quick Note on Agribusiness

Despite trying not to, I've managed to miss about a weeks worth of updates, and I'm sorry. Migraine headaches, prior commitments, and passover Seders preceded by intensive cleaning all conspired against me. Probably beginning next week, I'm going to do a solid seven or eight days of posting to catch up.

Farm Funny Business
By the 2050s, meat prices were way up, and herds way down - a matter of giving up land due to climate shifts, lack of water and resources to intensively factory raise animals, and anti-biotic resistant infections.
Nano-vac was beginning to combat the latter problem, but only in animals.

Nanotech derived treatments don't work with plants. Plants don't have the regulation of internal temperature required for optimal results. (Incidentally, they don't work for "cold-blooded" animals either) and their main food source outright destroys it. (Ultra-Violet radiation breaks down nano in minutes.) 

Outright genetic manipulation was required instead. A number of very hardy GM crops were eventually created, but at great cost in time and money. In an effort to recoup these losses, and silence critics who worried about the release of "franken-foods" most of these new plants we're implanted with replication limited telomeres. To put it in layman's terms - slow burning fuses were in the plants DNA, and they self destructed after a few months. Seeds wouldn't form, or couldn't germinate - either entirely, or without special chemicals fed to the plant at specific intervals.


These efforts managed to produce new strains of plants that could grow in marginal lands like warmed tundra or areas of Europe cooled down due to disrupted sea currents. In fact, these managed to be in every way improvements over the primitive GM products of the late 20th century - at leas so long as one could maintain their supplies.


Game Terms
The upshot for most players - is that seed stocks are limited, unless they can find an actual biology lab. A lot of communities find themselves fighting over stocks of agricultural products more so than oil, ammunition, or medicine.

A few places that use organic heritage seeds might be ok - but the work required, susceptibility to problems, and comparatively low output per acre.Finding such a backwater place, and getting them to part with enough seed to start a farm elsewhere is quite a tall order.

NEST Formation

They tried to standardize these thing, they really tried. And they did get at least some parts communality in supply and internal redistricting. But, the fact is - none of them are alike. When your dealing with megastructures large enough to hold the Sears tower eight or ten times over - you're going to need to make concessions to the local terrain and supply chain. There's hydrological engineers for pumping everything, geologists for determining bedrock stress, union contractions, architects, gemologists, social planners.

Yes, I said Gemologists. Diamonds are imported - literally by the ton -  to be crushed into pure carbon, and mixed with the concrete and sprayed epoxy. Then nano-tech added rebuilds them into strands as its poured. These are not glass and steel like a twentieth century skyscraper - but diamond-fiberglass composite and combined with bulletproof plastics that act as both windows and secondary structural members. In parts thousands of diamond strands weave through cement in just the right way to provide translucent concrete to add to the internal illumination.

Its kind of humbling to think that since they don't contain steal or iron reinforcement - which rusts and expands over time, knocking off the outer material - these things will probably still be standing when the sun burns out.

On the other hand, its this ability to use super-strong materials and transparent yet load bearing ones - that make these structures look like nothing else. They learned from the budget housing complexes built under Khrushchev and Daley and others and tried to make them a lot more people friendly. Apartments may be kind of small, but there are lots of gardens, and two or three story tall spaces scattered through full of mirrors, sun tubes, and good lights - it really is possible to forget you're on the one-hundred fifth story of a building that cost more than an Apollo moonshot.

Yes, I'm off topic again. But I helped build these things! A roman would boast they created an aqueduct, stonemasons take pride in their cathedrals. I sprayed epoxy, laid down floors, put up walls and hung more doors than the Winchester house. Nano can fight viruses mano-a-mano or create super catalyst batteries but it can't do big things like this - you still need people like me.

The pair I worked on were numbers two and six. Number one wasn't all that creative - more a matter of expedience and proof of concept. Its more of several large buildings built in parallel and connected by sky ways.Not bad for what it is, but personally, it seems more like a dozen corn silos made of glass with smaller buildings hanging from the spiderwebs that run between them.

NEST Two - that is a piece of artwork. Showing off exactly what this tech can do. The base is in fact, one solid building with about three times the footprint of a large baseball stadium. After the first ten stories it splits - Each of the four corners continues to go up like its own building, while the center falls away to form a step pediod affair, contracting a bit every - fifteen - no ten, ten I think for about seven terraces. Then it starts to go straight up, but at this point, the corner towers bend in to meet the central pillar for the mothers of all flying buttresses, and it actually expands a bit again before terminating on this giant geodesic dome. It rather reminds me of the settings of a really fancy diamond ring.

Well, between people feeling a little put off by the seemingly unsupported nature of this, and sheer expense, they didn't go so far out for art after that. All of them do have areas with holes going right through the building to help relive wind stresses - but none quite to that same extent.

Except for that one out West. Actually went in reverse, and mostly hollowed out a big hill to make it. Had a contest to name it after some scientists. The final vote was between Wright brothers, Einstein, and Tesla, though I don't remember who won.

Six was haunted. No two ways about it. Probably still is. For all the thousands and thousands of people working on these projects, there were surprisingly few injuries. We actually build the hospitals inside the buildings first and then began everywhere else because in a group that large, just bad luck means a bunch of people are going to be hurt or killed. In one and two, I don't recall any fatalities actually. The others - sad but true.

Six. Carbon fiber elevator cables snapped. Fires broke out. Some guy flipped out and attacked his buddies with a nail gun. There were at least two people thrown through windows - which are made of three inch thick composite that can stop rifle bullets for crying out loud! How do you through someone through that?

From the outside, its a bit like number one, though its thirteen buildings in kind of a star pattern, so their individually smaller and built in parallel but... Haven't seen it from above, but as I say that, I've got to feel like the architect must have been some weird cultist trying to recreate R'lyeh.

But we were professional, and finished it. I didn't take the option granted to workers for first dibs on apartments, but I'm still happy with what I did there. Can you say the same about your pre-event job?

14:20 ARA Moreno

Tracking New SONAR Surface Contact...

Bearing 45 degrees off bow, Range 60,000 meters

Speed 20 knots, heading 185

ID index Aegis III Cruiser

85% chance USS Hunley CGN-105

Surface Engagement Mode Active

Rigging for Low Acoustic Signature

Contact Within Missile Attack Envelope

Contact Outside Torpedo Attack Envelope

Action? 

The captain turned away from the screen, ignoring the glowing green buttons that would give him further information about the target. It was all easy stuff - armament, sonar capability, recent actions - trivia really. Computer guided lasers had ensured the accuracy of every weld before the keel touched water, automatic systems replaced all but twenty of the crew, and tiny robots flowed in every sailor's bloodstream to keep them healthy on patrol. Yet, the captain's bones would be dust long before a machine could truly command a vessel like this. It could tell him what the ship was and where it was going - but the why took human intuition.

Why was only a single member of the six ship flotilla at LOST SEC sortie? There were certainly better candidates for lone patrol in that group. Two in the group were electric sub hunters could go almost as quiet as its prey, and carried deep trolling passive sonar. This cruise might as well be probing for the sub with a white cane.

Why did it leave port at all? No one else had recently sortied surface combatants into the gulf. There wasn't much point in engaging a missile bombardment of the Rio Grand fortifications. Half the towns were under de Zufinga's mob enforcers, others under controlled by the military

Finally, why should the captain let it live? This ship had been operated near the north coast of Chile in the 2030s.

The Drone War had been an ugly conflict. Someone up north had believed they could fight a war without an army - using drones and targeting power networks to shut down the target. However, they had overlooked the reality of distributed power generation. To truly stop such meant targeting every household with a solar cell, find every buried oceanic thermal engine, and track hundred of tiny wind farms. Once exposed, they tried to redouble their efforts, and claimed defeat from the jaws of victory, but it was a process not unlike Vietnam and Iraq.


The Moreno was a sub given by the Russians. They had actually given no less than five craft from their fleet rather than the spillways in turn for prompt payment. Of course, the money paid for far more capable "Pike Class" ships - but the rapid deliver certainly vexed the yankees.

So the question remained. The captain now had a chance to wreak some vengeance upon the nation that had killed so many of his family and friends. That wouldn't bring them back, nor would it this new age more bearable for mankind as a whole. But for a small group of them, it would bring honor lost, and some measure of joy.

Perhaps the forces of chance and god knew better. He staked the life of the ship on the heads side of a coin and flipped it. The metal disk bounced off the low ceiling, flew past his head, and rolled into the tight space beside the bed.

Five Years Ago Today

A mass driver seared the night. Air red and burning from the heat of the dart's passage followed by blue electrical arcing of high voltage behind it. The arc welder bright flash lasted longer than the projectile's travel - 750 meters in only two tenths of a second. Before blackness returned, the shell had punched through the ceramic armor of the alien war machine, shattered, liquefied the pilot, and then incandescent hot fragments set fuel and hydraulics aflame.

Slower burning arcs formed in the air, as one of the fallen's comrades sends up missiles from behind a wall. They climb up six - seven- eight hundred meters then the engines cut out and they tumble. Three don't tumble fast enough, and a countermeasure system blinds them with a pulsed laser. Other sensors see true -quickly surveying the field - then fins snap their noses into the right path. Two find a vehicle, arc over, and explode -a shaped charge, turning a copper ingot payload into a burning lance. An M45 Calvary vehicle is penetrated from the top deck to concrete below. Two others note infantry, and chose to instead fall until a dozens meters up, then set off two rings of high explosive shattering the weapon into high speed shrapnel.

Some vengeance claimed, but not enough. There are yet more of these stubborn creatures, and they have the home field advantage. Each of their infantry a giant, standing twice the size of a citizen, and their portable rockets rarely leave more then a few shards of plastic behind when an eekaide takes the hit. Vehicle cannons punch through armor like paper at incredible ranges. Those curious rectangular things with eight sprockets and one continuous flat wheel are nigh unstoppable. Lasers seem to barely burn them, radiation guns take a full their of their cells to kill them, and

Overhead is a war of triangles and crosses. Delta shaped interceptors rush in close, trying to to keep the enemy in sight for the long instant required for the lasers to burn through. But it is rare for all of them to make it when barrage after barrage of homing missiles fly in from the other direction.

Even if the air could be swept clean, the land scoured flat - a third problem remains. The factory ships have the capability to produce boats of course - one never knows what a new colony world will look like. But the natives have known their planet was 70% water for a long time, and have prepared accordingly. All the active jammers and interceptors of the unstoppable boxes are at least tripled on the large vessels that can be seen, and other roam beneath the waves, invisible to space sensors and yet launching missile attacks at wherever citizen forces concentrate.

Happening upon this place was a stroke of divine luck for the lost fleet. Too long had they wandered alone. But the gods do not give without taking, and this is truly an ultimate test.

Known City State Forces in the USA 2

A Quick Aside:

The comic "Scenes From a Multiverse" from 11/12/11 is rather interesting. Although I like the comic in general, this particular one deals with how to level blame for a zombie apocalypse. It exposes the sentiment that I feel for the background to this game - its a little bit every one's fault, and not necessarily a warning about man playing god with technology.

Las Vegas
Vegas is of course home to two infantry regiments, one armored battalion, two and a half fighter squadrons, two bomber squadrons, and a mix of transport, helicopter, and support units. All told - over 10,000 regular military personnel. However, the city maintains three special forces groups for more specific missions.

Commando Platoons 1-5

Made of the collective remnants of many different special forces units - SEALS, Delta Force, Rangers, FBI Hostage Rescue, Secret Service, and even some SAS troops who were on vacation in the US - each platoon is only 20 soldiers, but that is generally more than enough. In a city full of professional soldiers, these are the best, and when things get ugly, or something absolutely must be recovered from the zone - these are the people who can get the mission done with minimal trouble.

Special Service

Most people regard this group as a penal battalion, and it is true that its usually a punishment posting for trouble makers. However, the Service (never referred to as the SS - those who use such an abbreviation are likely to suffer physical injuries) has proven itself time and again and this is the group most often sent out into the zone. Half is because everyone is an expert at finding alternate entryways, bypassing obstacles, and retrieving anything that isn't nailed down. The other part is so that they aren't doing these actvites in the city proper.

Crossbow

The special forces detachment form SLAASH - the people responsible for protecting and recovering nuclear weapons. They are ruthless, loyal, and some of the few people who have trekked across the entire country in order secure weapons  and nuclear material. Although it can be hard to tell if their loyalty belongs only to their specific service or to the US in general, no one doubts their effectiveness.

Tesla

Civil Guard

Tesla citizens are always wary of centralized organizations, but the needs of the current world demand that they have some form of protection. This has lead to the creation of the War College and a force system set up rather like the savant government system. Certain citizens undergo weeks of training in VR simulations and great use of table-top war games to build up a level of expertise in the (theoretical at least) practice of war. This knowledge is then backed up by a small supply of combat drones - in the form of helicopters, light aircraft, and a few remote tanks - mounted turrets, and a mercenary force collectively called "Protectors".

Protectors

Tesla's philosophy is generally a non-violent one and its population fairly limited. Thus they make great use of mercenaries and outsiders who are willing to trade service for goods, food, and housing in units outside the main complex. Part of the deal also requires that they grant the Civil Guard command authority, however since the CG has combat drones and mounted weapon emplacements to back them up, its usually accepted as a worthwhile trade off. Protectors are rotated through the city proper on a bi-weekly basis act as a police force and serve on juries. Since they're not part of the hive-mind and outsiders they help provide an impartial balance in the occasional sever internal conflict.

Outreach

Very few outsiders know Outreach exists, and even then - what it is capable of is only known thorough rumor and hearsay. The citizens of Tesla prefer to keep it that way - fear and confusion can be an edge in battle, and its rarely wise to make enemies desire a preemptive strike. Outreach is not only special through training - but by breeding and construction as well. True to the futurist desires of the free city, these are transhuman soldiers and AI combat robots - both concepts flying in the face of former international treaty and established medical ethics.

Ruby Ridge:

Citizens Militia

The RR citizens militia seems to be rather akin to the defense forces set up by most of the other city states. However, they are better equipped and trained than average, approaching the levels of a professional army. Access to original military gear is a bit sparse, but they are quite willing to improvise and have begun to produce their own vehicles and weapon systems.

Hanging Judges

Most law enforcement is a local affair, and a hearing before a small council - much like it was in the old west. However, there is a traveling circuit of ordained judges and trained lawyers that take over for major crimes, and are the only ones with the authority to pass sentences of greater than ten years, execution, or exile.They are often accompanied by bounty hunters.

Known City State Forces in the USA 1

Anyone in the zone and near a city state is likely to come across some of their military or special forces. While they do tend to rely heavily on freelances and volunteers to scavenge supplies. really important jobs require a more organized effort.

Membership in one of these organizations would be a good way to bring players together and keep them under control. Some of them can also serve as long term rivals the players, or be former employers - explaining a character's survival skills.


NEST
RATS Rapid Access Technician and Scavenger: 

Every large building has sub-basements and false ceilings, but in a megastructure, theirs virtually a second hidden behind access panels. RATS know every step of this second map, as well as the secrets to moving though the cities outside the arco as well - and act as the lifeline for new supplies. Although each nest has a functioning police force - in dangerous situations, RATS can be granted temporary power (rarely longer than 24 hours) to act as police, as they are often able to approach and apprehend troublemakers from unexpected directions. 

Detachments: 

Each NEST was large enough to to warrant its own police force, fire department, and national guard protection. This last force came replete with a few light armored vehicles and surface to air missiles to safeguard the giant towers from aircraft. Although their numbers were severely depleted during the even and in clashes since then, there are still people in uniform standing guard.  Most of the time they remain on alert around the NEST itself, or establish outer security perimeters when reanimate activity is low. However, a few enclaves have tried to clear areas and set-up outposts, to limited success.

New Birmingham

Sheppard's Hand

This is the conventional citizens militia of NB - generally serving to secure the gated communities, clear ares for further expansion, and find supplies. Although all citizens are allowed arms training, the service tends to prefer men and generally only accepts women who have had training prior to the event, with little attempt made to train more. Adult males are expected to be proficient in weapons use and to have personal weapons to help defend the area. While service is technically voluntary, the SH is run like a conscript army - most of its troops have only basic training with commissioned officers providing leadership and tactical knowledge.

Council of Inquiry

Officially, the CoI is the justice system of the NB city state. It draws far more on religious law than common - NB all but refuses to acknowledge the standing common laws of the USA. Somewhat less officially, its seen as a net-work of informants and inquisitors. Although this seems backed up by the fact its leaders are drawn from church leadership rosters rather than based on investigative service, the actual extent of this is not a state choice, but based on an individual township's interpretation.

Right Thought

Many of NB's citizens don't know Right Though exits, and those that do are divided over its necessity. This service engages in 1984 levels of double-think, being both an enforcer of extreme religious law, while at the same time maintaining advanced science facilities and nuclear reprocessing centers. RT is the one in charge of the controlled reanimate program and some of even more dubious morality - but its members tend to be all for its programs.

Lone Star

Citizen Watch

CW is set up rather like a neighborhood watch program. Everyone keeps an eye out, and calls a central dispatch if they notice anything odd.  There are graduated tests that allow citizens to earn greater responsibility. One can move from simply looking out for suspicious activity, to the ability to make arrests, to eventually having judgmental powers.Citizens are allowed to have weapons within the confines of the buildings - unlike NEST - but since the complex was never finished it never received a national guard outpost or the accompanying equipment.

Wasteland Patrol

Much like the old French Foreign Legion -  the WP is mostly made of outsiders and generally are not allowed to stay in the arco proper for an extended period of time. However, their families and friends are granted citizenship, and they do receive a stipend in addition to finders fees.

Marine Detachment

As expected, the  LOST-SEC facility has its own guards and soldiers. However, the needs of the event drew away most of the active duty units, leaving behind only those necessary to physically protect the dock yards and keep peace on the remaining ships. Morale is rather low as many of the soldiers believe they're expendable speed-bumps who are only to hold out long enough for the ships to clear the slip-ways. A few veterans of the South American war are trying to reverse this trend and put together expeditions to find supplies and better the facilities.

Unlike many of the other city states, Lone Star does not have any sort of rapid-deployment special forces teams. 

Wild Posibilites

The overbearing Don LaFontaine style narrator on the animal channel might want us to believe that the law of the jungle is "kill or be killed" but in reality, its more about adaptation than outright murder. A surprising number of animals have begun to thrive in the wastelands. Indeed, so long as the exosphere isn't completely devastated by a comet impact or nuclear war, life bounces back surprisingly quickly.



For the time being, much of the unclaimed areas are an animal watchers dream. This will not last however. The lack of human interference from poisons, car accidents, and hunting has lead to an explosion in various populations. However, these rapid expansions often lead to overshooting the point of equilibrium, another crash, and a series of pendulum swings over decades as the environ makes it to a happy medium. Rats and mice certainly don't seem to be in decline, but at least their growth is leveling off compared to the early days of plentiful stocked refrigerators and neglected grain bins. Predators like hawks and cats are still on the rise.

Escaped Zoo Life:
Elephants roam Texas, and tiger stripes blend with the great grasslands of the Midwest. A surprising number of non-native animals can be found if one looks, though reports of such need to be taken with a grain of salt. Few zoos kept enough animals to make for any self sustaining populations - especially for the larger animals. Smaller animals that did have a decent sized grouping were often in enclosures that made escape very difficult. Even five years later, most zoos and aquariums are unpleasant places to visit - though in a few places, people tried to save or release what animals they could. 

Somewhat distressingly, its often the larger predators that adapt well. Omnivorous bears  can deal with most climates and find prey amongst the indigenous creatures.

Wild Return 
 As stated in the introduction, numbers are running on the high side at the moment. Crocodiles, alligators, snakes, bears, and wolves are all doing well, as are birds not thrown off by lights aircraft. Fortunately, even the newest generations are still rather fearful of humans, and don't tend to wander into urban areas since the easy food sources like garbage cans have long since been looted.

Domestic Animals
Only a small percentage of  domestic creatures were able to escape their confines after their masters left or dies, but it was still more than enough. Most of the smaller breeds of dog didn't do so well, but, medium to large ones did, and are in fact a bit of a nuisance. They are far less afraid of humans than their wolf counterparts, more likely to to be found in formerly urban areas, and many of them have picked up various diseases from their surroundings. Frankly, many people consider the wisest course of action to avoid reanimates and shoot dogs on sight - if only for health reasons. Still, there are loyal mutts to be found, and they can b quite helpful as a means of transit and protection.

Although escaped pets are not very uncommon, certain farm animals seem to be almost completely gone. Many breeds of pigs, cows, chickens are quite rare. While most people don't give this much thought, its believed that the animal grade nano-vac used to replace the regiment of hormones and antibiotics needed for factory farm conditions is to blame. Remaining examples or caught wild species are kept in many outposts to help provide eggs and milk to feed the populace, and they are valuable trade if the scavengers can keep them alive.

Reanimates and the Wilderness

Most animals can't readily tell the difference between a normal human.and a reanimate. However, since the later tend to be rather simple minded don't tend to acknowledge warning signs, they do tend to suffer attrition from animal attacks. Conversely, animals rarely seem to be on the acceptable targets list for reanimates, though some of the more advanced types do seem to kill other creatures.

Reanimate Tactics

One of the more distressing aspects of the reanimates, is that they are not as mindless and unfeeling as the ghouls seen in the movies. A sense of self-preservation seems to permeate each one, though in mass they can somehow make the choice to sacrifice a few for the good of the many. More advanced types can avoid the more obvious pitfalls, at least some of the time. They are unlikely to simply mob a fortified position, or even a well armed group - unless they have a notable advantage in numbers. Fire and water will hold them at bay if they recognize it as a an impediment between them and prey - but they will make their way through if its an escape route.

Alphas have been know to occasionally use weaponry or tools. Sometimes it seems to be simple mimicking - they will use weapons if they see other people or reanimates using them. Other times, they will go so far as to intentionally cripple humans or open new door ways to allow other reanimates in. What else they can do is often a matter of rumor - as they are strangely paranoid about displaying these behaviors. Indeed, they are quite often very cautious and will attempt to blend in with their lesser type one brethren to avoid preferential targeting. They are well aware of the confusion that ensues with an attack, and will wait until defenders are distracted by their other brethren to sneak past and ambush.

The intelligence seen in twos and betas focuses on the use of space, rather than the use of tools and distractions. They are worryingly adept at finding ambush sites, alternate entrances, or simply the higher ground. Betas have been cataloged hounding targets like wolves, and leading the prey to a seemingly safe place, that is in fact a nest of yet more reanimates. Failing this, they can follow a mark for days, or hide out near observed routes of travel.

Threes and Kappas are at the very least, aware of their impressive abilities, if not always putting it to the best use. Although the latter are often capable of throwing around small cars, they generally don't do so in a manner to block an exit or to cripple a human. A dissenting opinion states its a case of them choosing not too, as they prefer the target un-crushed. However, they fact that they will smash building supports even when they're still in the structure may argue against this - or at least that they can be provoked to berserk levels.

Wasteland Ettiquite

Rule Number One - this is the Zone, not the jungle.
If nothing else, keep that in mind. We are not going to fall to a kill or be killed, survival of the fittest mentality. There are still cities and towns out there, and fellow human beings in need. The country still exists to be rebuilt.

The boy scouts once believed you should leave the land as you left it before, if not better. Well. for now the land can take care of itself. Leave signs of where you stayed. You probably chose to sleep there because it was safe or well stocked. If others can find that area, they can benefit as well.

Note dangerous areas. Warn others.

Keep an eye on those aliens. Not all of them shout "destroy all humans" constantly - but there are plenty of unfriendly ones out there. If they're causing trouble, let others know and help put together a response.

Wave and call out. Let others know you're human. Fratricide is nothing but tragic.

Ruins are fair game, but stuff others are using is not. Sociopathy is repaid in kind - you steal and murder, others will hunt you down.

Stay a while. A lot of you are pretty anxious to roll into town, trade, restock, and then get back to exploring. You'll be a lot more welcome and get better prices in the future if you help out around the town. Repair the walls, plow the fields, mend clothes - whatever you can do to enrich the town will help.

Getting Around Part Three

Animal Power
Walking is, and will remain for the foreseeable future, the main way of trans-versing the world.

A dog pulled travois is beginning to replace wearable computers as the required personal accessory. Canines have a number of useful attributes, even even when they're not being used for transit. Hunting to supplement food, keen ears to warn of danger, warmth and companionship are all noble traits. Their size means its easier to protect them by bring them inside a shelter, and transport if a vehicle is found. Furthermore, a lot more people are capable of caring for dogs than large farm animals.

Speaking of dogs, cats and terriers are also common pets - because they hunt common pests, rather than their use for transit.

Horses and other draft animals are rarely used in the zone. Not many people have the resources to care for them, and such large creatures are rather inconvenient when scavenging in a city. Given that 90% of the US population was living in cites - riding animals for extended periods could be considered a lost art. Furthermore, there is the difficult process of taming a wild animal, as most of the domesticated ones are gone. They might have starved in their paddocks when their handlers disappeared, or escaped to the country side and reverted to their wild state. Rumors persist that reanimated animals exist. While there was certainly heavy usage of nano-medicine in some animals, nothing has confirmed these stories so far.

Animal powered farming is making a small comeback, but machines are far preferred even when considering fuel shortages - they don't get sick, go lame, while allowing a greater amount of territory can be cultivated. Unfortunately, without GPS satellites in orbit, they tend not to work as automated units like before - but some creative people have set up transponders to get around this, adding yet another advantage.


Other Transit Means

In some places electric or high-speed rail lines are still functional. The USA took a while to introduce fast train service, but was a few branches eventually materialized. The main ones are:

• Colonial Road: a straight shot up and down the east coast from Florida to New York
• Death Valley Express: California, Nevada, Texas - wider gauge, slower, and optimized for cargo, provides the east coast access to the Gulf of Mexico without needing a ship to go through the panama canal.
• "Chi-Ny": NEST 2 in New York state (but not far from the city) to Chicago
• Winter Line: Trans-Canada rail, not actually connected to US system however.

Smaller lines branch off, but the ARRT (American Rapid Rail Transit) was established amongst a few key air-line routes to compensate for a reduced number of usable aircraft rather than everyday commuting.

Following older rail lines is still a common tactic amongst scavengers, as they obviously lead somewhere, and rail hub warehouses are often full of useful supplies.

Although bikes might be limited, motorcycles offer speed, fuel economy, and the ability to maneuver around abandoned vehicles making them quite popular.

Military Multi-fuel vehicles are a two edged sword. Their ability to run on even the poorest home-refined products is a great boon, as is their rugged construction. On board electronics including internally guided navigation systems, night vision, drone support, military map databases, and powerful radios are all much sought after (and more likely to have been emp shielded than their civilian counterparts). Unfortunately, the many powerful abilities make them so sought after they often end up stolen either when the owners are away or when the original users are liquidated. Some people have taken to explicitly avoiding military gear because its used as bait in traps, or attract the wrong kind of attention.

Military exoskeletons are unlikely to be used as transport. Although designed to simplify long marches, most of the ability is due to weigh distribution systems, making a heavy load seem much lighter, but not adding speed, or making normal walking any less tiring. Despite their environmental systems wearing one for more than a few a dozen hours will rapidly lead to chafing and discomfort. Without charging their fuel cells every two or three days, they rapidly become immobile.

The few cars and trucks that are still working are often used in a convoy manner - some running, others being towed. Mobile fuel processing plants are sometimes employed, but more often a central base is established, scouts are sent out, and then the group exploits from there.

Playable Minimalism

I'm writing the anarchy zones setting, because it appeals to me. Future things, like arcologies, nano-tech, planned environments, power-armor - all quite fascinating.

Not so much the lack of government aspects, nor the back to nature angle. Given the medical history of my family and myself, none of use would be alive without 20th/21st century tech.

Unfortunately, all this interest has lead to rather unnecessary levels of detail. I can outline how internal nano works, for how long, and even the fact its pink - but is this really what the players need? My notes contain an outline on how the US army reacted to fuel shortages, and the revised Tables of Organization and Equipment - including powered personal armor. However, why should the TO&E matter when the military is largely non-existent, and finding a cache of equipment could derail a game?

So I'll be attempting every now and then to give a "just the facts" entry to the game. I started a discussion on the 1km1kt.net forums (Detail required for a setting) to help focus my efforts. Please let me know if presentations of this sort are helpful, or if I should continue my information overload style.

Nanotechnology Medicine

• Two types exist SVIA and STAIN - nano vaccine and nano surgeons respectively
• SVIA (Semi-Volitional Internal Agent) prevents infection, stops minor internal bleeding (bruises, not hemorrhaging)
• 500 cc bags of bubblegum pink goo
• Allows characters to generally ignore colds, parasites - though still best to not consume spoiled food or tainted water.
• Supposed to last over a year, and then fairly gradually taper off protection, but constant use reduces it to only 6-8 months before another IV is needed.
• Valuable trade item, and allows players to avoid taking penalties for illness (a slight skill or initiative penalty depending on the disease)
• STAIN (Specific Treatment Active Internal Nanomachines) is for repairing major internal problems.
• 1000 cc "dusty pink" with oil like sheen
• Needs an outside control center to work, unlike pre-programmed vaccine
• An IV bag or two can set and mend bones, remove tumors,  repair organs - generally act as a competent surgeon for most problems.
• A good commodity for those with access to proper hospital facilities, or a reward from a city state agency - it will restore a PC to full health regardless of their prior condition in about six hours. 
• However, those who don't know the difference between nano- surgeons and nano-vac can be accused of using counterfeit product, or or very disappointed to find they are not interchangeable. 
• 
  

Powered Armor

• Three main types exist in the USA, each named after a WWII general officer
• In theory made up around a quarter of most regiments - three suits in a squad of twelve
• Suffered heavily against PC forces as even the strongest are still below the alien "Incubus" armor in capability.  
• Complicated repair and a lack of spares also prevents them from being too common.
•  None make the user superhuman - the mechanics are more towards limiting fatigue and absorbing heavy loads. A PA soldier can't lift a motorcycle, but can march six hours with a 80 kilogram (172 lb) pack and still feel rested.
• Data-links, air-conditioning, and a sensor suite also help combat effectiveness. 
• William Donovan is a stealth unit for special forces
• Numerous built in sensors, automatic temperature control, IR/Radar camouflage
• Actual protection is only on par with a flack vest, and no built in weapons
• Very rare, and generally meant for scouts and forward weapon targeting.
• Some have the Electronic Visual Emulation and Nullification System (EVaNS) system built in - providing adaptive visual camouflage.
• MacArthur (Mighty Mac) is an assault armor
•  Highest level of protection, built in missile launcher on the shoulder, or cylinder fed breech loading motor (looks like a revolver firing artillery shells) on the back, often uses auto-cannons as a rifle, and an over-sized entrenching tool as a melee weapon (and engineering device as intended)
• More piloted than worn, thus less intuitive to use than others.
• Notably larger and heavier than other models (about 3 meters/10 feet) rather than 2m/7 feet for the other suits - making it rather less capable in certain terrain and quite conspicuous. 
• Quite often the first target due to size and threat, thus many prefer to leave it in the rear as fire support than use in the attack. 
• Eisenhower (Ike) is a general purpose unit
•  Most common, looks much like riot gear, but with an opaque helmet and volumetric (accordion like) joints to allow for ease of movement despite internal overpressure (keeps out chemical/biological weapons)
• Although no weapons are built in, its cargo capacity means its often carrying automatic grenade launchers, motors, or ATGM systems for the rest of the squad. 

Micro Factories

• Its not likely that the PCs by themselves can run or repair an entire factory. 
• All of the city-states desire these structures for long term production and material wealth.
• Many jobs a player might receive revolve around these facilities
• Escorting caravans traveling too and from a facility makes for a good introductory level session
• Finding replacement parts or retrieving production templates are all likely jobs for players
• Securing the area for another settlement, and sabotage are missions for those who become really embroiled in city-state warfare.
• Finding ones lost from the grid or setting up a small colony are another focus.
• Even broken down, there can be quite a bit of good salvage - raw materials, welding gases, computer parts, old transports

Flower Children

A few more clicks on the old binoculars and the object came into focus. It was the sandy red color of fired clay, stood about twelve meters tall, and an appeared a bit like an oversize lotus. At the bottom root like metal conduit sunk into the ground, while the top folded out and back on itself forming five meter and a half long petals spaced equidistantly apart. Beneath the flower was sequence of vertically aligned half meter cylinders in a single line about the two meter circumference of the trunk.
"Is that some sort of alien plant?" asked the younger sister. She was about eight and this was the furtherst by far she had ever been from their home.

"No" replied her twelve year old brother, "Its one of their laser towers. I think those kite like flaps at the top are where the beams come from."
   "What makes you think that?"
"Well, they cleared out all the trees an' other plants, except for right near the bottom. And that's what dad's papers say. Call it a "phased array" though I don't see how that could be. When you phase in a video game, it means you walk through walls - but that thing doesn't move at all."
   "I don't think you should be reading dad's reports Joe. They might contain clasified inforatmion or something."
"Classified from who? I'm sure the aliens know how the towers work, and for the town's safety we should know as well."
   "Well they could send a remote controlled robot to see it. now I'm cold, and I want to go home, and we're not supposed to be out here anyway."
"Sending drones didn't work - the tower can shoot down anything that comes in too low and looks armed. If they send it up high, there is a missile battery somewhere behind the tower that knocks those down too. But you're just a little kid without a gun. so you can walk right up to it because you're not dangerous.
   "No way! Nu-ihnh, I'm not going to near it."
"But you have too! We're in deep trouble for leaving without telling anyone. But dad can't be mad if we help him with his research."
   "No I'm not going to do it, I'm cold and hungry, and I want to go home"
"And we can go as soon as you run up to the tower and touch it. Is it metal? Plastic? Chitton like bugs? The aliens are giant bugs, maybe its like a giant termite hill. With lasers!"
   "No, I'm not going to do it! No no no no!" Lucy dropped to the ground and began thrashing about in a full-temper tantrum. Or at least a good show - Joe wasn't going to drag her around either way.
"All right, all right, you don't have to touch it, I will just stop making a scene that man over there is getting anoyed and is heading this way."
   "I wont do it I wont do I... a man? where? There aren't supposed to be other people out this way."
"That old guy over there at the edge of the forest."
"Eww, he looks kind of old and dirty and he's walking all funny. I wonder if he hurt himself?"
"Probably been walking a long time, there aren't many cars these days. Hey Mister! Over here! There is a town not far from here if you want a shower!"
   "That isn't nice Joe, you should say he smells to his face."
"I didn't say he smells, and look he is happy about the offer, he is coming this way faster now."
   "Well should he have said thank you or something? How do we know he isn't sick or something?
"Look behind him, he has friends. If he was really sick, he would be laying down and the others would be helping him."
   "We shouldn't be talking to strangers, or to aliens, lets just go."
"Quit being a worry wort, nothing is going to hurt..."

They saw the reddish mist erupt from the reanimate's arm before they heard the fire cracker pop. Before the severed limb could hit the ground, another invisible bolt lanced out, burning away flesh across the creature's thighs.  Instinctively turning towards the attack's source, the reanimate was was greeted by a changed emission pattern - small pulses flashing across its chest, flash boiling fluids into steam, producing more little explosions across its chest like machine gun burst.. Simultaneously another petal array radar ranged the other reanimates, then then shifted its micro-diodes across the emission spectrum and sent another type of radiation their way, scorching them as well.

The siblings looks at the tower, each other, and the creature lying on the ground that had been half charred away by several hundred kilowatts without making so much as a grunt. Then, they ran, forgetting about both their bikes and the pair of binoculars, seeking only to get as far as possible.

Behind them, the petals rotated to place fresh faces in the direction of new potential targets, and blueish vaporized coolant wafted out the top. On board computers noted the human manually powered conveyances and optical systems in its short range band, and logged a maintenance request to have the next patrol move them.

Getting Around: 2 if by Sea, Pi if by Air

Aquatic Transit
Watercraft are easier to retrofit to alternate propulsion than cars. While the width of roadways is rather fixed, ships can be built with a greater beam or deeper drafts could be built to accommodate battery cells and other alternate propulsion means - up to and including nuclear reactors in many larger military craft. Sail power for personal craft is common, but most commercial loads would be impractical for standard sails. However tethered "kites" that hold wind turbines in the slipstream several hundred meters above the ship can provide plenty of electricity.

Despite the efficiency and available power, the use of boats and ships is highly situational in the US anarchy zones. On one hand, many of the cites were built near major bodies of water as a legacy of being settled before the construction of the interstate system. However the many sets of river locks, levies, and other products of the civil engineering corps that contributed to the ease of navigation along the waters have degraded.

Large ships require a lot of dockyard maintenance for everything from rest prevention to the multi-ton engine gears. No transit and limited manufacturing mean that most large ships are stuck where they are moored. However, this has been turned into a boon, as a an old cruise ship can make for a very nice and defensible base of operations, with several miles of ocean separating it from reanimates.

Reanimates have been observed swimming to cross obstacles. Their unusual biology should allow them to survive being underwater for several minuets longer than a human could. However, they are often reluctant to enter water.  Kappas/Epsilon types have far too many integrated pieces of metal to be buoyant, type ones lack the coordination to do much more than dog paddle, and alphas have too much a sense of self preservation to enter dangerous situations from the water. Twos and Betas on the other hand, love to ambush from the water like crocodiles.

Reanimates are not the only danger at the water's edge. The populations of alligators, aquatic snakes, bears, crocodiles, and other predators have exploded in recent years. Previously, Human activity was a major check on populations as they either competed for prey split up habitats with construction, accidentally killed large numbers of animals with pollution and occasionally actively destroyed the large predators. Without the regular spraying of pesticides, disease carrying pests like mosquitoes have also become a much larger problem near water.

Europe has a slightly different problem with aquatic transit. Most notably, the Baltic, North Sea, and occasionally the English channel are patrolled by members of the Kola Command Authority. In turn, anything larger than a rowboat risks being run down by a nuclear powered cruiser or ambushed by fuel cell equipped diesel-electric submarine, and held for ransom. Major rivers might occasionally see an ekranoplan or missile hydrofoil representing the KCA, but are much safer, if not leading quite as far.

The disposition of the world's navies will be discussed in a later article.

Taking to the Air
Ultralite aircraft are a popular choice for long distance travel and exploration. While the necessary power to weight ratios require liquid fueled engines, once the appropriate supply has been manufactured or obtained they can bypass many roadblocks. Many craft in this style are easy to maintain, and to disassemble which has become even more important. After-all, its the best way to keep such a valuable piece of equipment safe - either keep it in the shelter with you, or remove a few key parts to prevent others from absconding with it.

Long stretches of abandoned highway have made for plenty of stopping points for civil aircraft. However, the requirements for maintaining them means that there are thousands of planes that are simply rotting away in hangers and on tarmacs. Much the same applies to agile but fuel hungry helicopters may be agile, and multi-surface inflatable skirt hovercraft.

However, two seemingly dead aviation technologies have witnessed a renaissance.

Zeppelins made a rather surprising comeback in the mid 2030s. Although lighter than air craft often rather slow, they are more efficient fuel wise than jet aircraft, and can hover in one place longer than helicopters while maintaining higher altitudes. They are used for long range patrols, mobile cranes, or in the role of cruise liners for multinational trips. Despite the Hindenburg disaster that ended the first era of airships, many modern zeppelins  use hydrogen - its cheaper than Helium, has a greater buoyancy, and can be manufactured on site, while modern materials and safety systems mitigate its flammability risk. Several dirigibles are still airworthy because their main requirement can be easily manufactured, and their low speeds allow for simpler and more robust engines. Of course booking passage on one these days is more likely to invoke a quest of Tolkien-esq proportions than booking with a local agent.

Wing in ground effect vehicles - also known as ekranoplans - became rather popular means of transit for situations where higher speeds were required. The infamous 550 ton Caspian sea monster was able to travel at high speeds low over the water with 1960s technology. Modern composites, better engines, and computer aided design coupled with the efficiency of flying in ground effect made them quite desirable when oil shortages rendered conventional jumbo-jets exceedingly expensive to use. Furthermore, these low flying boats needed to a body of water, rather than expanding already overburdened airports.

Cruel as Wagner

Its Vivaldi. An electronic reproduction lacking in nuance, from some sup-par speakers, I'm afraid. These are truly brutal times. But that is no excuse for bad manners. You're my guest, is there a composer you would prefer?

...


Don't look so surprised. One simply can't be a raider in this day and age, without an appreciation for the baroque era of classical music. Natural selection - those who didn't are now dead. Well, not so much natural as guided - if I spoke of the "Will to Power" would I need to repeat myself?

Of Course. Nietzsche is a little bit advanced when you don't have the sphere. I'll try to explain it less philosophically, though if I am reduced to monosyllabic grunts, I will have to take you outside and put a bullet in your cranium.

Polite society did not fare well in the days following the arrival of our extraterrestrial guests. A large portion of the clerical grid went down, and government resources to deal with the scenario were rather thinly stretched. Quite a few took this time to rationalize their anti-social behaviors. Some justified it as protecting their family, and others felt that this lack of oversight meant some stumbling block had been removed from their path to becoming an ubermensch and dictating their own morals. A horrid perversion of the concept, mind you, the true superman rejects limits on creativity and living to the fullest, but does not fall to destruction.

That is the key. So many out to prove their dominance, to take what they feel is theirs. But you can only demonstrate your power over the windows of the local liquor store so many times. Filling bottles with a mixture of dish-soap and gasoline will not build fear or good protection.

Control is so much more. It is knowledge! Maintaining supplies of arms, knowing where convoys are going, knowing how far to push, without razing it all to the ground.

The raiders and brigands today are not the violent youths that grabbed as much as they could carry and ran off in the early days. Its the ones with keen minds and the ability to think in the long term. Knowing about Zugzwang in chess is as as necessary as the use of guns - though I will admit, if you learned to play chess while serving time in San Quentin - you have the best of both worlds.

We just about never hit a convoy directly. We harass from afar, leave some trees in their path, and put holes in one or two of the drivers every now and then. Just enough to let the towns along the way understand we could sever their life lines. In turn, they are willing to give us tributes to prevent this scenario.

Better to be the tax collector than toe cutter. The benefits of recurring business over a single raid is quite self evident. Indeed, we lose far more recruits in skirmishes with other outlaws than broaching the walls a settlement. It is to our benefit to make sure the areas under our - protection - remain viable an paying unto us.

Sometimes it is necessary to exert a bit more force. It would be dishonest to say I'm sorry that your caravan happened to bare the brunt of that occurrence. But flexibility and recognizing opportunity are important personal traits, and this is your time. My men were quite impressed by your performance protecting your wares.

You could do very well if you cultivated an appreciation for Stravinsky and signed on with our organization.

Entrance Examinations Part One

In a world with reanimates, alien war machines, and the occasional raider, security is of the utmost importance. The facade and portals a settlement shows to the world can go a long way to telling how friendly or desperate an area might be. Its unlikely that any settlement will have a shoot on site policy, except for the occasional criminal they have exiled.

General Ideas for Fortification
Due to the lack of coordination on behalf of the most common reanimate types, (One, Alpha, Two, and Three) simple walls of debris or uneven landscaping can slow them down enough for a warning to be issued and armed personnel to thin their numbers. Many small settlements don't go much farther than this, preferring to be able to relocate citizens quickly, over attempting to build barriers sufficient to sop they types that can leap six meters or smash reinforced concrete.

More permanent areas will usually have at least low walls of sand bags and wood to keep out humans as well as creatures, and perhaps provide elevated firing platforms. Using the remains of a nearby building or a newly erected tower are common means of keeping an eye on the surrounding area.

Those who can get their hand on old shipping containers, box cars, or semi-trailers are fond of using them as parts of the walls. Some truly paranoid communities will often set up "killer hallways". One common scheme for this is to have a pair of heavy shipping containers in an L shape, with a machine gun at the end of one leg, waiting for the people to blindly turn the corner. Another is to have the targets pass though a lightly built trailer, and simply shoot through the walls with a heavy caliber weapon after blocking the exit.

Generally speaking, most people like their entrance doors to be based on a dropping gate. Its a form of fail-safe - loosen the clasp, and gravity should take care of the rest. Sliding or conventional swinging doors can be hard to secure things are attempting to force their way in.

NEST
Megastructure arcologies are best thought of as "fortresses constructed from a sieve".

The bases of these huge buildings are giant shopping mall and entertainment complex, originally meant to help attract outside commerce. Thus ground level has dozens of doors, plate glass show windows, while further complications pop up in trying to secure the many underground access points - sewer access, subways stations, parking garages, and the loading docks.

However, the buildings were made to withstand fire, riots, and acts of terror - in addition to the normal security gratings and locks one expects on commercial ventures. National guard presence and a high population has also allowed these places to become heavily fortified. Many of the above ground entrances have been welded shut, then have old cars lifted over the concrete vehicle stopping blocks and placed in front of them. Others can have safety gates shut quickly, and are kept under armed watch at all hours. Even should the outer walls be breached, reinforced metal doors designed to contain jet fuel driven high-rise fires can corral opponents into predetermined kill zones.

New Birmingham
The truly surprising element about NB is how seemingly unsecured it is.

While most of the other city states tend to cluster around a centralized area seeking with strong walls and barricades,  this one is set up more like a series of suburbs. Each small area is easier to lock down in case of a breach, and puts fewer people at risk. Each six to ten square block area surrounded by a double chain-link fence, all but the portal areas with razor wire strung between. Towers, or simply standing on flat roofs gives excellent visibility, and  its often possible to shoot right through the fence at invaders and patch it later.

Some buildings are reinforced, and given murals to stand out from the rest.  These are secondary evacuation sites, for people to escape to until rescue arrives. Armed guards are usually posted at these buildings to make sure no one attempts to steal any of the emergency supplies kept within. Most of the churches also have reinforced panic rooms to protect the faithful.

Las Vegas
No outside problems are likely to get into Vegas, thus making it quite likely inside problems can get out.

With over four battalions of soldiers and much of their equipment, situated in a desert with clear lines of sight, noting unliving or alien is likely to approach within five miles of the former resort town. Its unlikely any traveler - presidential cabinet members including - to mover over two blocks without a check point asking to see their ID cards and inquiring bout their reasons.

Unfortunately, much of this is simply rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic. The patrols are far less about crime, and  a desire for the mil-gov to run a junta. Indeed, they tend to hate the busy work, but keeping the soldiers on patrol helps sideline the tensions that might otherwise flare up.

Prequel Enviroment

I'm aware that some people find the topics of Global Climate Change and Peak Oil controversial. Generally, the science I've read supports these theories - and frankly, it can't hurt to address them as problems. What is the worst that can happen? "Oh no, we made the world a better place for no good reason! The water is too clean, we must dump more sludge in it for the children! Curse you James Lovelock and your Gian hypothesis."

Such rants aside, these two elements are a fairly major factor in the back story of the Anarchy Zones, and how the world came to have a very cyberpunk milieu before the events of 2050.

Doubling and doubling again of oil prices between 2020 and 2030 effectively mandates the creation of more nuclear power plants, dams, wave energy, and wind turbines. It also serves to limit travel, encourage armies to downsize (Tanks get an economy of one to three gallons of fuel to the mile!),or focus on multi-fuel vehicles.

Altered climate changes migration patterns of humans and other creatures.With more people moving, new virus resiviours opened up, and urbanization brought them together. Nana-vaccine was not so much a medical breakthrough as a much needed counterstrike in the war against new diseases.

These elements combined make super expensive projects like the NEST arcologies feasible. As expensive as a 150 story city in a bottle is, that removes potentially thousands or cars from the roads, places the inhabitants in one place to monitor for disease and quarantine pandemic, and high standards in construction reduce future resource requirements.

This also placed more emphasis on telecommuting and centralizing resources.  Even in America, long beholden to its cars, High Speed trains like the French TVG began to appear. Dirigibles and blimps made a surprising comeback due to their ability to transport large loads with decent fuel economy, and VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) meant they could bring supplies right to the factories rather than hubs.

Nano-factories and micro-facs began to sprout up as transportation costs prohibited the ease of accepting international manufacture.

These new migrations and the importance of augmented reality over physically being there led to new social groups, and a belief that old national borders may be obsolete. These sentiments would lead to the free city of Tesla in the "present day" of the setting.

Before 2050, the setting would be ripe for a cyber-punk game, and indeed, perhaps a decade from now I'll write that prequel.