The City At The Center of Mars (Red Planet Rising)

TheMaskedReader · Sep 13, 2022

The City at the Center of Mars

Prologue: Tickets, Please!

Sabina Holzer's smiling visage recognized all over Mars as the face of the Martian Broadcasting Corporation, comes onto screens all over Mars, all of them tuning into the nightly news update. "I'm Anchor Sabina Holzer, and this is MBC News - Your premier source for information the planet over. Today with me are Nellie Checkers and Martin Rudolfus. On the docket for tonight are updates on the Enterprise Civil War, weather reports, and a special segment on ODIN's MBR-9 prototype, which is expected to enter production before the year is out…but first, we'll be talking news from Mariner City."

"The latest news out of Mariner City from our reporters on the ground indicates that the Martian Popular Authority's peacekeeping mission has come to a close, with the crushing of the final pockets of armed resistance to their solidified control in the region. The so-called 'Great Game of Mariner City' has ended with a victory for the Reds, leaving the future of Stadium's attempts at consolidating control uncertain, given the Reds stated focus on 'internal community self-governance'. Stationmaster Eliza Rutherford has formally congratulated the winners and announced a new initiative meant to aid in further repression of partisan efforts and integration of the newly pacified provinces, as well as securing strategic resources within the region such as Terraforming Station Alpha. Railway construction in Mariner City proceeds apace, Martin, you're our resident engineering expert, can you comment-" The broadcast flickers, as it has tended to do since League One's destruction, and other transmissions briefly leak through.

"-on the fact that our leaders are apostates, made unworthy of their positions by their support and maintenance of the cursed terraformers! But you can provide them the means to become holy! One by one, the heretical machines shall explode in the cleansing flame brought by our holy warriors! Serve us in the fight to free Mars from the evils of terraforming! Let your children breathe and drink of only the most filtered air and water-" A hooded Hieromonk of the Church of Red Mars flashes onto the screen, the looped recording broadcast from some pirate station on one screen.

"-as all should. Should we not have sympathy for the reactionary? Should we not have sympathy for the misguided, the evil, the fool - There is naught left of their works on Mars but ash and blood. Should we not have sympathy for the ones who have destroyed themselves and their own society, who-" A segment of Station programming filters in from Rocabarraigh's direction onto another, the voice indistinct and soft.

"-don't give a fuck about Central - I'm gonna fight because I've seen every government on Mars try to run roughshod over Mariner City, and it's no different when it's an alien boot stamping on our face instead of a Martian one. The MUC, the UN, the MPA, Stadium, MBC - They only want this city because of its use to them, its resources and labor, after they destroyed it in the first place! None of them should-" An angry young voice cries out, the small transmission breaking through.

"-join with the United Nations, here to defend Mars from the threat of those who would disdain humanity itself-" A chipper voice rings out for only a second on one, before being cut off by the television flickering off, the viewer snarling in disgust.

"-And so that's what we have to look forward to? Thanks, Martin. Anyways, onto our next segment-" The broadcast flickers one last time before resuming. In that last second of silence, though, something echoes out from the void of space, by freak chance briefly catching onto the receiver of one small television sitting in an empty home - And the faint stirrings of a song can be heard, if only briefly.

"There's a Starman waiting in the sky
He'd like to come and meet us
But he thinks he'd blow our minds
There's a Starman waiting in the sky
He's told us not to blow it
'Cause he knows it's all worthwhile…"

You are Special Conductor Rosalind Beriel, and you are sitting in a passenger car, slightly cramped for space by your fellow passengers. For as much as many like to consider it Station's national pastime to build endless amounts of trains, with the infrastructure capacity to match, service running through Mariner City itself are a relatively recent phenomenon, and so space is in short supply, with all of the logistical needs of various settlements, military emplacements, and the trains themselves needing to be accounted for before passengers. You simply count yourself lucky that you've got a seat at all, regardless of comfort. Still, a distraction would be welcome, and so you glance out the window.

Mariner City…the mega-city that once ruled the planet, is visibly scarred by the conflict that has raged within it for the past few years, but is clearly not yet broken. The towering buildings of the iconic skyline still rise high over the horizon, despite the obvious decay brought on by the passing of time, and as the train passes through, the signs of life can be seen, the population of the city showing their mark, even if diminished. Gardens and small farms dot rooftops or the space formerly occupied by small parks, with farmers and guards alike staring at the train as it passes. The sound of construction equipment roars in the near distance, even as small figures scramble over a building under construction. A small market has been set up near a Stadium checkpoint, the Red militia on guard duty mingling with the small crowd, only briefly visible before it flashes out of sight.

This is not to say that the scars of war are not equally visible, in comparison to the more measured scars of time. For every building still filled with life, there are empty ones - Blackened by flame, pockmarked with bullet holes, or simply crushed, walls fallen down or roofs caved in. Perhaps from lack of maintenance aggravated by the cruel demands of warfare - Or, perhaps, you think, from the monstrous destructive force that power armor and battlemechs bring to the table. Checkpoints scattered throughout the streets are manned and defended by MPA forces, trying to guard the nascent railway from the final remnants of saboteurs and partisan attacks, even after the Great Game drove the vast majority of organized resistance underground. It is an unfortunate reminder of the work that is yet to come, and so you look back inside the train. There will be plenty of time to reflect on that later.

Speaking of your work, perhaps a brief moment to collect yourself is in order, if only to center your thoughts before you arrive at your first assignment. You take a brief second to think back on your past…

You are a…

[] Rocabarraigh Revolutionary

You were born and raised under the rule of the Water Barons of Rocabarraigh, and you were inducted into the long-held Martian tradition of underground unions when you began working as a teenager. When Station's diplomats arrived, you were one of those who welcomed them, rallying your union to vote to strike in solidarity with their demands. When Station's aid arrived, you were a member of the small cells who unpacked and distributed weapons to your fellow union members. When the declaration of war came, you were one of those who participated in the uprising that liberated the Citadel. Ever since, you've been enlisted in Station's armed forces, fighting on the frontlines of practically every battle of the Unification War - And you wouldn't have it any other way.
Your Role is: Soldier of the Revolution. You have a militant mindset, and your preferred solutions are direct and often involve force - Luckily for you, you are quite good at applying it. This isn't to say you aren't eloquent. While direct, your speeches often inspire and rally those inclined to agree with you, which is handy in making sure you're able to win any fights you might get into.
Your Personal Goal is: The Red Barony's Red Terror - Dismantle at least five resistance cells in Mariner City.
Pick this option if you enjoy: Being a firebrand idealist. Cutting through Gordian Knots. Reaching socialism through violence.

[] Cu Sith Civil Servant

You're a former mayor, hailing from a small town out in Cu Sith. You were in charge of your town's logistics and kept track of the various quotas and whatnot from Station, making sure everything got where it needed to be and that everyone got what they needed from it. When you enlisted, you told your recruiter about your experience and landed a spot in the Logistics Coordination Task Force, where you wound up spending the war helping to wrangle together a functional logistical system to supply the diverse forces of the MPA and UN all across Mars in the face of sabotage and stubborn allies. You learned a lot about how to manipulate the law and systems of power in your quest to aid the military, and you've taken that forward into your quest to aid the people of Mariner City.
Your Role is: The Socialist Bureaucrat. You are well aware of how power is tied to the bureaucracy of Station and the MPA, and as such, your solutions tend towards indirect methods that do not expend much of that power, exercises in efficiency and elegancy, if ones that might be called…convoluted or manipulative.
Your Personal Goal is: I'm From The Government And I'm Here To Help - Ensure all Mariner City provinces, factions, and polities are integrated fully into Stadium, University, or another MPA-aligned polity.
Pick this option if you enjoy: Calling in favors and playing politics. Knowing everyone and knowing everything. Being the woman with the plan.

[] New Ys Newswoman

You wrote for one of the more popular Station periodicals, but when the war came knocking, you enlisted immediately to do your patriotic duty. With your skills, however, you got the opportunity to join the Propaganda Division, which you happily took. You spent the war pumping out propaganda and acting as a journalistic attache to various divisions. You wound up at the Siege of Stadium and captured several images and testimonies that made their way across the nation, showing the aftermath of Phoenix Company's disregard for civilian casualties in their attempt at striking the heart of Stadium. You've gained no small amount of renown for that, and you hope you'll be able to tap into that same expertise of framing events and plucking at heartstrings for your job here.
Your Role is: Populist People's Propagandist. Your preferred method of solving problems involves the average person on the street - In the abstract, of course. A solid campaign of positive relations and persuasion of the public mindset will do far more to solve any given issue than any individual solution. Of course, that necessitates some institutional cooperation from the locals, and building up the forces to sustain that…but, well, everything needs compromise!
Your Personal Goal is: Revolutionize the Business - Discredit the Martian Broadcasting Corporation in Mariner City and replace them with an MPA coalition of news sources and broadcasters.
Pick this option if you enjoy: Winning hearts and minds. Trying to compromise with everyone (except MBC, those rat bastards). Being a finicky creative type, with a talent for smooth talking.

Author's Note: Welcome to the City at the Center of Mars! Some of you may be new, some of you may have come here from my prior quest set in the universe of Red Planet Rising, but I hope to provide a fun experience for everyone. To give a brief shoutout, Red Planet Rising is a MegaGame that was designed and created by Andrew Shiel Dods with support from True North MegaGames. All credit for the setting goes to him! There will be an informational post that will provide basic knowledge of the setting going up shortly, and of course, I am present both here and on the Wordsmiths Discord Server to answer any questions that folks want to ask about the setting or Quest.

TheMaskedReader · Sep 13, 2022

Melas Chasma Factions

The home of Station and the MPA, Melas Chasma is the most stable of all three regions within the Valley. Though not untouched by the war, Melas Chasma has suffered the least damage from it, with Station, Shanxi, and ODIN all managing to protect the core of their nations from significant damage. While Hephestus's collapse and the pacification of Mariner City led to a refugee crisis wracking the region, prompt management has seen the situation stabilize. Still, there's a long road to reconstruction ahead of everyone!

Station was born of those who were in the once-expansive Martian train system upon the collapse, as a heroic group of engineers recalled all trains to the sheltered Depot upon the outbreak of hostilities. Turning to rationing and communal values due to a high civilian population and low resources, they took pride in maintaining their equality, fairness, and democracy in comparison to the rest of Mars. Now, a century later, they are also the premier socialist nation on Mars - the harbingers of the new world order under the Martian Popular Authority. This has not come without a cost, though. The scars of the Unification War have left their mark, with thousands upon thousands of enemy soldiers interned in prisoner of war facilities across Station territory undergoing a long-term rehabilitation program, and a refugee crisis that has only recently come under control. Politically, the currently elected Stationmaster, Eliza Rutherford, is the center of immense popular support, being hailed as the architect of the MPA's victory in the Unification War. This fervor has only been heightened by the failed attempt on her life mere months ago. The future seems bright for Station!

Hephaestus, once steadfast anarcho-communist allies of the Martian Popular Authority, now lies destroyed as a polity, its population largely fleeing into Mariner City or Station from the depredations of raiders and the consequences of the collapse of the polity. But the spirit of anarchism never truly dies! With Stationmaster Rutherford's concilliatory policies and commitment to rebuilding, the New Council of Hephaestus bears the proud legacy of Hephaestus within Station's borders. They have a difficult task ahead of them, which will likely take years, as they seek to rebuild and re-establish Hephaestus. Still, the general mood within Station is positive…for now. Many already speak of the need to ensure that another Secession does not repeat itself, and many ex-guerillas and survivors speak of the need for a strong, independent Hephaestus.

Shanxi is a democratic stratocracy. Soldiers are, or, you suppose, were, the only ones allowed to vote in Shanxi, with all 'civilians' being designated as essentially 'temporary residents'. However, if you were a soldier, you were organized into soldier's councils and elected your own officers, who in turn elected officers further up the chain, and so on, so forth, with recall elections being available at any time deemed necessary by the soldier's councils. Captain Tian, the current highest elected officer in Shanxi, rose to power on promises to restore the Shanxi to working order, as well as reunification with the United Nations. Having fulfilled her promises thus, she has attempted to begin work on pacifying Mars…which, of course, has met with far less success. Additionally, with the political reform brought about by being brought under the aegis of the Martian Popular Authority, the civilian population now has more theoretical political power than ever before…but exercising that in the face of the entrenched economic and cultural control of the existing order is difficult.

While Shanxi was lacking in legal protections for civilians, their territory gained a reputation as being one of the safest places on Mars, mostly due to their overwhelming military response to any raiders or bandits that dared set up shop in their territory. It seems that time has made them complacent, however, as shown by the recent raid on a Shanxi mining outpost by Phoenix Company. Still, Shanxi is a military force to be reckoned with…within their own territory. Their logistical lines are extremely short, and during the Unification War, they had to be supplied by Station forces. Perhaps with the flight of the Shanxi itself, that will change.

ODIN Incorporated is a more traditional oligarchy. A small group of the corporate elite hold nigh-total control of their political and economic system. They are a collection of military and industrial interests, represented on the world stage by CEO Noa Milligan, as elected by the so-called 'Board of Directors' who control those interests. ODIN is maintained by a balance of two factions, namely, the mercenary bands who use it as a base of operation and the managers who maintain and run the factories. Without the military support of the mercenaries, it would be easy for ODIN to fall to internal revolt or be invaded by a foreign power. Without the industrial power of the factories that the managers own, the mercenaries would be easy prey for larger powers seeking to eradicate them. Therefore, they have a symbiotic relationship, though not without some mutual disdain.

ODIN has long made its trade for resources and necessary resources by selling weapons, armor, vehicles, and trained mercenaries to various factions in various wars, taking advantage of the relatively small scale of conflicts on Mars and their veteran and well-armed forces. However, that trade seems to be drying up lately, with the face of warfare shifting more towards large amounts of manpower and 'good enough' weapons manufactured domestically, as well as the increasing safety offered by the MPA. They have maintained their polity thus far via strict border control, claiming that any attempt to steal 'proprietary information', such as the knowledge one gains from working in an ODIN factory, will be met with lethal force. Therefore, very little is known about conditions within ODIN itself, beyond what they themselves show off to visitors seeking to trade or what mercenaries mention while abroad. When they knew their system was going to be integrated fully into the MPA and thus broken down almost in its entirety in the near future, they frantically sought an exit to prevent themselves from being stripped of their power, leading to the formation of the MEF.

Mariner City Factions

The largest urban area on Mars and the primary center of its pre-Collapse population, Mariner City still hosts large concentrations of the remaining population. The city is scarred from the war - But not broken. Not yet, at least. Fighting has died down in recent months, as the last stand of organized resistance fell before the cleanup operations of the Martian Popular Authority. Yet, even though they are freed from the yoke of reactionary tyrants, much of Mariner City remains in flux, with diverse political groups battling for control of the heart and soul of its people as the MPA seeks to solidify their control of the region permanently. Only time will tell if Mariner City will survive the upcoming trials and tribulations that await it.

Stadium is Station's closest remaining ally, a socialist democracy. Their manner of democracy is…strange, of course, but there are certainly worse ways of running a government on Mars than football games. Managers, team members, and referees are all democratically elected, with the winner of so-called 'Big Games' taking control of policy for a 'Season', and with the opposition team having the power to challenge them (via football). Intense factionalism is a very real issue, with the rivalry between the Reds and Blues being deeply entrenched into the fabric of their culture, including their military. Additionally, the hyper-competitive atmosphere their unique manner of society tends to breed seems to have seeped into nearly every aspect of their life, with every manner of disagreement tending to lead to aggressive argumentation and escalation, often to either a game of football or a brawl. This has most recently exploded into the Great Game of Mariner City.

Stadium culture is often exuberant, reckless, and comparatively hedonistic, due to their abundance of food and water due to their control of key areas of Mariner City such as the Botanic Gardens, as well as access to much of the city's water recycling facilities, due to how they were utilized to maintain the green of the Stadium itself pre-Collapse. While this has led to some truly wild parties following particularly successful games, it has also led to some truly 'wild' riots following contentious seasons. Stadium is heavily communal within their society, though, with team bonds being incredibly strong and a heavy emphasis internally on team unity and solidarity. Therefore, the Unification War took a heavy toll on them, with many prized players and beloved teammates meeting their end in battles all across the frontlines, which Stadium saw the brunt of. With the Reds having won the Great Game of Mariner City in the Stadium equivalent of a snap election, their hold over Mariner City remains relatively light-handed…for now. Overall, Stadium has kept its unique national spirit alive and continued to rush forward towards a future that is free, equal, and as contentious as ever.

The Mariner City Police Department, colloquially "MCPD" or "The Pigs" was the primary source of manpower for the MUC in Mariner City. An army who had emerged from the hierarchy of the old Mariner City Police Department, they'd enforced 'law and order' in their territory, and held a special hatred for the football hooliganism and socialism of Stadium. The MCPD was ruled by a strict hierarchy of force, with the Commander taking the loyalty of all lower forces, but granting them significant autonomy in their day-to-day operations. The hierarchy went as follows: Commander > Commissioner > Captain > Sergeant > Officer > Civilian.

Prior to the MUC forming, there was a mild civilian-military divide, for what little the MCPD cared for civilian affairs. The Commissioner, a nominally elected position, but typically just the second in command to the Commander, took charge of civilian operations and internal affairs matters. However, with war on the horizon, and the Commander noticeably more loyal to Central than the Commissioner, the MUC backed a full military takeover, abolishing the position of Commissioner and sending the current one and her Internal Affairs Division fleeing into exile, where they would eventually join the MPA military in exchange for amnesty. Like the rest of the MUC, MCPD's leadership was put to rout in the Battle for Central. After the Great Game of Mariner City, their final organized remnants in Mariner City have been destroyed, and what remains of them as a polity is a civilian populace struggling to adjust to a new life, scattered and demoralized resistance cells, and quite a few deserters trying to integrate back into normal life.

Central was the old government of Mars, pre-Collapse, who hid away in cryo-sleep when the Collapse occurred. When they re-emerged, they attempted to unify Mars, first through diplomacy at the New Gorbals Summit. When that turned into the New Gorbals Massacre, things got significantly tenser, and they formed an alliance between the authoritarian warlords and environmentalist factions of Mars instead, aiming to pressure the remaining factions into joining them…by diplomacy or force. When the United Nations arrived, they rejected their offer to join as member nations as an imperialist attempt seeking to shackle Mars once more, in part out of genuine desire to be independent, and in part because if they had asked their allies to restrict their behavior to a level considered acceptable by the United Nations, it is likely their alliance would have fallen apart. With the Battle for Central, their leaders are presumed to have fled or perished, but conspiracy theories have already begun circling surrounding where they have gone, ranging from the plausible to the absurd. Their former base of operations, City Hall, has recently been occupied by a Station garrison, who are reporting strange things…

University claims to be a technocracy, with governance being handled by those most intelligent and learned in their fields for the benefit of all. What this means in practice, really, is a 'government' based around seniority and academic politicking, with various departments ruled by aging professors, doctors, and deans who have been around for long enough to accumulate the necessary 'experience' to ascend by mutual agreement with their peers. This means University leadership has cultivated something of a reputation for eccentricity, or less politely, callousness, due to the high power departmental heads have over their departments, the lack of desire to reign them in on the part of University Administration, and a general disdain for the opinion of anyone who is not within their tight academic circles. University maintains a small permanent population of faculty, post-graduates, and various staff, but a relatively high 'temporary' one, accepting waves of students every few months. Many will make the journey to University, but after undergoing University's tests, only a select few will secure entrance. While in theory, this is meritocratic, it is also based on University's sensibilities and values. For example, Stadium attendees are few and far between, while MBC attendees account for a significant percentage of the current student body. It is possible to retake the tests, however, and so semi-permanent towns have sprung up in University's territory itself, with many services offering test preparation and tutoring, as well as serving as a source of cheap labor for University itself.

University likes to claim to be apolitical, but in reality, their faculty tends to lean rather anti-democracy and pro-status quo, for obvious reasons. In comparison, the student body is a swirling sea of all manner of politics, ranging from the most ardent of neo-feudalists to radical socialists, all engaging in bitter rivalries, forming student societies, and participating in biting critique as they seek to attain knowledge faster and quicker than their peers. Technologically, for all that University claims to be a manner in which pre-Collapse knowledge flows back out into Mars, the true secrets they hold never leave their deepest labs, into which students who are not studying to gain permanent admission into University's ranks are never allowed. Nobody quite knows what University hides down there, but it has allowed them to maintain themselves and their prized independence excellently…for now. Their less than wise foreign policy choices during the Unification War have lost them many allies and gained them many enemies, which has necessitated several compromises, including the ongoing establishment of a satellite campus in Melas Chasma.

Candor Chasma Factions

The northernmost part of the Valley, Candor Chasma was a stronghold of the MUC before their collapse during the Unification War. Now, it is a wasteland of battling factions, ruins, and uneasy tensions between Biodyne and the Martian Broadcasting Corporation. A constant stream of refugees flows west and south from the territory formerly ruled by Enterprise and the Nomads, bringing stories of desolation and bloodshed unmatched anywhere else on the planet. It is anyone's guess who or what will emerge from Candor Chasma in the wake of a changing Mars.

Biodyne is a theocracy, based around worship of the Mother, Mars, with a focus around honoring the Mother through the revitalization of Mars through terraforming, often shortened to 'bringing about a Green Mars' as a promised utopia. Their settlements often are simply what most would call communes, unaccountable to any central leadership, but utilizing their local priest as a respected mediator and community leader. While they maintain many symbolic holdovers from their corporate origins, unlike MBC and ODIN, they have shed their capitalist roots entirely, transitioning into a fully moneyless society. Worshippers of the Mother, Mars, can be found all over the planet, but Biodyne is doubtlessly the highest concentration of them, and generally sets 'doctrine' for orthodox believers.

Their leader is a head priest, elected by a conclave of all Biodyne priests who can make the pilgrimage to Biodyne Headquarters upon the death or deposing of a prior one. The head priest has little direct power but is generally considered to set doctrine for Biodyne, which in turn, sets policy for all who follow Biodyne's beliefs. This has changed in recent days, as the needs of the state have increased and the current Head Priest, Eve Maria, has consolidated power into the city surrounding the former Biodyne Headquarters.

In terms of doctrine, they consider all terraformers to be holy, and it has been a source of great frustration to the priesthood that they have been unable to secure one due to their borders with MBC and Enterprise, though with the Enterprise Civil War and the departure of the Nomads, they have hope that they may be able to secure a corridor of access to one of the destroyed ones in Candor Chasma. This is a lesser concern, now, though, for the construction of the Biodyne Terraformer has seen their capital city transformed into a holy site in of itself. Due to the events of the Night of Dust, non-believers have been entirely prohibited from entry into the city, much less the terraformer itself. Many believed this would cause Biodyne to take an isolationist tack, but it seems that Station's concessions to them, as well as their ongoing border tensions with MBC flaring up, has led them to seek close ties with their fellow MPA members.

The Nomads are the remnants of the United Nations Martian Ecological Reclamation Authority, a group of engineers responsible for maintaining the terraformers of Mars Pre-Collapse. They had wandered all over Mars, doing what they saw as their duty to keep Martian terraforming alive, even in this post-Collapse world. Thus, in comparison to the horror felt by Biodyne, the Nomads felt only blinding rage and utter despair at the Church of Red Mars's betrayal, which they had so foolishly supported. Those overwhelmed by their rage joined Phoenix Company, while those in despair remained with the newly dubbed UN-MERA, shedding their old name in an act of symbolic sacrifice. This change has seen their remaining civilian population leave the Valley in a convoy of penance, to try and maintain Mars's fragile ecology from the devastation wreaked upon it, leaving their territory held by anti-Enterprise revolutionaries calling themselves the Ophirian Liberation Army.

A neo-feudal society founded from a crashed spaceship, Enterprise has had arguably the worst collapse of all nations on Mars. After the initial collapse into civil war following Admiral-King Casimir Armstrong's coup against his political rivals, it seemed like Enterprise was on track to recover under a slightly more benevolent, but still dictatorial ruler, as socialist revolutionaries, religious dissidents, and rival rulers fled to greener pastures rather than face down Armstrong's core of fanatically loyal power-armored knights. As the remaining Admiral-Kings surrendered or hid away in their estates, Admiral-King Armstrong declared victory in the Civil War. However, when negotiations between the United Nations and the Martian Unity Coalition broke down, the United Nations opened hostility by immediately conducting a bombardment campaign of the damaged shell of the Enterprise, to deny the Martian Unity Coalition the chance to repair it and possibly challenge their orbital supremacy. The civilian presence around and within the ship was of no concern to them. The Admiral-King emerged from the bombardment campaign alive, declaring himself and his nation 'Dead', and calling a Crusade of the Dead against the MPA and the UN, leading his surviving knights towards the front lines in Mariner City, abandoning his old home. Ever since, Enterprise has been in chaos, with resurgent autocrats, warlords, and socialists battling it out for control of the remaining settlements.

The Martian Broadcasting Corporation is an oligarchy. However, the nature of that oligarchy is very different from the structure of ODIN. Instead, MBC is run by a collaboration of guilds, which work together to maintain a strict hierarchy of job worth, education, and social status, all of which benefit a small council of guild leaders at the top. While these guilds have shifted and changed over the years, their elitism, fierce power struggles, and suppression of any attempts at actual unionization is common knowledge in Station. They have maintained this power through strict apprenticeship laws, the social ostracization and heavy punishment of any who violate the rules of their guild, and a steady stream of immigrants from neighboring Enterprise and the tacit support of University, who favors MBC heavily with regards to admittance.

In theory, all of the guilds within MBC are equal, but in practice the complex games of social status and political backstabbing they play, while opaque to anyone outside their byzantine power structure, seem to favor those in face-presenting roles, such as the Actor's Guild, led by Anchor Sabina Holzer, who is widely considered to be the de-facto head of state of MBC. However, MBC has successfully cultivated an image of themselves among the public of Mars, utilizing their status as the sole masters of Mars-wide communication to their advantage. They paint themselves as a shining beacon of meritocracy in the wastes, a place where anyone can make it big. This is, as is all too often discovered, a false dream. Alas, they only publicize the success stories of rags to riches, and so more will flock to them, dreaming of a life free from want, only to find themselves serving those who were born into that life from the start.

Insurgent Groups

These are various groups engaging in insurgency against the Martian Popular Authority. This is not necessarily a full and complete list, as groups emerge and vanish fast in Mariner City. It will be updated over time.

An unholy alliance of radical environmentalists, authoritarian warlords, and the government of Pre-Collapse Mars, the Martian Unity Coalition was the dominant power in Mars right up until the end of the Unification War, which saw them defeated in battle, and many of their so-called allies defecting due to their funding of radical religious terrorists to try and fight the MPA. Now, they exist as a loose coalition of resistance movements against the new government of Mars, often working with the same terrorist groups they once funded.

The Old Guard are not particularly liked by anyone else in their coalition after being 'in charge' for the Unification War and then losing, but they are the glue that binds the MUC together. Made up of pre-Collapse politicians, bureaucrats, and some high-ranking MCPD personnel, they handle much of the civilian organizing that the MUC attempts to do, as well as acting as commanders for the disparate and disunified cells operating elsewhere. It is theorized they have set up some kind of centralized 'government in exile' somewhere in uncontrolled territory following the fall of City Hall.

This faction of Central is made up of pre-Collapse corporate personnel, engineers, and researchers, the former 'middle class' of Central's command structure. They lack much military power, similar to the Old Guard, and are rarely found at the scene of actual attacks by resistance groups, but maintain significant political power within the MUC, by virtue of being the ones who maintain most MUC equipment, handle smuggling, and develop new methods of fighting back against MPA domination. Normally, this would not be a faction on its own, being lumped into Central itself, but it seems this has been turned into a power bloc all its own by the actions of University defectors, who have successfully managed to seize power over this section of the MUC forces and instilled technocratic ambitions amongst them. While not the most pressing threat to the MPA, defectors have informed Station Intelligence that these are the minds who oversaw the destruction of League One, causing the current Kessler Syndrome, and it is likely that they are the most willing of any MUC faction to resort to actions which may cause mass casualties.

A disparate group of disorganized stay-behind groups, co-opted radicals, MCPD remnants, and the occasional Dead Crusader, MUC resistance cells have been effectively decapitated by repeated strikes to their operational efficiency and what essentially consists of looting by "allied" movements, such as the Dead Crusaders and the Church of Red Mars. These are by far the most numerous, but least powerful and organized faction of MUC resistance to the MPA. They're as likely to wind up fighting each other or other resistance movements as they actually are the garrisons they nominally aim to target.

An astroturfed anti-terraforming religious group formed pre-Collapse as part of an industrial magnate's plan to maximize profits, they found themselves to be one of the few groups truly prepared for a post-Collapse world. With new adherents flocking to them in the face of total societal collapse, they wound up moderating into the worship of the Mother, Mars…and promptly had a radical anti-terraforming group schism off from them, taking the original name of the group. The modern Church of Red Mars is a radical terrorist organization aiming to destroy all terraforming on Mars, and lays claim to the dubious honor as the only undisputed winner of the Unification War, having managed to shatter terraforming efforts entirely due to an increasingly desperate MUC agreeing to fund them. They promised to lead guerilla efforts against the MPA with MUC resources, but instead, utilized their newfound trust and resources to launch an unprecedented assault against all terraforming platforms within the Mariner Valley, regardless of faction ownership, destroying three and permanently damaging a fourth in an event now known as the Night of Dust. Terraforming on Mars has been set back for generations because of their work. They couldn't be happier about it, though, even as they saw themselves purged from nearly every polity on Mars. Despite this setback, their agents still lurk in hiding, preparing to rebuild the movement…

Phoenix Company is a group of ex-Nomads, who have sworn eternal vengeance upon the Church of Red Mars and all who aided them, and is willing to slaughter any who get in the way of their justice. They are extreme in what they consider to be guilt, and their purges of suspected Red Mars sympathizers are brutal and ruthless. In their eyes, it is better for ten innocent people to die than to let a single sympathizer escape justice. Their attempt to massacre the civilian population of Stadium in an attempt to purge their population of Red Mars adherents was stopped by Station forces rushing to the rescue of the besieged settlement, but they managed to retreat in good order, and the sound of their helicopters flying through the sky now haunts all of Mariner Valley.

The Dead Crusaders are a relatively small but incredibly dangerous group, consisting of the remnants of the Enterprise power armored knights who participated in the Battle for Central. Lead personally by Admiral-King Armstrong, these crusaders are fanatical in their hatred of the United Nations, the MPA, Station, and Stationmaster Rutherford personally for the parts they played in the bombardment of Enterprise. Uncaring of collateral damage, possessing some of the most dangerous personal armaments on Mars, and veteran soldiers all, these Crusaders cultivate a reputation as being ghosts, often calling themselves 'the Vengeful Dead'. After the failure of their initial attack at the heart of Station, they have fallen back and regrouped, using MUC support to rebuild themselves into a more subtle organization - One that they aim to have haunt Mars for generations to come.

Other

These are factions, concepts, and events which don't fit into other categories.

Don't let the name fool you: This social democrat successor state is no peaceful forum for nations to discuss. Formed post-Collapse, it aims to bring all of humanity under its dominion to avoid a repeat of the Collapse, considering all who refuse to submit to be criminals against humanity. While their nominal allies in the MPA are headed by Station, Shanxi is widely considered to be the polity most loyal to the United Nations, and thus has had their territory become the new base for on-planet United Nations troops, diplomats, and technicians. The significant privileges received by said personnel have only exacerbated Shanxi's class tensions, however. Still, with the Shanxi fully repaired by United Nations technicians, as well as the military force the UN brings to the table, the United Nations seems here to stay. The only snag in their presence is that as part of the MUC's final acts of desperate strikes against the victorious MPA, they triggered explosives onboard satellites in orbit that had been launched pre-war, inducing large amounts of Kessler Syndrome. Full cleanup is estimated to take five decades, leaving their ability to project force onto Mars crippled for now.

A coalition of nations forged in the fires of the Unification War, it seeks to follow the ideals of socialism and democracy. However, in the face of unreliable allies, belligerent Corporate states, and insurgency, the future of this dream is nowhere near assured. Even with these obstacles in their path, though, the MPA has achieved a victory never seen before on Mars, and the possibility of Mars-wide socialism has never seemed closer.

The Unification War is the term for the conflict between the Martian Popular Authority and the Martian Unity Coalition, which eventually broke out into full-scale warfare upon the arrival of the United Nations. Notable events include the following, listed in chronological order:

The Bombardment of Enterprise, where hundreds were killed in a prolonged bombardment of the capital of that once-proud nation. This is widely considered to be the opening shot of the Unification War by most. It has rendered the Enterprise itself unsalvageable, now only inhabited by those too desperate to flee as refugees, and the last few remnants of the old government who did not join the Admiral-King on his Crusade, reformed into the New Kingdom of Enterprise.
The First Battle of the Spaceport, where MPA and UN forces engaged the MUC in the first large-scale battle of the war at the Mariner City Spaceport. While the MPA-UN forces had an initial advantage, due to the UN's orbital insertion of heavy combat assets behind enemy lines, the intervention of University in the battle saw the MPA-UN forces forced to fall back.
The Long Retreat, where Station's primary group of forces were met on the rail line leading into Mariner City by MUC forces, who had moved to block their path. Station fought a prolonged fighting retreat, which many credit with giving the MPA-UN forces the chance to win the Second Battle of the Spaceport and the Battle for Central.
The Night of Dust, where the Church of Red Mars betrayed the MUC and launched a surprise assault on terraformers all over the Valley, destroying three of them and damaging another. This broke the coalition of the MUC, seeing Biodyne, the Nomads, and MBC defect or collapse almost immediately, and laid the groundwork for University's later defection.
The Filling of the Caverns, where Hephaestus's leadership, faced with overwhelming force by Shanxi armored forces backed by Station logistics, chose to instead evacuate their home, destroy as much of it as they could with explosives, and filling the rest with concrete, destroying the mines that had once been the pride of Melas Chasma.
The Second Battle of the Spaceport, where MPA-UN forces were able to take advantage of MUC forces engaging Station further down the frontlines, managing to seize the Mariner City Spaceport in a pitched surprise attack. However, MUC forces had rigged the Spaceport with explosives in the event of such an attack, and key areas of it were thus rendered beyond repair for the duration of the war. It is now undergoing repair…
The Siege of Stadium - Even as the battle raged on the frontlines, Phoenix Company had taken to the skies to launch an assault on Stadium's capitol, aiming to revenge themselves on Stadium's population of Red Mars adherents, as well as sacking the center of Stadium's governance. However, at this point in the Long Retreat, Station, Shanxi, and ODIN forces were in position to aid Stadium's defenders and drive off the besiegers before they could achieve their goal.
The Battle for Central - The final battle of the Unification War is undoubtedly the largest-scale battle on Mars since the Collapse itself. Realizing they had overextended, MUC forces rushed back only to find City Hall itself under siege by MPA-UN forces. With the hasty agreement between the University and the MPA, when the MUC tried to lift the siege, they found no allies coming to their aid, and suffered a nigh-total rout.

The New Gorbals Massacre is what is widely considered to have been one of the primary factors leading to the Unification War. A summit called by Central to try and form a Mars-wide government at New Gorbals, it was attacked viciously by unknown parties. As the dust cleared and the few survivors fled, fingers were immediately pointed, with conflicting accounts given by the few surviving dignitaries and security forces who were present. With the formal arrival of the United Nations, the MUC thought they had found their culprit, with UN infiltrators identified as being embedded in the command chain of various factions, and UN special forces operating on Martian soil. To this day, both the MPA and UN officially deny UN involvement in the New Gorbals Massacre, and it remains a point of contention for many skeptics of UN presence on Mars.

The Water Wars were a series of proxy wars between the MUC and MPA during their respective expansions into the blocs which now exist today, which eventually escalated into outright member-state intervention into the Rocabarraigh Revolution. All-out war was averted by the formation of the Martian League. While a number of conflicts are disputed, due to the lack of accurate records surrounding covert funding, most lists include the MUC-backed destruction of an affiliation of schismatic ex-Biodyne communes located in Candor Chasma, border conflicts between the MCPD and Stadium, the Rocabarraigh Revolution, and the Enterprise Civil War. Numerous smaller conflicts between both blocs and independent local powers not large enough to be noted also existed during this time period, but went without significant MPA or MUC intervention on either side as both blocs sought to consolidate internal strength and expand outwards. This series of conflicts is called the Water Wars by most contemporary historians due to the fact that the Rocabarraigh Revolution saw all of Mars nearly drawn into war due to the direct intervention of Station forces against the Water Barons, who retaliated by requesting direct intervention from the MCPD.

In an attempt to lower tensions following the Water Wars, the Martian League was created as a forum for various nations to try and work out their grievances diplomatically. Predictably, with the formal arrival of the United Nations and their ultimatum, it fell apart as the Unification War began. The last meeting of the Martian League was during a temporary ceasefire, in which the United Nations agreed to avoid the bombardment of population centers, as a pacifying measure to their local allies, and a conciliatory measure to their enemies.

The Secession was a bloody affair from start to end. Hephaestus had viewed the MPA's alignment with the UN with trepidation to begin with, fearful of an attempt to impose foreign rule on Mars. When the Unification War began with the bombardment of Enterprise, Hephaestus's councils could not countenance siding with a polity that could so callously destroy an entire city. Instead, they argued for a third way, a refusal to choose what they saw as off-world domination or submission to the MUC, calling for the MPA to refuse to participate either in a war of imperialist aggression or on a war supported by reactionary oppression, and to instead wage war against both parties. Station and Stadium refused, fearing that if they betrayed their alliance, their centralized capitols would be next on the list to bombardment and Hephaestus chose to withdraw from the MPA, declaring war on all sides in the ongoing war, though this mostly translated to fighting their former allies.

Locations

This category is for handling information about specific locations in Mariner City!

The Mariner Stadium is the capital of Stadium as a polity and is an imposing structure in its own right, the formidable walls and cavernous interiors having been expanded and converted into defenses, streets, and homes by the inhabitants since the Collapse. While it came under siege during the Unification War by the combined might of Phoenix Company, it did not fall, due to the timely aid of UN-MPA forces nearby. Now, it acts as the nerve center for the polity that controls the majority of Mariner City. For all its material importance, people still live, eat, and most importantly, play football within the hallowed halls of this monument to pre-Collapse culture. Players new and old line the halls through the banners and posters displayed prominently, and the government takes great pride in how well the playing fields have been maintained, even as some have been converted into farms. For as long as the Mariner Stadium has existed, fans have gathered to support their teams and cheer on the players - And though the context has changed, it seems as if that tradition will continue long into the future.

The University of Mariner (Or simply University) is the premier and, for the most part, only source of higher education on Mars post-Collapse. Pre-Collapse, an entire District was made up of various colleges and universities that competed with each other, but when the Collapse hit, these academic institutions banded together out of a desire to ensure the preservation of knowledge in the aftermath of destruction. Unfortunately, over the years, this has turned from a high-minded ideal into the sheltering of knowledge from those deemed unworthy by the entrenched academics who remain in control of University. Those who are not born into the insular society must undergo rigorous and subjective tests to gain entry as an undergraduate student, and only the most accomplished (and loyal) of those will ever attain the rank of postgraduate, to eventually ascend the ranks as a doctoral student and perhaps even one day become a member of the faculty. Despite this, the University District itself is reportedly beautiful - A glimpse of pre-Collapse decadence, beautifully maintained by the pre-Collapse technology University hoards to itself.

The Martian Space Elevator was one of the pre-Collapse wonders of the Solar System, like the Hera Station above Earth and the Lunar Dome. It was a triumph of mega-engineering at the time, a testament to the indomitable will of humanity to colonize the solar system. Unfortunately, it no longer exists in any recognizable form - Destroyed by the orbital combat of the Collapse, its destruction saw shockwaves run throughout all of Mariner City, and massive damage was done to infrastructure, causing many additional casualties during the chaos of the first days. Much of that has been repaired, and the remains of the Elevator have been stripped of much of value, but its massive skeleton still remains - Snaking across the outskirts of Mariner City where it fell over a century ago.

The Mariner City Spaceport was a vital piece of Martian infrastructure, and was one of the first completed structures on Mars. Playing host to both passenger and freight transit that could not go or did not wish to utilize the Space Elevator, it was a bustling hub of commerce before the Collapse. Post-Collapse, however, it fell fallow, the last ships either fleeing to an uncertain fate off-world or remaining forever unused as their owners perished. What remained was used as salvage by the survivors, and eventually, only the infrastructure was left behind. Still, when the Martian League formed, University pushed heavily for a space program, both for their own ends and for the de-escalation in tensions it brought. Thus, the Spaceport was reborn - Repaired and reconstructed by a team of skilled laborers and workers, who organized themselves as the Laborers of the Martian League. When League One launched from the Spaceport, it was viewed as potentially being the new dawn of Mars, despite the tensions at the time. However, when war broke out, with the UN's capacity to send in high-quality troops and supplies from orbit being essential to the MPA war effort, the Spaceport became a prime target for both sides. After two intense battles, the UN-MPA forces won - But at a cost. The Spaceport was gutted, destroyed in the last-ditch attempt of the MUC to deny its use to their opponents. With Kessler Syndrome taking effect soon after, it now lies in ruins once more...or perhaps not, as the Laborers have gathered themselves once more to begin repairing it at the behest of the MPA. Or, at least, that is what is supposed to be happening. Rumors float around of a work stoppage...

City Hall was the center of Martian Government before the Collapse, playing host to . However, with the disappearance of most of the government higher levels during the Collapse, it simply became just another building. At least, that was, until Central returned from their cryo-sleep and seized City Hall as their rightful seat of governance. The final battle of the Unification War was fought there, as the UN-MPA and MUC clashed in the largest battle of the war yet, each side committing every force they could. In the end, the MPA's banner rose over City Hall. Now, it has become just another building - But one with symbolic importance, as a symbol of victory. Though, of course, it seems certain locals would like their old home back...

The Amazon Memorial Botanic Gardens, or, the Botanic Garden District, paid tribute to a great forest on Earth destroyed by corporations before terraforming technology was able to revitalize the climate. It also provided a rare opportunity for Martian-born residents to see greenery akin to what Earth would have been like, acting as a District-sized park and nature preserve. Post-Collapse, the ecological variety of the Gardens was somewhat disturbed - But it maintained its greenery and arable soil, becoming a massive source of food for the survivors of Mariner City. Control of the Garden District has always been a matter of fierce contest due to its extreme importance, but it seems Stadium has solidified its hold over it with the Great Game. It is also notable for being the only place that certain rare Terran animals have survived in, if in relatively small numbers, with devoted ex-keepers forming small groups who kept watch over them and did their best to ensure that they survived, even as the District became more and more agriculture-based. Apparently, pro-independence sentiment has been on the rise with the more ecologically minded residents, as food becomes less and less of a concern.

The MCPD Headquarters is the former capital of the Mariner City Police Department, acting as the focal point of the Thunderchild District. Once, it served as one of the city's largest jails, holding temporary detainees and permanent residents alike, those who were not rented out to corporations as cheap labor in their mines and factories, relying on the swarm of police officers above to keep it secure. Post-Collapse, it retained that dubious distinction, as the MCPD utilized its fortified facilities and large stockpile of weaponry to take power over a swathe of Mariner City. With the end of the MCPD's organized remnants as of the Great Game, many prisoners have been freed from within their fortress, and the question now remains - What is to be done with the Headquarters?

Terraforming Station Alpha was the first Terraformer constructed on Mars, and is now one of the few remaining active - if damaged. Though it has changed hands several times throughout the century, the people of Radbury District have done their best to ensure it remains stable and active, often trading valuable resources to University in exchange for knowledge on repair, maintenance, and upkeep. It was their efforts that ensured that when the CRM took advantage of the MUC's alliance with them to enact the Night of Dust that Terraformer Alpha was not entirely destroyed, with dozens of workers, guards, and technicians laying down their lives to defend the Terraformer. Now, the much-diminished workforce seeks replacements and aid to ensure that, no matter what, the future of Mars remains Green.

More to come when they're needed!

Credits
Red Planet Rising is a MegaGame that was designed and created by Andrew Shiel Dods with support from True North MegaGames. All credit for the setting goes to him!

TheMaskedReader · Sep 13, 2022

The Team

This section is for members of your team!

Hey, it's you! You hail from Cu Sith Gorge, a relatively quiet place compared to the hustle and bustle of New Ys or the recently liberated Rocabarraigh - But it's a nice life out there, one you hope to return to, one day. You left to serve your country in the Unification War, a duty you performed by being a member of the Logistics Coordination Task Force. This assignment saw you learn much about the legal systems and procedures of both the various member states of the MPA and the MPA itself, as well as gain connections with various personnel from all walks of life. Your distinguishment during the war saw you elected to the position of Special Conductor when volunteers for the position were asked for, and now you serve directly to aid the Integration Initiative.

Janice Ranfield is one of the Mariner City Police Department defectors who came in from the cold with the rest of the Internal Affairs Division after the Unification War. However, she seems to have adapted well to her new loyalties, wearing the Station uniform with pride and accepting your authority without question, so far at least. Her mindset is without a doubt somewhat cynical, however, and she and Bill are often at each other's throats.

Sister Galle is an idealistic junior priest from Biodyne. The youngest member of your group, she's a deeply devout follower of the Mother, Mars. However, she also seems to follow socialism with at least a touch of the same reverence - Though her experience with it beyond Biodyne seems to have been largely academic, or through the more structured lens of aiding Station's administrative personnel as part of the exchange program. Her heart seems as if it's in the right place, though.

William "Bill" Fitzroy is a veteran citizen of Stadium - Both in terms of its militias and as a football player. He's spent a lot of his life traveling around Mariner City, and he's certainly seen what it has to offer, both good and bad. He apparently attended University for a time, before dropping out - As to why, you don't know. However, his knowledge of the City cannot be understated, nor can his connections within Stadium itself, which are likely to come in handy.

River Daly is something of a mystery to you. She's an ex-Enterprise revolutionary, who apparently participated in espionage work as a member of an underground union, but beyond that you don't really know much about her past. However, the young woman seems to be devoted to the cause - If somewhat dismissive of certain interpretations of it, as well as certain organizations under the MPA.

Spaceport Strike!

This section is for factions and characters involved with the Spaceport Strike mission!

The Stadium Garrison in the region is supposed to act as a neutral mediator, purely performing counter-insurgency duties and ensuring that the local government doesn't perform counter-revolutionary activities. Even in that latter capacity, their official duty consists of reporting that to the Martian Popular Authority so an investigation team can be sent out, rather than taking action themselves. This garrison seems to have taken a rather…loose interpretation of their duties, from what you've heard and found out so far. They seem to be primarily made up of Reds.

Paul Hellas was the leader of the Stadium Garrison in Watson District. He has apparently been engaged in a covert political conflict with the Laborers of the Martian League and the Watson Council over political control of the district, utilizing the Free Labor Association as tools in this. This led to the currently ongoing strike in the Watson District - And also led to you stripping him of his command and having him arrested for the various crimes he had committed in doing so. Now, he sits in the Stadium Garrison's cells - Awaiting transit or release.

Millie Batson is a militiawoman with the Stadium Garrison. She escorted you to Captain Hellas, and wound up escorting Captain Hellas to the cells. She adequately handled ensuring patrols are recalled and the remaining command were gathered so that the election of a new Captain could be started.

Referee-in-Training Jacob Cysat seems to be a shy and nervous sort. He described his duties as handling internal disputes in the Garrison, as well as handling public relations with the District on at least some level. He is working with Coach Don to investigate Hellas's influence within the Garrison.

Goalie Maxine Dembowski is a stern figure, serving as the second-in-command of the military aspects of the Garrison, prior to Captain Hellas's removal. Now, she's organizing the new elections and ensuring that the Garrison's normal duties are not unduly disrupted by the ongoing investigation.

Coach Donovan "Don" Dunthorne is in charge of the more civilian side of the Garrison, which isn't a very important posting in Watson District. He mostly handles logistics and helped with housing the FLA.

The Watson Council is the name for the local government of the District, formed by Stadium out of the old governmental structures in the area. Though it is intended to be democratic, most of the Council is currently made up of appointed community figures, drawn from prominent families and former political leaders in the region deposed by Central. Elections are scheduled to be held next year, once things have presumably settled down and the provisional government is deemed no longer necessary for the stability of the region. The Watson Council apparently has three primary factions, which are led by three people.

Rosa Lederberg is the first of these. Apparently, she's neutral to the Laborers, so long as they obey the Council, and very anti-FLA. According to Eva Syrtis, she personally threatened the FLA to "get the hell out of the District, or that she and hers would make sure they did."

Alex Byrd is the second leader and is apparently very pro-Stadium. He and his faction are apparently in charge of 'supply procurement and work organizing', which has drawn them into conflict with the Laborers.

Marie Dollfus, the third leader, is, according to rumors, pro-University and anti-organized labor.

The Free Labor Association is not an organization that was included in your initial report, but rather, you were informed of by your comrade in the supply caravans. An association of refugees and itinerant workers, they apparently showed up a few weeks ago when news of the work stoppage got around and were hired as scabs by Captain Hellas, in exchange for supplies, protection, and other forms of aid. While this seems to have been on some level multiple miscommunications or intentional obfuscation about the requirements to receive MPA aid and supplies, as there is no need to work to acquire it, as well as a misunderstanding of MPA policy regarding 'scabbing', their arrival turned a simple work stoppage into a tense standoff.

Eva Syrtis is the face of the Free Labor Association. She worked with Captain Hellas, agreeing to scab for him to bring the Laborers of the Martian League back to the table, but her primary concern seems to be the wellbeing of the people she has been chosen to lead over loyalty to the Captain.

Kelly Syrtis, Eva's sister, seems to be in charge of the FLA's supplies. She seems to be a quiet woman, who lets her sister do most of the talking.

The Laborers of the Martian League are the primary labor union in the region, though they don't have a particularly long history in comparison to many unions elsewhere. They were formed under the Martian League, acting as the union for construction workers and laborers who repaired the Spaceport and helped to launch League One. This means that they are, for all intents and purposes, the local experts on the Spaceport, and undoubtedly the most qualified to repair it. They appear to be organized under a Hephaestus model.

Steward Laura Brashear is the chief advisor for the Laborers in their efforts toward militancy. An ex-partisan, she underwent time in an MCPD prison, where she lost a hand and gained a new ideology - Anarchism. Upon her liberation by Stadium, she returned to Watson District and rallied the Laborers towards anarchism, restructuring them and beginning their current campaign of political activism. She was elected as the diplomatic representative of the Laborers, but she seems to place a heavy emphasis on her simply being an advisor and a liaison, rather than a decision-maker.

Other Characters

This section is for characters or factions who don't fit into other sections!

Silas Jones is a fictional character created by the author Jenny Redson, an ex-Hephaestus migrant to Station. He stars in a variety of pulp adventures in the popular magazine Rail Tales, fighting the MCPD, Enterprise, Central, and various other forces of reaction in the struggle for freedom and socialism across Mars. Along the way, he meets and dates various attractive men and women, saves innocent children from dastardly raiders, and other such genre-typical things. In your opinion, it's schlock - But it's entertaining schlock.

Matt is one of your old friends from the days of the LCTF. You wound up going into the Integration Initative, he wound up going into running supply caravans in Mariner City. Honestly, he's happy in the position - He enjoys the work, and it's meaningful enough that he's not unsatisfied with it. You're happy to know that he's doing well, these days. His position does mean that whenever you need to get from district to district, he'll likely make sure he's on your caravans, just so you two can catch up and chat for a bit.

TheMaskedReader · Sep 14, 2022

Scheduled vote count started by TheMaskedReader on Sep 13, 2022 at 1:49 PM, finished with 15 posts and 14 votes.

7 people have voted
[X] New Ys Newswoman
7 people have voted
[X] Cu Sith Civil Servant
4 people have voted
[X] Rocabarraigh Revolutionary

TheMaskedReader · Sep 15, 2022

[] Cu Sith Civil Servant

Prologue: Meet The Team

In time, you think, you'll return to the town you were born in, to settle in for a quiet retirement as a small-town Conductor, far away from the noise of the cities and chaos of wider Martian politics - Content in the knowledge that you've helped to secure a peaceful future for Mars under the MPA. You think about what that might be like for a second. Perhaps you'd settle down with someone...you'd spend your days tallying numbers and your nights writing...a memoir, perhaps? Letters to your old friends?

You are jolted out of your pleasant daydreaming by the blasting horn of the train as it crosses a major road. Glancing back inside the train, you take a second to survey the passengers surrounding you. Mixed in with the group of otherwise normal travelers are the faces you recognize as belonging to your small team, each occupied with their own ways of passing the time. Officially, you're an "Integration Initiative Task Force", but calling it a team when you're not handling paperwork just seems far simpler to you.

Introductions have been made, but you can't help but reflect on the fact that you've yet to truly get to know any of them beyond the files you had pulled by your friends in the Records Department. You were so busy handling the necessary paperwork and preparing supplies for the mission that you didn't have the time to meet up with any of them, outside of your initial introduction.

You remember the briefing where you first met all of them, back in the Depot when you received your assignment…

"Sergeant Janice Ranfield, ma'am. I'll be under your command from now on." The middle-aged woman in front of you is standing at attention and saluting with the sort of military precision that you've only seen in forces from the UN and Shanxi before. You glanced to the Conductor who'd been briefing your group and instructed you to introduce yourselves to each other, and he merely replies with a helpless shrug. You tentatively offer a handshake, which she takes without hesitation, shaking your hand firmly before stepping back.

Janice Ranfield is, without a doubt, the member of the team you expect the most trouble in handling, given her background. She's one of the Mariner City Police Department defectors who came in from the cold with the rest of the Internal Affairs Division after the Unification War. This naturally lends itself to possibly causing problems, given the typical mindset of the MCPD and their history in Mariner City. If nothing else, she doesn't look much like an officer - Her Station uniform seems to be kept exactly to regulation standards, though that might be as much a giveaway to certain groups as if she was proudly wearing the badge of the MCPD on her lapel.

Of course, you don't actually know much about her - As part of the amnesty deal the IAD reached with the MPA, the specifics of her past service in the MCPD are sealed, even to someone with your connections. You can at least take comfort in the idea that it's highly unlikely you'd be assigned to work with someone unsuited for the work she's expected to do.

"Oh, uh-" The next person to speak hastily offers a clumsy salute after seeing Janice perform one. She's a younger woman, clearly in her early twenties, and she's the only person here not wearing some kind of military uniform. Instead, she wears the traditional garb of Biodyne's junior priests. These are intentionally reminiscent of the first settlers of Mars and the industrial laborers who built the first Terraformers and rendered the Valley habitable, serving as a union of religious veneration and pure functionality. Her particular variant is a bulky, form-covering outfit overflowing with pockets and a webbing containing what seem to be all sorts of useful tools and knick-knacks. Her visor is currently slid upwards, giving you a view of her face, which is starting to remind you of an over-eager puppy already. "I'm Sister Galle, if we're supposed to introduce ourselves with titles, uh, ma'am! Though you can call me Galle, or Comrade Galle, Comrade Rosalind!"

Sister Galle is your team's engineer, coming from Biodyne as part of their administrative exchange program. As far as you know, she doesn't have a last name - Biodyne citizens who join the priesthood often shed them, though it isn't mandatory, as a way of showing that they have left behind whatever their past may be and are prepared to devote themselves to the Mother, Mars.

Your connections in the Station bureaucracy haven't been able to find anything bad about her service thus far when you went digging, and she seems to be the epitome of a model Biodyne socialist. This, of course, makes you more than a bit suspicious, because everybody has something negative noted in their records - But your contacts seem to simply attribute this to her not having been around long enough to truly accumulate much of a history with Station. You shake her hand politely after greeting her and exchanging a pleasantry or two before moving on to the next member of the team.

"Howdy." The older man standing next to Galle doesn't offer a salute, but he does stick a hand out to shake, an easygoing smile on his face. "I'm William Fitzroy, but you can call me Bill. All my friends do." Bill wears the uniform of Stadium's militia - Specifically, he wears the Blue militia's uniform. "I'll be serving as your local guide to Mariner City and your contact with Stadium while you're in town."

The unspoken snub of not trusting Janice to act as a local guide to Mariner City has not been lost on you, and judging from how you've seen the two of them exchanging glares when they think you aren't looking, has not been lost on either of them. Though perhaps that's simply bad blood from the past coming to the forefront - It's hard to tell from the brief flashes you glimpse, though perhaps you'll find out when you get to know both of them better.

You've looked through Bill's records, and the man's had an interesting life. A lifelong Blue supporter and player, he's served on a few professional football teams in his heyday but had primarily served as a traveling player on an 'outreach' team that sought to bring football to the masses of Mariner City. Interestingly, he apparently attended University to seek a degree in agriculture, but dropped out - It's unclear why.

During the Unification War, he participated in special actions behind enemy lines, using his knowledge of Mariner City to lead raids against enemy logistics and aid partisans. Of course, as with any long history, there are plenty of notes - Apparently, Bill and the MCPD had quite a lot of run-ins during his time with the outreach team. Another mark in favor of the idea of Bill and Janice having bad blood between them. Unfortunate.

And, finally… "I'm River Daly. It's nice to meet you, Conductor Beriel." Another young woman, around the age of Sister Galle, but with a very different demeanor from her offers you a brief salute. She wears the uniform of Station, but unlike Janice's mint-condition one, her uniform is covered in patches, insignias, and signs of wear and tear. It's clear that she's been wearing it for quite some time, and has thoroughly customized it to her liking. One of the most prominent insignia on it, however, is a patch displaying a horse with no rider - A symbol used most often by Enterprise revolutionaries.

River Daly, naturally, has very little in the way of Station records. What you've been able to gain access to through your friends has been, essentially, just a record of her service in Station's military, which began when her particular group of Enterprise revolutionaries linked up with MPA forces during the Unification War as they fled south. Her particular area of expertise pre-war was apparently espionage, serving as a spy for her underground union while acting as a domestic servant to a noble household in Enterprise - Something that ought to serve as a useful skillset for your work.

With introductions out of the way, the Conductor briefing your team began to discuss the particulars of your first assignment in Mariner City…

Your drifting attention causes you to return once more to the present as you wonder what your team is spending their train ride on. You glance around once more at your compatriots. Sister Galle is making enthusiastic conversation with her seatmates, discussing some minute aspect of the design of the train car. Bill and River are chatting quietly, and they're far enough away that you can't make out what they're saying over the natural noise of the train. Janice, seated next to you, is simply reading a magazine - Some pulp periodical she must've picked up in the Depot. The title prominently emblazoned on it reads "RAIL TALES - Silas Jones and the Ghost City!"

The thought of high-flying adventure and mysterious occurrences does bring your mind back to your mission - While certainly not as dangerous as whatever might be occurring to Silas Jones, your briefing certainly seemed to indicate that you'd be going into an interesting situation, to say the least.

If you had to come up with some kind of pulp title for it, you might call it…

[] The Case of the Pugnacious Postgraduates!

The MPA has been aware of the issue of arms smuggling through University into Mariner City, often into the hands of criminal or insurgent organizations. It's an unfortunate truth, but University's autonomy has been prized for far too long for them to accept any outside interference that might slightly curtail it - And it frankly suits their interests perfectly well if the main body of the MPA is kept busier by those strengthened from the smuggling. However, recent political circumstances within University have forced them to swallow their pride and a small portion of their autonomy to ask for a mediation team to come in and handle some ongoing conflicts between student organizations as they wait for their satellite campus in Melas Chasma to be built. University has been very vague on the details, perhaps out of a desire to avoid showing further weakness, but this, unfortunately, means you're going in essentially blind to what's actually happening. However, this incident has given the MPA a hole to finally try and plug the smuggling channels passing through University - And they intend to take it.
Official Goal: Resolve whatever disputes are ongoing between student organizations in University.
Secret MPA Objective: Find out who is smuggling to insurgents and criminal organizations in Mariner City through University.

[] The Spaceport Strike!

During the Unification War, the Spaceport in Mariner City was a prime objective for the MPA-UN forces, to enable the UN to shuttle down more troops into the heart of Mariner City. After intense fighting, the MPA-UN forces took the Spaceport in a pyrrhic victory that saw much of the infrastructure completely destroyed. While Kessler Syndrome has put a halt to any serious attempts to restart orbital shipments, repairing the Spaceport is viewed as a vital step in various future tasks, as well as providing a theoretical port for the Shanxi in Mariner City. Unfortunately, it seems a labor dispute has halted repairs, and Stadium's been receiving conflicting reports from their garrison in the region in comparison to the local governing council and has requested a neutral mediator step in. Your job is to go in, resolve the labor dispute in a way that's amenable to the MPA's values, and ensure that construction on the Spaceport starts once again.
Official Goal: Resolve the labor dispute in a way that is satisfactory to all parties and ensure that construction on the Spaceport is restarted.
Secret MPA Objective: Ensure that whatever resolution is reached adheres to MPA values and that all parties involved are adhering to said values as well. If any of the parties involved are found to be acting against MPA values, an outcome that is disfavorable to them would be preferred.

[] City Hall Cleanup!

The City Hall of Mariner City was a valuable symbolic location before the Unification War and is now one of the more important locations in Mariner City period. When Central re-emerged, City Hall was their base of operations, and initial reports from the Stadium garrison stationed there have indicated that it may have even been the source of at least some of Central's cryo-frozen personnel. Evaluating and examining this hidden layer of City Hall is a top priority for the MPA, given that it might provide hints as to how to reverse-engineer pre-Collapse tech, as well as give insight into Central. Unfortunately, the garrison in question reports that there are multiple issues preventing them from making progress. First and foremost, the local organization who formerly used to occupy City Hall before Central evicted them have set up nearby, and are demanding the return of their home. Secondarily, the garrison is reporting great difficulty in penetrating deeper into the Central base beneath City Hall itself, due to some kind of automated security lockdown that seems to have been initiated before the location fell. They've requested a team who can handle both situations, and yours fits the bill.
Official Goal: Find a compromise that satisfies the needs of the MPA and the wronged locals in the matter.
Secret MPA Objective: Crack the automated security lockdown and ensure that the Central base is safe for future research and investigation.

Author's Note: As always, thank you for reading, and I'll be here on the discord and thread to answer any questions that y'all may have!

TheMaskedReader · Sep 16, 2022

Scheduled vote count started by TheMaskedReader on Sep 15, 2022 at 12:18 PM, finished with 14 posts and 12 votes.

8 people have voted
[X] The Spaceport Strike!
3 people have voted
[X] City Hall Cleanup!
2 people have voted
[X] The Case of the Pugnacious Postgraduates!
- Doctor Elsewhere
- Parzival95

TheMaskedReader · Sep 17, 2022

Spaceport Strike!

Part One: Now Departing the Station!

When your train finally pulls into the Stadium Railway Depot, it is with relief that you stand and stretch out, twisting to crack your back. Your fellow passengers begin to shuffle out onto the station platform, grabbing luggage and personal belongings off of overhead racks and storage beneath seats. Meanwhile, you and your team congregate together, ensuring that nobody gets lost, before stepping off the train as a singular group.

The platform is bustling with activity, as railroad workers and Stadium personnel work to unload cargo, and passengers disembarked, going to meet friends and family who had come to meet them. Your group, of course, has no such welcoming party - Instead, this has been the first half on your longer trip towards your destination, seeing as how rail service has yet to be restored to areas in Mariner City beyond Stadium. You'll stay the night with a friend of Bill's, who he's assured you will be able to house the entire group, and in the morning, set out towards the Spaceport with a supply caravan. With luck, you'll reach there within a day or two.

As you exit the train station, the sun is high in the sky, highlighting the liveliness of the district surrounding you. To your north, Mariner Stadium rises high, an imposing citadel in comparison to the relatively squat buildings surrounding it. Meanwhile, the street could hardly be distinguished from a Pre-Collapse city street, at least according to what depictions of it you've seen on MBC and in the history books. People bustle about their business, militia stand on street corners, and a friendly game of football is being played in a lot off to the side of the street…

It is this prosperity you wish to see expanded to the rest of Mariner City, to the rest of Mars, you think to yourself. These people live joyfully, lacking fear - The fear of starvation. The fear of raiders. The fear of their lives being destroyed. They are free - Not just to work, but to live. You take a mental snapshot of this moment in time, resolving to keep it in your mind. It will remind you of what you are striving for, even as you delve into places where the same promise of prosperity brought by the MPA has wound up destroying stability, instead of guaranteeing it.

When you reach the house of Bill's friend, the sun has begun to set, but the party seems to have only begun. Your team enters off the street, passing through a small arch into a courtyard decorated with all manner of Blue banners. The sound of raucous singing drifts out from within the well-lit and expansive house that seems to have been, at one point, some kind of restaurant pre-Collapse. The crowd of people sitting at various parts of the courtyard, or walking out from inside the building, suggests that perhaps it never stopped being one.

"I'll be right back, folks, I gotta go find my friend - Feel free to mingle in the meantime." After that brief instruction, Bill enters and melds with the crowd as easily as breathing, greeting everyone in sight by name or with a clap on the back that they eagerly reciprocate. This leaves the rest of your group awkwardly glancing at each other, waiting for someone to make the first move.

Sister Galle takes a deep breath, before taking the plunge and diving into the crowd after Bill, introducing herself to the various partying Stadium citizens. Before long, she finds a small group of younger people surrounding her, asking her eager questions about her strange clothes and her tools. Frankly, she seems a bit overwhelmed by the attention.

Janice, surprisingly, doesn't seem perturbed overmuch by the raucous atmosphere, as you might expect from an MCPD officer. She's been roped in with a group of people enthusiastically singing a Blue fight song, belting out the lyrics alongside them.

On the other hand, River seems…awkwardly out of place. She's chosen to linger in one of the less occupied corners of the courtyard, sipping from a beer glass someone passed her.

For as much as you could simply lose yourself in the party and not worry about it, this is a good opportunity to get to know one of your teammates…or at least establish a bit of rapport with them before you all go out on your first mission.

You choose to…

[] Rescue Sister Galle from her legion of overeager questioners.

[] Join Janice in the impromptu karaoke session breaking out inside.

[] Grab a drink and sit by River in the quieter part of the courtyard.

[] Dive into the crowd to find where Bill went, and maybe meet your hosts.

The morning after, your team awakens bright and early - Regardless of any hangovers they may or may not have, Janice and yourself make sure that nobody oversleeps. The party continued long into the night, and there are more then a few patrons you recognize from last night sprawled out asleep on furniture or on the floor, blankets laid over them by the hosts. The caravan you're leaving on is departing soon, though, so you bid your farewells and hurry out.

When you reach the departure point, you breathe a sigh of relief - They're still loading supplies into the trucks. You wave to your contact, the leader of the caravan, and he waves you over. He's a comrade from during the War, and you worked together on the LCTF, though he got reassigned to running supply caravans, while you got your new position.

"Rosalind! It's great to see you again - You're here for transit to the Mariner City Spaceport, out in Watson District?" He asks, holding onto his clipboard.

"It's good to see you as well, Matt - Yep. Me and my comrades over here." You gesture to the small group, who have split up to try and do their best to aid the loaders, drivers, and guards.

"For a friend like you, a few extra spots on the caravan are no problem - Though, of course, you'll have to tell me all about what you've been up to, since the war, and how you got a Conductor position! Oh, do I have some stories to tell you, though…"

The next few hours are spent reminiscing and chatting with him as the caravan sets off…which helps give you some additional context on what's happening in Watson District. The rest of your time traveling is spent in a whirlwind reviewing your notes, ensuring your supplies are in order, and performing various duties to pull your weight around the caravan.

Full Mission Briefing

The primary dispute appears to be between the following four factions involved in the reconstruction of the Spaceport.

The Stadium Garrison in the region is supposed to act as a neutral mediator, purely performing counter-insurgency duties and ensuring that the local government doesn't perform counter-revolutionary activities. Even in that latter capacity, their official duty consists of reporting that to the Martian Popular Authority so an investigation team can be sent out, rather than taking action themselves. This garrison seems to have taken a rather…loose interpretation of their duties. In addition, your comrade informs you that this garrison is primarily made up of Reds, rather than Blues.

The Watson Council is the name for the local government of the District, formed by Stadium out of the old governmental structures in the area. Though it is intended to be democratic, most of the Council is currently made up of appointed community figures, drawn from prominent families and former political leaders in the region. Elections are scheduled to be held next year, once things have presumably settled down and the provisional government is deemed no longer necessary for the stability of the region.

The Laborers of the Martian League are the primary labor union in the region, though they don't have a particularly long history in comparison to many unions elsewhere. They were formed under the Martian League, acting as the primary construction workers and laborers who repaired not only the Spaceport, but also helped launch League One. This means that they are, for all intents and purposes, the local experts on the Spaceport, and undoubtedly the most qualified to repair it.

The Free Labor Association is not an organization that was included in your initial report, but rather, you were informed of by your comrade in the supply caravans. An association of refugees and itinerant workers, they apparently showed up a few weeks ago when news of the work stoppage got around and organized themselves, offering to work instead of the LML in exchange for the basic guarantees given to MPA citizens. While this seems to have been on some level multiple miscommunications about the requirements of MPA citizenship, as there is no need to work to acquire it, as well as a misunderstanding of MPA policy regarding 'scabbing', their arrival turned a simple work stoppage into a tense standoff.

Why did this happen in the first place?

The Watson Council appears to have sparked this off by trying to demand that the Stadium Garrison help them investigate the Laborers for MUC ties, citing their history of working for the Martian League and the sabotage of League One. The Stadium Garrison appears to have tentatively agreed, viewing it as being part of their counter-insurgency duties.

However, the Laborers seem to have taken this as an attempt at undermining their legitimacy, perhaps due to interpersonal conflicts between leaders of the Laborers and the Watson Council. In addition, the Laborers have made allegations of corruption towards both the Watson Council and the Stadium Garrison in the region, which both official reports by those two parties have strenuously denied.

What provoked the interest of your superiors was the discrepancy in the Council and Garrison's reports when it comes to the matter of what you now know to be the Free Labor Association. The Council alleges that the Garrison attempted to hire 'foreign itinerants' to illegally break the strike as scabs. Meanwhile, the Garrison alleges that they did no such thing, and rather that certain members of the Watson Council attempted to illegally evict 'refugee workers' from the district under false pretenses. Both of them made no mention of the FLA in their reports.

Both reports converge here, however, with the understanding that whatever chain of events occurred threatened the Laborers even more, causing them to erect a semi-permanent encampment around the Spaceport, declaring that any attempt to restart work without reaching an agreement would be resisted with force, as well as attacking the legitimacy of the Watson Council as an undemocratic and anti-socialist institution, calling for immediate elections to be held. The Watson Council not so subtly suggests that this is clear puppetry by anti-MPA factions within the Laborers, while the Garrison's report seems to advocate for a more conciliatory solution.

What a mess. However, this does only represent what you've gathered from the official reports from the Garrison and the Watson Council, as well as what information your friend has given to you through rumor and hearsay he's picked up from traveling through the region. This leaves you with a clear set of choices in mind when you arrive in the region.

You'll…

[] Speak to the local Stadium Garrison's commander, get a gauge on their personality, and evaluate the truthfulness of their reports.

[] Head to the headquarters of the Watson Council, a former courthouse, and introduce yourself formally to the local government, getting a feel for who they are and what their interests are.

[] Discretely leave the caravan slightly before your scheduled arrival and move to speak to the Laborers of the Martian League first, getting their side of the story before anyone has the chance to intercept you or otherwise poison the well.

[] Try to find where the Free Labor Association is based and interview their leaders - It seems as if every side of this conflict has a completely different interpretation of them and their actions thus far, after all, so clearing that up might give you some perspective.

QM's Note: Two votes this time, one for your first chance to spend time with your team and another for your opening move in resolving the Spaceport Strike! Voting is open immediately, and I'm of course, happy to answer any questions here or in the discord.

TheMaskedReader · Sep 19, 2022

Scheduled vote count started by TheMaskedReader on Sep 17, 2022 at 2:22 PM, finished with 11 posts and 10 votes.

6 people have voted
[X] Try to find where the Free Labor Association is based and interview their leaders - It seems as if every side of this conflict has a completely different interpretation of them and their actions thus far, after all, so clearing that up might give you some perspective.
4 people have voted
[X] Discretely leave the caravan slightly before your scheduled arrival and move to speak to the Laborers of the Martian League first, getting their side of the story before anyone has the chance to intercept you or otherwise poison the well.
3 people have voted
[X] Rescue Sister Galle from her legion of overeager questioners.
3 people have voted
[X] Grab a drink and sit by River in the quieter part of the courtyard.
2 people have voted
[X] Dive into the crowd to find where Bill went, and maybe meet your hosts.
- RulerOfNothing
- Mars
1 people have voted
[X] Join Janice in the impromptu karaoke session breaking out inside.
- Pillar 0F Atlan2

TheMaskedReader · Sep 19, 2022

Spaceport Strike!

Part Two: The Sisters of the Free Labor Association!

Sister Galle seems to be most in need of your assistance, and so you sweep in, badge prominently displayed on your lapel. You allow your officious demeanor to clear the way for you, an aura of determination emanating out from your expression in such a way as to clear a path through the crowd, with only a few sorry's and excuse me's exchanged. Within a moment, you've made it to Sister Galle's side.

"So, wait, if that's what the first settlers wore, how'd you get your hands on it? Shouldn't it be in like, a museum or something?" One of her questioners is asking, with the others murmuring along. "Well, it's only a replica, it's not really what they wore. It's a symbol, you know, of respect for the past." She chuckles nervously, pulling at one of the loops on her webbing in a self-conscious gesture. "Wow! That's super neat, yaknow-"

You choose that brief pause to interject yourself into the conversation. "Pardon me, Sister Galle, but would you mind if we had a brief word?" She blinks, surprised - Did she not notice your approach? You suppose the peripheral vision with her helmet isn't very good, so it's excusable, but you'll have to make a mental note to ensure it doesn't cause any problems at a later date. "Oh, uh, Comrade Rosalind, I, uh, am I, er…Sure, alright! Sorry, folks, I, uh, gotta talk with Comrade Rosalind here for a bit." She glances around apologetically to her questioners, most of whom nod with understanding, before dispersing into their own conversations.

You lead Sister Galle over to a small corner of the party, clearing a path in the same way you cleared a path to her. While not quiet and certainly not isolated, it'll do well enough for your purposes. Just as you're about to speak, Sister Galle speaks first, her voice betraying a deep nervousness matched by her expression. "Uh, Comrade, am I in trouble? I swear I didn't discuss anything sensitive with them or anything, I promise. I know I'm young and all but, I, you know I wouldn't do that, right?" You're surprised that she'd think she's in trouble, and it must show on your face, as she begins to nervously pace while muttering - "Oh, geeze, I must've-" You cut her off before she can cause herself any further mental anguish through overthinking. "You're not in trouble, Galle." She pauses her pacing and relaxes slightly at that, as you continue. "I just saw you were surrounded by a lot of people asking you questions and looked nervous, so I decided to step in to help get you a breather. I apologize if I overstepped or made you uncomfortable - I understand that I might have misread the situation. But I also know that one's first…Stadium party can be an overwhelming experience." You certainly remember your first experience at one, in the aftermath of the War. Entire districts basically turned into massive street parties as Stadium's people celebrated their victory and mourned their losses in the best way they knew how.

After a second, Sister Galle nods. "...Oh. That makes sense. Uh, sorry, Comrade - I just saw your face and you looked so serious and, like, official, that I thought I was being called over to be reprimanded or something. Like, that was absolutely the pitch-perfect replication of the look Brother Maven used to give me when I was talking a bit too loud during class." You sigh at the reminder of how young she is, before saying "My apologies. Regardless, you're not in trouble, I promise. Besides, this gives us the chance to talk about a few things outside of work. I appreciate knowing my comrades on a personal level…and this also means you can simply use my name, rather than saying Comrade Rosalind or Comrade every time, hm?" You chuckle, lightly, as Sister Galle nods enthusiastically. "Yes, Com-er, Rosalind! And, uh, well…you already call me Galle! So, feel free to keep doing so! And, uh, you were right, by the way - It was a bit overwhelming to talk to all those people. Stadium's really something, huh?"

You smile at her, trying to put her slightly more at ease. "It definitely is. So, Galle - What brought you down south? I know you folks came down as part of the Administrative Exchange program we've got set up with Biodyne, but I figure it's volunteer work, right?"

She nods, more slowly. "Uh…Sorta? Like, sure, it's volunteer work, but like…you can only volunteer if you're not working elsewhere, you know? And you have to be in the priesthood to qualify. I'm from the Headquarters, so, like, a lot of people who live there either aren't in the priesthood or they're busy with the Terraformer, may the Mother watch over it." She makes the sign of the Mother over her stomach as she says that. It seems to be instinctual, rather than a conscious action, to your eyes at least.

"Alright. So, why'd you volunteer?" You ask, trying to nudge her back to the original topic. "Oh! Well, before the Night of Dust…I was just an acolyte. But, uh, after…there were…" She waves her hand. "A lot of people in the priesthood resigned. Or were taken in by the Chosen for Red Mars sympathies. And so I wound up getting kind of promoted? More of a…fast graduation, if that makes sense. Because, like, as an acolyte, you're kind of a junior priest in training, even though some people choose never to move past it? And like, I know stuff! Don't worry, I know everything I need to know - But there's just a lot of tests and extra training and all that to make sure you have the proper understanding of doctrine, and most of my wave kinda…wound up skipping those just to fill in the holes left behind."

Once more, you try to keep her on track. "Alright, I understand. But…why did you volunteer, then?" She pauses, then she giggles. "Oh, wow, I've really been going off on a tangent, haven't I! Well, essentially…I'd read some socialist theory as part of my training. Specifically, uh, the works of Engineer Montgomery, of, well, I imagine you know who he is, right?" Engineer Montgomery was one of the engineers who helped save those on the trains in the aftermath of the Collapse. He would go on to serve as Stationmaster for two years when elections began, before choosing to return to his work. In the later years of his life, he became an author, primarily writing about the founding of Station and his part thereof, though it included some economic analysis. There's a small statue of the man in front of…you want to say it's a library in New Ys you visited some time ago? You can't quite remember. Regardless, you nod. "Indeed, I do."

"Yeah! Well, his writing, though kinda tangential, really inspired me to look deeper into that sort of thing. When the Enterprise Civil War broke out, a few revolutionaries fled into Biodyne, and I talked with one of them who had joined our acolyte program, and they gave me some recommendations on what to look at in our library! Anyways, uh, I read a lot of books about it, and…I think it's good, hah! It's what worshipping the Mother, Mars is about, or, uh, supposed to be about! The common good of the planet, and by extension, humanity! And, so, when I got the chance to actually go down to Station, the heart of modern socialism and the home of Stationmaster Rutherford, I had to leap at it, right? And now I get to do the good work of spreading it myself!" You slowly nod. You understand her motivations, you really do - But you also wonder if she isn't perhaps just applying her religious framework to a new idea she's latched onto. Oh, well. You'll see later, and it's getting a bit late for you anyways.

"Well, that's wonderful to hear, Galle. I do think I've kept you long enough, though - I'm sure all of your new acquaintances are waiting for you to return. I need to get to sleep myself, anyways. We've got to depart bright and early, after all." Your demeanor returns to a slightly more stern look as you remind her. She only smiles, though, and nods. "No worries, Rosalind! I'll be up at the crack of dawn, no problem!" And with that, she stands and strides back over, rejoining the conversation. You're not absolutely sure, of course, but she seems more at ease than she was before. You hope your conversation with her helped her, though it definitely helped you get a better grasp on her.

While Matt mentions the Free Labor Association to you, he, unfortunately, doesn't know where they're headquartered. The best guess he can give is some buildings he knows were being reserved for usage by the Garrison that they might have used for refugees. Still, it's better than nothing. During a small break of the caravan before arrival at the formal staging point for supplies in Watson District, you gather your team together and bid your farewells. Matt offers you a salute as you begin your trek toward the buildings he outlined. It's only a few miles away, with the weather seeming largely cooperative today, so it should be fairly pleasant. However, as you begin to approach, River Daly steps up beside you. She glances around at the rest of the team, who all are a few steps away, and leans in to talk to you.

"Conductor Beriel? I just wanted to say, your friend back there mentioned that this organization we're going to see seems to be made up of a lot of refugees. If any of them are Enterprise, I might be able to talk to them a bit more freely, get some information about what's going down, if you'll give me permission." You consider it for a moment.

"Provisionally granted, but accompany us during the initial meeting and introduction. I'll make sure you have the chance to check around, I just don't want you getting into trouble with twitchy guards." She nods, accepting your decision, before hastening her pace, moving into step beside Sister Galle, who offers her a cheerful nod.

Your journey is largely uneventful, occasionally seeing passersby or residents who offer you brief nods and waves, or even a shouted greeting or two when they see Bill's uniform. When you arrive, the building is clearly occupied. Two Red Stadium militia are guarding the front, and they tense up at the sight of your armed group, before relaxing upon identifying your uniforms, though one of them frowns at Bill's. One of them calls out. "Hey there! Can we help y'all?"

Bill nods to you. "Let me handle this, boss. You'll know when to step in." He steps forward and shouts out. "Howdy! We're the investigative team y'all sent for, to sort out this whole mess with the Council, make sure everything's fine and dandy for you folks. We were told this is where the refugees are staying? We need to interview 'em a bit about the eviction thing, sort out what happened." One of the guards starts nodding, though the other seems a tad more skeptical.

"I knew a team was coming, but have you all checked in with Captain Hellas yet? We didn't get any kind of report that your team was coming this way." Bill glances back at you, and you recognize this is your time to step in.

"Special Conductor Rosalind Beriel, at your service." Both of them blink slightly, likely not having heard that specific title before. They do clearly recognize your badge, though. "We'll be checking in with Captain Hellas after the initial interviews are complete. It's a matter of procedure for this sort of investigation - He'll need to be a part of the final report, after all, and it prevents theoretical tainting of the report by biases introduced during his interview." The skeptical guard nods, his slight mistrust assuaged by your display of authority. "Well, ma'am, head on in. You'll probably want to speak to the Syrtis sisters. They'll be on the first floor, past the elevators and into the main office. They've taken charge of organizing the refugees, and they'll definitely have a lot to say about the eviction attempt." And with that, he opens the door, allowing you inside.

The first thing you notice is that the building's temperature is in a slightly uncomfortable spot between warm and cool, and the halls are clean in the way that only a freshly occupied building can be. This place is habitable, but it's only been in use for a short period of time - Not enough for the residents to get used to it. You stride into the empty lobby, walking towards the sound of noise emanating from a hallway that leads past rows of elevators. A small stairwell lies behind a door, and River gives a glance to you, silently asking permission. You nod, and she opens it, beginning her own search. Meanwhile, you and the other three keep moving down the hall, heading for the indicated offices.

Once you get there, the staleness of the lobby fades away, replaced with a scene you recognize quite well from your time in the LCTF - That of a supply distribution point and work assignment office being set up. Men and women are unpacking crates of food, water, and other necessities and tallying them up; someone's standing on a ladder to try and fix a light in the ceiling, yelling down at a teenager to "Hand me the screwdriver!"; and children are running around the legs of their parents, giggling and yelling as they play. At the center of this maelstrom of activity, two young women are sitting next to each other at a desk. One of them is calmly writing, while the other is speaking in a rapid tone to a much older man standing in front of them. "Alright, we've got enough water for the next three weeks? Great, great. How's work going on Nili's daycare idea? I know he's got his apartment set up already, what does he need-" She abruptly cuts off upon seeing your approach. "Pardon me, Jezero - I think we have some special guests." At her words, the man turns around and grimaces at the sight of your uniforms, before stepping away.

With the opening granted and the implicit permission of the women you assume to be the Syrtis sisters, you step in. "I'm Special Conductor Rosalind Beriel, a pleasure to meet you. These are my comrades, Sister Galle, Sergeant Ranfield, and William Fitzroy, of the Stadium militia." They all offer various greetings of their own, none of which the young woman responds to. She fixes her eyes on you, instead. "I am Eva Syrtis. This is my sister, Kelly Syrtis." She gestures to her sister, who hasn't stopped writing. The woman in question glances up and offers you a brief nod, before returning to her writing. Now that you're closer, it seems she's writing down numbers in neat columns, which you recognize - This woman must be in charge of managing the supplies of the FLA. "What interests Station in the affairs of a small labor association?" Her fast manner of speech from earlier is gone, replaced with a careful and measured tone. You can feel eyes watching you - Though the hustle and bustle of the room hasn't ceased, several of the adults watch you from the corner of their eyes. They are wary - But of who, specifically? You can't tell.

"The MPA-" A key distinction you are going to make, first and foremost. "-is interested in the story of the Free Labor Association, considering its relevance to the ongoing issues related to the Laborers of the Martian League, as well as other parties in the region, as well as to ensure that no mistreatment or exploitation of refugees is ongoing by MPA allies or forces in the region." Eva grimaces at the name of the Laborers but listens carefully to the end before she speaks again. "Right. Well, then, this is going to be a long story. I'd better take you into the back office so you can hear it without getting in the way of everyone else around here." You nod, and Eva stands, gesturing for you to follow her back.

As Rosalind prepares to hear the story of the Free Labor Association, forces elsewhere are moving! Someone has heard of the team's arrival in the region, and will begin to make moves in response to it - But who?

[] The Stadium Garrison has received a report from their men guarding the building, telling them of the arrival of the team.

[] The Watson Council has heard word from a careless caravaneer who let slip news of mysterious passengers.

[] The Laborers of the Martian League had a sympathizer who saw the group on their way to the FLA and sent a message informing them.

Meanwhile, River Daly has met some Enterprise refugees more then willing to share information with a fellow countrywoman. She's gotten the run-down on…

[] Captain Hellas of the local Stadium Garrison.

[] The current state of local politics in the Watson Council.

[] Recent local history, specifically relating to the Laborers.

Author's note: As always, thank you for reading! I'll be here and in the discord to answer questions! Voting will be open for 24 hours, with no moratorium.

TheMaskedReader · Sep 20, 2022

Scheduled vote count started by TheMaskedReader on Sep 19, 2022 at 6:14 PM, finished with 6 posts and 6 votes.

6 people have voted
[X] The current state of local politics in the Watson Council.
3 people have voted
[X] The Stadium Garrison has received a report from their men guarding the building, telling them of the arrival of the team.
2 people have voted
[X] The Watson Council has heard word from a careless caravaneer who let slip news of mysterious passengers.
- Parzival95
- Balmung1
1 people have voted
[X] The Laborers of the Martian League had a sympathizer who saw the group on their way to the FLA and sent a message informing them.
- yeastmobile
1 people have voted
[X] Recent local history, specifically relating to the Laborers.
- maelstrom.seeker

The City At The Center of Mars (Red Planet Rising)

Recent threadmarks

Recent threadmarks

Recent threadmarks

Recent threadmarks

TheMaskedReader

TheMaskedReader

Melas Chasma Factions

Mariner City Factions

Candor Chasma Factions

Insurgent Groups

Other

Locations

TheMaskedReader

The Team

Spaceport Strike!

Other Characters

TheMaskedReader

TheMaskedReader

TheMaskedReader

TheMaskedReader

Spaceport Strike!

Part One: Now Departing the Station!

Full Mission Briefing

TheMaskedReader

TheMaskedReader

Spaceport Strike!

Part Two: The Sisters of the Free Labor Association!

TheMaskedReader

Recent threadmarks

Recent threadmarks

Recent threadmarks

Recent threadmarks

The City At The Center of Mars (Red Planet Rising)

Melas Chasma Factions

Mariner City Factions

Candor Chasma Factions

Insurgent Groups

Other

Locations

The Team

Spaceport Strike!

Other Characters

Spaceport Strike! Part One: Now Departing the Station!​

Full Mission Briefing​

Spaceport Strike! Part Two: The Sisters of the Free Labor Association!​

Spaceport Strike!

Part One: Now Departing the Station!

Full Mission Briefing

Spaceport Strike!

Part Two: The Sisters of the Free Labor Association!