Futuristic 【DEADꗈOASIS】

[Saturnity]

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Major Factions

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Four Corners City Public Defense Force (PDF)


Dedicated to the enforcement of local laws and protection of the peace, the PDF is maintained by the Central Administration Bureau and operates out of eight district branches dotting the city landscape. They have access to rather large peacekeeping resources such as weapons and armor, and while their technology is outclassed by that of NLEx, they have greater manpower and influence, in addition to the legal protection granted by the CAB. The PDF headquarters is located in the central portion of Four Corners, surrounded by the lush green artificial landscapes of the business and tourism disctrict. While not all branches are involved, the PDF is infamous for its corruption and how it extorts local businesses for extra protection against The Grid, a large network of criminal organizations built into FCC society.


The Central Administration Bureau (CAB)


Initially formed by leaders of NLEx during the rise of the WIF, the Central Administration Bureau is the panel government based out of Four Corners, and has a hand in nearly every agency in the nation. Similar to the House of Representatives of the late U.S.A., the CAB is formed by ambassadors and business leaders of the many cities in the WIF and networks to the individual city governments. There is no individual power such as a President to represent the people of the entire nation, so all passed and enforced laws are decided upon by vote of the Administration panel. In order to balance the power of the Ambassadors, each one is set in authority of their own district and PDF branch in Four Corners, allowing them to police each other while they maintain the city.


New Life Explorations (NLEx)


Founded shortly before the Tretin War, NLEx was well known as a forerunner of Tretinium research and the development of human interface technology that utilized the element. Eventually the company, led by CEO Bix Donovan and his siblings, expanded into a great variety of departments and agencies, soon encapsulating the world as the forerunner in modern technology. Interestingly enough, despite the focus on technological development, NLEx had no apparent hand in the production of the bombs used in the destruction of the United States, China, and Australia, although it is believed by many opponents and skeptics that they manipulated the tense situation behind the scenes. In the present day, NLEx operates out of a great number of facilities in the Western Industrial Federation, providing a variety of jobs, goods, and services to the economy, as well as funding and operating the current military. Behind the scenes, they also control an elite force of operatives known as the Pride, which is dedicated to investigating and eradicating the corruption present in Four Corners City.


The Grid


This massive underground network was formed in an attempt to unify the many groups in the WIF harboring anti-government sentiment, and now function as an organization cloaked behind the inner workings of the nation’s infrastructure and citizenry. Appealing to the less fortunate masses, they promote the image of trying to rebuild the nation from the ground up, with many of The Grid’s backers believing that to topple the head government you must first eliminate its foundation, NLEx in this case. Borrowing power from the people and various criminal associations in Four Corners, the Grid operates its own Tretin trafficking and generates its own armaments to fight against the current powers that be.

Tretinium: The Seed of God

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Discovered in a “core” mining operation based out of northern Arizona, Tretinium is a unique element that takes the form of a glowing aquamarine gel when exposed to the moisture in the air. It didn’t take long for the unique material to take the world by storm, after it was revealed to have a variety of bizarre and “beneficial” properties. Nicknamed “The Seed of God” or simply “Tretin” by non-pious types, Tretinium produces its own special radiation, the intensity of which increases exponentially when combined in solution with water. The radiation itself held many uses, the most prominent of which was the capability to unlock previously dormant areas of brain activity in humans by matching the wavelengths of electronic signals in the nervous system. This, in turn, granted such capabilities as allowing users to interface with electrical computer systems directly, essentially making them an extension of the human mind.


This new and powerful development, known prominently as Human Interface Technology, or HIT swept the world, advancing the world into a new age rife with robotics, cybernetics, and of course, weaponry. Tretinium soon became engrained into every aspect of society, with new uses for the HIT system being released nearly every day.


There are four predominant HIT systems developed by NLEx and used in the WIF:


CAST (Computerized Assistance Terminal)


The CAST is derivative of personal computers, and comes in a variety of forms, ranging form headsets to internal cybernetics. The use of Tretin’s radiation coupled with the advancement of modern computing allows users to directly uplink their thoughts, emotions, and memories into their CAST and subsequently into any online network available. The uses for the CAST are practically endless, and it is a very common item in use by the citizens and businesses in the WIF.


The Husk System


When NLEx first began its research into Tretinium, its focus was predominantly on the applications in medicine and how the new element could be used to treat disease, disorders, and other medical conditions. Sadly, research for the first two options didn’t work out, however with Tretin’s ability to interface the human mind with electronics, NLEx came up with an idea. By incorporating the idea of an exoskeleton that could assist the crippled with movement and motor function into HIT, the company created special devices that attached to limbs and joints on the body and interfaced with the associated neurons in the brain that controlled their movement via a CAST variation. The result of the new product was overwhelmingly positive and successful, with even quadriplegic patients regaining full use of their bodies. The success was so great that the company eventually approved Persona for use in its military, as a means to enhance the natural combat movements of the human body with incredible mechanical precision and speed.


Persona


A particularly groundbreaking development by NLEx in the field of artificial intelligence, Persona was originally designed as a therapeutic buddy system that generated a computerized “partner” for trauma victims by uploading their mental framework and using that information to automatically generate an AI to relate to the patient. The Persona program met a resounding success, finally achieving what many believe to be true AI due to its ability to mimic the structure of human thought and emotion. In even further, more private studies, NLEx coupled Personas into the already popular Husk exoskeletons. This turned the Husk into an even greater combat tool, essentially being supported by two minds that could act in concert or independently in a firefight to save the life of the user. This capability is heavily restricted to NLEx’s private fighting force, The Pride, making them truly a force to be reckoned with.


N-Tech


While N-Tech is technically a branch of NLEx that prides itself in the development of common consumer goods and appliances, it also refers to a series of tools created by that same division. The N-Tech tools are essentially computerized gauntlets that can be retrofitted with a variety of equipment and can run custom programs to suit the user. In addition, it can be upgraded to run parallel to any other NLEx generated product, such as a Husk or CAST. N-Tech gauntlets or bracelets have been popularly altered by both NLEx personnel and organizations belonging to The Grid to function as “smart weapons” that can help with tracking opponents and generating combat routines for use with Husks.