[ ] Syndicate Troopers [Crime]: Sophy's suggestion: building a coalition with the criminals of Louisiana, working with them to develop the Doomsday Retreat into a training camp to help create a new generation of criminal soldier. You'd need to supply them with sufficient gear, and you could turn a bunch of rag tag criminals into an army capable of taking on the toughest foes. Complete the Bootlegger Brigade and complete a Phase One Garage and Safehouse and a Phase Two Reznivok Private Lab. Reznikov Safe-Houses upgraded to gain additional phase that grants [Combat] dice. Must target faction using [Combat] project.
[ ] Cloning Division: ENFERR's suggestion was to establish a cloning division: one that could be used to simplify genetics projects. Once the basic infrastructure was in place, expanding it would be trivial, making it far easier for RADICAL to pursue cloning labs across the region- useful for practical and ethical reasons. Complete AlviCorp Cloning Sponsor, Hover-Brain Insurance, and complete a clone lab at the doomsday retreat: unlock Evil Brain Template and Cryptid ([Genetics, Radical, Mischief]), halving Clone Lab progress cost and upgrading them to give +1 to genetics.
[ ] Tortuga: Sophy wanted- simply put, to invest in the black market trade: if a factory was built to manufacture surplus DoP items, perhaps a plantation built, along with some docks for transportation- Well, what was it communists always talked about? Mutual aid? Complete DoP Factory, Docks, and Power Peanut Plantation at Doomsday Retreat. Under the Table Dealings and Reznikov Surplus gain additional phase: each phase also grants another point of Black Market Connections and potential funding.
September 3rd, 2075
Another year, another national convention. The weather this time was the exact same you noted tiredly, pulling into your parking spot as you sip on your synthetic DoP brand coffee. Exiting your car, you walked to the convention center entrance, idly noting the snipers on the roof, additional cameras throughout the parking lot, and increased prevalence of force field technology.
As you get into line, you notice that most of the people in the line look scared, unnerved. It's only been a week since the attack in Louisiana, and you presumed people were still spooked.
You were still recovering physically and mentally: the whole event had required months of you working your ass off. Gathering dossiers, training troops, coming up with plans, planting Arcadia Agent software where it would reach the right people, to say nothing of how much effort obfuscation and clean up was required and the headache that came from the paperwork that accompanied so many dead cops in a city that was nominally your jurisdiction. The trip to Australia in a few days would be spent sleeping, probably.
The effects were (mostly) glorious, however. In Lousiana, people had been rioting, taking advantage of the cops losing a third of their force in one night to steal or burn corporate property: it was unorganized, annoyingly opportunistic in a number of cases, and at least somewhat counterproductive. But the cops were terrified, refusing to patrol without considerable back-up and, most pleasingly, a lot more hesitant to try and rough up or murder people lest they attracted the personal attention of RADICAL. Cops are a cowardly and superstitious lot.
Those who aren't cowards, or who hadn't gotten the memo that they couldn't bully and murder without consequence any more, that was what woodchippers and snipers are for. And with their enforcers either dead or terrorized, the corps were sweating: you'd need to wait to see how they react, but the strikes just got a very big boost to their bargaining position. Not just in Louisiana, either: it had only been a few days, but Pinkerton stocks were dropping like stones and they had had to cut back on operations across the country- you were doing your best to keep abreast of the situation in Appalachia and things look very promising.
People were spooked. Those in denial were trying to claim you were just another variation of NEXT's nonsense, an imitator. But not everyone: several pundits, ones you considered slightly less intellectually cretinous, had noted the fact that Knightfall had not only been every bit as explosive as the DC Attack and much more focused. Some alarmists pointed at your very explicit references to communist slogans and the fact that you had the technology to- from what they can see- turn random godfearing Americans into lethal sleeper agents against their will- the speculation was all over the place for how you had accomplished that, from pheromones to psychic powers. A few publications had even successfully theorized that it had been software. .
They hadn't seen anything yet: you were just getting started, though sourly you did note that the news wasn't all good. The Veep had given a speech, they were sending the national guard to hunt you down and giving the Pinkertons a stimulus: you'd need to get a lot more aggressive about both your expansion and your attacks.
Passing through the security scanner, you patiently tapped your foot as you got patted down and sniffed and what-not, doing your best to tune out the security theater, noting how ineffective it'd be if you actually did target the convention. All it would take would be hijacking and rewiring the controls of an airplane or something and crashing it into the building-. Maybe drop a bomb or something if you wanted to keep the plane. Of course, that was assuming you ever had a reason to target the DoP over the myriad number of other assholes on your list.
Whistling to help pass time, eventually the security theater ended, you received a polite thank you for your patience from a fellow working security, and you finally entered the facility. Much like last year, the center was packed: no one, it had seemed, had been interested in changing their plans for something as inconsequential as a little purge of police. The hall was full of stalls, booths, and what not, with DoP members both manning said stalls or perusing them, or else chatting amongst themselves. The turnout was higher this year, you noted: other organizations had been invited, like the…
You sighed, spotting a booth showing off the latest in FBI crowd control technology, some sort of sound emitter designed to cause young people within earshot of an officer auditory agony, which several DoP Security Guards were watching eagerly. Fucking Clancy…
You growled, deciding to ignore it. The FBI was on your list. You'd get to them eventually- your sister had guaranteed that when she decided to give them the tools to survive the Apocalypse. Right now, you had business to conduct.
__________________________________
"Jeez, Nancy, are you alright?" You said, concerned, your friend looking terrible: her hair was going every way at once, she had thick bags under her eyes, and she looked like she hadn't been eating.
She gave a very wan smile. "It's been a hard year," She admitted in a tone that screamed exhaustion. You had encountered her in front of the Carver Foundation exhibit: apparently they were experimenting with something called 'vita-rays' they had used to grow an entire stalk of gigantified corn in less than a month. "We still haven't climbed out of the hole yet. How's your year going, Edgar?"
"Great, I blew up a city, but seriously, Frankenstein, you look terrible," You observed, to which Nancy gave a sigh.
"I'm aware," She muttered, taking a bite off the buttered megacob the exhibit had passed out. "I've been having to pull a lot of all nighters: Daisy has a lot of creditors it needs to keep happy, and that means we need to figure something out to keep us afloat, and that means lab-time."
"Nance, don't try and claim it's just all-nighters: I do all-nighters. You look like you've been doing all-weekers." You said, concerned.
"A few: did you know that most versions of Boost work with caffeine pills?" Nancy admitted, using her free hand to rub her eye…and then frowning, pulling it away, eye now smeared with butter and bits of corn. "Crap, my hand had butter on it. Do you have a napkin or something?"
"Not at all," You noted, growing more concerned. Nancy had always been a workaholic- you got by on your brains, House had gotten by on his ability to make smart investments and networking, but back in college, Nancy had gotten by by working her ass off. Out of your entire friend group, she was the only one to regularly pull all nighters until a project was done. But the only, ONLY time you had seen her in a condition like this had been exams, and she had eventually had to be taken to the hospital back then.
"Damn it!" She cried, eye twitching, stamping her foot. "I swear to god this day keeps on getting worse. First our nuclear spectrometer- a several hundred thousand dollar machine- breaks, then the car I rented gets dinged on the way here, and now this! Can't I get a break?" She laments, sighing.
"Look, Nance, if you need a loan-" You started, causing her to groan, throwing her corn on the cob in a trash bin, the remains of the plant bouncing around the rim for a bit before landing outside the receptacle, on the ground.
"God no. Sorry Edgar, I know you mean well, but I need more debt like I need a hole in my head," She responded, trying to wipe the butter off her eye with her labcoat. "I just need to complete a project- something I can either sell or get grant money for. Then I'll be fine, it'll all be fine, it'll all be fine, just need a product, fine, fine, fine-"
You snap, causing Steinbeck to start awake. "I'm fine!" she said suddenly, going ramrod straight at the noise and looking around with a brief look of surprise and alarm. "Huh, what? Oh hey Edgar. Did you know caffeine pills work with most version of Boost?"
Christ on a pogostick.
_________________
"Hey, Edgar!"
You turned, seeing an annoyingly chipper face. Warney. "Good to see you man: I thought considering the thing that happened on your turf you wouldn't come," Your sisters right hand man said, oblivious to the general contempt you held him in.
"This has been planned for awhile. I'm not going to let a bunch of terrorists terrorize me from doing the things I've scheduled," You said, relatively flatly, with Warney giving a nod, brim of his panama hat bouncing.
"I hear you man. Still, shit is crazy. Anyways, I just came by to tell you thanks." Something was off, but you couldn't place what.
"The atomicrops thing?" You said, grunting. "You're welcome, I guess." What was Warney's game? Did he even have one?
"Mmm. Anyways-"
"Look, I'd love to chat," You lied. "But I'm late for a meeting," You continued to lie, causing Warney to frown.
"Alright man," He said, measured annoyance in his voice. "Catch you later, I guess."
______________
You didn't like talking to Clancy, but unfortunately you didn't have a choice. "Edgar," She greeted you neutrally as you entered the temporary office, interrupting her conversation with someone else: an older woman, seated across from Clancy.
"And you would be?" The woman said in a posh british accent, raising a thin eyebrow. You barely looked her over: no doubt one of your sisters many partners in fascism.
"Edgar Wright. Team America of Lousiana coordinator." You answered dryly, eyes flicking to the man in the corner, who looked deeply uncomfortable in your presence. Psychic then. "P-Files, I take it."
The woman had an inscrutable expression on her face that masked the annoyance and disdain she felt towards being interrupted. "Incorrect- I work in the American Affairs department. Mrs. Sarah Pendleton," She responded.
"I was talking about the creep in the corner," You said, pointing at the man, causing both his and Pendletons eyebrows to shoot up. Shock- no, that was too extreme. Surprise, then- unusual but not unexpected. Some sort of perception affecting field you had unknowingly bypassed?
"You can see m-" The man said, confused, only to be cut off by Clancy coughing.
"Dr. Mentus is an independent liaise," She said calmly, eyes flicking to both people, who paled. "Pendleton, Mentus, take five: this is important. Edgar is in charge of the region that just got hit by RADICAL."
The pair of their eyebrows shot up considerably. "Well, I'll leave you to it then," Pendleton said, voice not containing naked interest. She was going to be a problem then: people didn't look at you like that unless they were going to make life harder for you, usually. "I still need to visit Agent Sheren and make sure the detention center in Houston is on track," She groused, standing up and shuffling out, Dr. Mentus following her.
A moment later, you and Clancy were alone. "Now, what did you n-"
"The FBI, Clancy? Really? I knew you were a fascist but I didn't think you were a moron."
Clancy gave a deep sigh. "Okay, this is what we're doing, I guess. Edgar, I don't know if you've noticed, but right now the country has not one but two major supervillain organizations, one of whom for their first act deliberately and specifically targeted law enforcement."
"Neither of which are the DoP's problem to solve- we're meant to help prepare for the future, not combat terrorism," You responded dryly. "Besides which- you know what the bureau is like. Giving them a Bunker means people are going to have to deal with hungry, oversightless, and angry feds once the bombs drop." You ignore the fact that she started work on it BEFORE your debut- Clancy would almost certainly just point out NEXT already existing and the bee bombs.
"It became our problem the moment NEXT nuked a major american city," Clancy countered, eyes furrowed, and you detected…something in her voice. Regret, maybe? "Believe me, I do not like having to work with the Bureau- they're an absolute clown of an organization, and yes, bullies. But bullies are better than terrorists. Besides, our experts believe that they'll serve as a stabilizing power in the wasteland to help counter-"
"Oh bullshit they'll be a stabilizing element. Since when have cops ever stabilized the situation? You're just ensuring another even worse variety of bandit."
Clancy breathed out of her nose. "Your complaint is noted, but unfortunately I'm not changing policy." She responded, closing her eyes, clearly deciding she was done. "You're going to need to suck it up and accept that sometimes the Department is going to sometimes make choices you don't like."
…Alright. "Then we have nothing more to talk about," You responded coldly, standing up, noting she had forced your hand. You weren't going to let the FBI of all organizations survive the apocalypse. You'd need to take them out.
Gained Faction Card!
The Bureau [Government, Security, Crime]: The FBI. Hoover's Boys- and the federal enforcers of the government. You had gone after the small fry cops- now to go after the big boy ones.
Gain Side Quest: Destroy the Bureau.
Reward: +100 Influence and Hoovers Grave Perk.
________________
Hey man, hows it going? So, bad news, good news, and mixed news.
This is your second national convention, right? Expect prices to fluctuate a bit, both buying and selling. That's the bad news: because of inflation your dice aren't worth as much, and because of a declining economy your money doesn't go as far and it's harder to acquire it. Major Dice now only sell for twenty, and the price for selling and buying funding has gotten worse.
Here's this years rate:
Buying 1 Point of Funding = 6 Point of Influence.
Selling 1 Point of Funding: 4 Influence
1 Major Category Dice = 20 Points of Influence.
1 Minor Category Dice = 15 Points of Influence.
The good news my man: minor category dice are up in price. Beyond that, I called in a few favors, you have a few more doors opened for you. You can spend your influence on new things, including special favors and dice.
What dice are available- and how many you can purchase- change year by year, same with the favors.
I'm not going to tell you how to spend your influence here, man, because that isn't cool. But you have some opportunities here, both to help our allies and prepare for our next move.
====
Units
Each unit provides +1 Dice of their tag.
Logistic Agent Squad [Outreach]: The footsoldiers of the DoP, Logistics Agents are tasked with securing and expanding supply lines and liaising with non-DoP civilian agencies and programs to maximize survival odds. Cost: 25 Influence, Max 1
Field Agent Team [Agent]: DoP agents trained in forensic science, fire-arms, and other skills, these agents are used to gather information, conduct dangerous operations, and other forms of field work. Cost: 20 Influence, Max 1
DaisyTech Liasons [Daisy]: Members of DaisyTech who have agreed to work with the DoP to advance the organizations mutual interests, facilitating co-operation and allowing for more projects benefitting both groups to be pursued. Cost: 20 Influence, Max 2
Cryptid Caretakers [Weird]: Zookeepers, biologists, trackers, non-lethal hunters, veterinarians, and animal behavioralists vetted by the C-Files, Cryptid Caretakers provide numerous useful services in the field of cryptid capture and care. Cost: 15 Influence, Max 3.
Exchange Agents [Community]: Members of the DoP who work under a different regional branch of Team America who have signed up for the Sister City initiative, they specialize in helping develop specific communities. They're typically cycled on a monthly basis between cities in the program. Select either Cambridge or Harlem. Cost: 10 Influence. Max 1.
Favors
DoP Finance Grants: Pull a few strings: you could help get the DoP to finance an organization you found useful. It'd let the organization expand and, if it wasn't doing well, potentially keep it's finances in the black. 0/15, Select a Faction: increase it's Wealth. Repeatable X3
National Guard Dossier: Unless they escalated to the army immediately, it wasn't unlikely they were going to declare martial law and mobilize the national guard in the state very soon. While you could gather the information to begin targeting them on your own, you could probably save the effort by doing it now. 0/25, gain National Guard Faction Card [Military, Government, Security].
Intelligence Agency Dossier: The Bureau were at the top of your list- but they weren't the only ones on it. The whole rotten edifice needs to be destroyed, both the Company and the DIA. You'd need to call in a lot of favors to get this dossier. 0/50, gain The Company [Government, Agent, Security] and DIA [Military, Agent, Security].
Putting Out Hits: Sophia had plenty of connections to the criminal underworld. By making a few deals, you might be able to start sabotaging your enemies by putting out hits on vital yet vulnerable targets. 0/25, select a faction: increase Lethal Bounty stat. Repeatable X2.
Sponsorships: A bit unorthodox, but it was less work than having to arrange for one of these normally, meaning you freed up just a little more time. 0/25, gain one new Sponsorship to be voted on at the end of the Australia event. +25 for each existing unfulfilled sponsorship.
Technology
Atomicrops Phase Two [Agriculture]: The Atomicrops initiative had largely stalled out: until your contribution, only minor improvements had been made. Your notes had given the project a kick in the pants, however: it might be possible to make a real breakthrough! 11/50 Influence, unlocks more advanced T2 Atomicrops projects focusing on ecology and agriculture and increasing Seed Vault primary stat. Gains 5+1 progress per year.
Superdog Initiative [Augmentation]: The DoP has successfully developed a number of experimental methods to improve K-9 units, including chems, genetic alteration, cybernetics, and good old fashioned selective breeding. 2/25, unlock T1 Dogmentation Projects focusing on security, increases max phase of K-9 Teams by 1. Unlocks Canine genetic template. Yearly Progress: +2
ACME Power! [ACME]: ACME Energy! Producers of items such as the ACME Rechargeable Fusion Core, ACME brand Reactors, and ACME batteries! Why, so long as you ignore the fact that shaking their representatives hand makes your skin crawl, they're probably the least terrible power supply option you have available! 0/25, unlock T1 ACME Energy projects focusing on power generation and electrical infrastructure, increase national ACME Power.
Androids [Robotics] The robotics program of Cambridge was non-comparable. One of the technological fields they had been exploring was that of humaniform robots. Long term, their goal was to create machines indistinguishable from humans. For now, however, they had a few glitchy prototypes. 0/50, unlock T1 Cambridge Robotics projects focusing on labour and robotic manpower.
BioOptimizer Serum Phase 3 [Genetics] The BioOptimizer formula was once of the most breathtakingly incredible things made by the DoP. A blend of chems, mutagens, and retrovirals, a single vial could eliminate all manner of genetic disease ranging from simple sickle cell anemia to cancer. 0/150, unlock T3 BioOptimizer projects and increases the phases of several [Genetics] tagged options.
Daisy Fission [Energy] As fusion technology became ever more ubiquitous, Daisy had begun to experiment with ways to keep fission competitive, such as special fission cores or nuclear waste recycling or novel methods of reactor design. 0/35, unlock T1 Daisy Fission projects focusing on modernizing fission-energy technology to keep it competitive.
ACME Construction [Construction] ACME currently offered a handful of very useful products for building things, like robotic forklifts, labourtrons, ALLn1's. These made construction significantly easier. 0/35, unlock T2 ACME Construction technology, providing new engineering projects and providing several [Construction] projects additional phases.
National Initiatives
Strategic Personnel Depot Expansion [Population]: The SPD's were currently limited to a handful of regions. However, with a push, it might be possible to convince the DoP to expand their construction. 0/100, unlock Strategic Personnel Depot Construction [Population, DoP, Facilities] (0/750)(Repeatable), which unlocks a new SPD Community Card per completion.
Laser Tower Defense Arrays [Missile Defense]: Currently the best tool the department had to shoot down nuclear weapons, they were expensive, power hungry, and a pain in the ass to build, but if they could expand production to write off regions… 0/150, unlock Laser Tower [Missile Defense, Energy, Security] (0/350)
Equestrianaughts! [Ecology]: Horses. Proof that if god exists, he's dead, because no kind diety would allow humans to breed something so fragile, jittery, and weird into existence. Their cold soulless eyes pierce into your heart, and you are convinced the creatures would plot our downfall if they could. 0/50, unlock Community DoP Stables [Ecology, Logistics, Security] (0/250)
HELIOS [Energy]: You despised most corporations, but Poseidon was the only one other than ACME looking into non-nuclear methods of power generation. The DoP apparently had a license to reproduce their solar facility in Nevada, but had never done so: time to correct that. 0/50, unlock HELIOS Solar Plant [Energy, Ecology, Facilities] (0/150).
Partnerships
Hornwright Industrial [Corporate]: A primarily Appalachia based organization, Hornwright was primarily a mining company, one that year by year was automating faster and faster. They were looking to funnel some of the growth they were experiencing into expansion, and their catalog had several interesting offers, like the Hornwright Air Purifiers… 0/50, unlock Hornwright Partnership, granting several [Industry] tagged projects, unlocking Hornwright Sponsorships, and granting +1 [Corporate] Faction Dice.
Garrahan Mining [Corporate]: Another Appalachian company that was looking to expand into Lousiana in order to keep the company afloat if things went poorly for them in their home region. In the automation war, they were fighting on the side of anti-automation, a losing battle if you had ever heard one. 12/75, unlock Garrahan Mining Partnership, granting several [Industry] tagged projects, unlocking sponsorships, and no additional dice. Just a warning, Edgar, they might be easier on your conscience, but you'd be backing a dying horse.
Postal Service [Government]: Come rain or shine. The united states postal service had seen better days, having been significantly defunded over the past few years. By forming a partnership with them, you might be able to reinforce lines of communication in the region. 0/50, unlock Postal Service Partnership, Sponsorships, granting several [Logistics] tagged projects, and +1 [Government] Faction Dice.
Mensa [Education]: On the one hand, western IQ tests were bourgeois imperialist nonsense created by colonialists as a means of justifying their prejudice and reaffirming their sense of superiority. On the other Mensa was a highly influential organization that did admittedly have a very large amount of very smart people, and a partnership with them would be highly useful for optimizing your organization. 0/150, unlock Mensa Partnership, Sponsorships, granting several [Personel] tagged projects, and granting +1 [Education] faction dice.
Navy [Military]: The United States Navy. One of the core components of the ongoing war: RADICAL would need to go after them or the Army hard at some point- assuming the bombs didn't drop first- but until then you could probably get some decent funding and influence from working with them. And until then, you could engage in a little light sabotage. 0/40, unlock Navy Partnership, Sponsorship, and Faction Card, granting several [Military] tagged projects. +1 to [Military] faction dice.
Vault Tec [Vault Tec]: Manufacturers of Vaults. Atrocious safety standards- you were almost convinced the death traps they had made were on purpose, though in reality the fact most Vaults were doomed to fail was just the company cutting corners, probably. Still, they had some pretty good technology and while most of their vaults were deathtraps that acted as fly-paper for the credulous and trusting, they at least had the potential to act as a reservoir for potential survivors. 0/100, unlock Vault Tec partnership, unlocking several [Vault Tec] projects. +2 [Vault Tec] die.
Mama Dolce [Agriculture]: Oh hey, your favorite frozen dinner company was looking to expand. Working with them could be useful for helping improve regional food security. 0/25, unlock Mama Dolce partnership. +1 Agriculture Dice.
====
Next time on Eve of Destruction Part Two:
Australia, the Lost Continent. Shrouded in constant radiation storms, what mysteries and terrors hide within? Starring Edgar Wright and Team America in a special heartpounding thriller-adventure featuring GIANT SIZED horror, action, and drama! Can our heroes survive? Will they learn the dark truth of what happened? And what answers does the irradiated continent hold for their own future? Find out in...
SUPER TEAM AMERICA LIMITED ISSUE #1: THE EXPEDITION!
Brought to you by Wright Comics!
