The Daedalus Republic

Current status: In progress.

General History

Name: The Daedalus Republic Concept: Technological Empire, built on the ruins of a former colony.

Overview: The Daedalus Republic’s formation was a long and harrowing process. Like whittling a carving out of wood, much was sheared away in its early formative years, leaving the remains of old factions and civil wars to lay about their world like fallen shavings. What was left was a harsh image, scarred and perhaps flawed, but ultimately the product of its history.

The Early Years – The Sculptor’s Stone

The initial mission began in 2089 as a private colonization effort by baseline manufacturer Fredrick Derringer, financed by a transgene faction known as the Kentwich Configuration, in order to fulfill their prodigious need for raw materials. A mining colony, composed almost entirely of baselines, was set up on the distant world Minos at the end of year. Factories were built, and production soared at the wealth of minerals. With the discovery of significant delta dust reserves in the mountainous regions, Minos’ colony expanded and grew. When the Kentwich finally sent their inspector, he found a prosperous collection of heavy-mining facilities, dust refineries, and a burgeoning economy. His report was stellar, remarking upon Derringer’s initiative and the colony’s output.

The Kentwich-Minos Conflict and the Daedalus Program

Had the colony been left to itself, it probably would have been content to construct ships and other materials for the Kentwich on Earth. However, local Earth politics, coupled with heavy anti-transhuman sentiments in the Kentwich native Europe, caused most of their earthbound resources to dwindle. The Kentwich Configuration decided that it would be more beneficial to move their operations to Minos, seeing how it was a solid production base. The colony received a heavy migration, this time of Kentwich transgenes, led by Director Antone Royhaver. New cities were built to contain the new population, and production was further expanded with in influx of new workers and innovators. Overall, it consisted of roughly 76% of Kentwich transgene and baseline personnel, with the remainder restructuring Earth assets to adapt to the changing economy back home.

But what should have been an industrial boom turned out to be an eruption of a different kind. The Kentwich, used to administration, quickly displaced many of the baseline leaders through a combination of their potent mental skills and general corporate bullying. The baseline population was used to doing things their own way; the prospect of losing their autonomy did not sit well with them.

Tensions rose with alarming speed, with stories of riots, brutal oppression, and even acts of sabotage abounding. A baseline resistance movement formed in secret, in response to the Kentwich Configuration, hoping to prevent transgene interests from dominating the entire Minos sphere, removing baselines from the equations. The Kentwich responded by tightening their grip, cracking down on activism and pushing harder laws that benefit their interests. Various anti-Kentwich groups began to form, eventually entering into communication with each other in an attempt to outmaneuver their augmented overseers.

From a modern perspective, it is unclear on who was in the right, or who pushed things too far. Kentwich interests were purely corporate; they wanted to be in charge of the organization they had formed and dispatched, and to rebuild their old power on Minos. Their tactics were mostly peaceful and legal, using their superior individual strengths to supplant baseline leaders. The baselines, however, had been given their freedom under the assumption of self-governance, and the transgenes’ forced intrusion into every echelon of society left many owners and leaders in a dangerous position, or even no position at all. Faced with manipulative tactics, they turned to subversive practice to maintain their freedom, some even involving figures of sinister disposition and unscrupulous practice, which sent ripples with every character assassination, hostile takeover, and mysterious disaster. Attempts to combat these were done with care, as to not provoke open war – a prospect neither side, with their heavy stakes in the social system, were enthused by – but in the end only served to frighten and enrage the populace more in their confusion.

At the same time, Kentwich corporations were hard at work securing financial Negotiations were opened, and deals made, and fruit seemingly sprang forth from the distant world of Haraway. Kentwich were well aware of their situation – they were faced with a wide-spread, well-established baseline population that bore a marked dislike for them and their shoehorned social position. They decided that trading their mineral wealth with other colonies would increase local prosperity, assuaging the wounded masses; not to mention that it would foster alliances they could turn too, should war break out. Of particular importance was a trade deal with the distant transgene colony of Haraway, a deal that could not only net lucrative trade, but also give the Kentwich a powerful military and ideological ally should their baseline citizens come to open violence.

The war began quiet, and remained just barely so – it became a war of corporate and industrial espionage. Information warfare became the chief weapon of both sides, and with it, the Minos commercial climate began to shift towards computers and data technology. As the colony grew, more area became contested, and the new developments fueled a war of technology – one that eventually led to the conflict’s explosive end.

The Death of Catherine Brahms

Tension had nearly boiled over when the Harawayan ambassador arrived on Minos. Catherine Brahms, Green designation transgene, was received under a heavy guard of Kentwich transgenes, for fear of attack by resistance groups. Her arrival was nonetheless common knowledge within hours, appearing on every news page. Her location was kept mercifully private, but she was still joined by several other security details, all hand-picked by the Kentwich Head Committee, as well as her own staff of four elite Reds. A shuttle under stealth took her to an undisclosed location in Belgrade City, a major population center, where she was to be formally greeted.

Two confirmed attempts on her life were made during transit. In the first case, a countermeasures team picked up an electronic incursion, which was stopped and traced; equipment found in the culprit’s van suggests they were attempting to remotely commandeer the shuttle to crash. The second attempt was foiled by facility security, who caught an operative carrying a potent explosive device towards the landing point. Brahms went unaware of both attacks, landing on the shuttlepad of her destination and entering the building with no known trouble.

It was on her way to the seventh floor where she began to exhibit symptoms, becoming flush and disoriented. As she stepped out of the elevator, she stumbled, and made a concerted, Herculean effort to meet the waiting dignitary. She stared at his greeting, as if confused, before suddenly lunging at him. Guards separated the two, Brahms screaming nearly incomprehensibly before collapsing unconscious at his feet.

Catherine Brahms was treated on-site; few reports remain of her last moments, her waking moments a slew of vicious struggles and paranoid rants about poison and baselines. At the same time, several baseline employees within the meeting place began to exhibit similar symptoms, including violent behavior and organ failure. These subjects were quarantined, and tests quickly found the source, resting in their lungs – a narco-chemical weapon. Catherine Brahms died within a few hours of brain aneurisms – one of the lucky ones, as future victims of what would be known as Chemical 25 would last much longer before expiring.

Chemical 25

There isn’t any consistent account of Chemical 25’s developer. It is generally attributed to Dr. Hammond Blaine, a transgene biologist and chemist, though the exact team that developed the compound has never been confirmed. The name itself is a bit of a misnomer; the chemical itself is added to a local bacterial strain, which spreads the chemical as it infects the body.

Its effects, however, are quite well known, particularly in some of the planets’ abandoned zones, where the frothing sufferers still rampage about, clawing at each other in a frenzy.

Chemical 25’s effects sprung up throughout baseline populations, dozens of people at a time driven into a chemically-provoked berserker rage. Murders tripled in the span of a few months. Hospitals were overloaded both with the victims of these massacres and with the madmen themselves. The baseline leaders instigated massive quarantines and tests, attempting to isolate the spread of the affliction. This didn’t prove effective, as new outbreaks seemed to occur at random. The most tragic event was in Belgrade City, where a widespread outbreak led to frenzied rioting, property damage, and military involvement that left thousands dead.

Rumours about chemical warfare, local strains, and smuggling spread about, leading to more than one instance of violence. The baseline population, in their irritation, was more than eager to look to the Kentwich for answers, or a culprit.

More startlingly, local transgenes were quickly discovered to be largely immune to Chemical 25’s effects, barring a few isolated Kentwich variants. This aroused suspicions that the plague was transgene in origin, and this was further exacerbated by Kentwich transgenes laying claim to all victims and sites of contamination, making effort to exclude most baseline authorities. While they sited their immunity as reason they should be trusted with the clean-up, many baselines felt they were being lied to, as no conclusive data was given to them. Acts of corporate espionage increased, and true resistance forces – spies, hackers and even trained special operatives – sprang into being. The European Union declared that a full investigation would be conducted of Minos and its Kentwich organization, to determine where the accusation of government involvement was true.

They didn’t get far. Mere months after Brahm’s death, the Breakdown occurred, cutting the colony off from the rest of the galaxy. Outside traffic was rare, and the few UN investigators found themselves stranded and facing resistance from the Kentwich and local turmoil. UN investigators found some support in baseline information groups, and through several choice discoveries, unlocked a terrifying revelation. Information taken from several Kentwich computers contained information about the development and testing of Chemical 25, and Blaine’s presentation of the substance to the Kentwich committees. Their evidence was soon corroborated by Kentwich whistle-blowers and deployment plans, though some of these have since been found to be doctored or fabricated entirely. Still, despite some suspect evidence, one fact could not be denied; Chemical 25 was designed by Kentwich laboratories under government funding. Coupled with the drug’s obvious impotence against Kentwichs themselves, it only took a short while before cried of justice against the transgenes could be heard. These cries were quickly drowned out by the sounds of guns.

Civil War, and Foundation of Daedalus

When the Breakdown finally eased, and regular travel once again came to Minos, EU ships were immediately dispatched to check on the colony. The few aid ships sent to the planet reported massive violence, both in orbit and on the ground, as well as widespread outbreaks of Chemical 25. Assassinations and information warfare were widespread, and many reports referenced an organization known as ‘Daedalus’ – a military group that appeared to be rallying the baseline forces. Other, outlandish reports spoke of invisible fights, augmented soldiers, and monstrous creations battling in the streets.

Then the ships arrived, they found a planet ravaged by its own internal war. Ruins of naval ships and settlements littered the world, the grass growing beneath them indicated the war had ended some time before connection was reestablished. The Kentwich transgenes remained, but their corporate government was no more, replaced instead with an elected body, named after the rebel organization that led the baselines to victory.

The Daedalus Republic was left with a ruined production line and severe infrastructure damage that put heavy drain on the nation’s funds. Years of information warfare and black ops had left the colony with a powerful, well-trained force, and a research-based economy bolstered by stealth technology and by several supersoldier projects – most notable of these being an elite force known as the Minotaurs. It appeared that all of the former tensions had been burned off, with the Kentwich enjoying equal rights and most anti-transgene/baseline sentiments expunged.

Daedalus has reestablished ties with the EU, and has now directed its attention to the stars once again. Their forged dedication to technology has spurred them on to explore and acquire old Precursor techs, and to develop new weapons for the defense of their new nation.

Dramatis Personae

TBA

History Paths

Exploration Era

World Type: Terraformable
Fascinating Pharmaceuticals (+ 200 Wealth, +30 Pop, + 50 CIP, + 1 SP)
Precursor Relics: Limited (+ 150 dust, + 5 SP)
Feral Drones: Limited (+ 30 population, +50 Wealth, +100 PIP)
Data Core (+ 150 applications, +1 Global Tech Level)
Location: Backwater (+ 100 PIP)

Colonial Era

Regional Events

PACT Arm (+ 5,000 military, + 100 Wealth, + 100 CIP, + 100 Dust)
Outer Expanse (+ 120 Population, + 100 PIP, + 100 CIP, + 100 Wealth, + 10 SP, + 20 Transgene)
New Freedoms (+ 20 Transgene)
Liberal Market Capitalism (+ 200 CIP, + 100 PIP, + 300 Wealth, + 60 Population)
Eridanus: Drone Deconstructors (+ 100 Fabs, + 100 Dust, + 100 CIP)

Local Events

Political Crisis: Regime Changed (+2 logistics, +5,000 military, - morale, + 100 Wealth)

Breakdown Era

My Toaster Hit Singularity (+100 dust, - 100 CIP)
Cut-off: Stand Alone Complex (+ 100 PIP, + 100 CIP, + 100 Wealth, + 4 Logistics, +10,000 Military)

War Era and Aftermath

Sign The PACT (+ 200 CIP, +200 Wealth, +10,000 military)
Transhumanize! (+ 20 transgene, +100 Wealth, + 100 CIP, + 100 application, - Morale)
Center for Research (+4 Global Techlevel, + 100 application, + 100 CIP, - 100 PIP)
Rangers Lead The Way! (+3 Infiltration, + 100 CIP, +2 doctrines)

Current Era

Multiparty Democracy (+ Morale, + 100 application (common), + 100 CIP, + 1 SP)

Chaotic Event

My Toaster Hit Singularity (+100 dust, - 100 CIP)

Covert System

Licensed to Kill (+2 Infiltration, +2 Security, 10% secrets, + 50% secret project cost)

Totals

SP: 17
Pop: 120
Transgene: 60
Morale: -1
PIP: 400
CIP: 1050
Fabers: 100
Wealth: 1250
Dust: 550
Theta: 0
Military: 30000
Doctrines: 2
Logistics: 6
Global Tech Bonus: 5
Application: 450

Infiltration: 5
Security: 2
Secrets: 10%
Project Cost Increase: 50%

Tech Indices

Pending new rules

Kentwich Upgrade

+3 Intelligence

24 points before transgenic bonus