The high tech city of Nemus

[darthauthor]

Day 92

The coming dawn.

As the sun comes up people are tired. Most of the city has been up all night.

The food lines are open again. People line up for algae, mushrooms, veggies, and worm meat.
The appearance of some whom the people believe are vampires, in the light of day, is confusing and leads to con artist theories. No one has seen these so-called "vampires" sprout fangs and bite anyone. Everyone is wearing a cross but not one is flashing it at them. More than anything else though people's eyes and noses are on the food. Grab it and go.

The CS troops at the ley line are suspicious of mages coming and going almost undetected. They have no Dog Boys or Psi-stalkers in their company but they would not be much help in the department of sensing magic or supernatural beings while they are so near the ley line. It is just that the line is too long for the company to watch every inch of it.
They put together a plan to position their people to stand alone so as to see each other in the distance to watch the maximum amount of the ley line all at once. The only problems they can see are how to quickly signal one another and no back up if each grunt stands alone.


One of the secrets of The Luddites is that they have been using their one circle of travel to move back and forth between a distant nexus. Once at the nexus they store up a super charge of P.P.E. and travel back to the crops as Nemus where they rapidly unleash their stored charge on spells that accelerate plant growth. While medical treatments are fueled by either shared PPE or taking the patient to the nexus point.

The kingdom of Ishpeming speaks with law enforcement and city officials. They claim that vampires are real but doubt these "Lords of The Night'' are. Perhaps they are slaves to real vampires or perhaps they are just con artists.
So far these people have not really asked for anything except the adulation they are already receiving.
They have taken credit for turning the power back on, at night. Still there is no electrical power during the day.
Technicians flock outside the power plant to have a look at things that are denied access by humans from outside the city with energy weapons. Law enforcement (without bullets or energy weapons) is reluctant to attempt to take the power plant by force. Psychic consultation and computer simulation on taking the plant by force reveals a 99.9% chance of damaging the controls and hardware. No one wants to rock the boat while they have got what little good thing they have got going right now. Committees are talking like we will get back to you in a week or two after we have stored up and managed some immediate concerns.
The hospitals are doing everything they can but have exhausted most of their supplies. They are operating mostly on what psychic healers they have left. That and donations of holistic medicine from the Luddites outside the city.
In the morning light, photos and videos are taken of the crops but the daytime internet is down so they can't share them except in person. Vehicles come and people start rapidly harvesting beans, corn, squash, and whatever else they can get their hands on until they are out of food to pick or cargo space to put it.
Some people are scratching their heads wondering what is in it for the Luddites.
People are also asking the same question about the "The Lords of The Night."

Without power the supernatural being in the supercomputer is operating off of battery back up. Its impression is that:

The Luddites are supplying the city but more people will leave because of them.
NGR is gone.
Free Quebec is gone.
The CS are nowhere in sight but have people undercover, sympathizers, and people at the ley line.
The vampires can only be dealt with by wood and water.
The key is to control the electrical power. Second food. Third military strength.

With the power partially restored medical transportation will begin again to the ley line. The troops at the ley line will eventually discover them. They will ask the people of the city what happened. They will tell them a story of the CS leaving the city. They won't believe that Commander Crassus and the rest of their leadership just forgot them. They won't believe the CS just gave up the city. Most probable tactic will be to send scouts back to the city to verify what is what. Then return with the rest of their army to take back control of the city by force. Probability simulation estimates CS will eradicate the zombie population then vampires will be killed or driven out. Power plant will be damaged or destroyed.

The USB believes the CS will ultimately expose it then attempt to destroy or exorcize it from the machines. Best course of action is to kill anyone who knows about the USB.
While political control over the city was never something the supernatural being planned to make itself public and official about. It is content to use others as the face of its operation.
The vampires appear to be accepted for now.
They appear to be in control of the power plant.
While nothing suggests they know about the CS troops at the ley line.
The supernatural being arranges for the location of the ley line and the CS troops there are known to "The Lords of The Night."

[darthauthor]

Day 93

The CS troops were suddenly awash with energy. It was as though the ley line had become alive and they were in a washing machine.
A euphoria sweeps over them consuming their thoughts taking them from panic to basking in feelings of relaxation and enjoyment.

None noticed the coven of vampires and their followers who delicately damaged their troops' weapons. They didn’t panic. They were not attacked, bitten, or cut, only robbed in an almost pick pocket sense.

Then their vehicles were disabled.

Then the vampires and company left like it was a dream.

After action review:

We were either attacked with a spell or a ley line storm. Results were unexpected. Minor aches and pains are gone. Medic inspected all service members and found scars missing. Whatever it was healed us. ID codes were verified, facial inspections were matched to records, silver needle test was performed. Also viewing of Auras confirmed no one is possessed or under the effects of a spell or psionic power.
Tactical analysis summary. We were attacked in such a manner it would not set off those of us with sixth sense and would not be something we would have foreseen in clairvoyance.
The objective of the attack was to disable our communications, vehicles and weapons.
Their mission was a success.
Who they were is unclear. Most of us don’t have clear memories of seeing them. Those who reach with total recall get sort of lost in what they were feeling. Those bits of memory were they don’t recall humanoids wearing clown masks and such.

The medical hover vehicle arrived after dawn and began healing zombies as best they could.

The troops there learn about the goings on of the city.

[darthauthor]

Test to see IF I can post again.

[darthauthor]

Day 94.

For reason unknown to me my post got gone.

[darthauthor]

Day 94

So this is the best recreation I can remember under the circumstances.

The CS troops police the psychic purification of the zombie patients.
Performing CS security contingency plans they inspect everyone by use of the psionic power “See Aura.”
They find one person possessed with something. Fortunately, the CS "See Aura" was performed discreetly as was the psionic exorcism which freed the human and banished the whatever it was that possessed them. They have no memory of how they got here or what has been going on.

They interrogate the people of Nemus about the latest goings on in the city of Nemus.

Next they take the hover vehicles the people brought the patients in and leave the patients and those who cared for and supported them behind under CS guard.

Those CS on the hover vehicles returned to within a few miles of Nemus.
Getting off they search the area and approach the city in daylight with caution

Fields of crops cover the landscape.
CS assessment of them is that they must be of magical origin or augmentation. The destruction of these crops is necessary to the CS agenda. Failure to do so might warm people up to the idea of using magic or tolerating its use.
Beliefs are that those who tend to the crops are responsible. If not they are at least guilty by association.

Signals and dead drop locations for CS operatives go unresponded to. Assumption is that they are dead, prisoner, subdued, or gone native.

Immediate plan is to abduct one or more of the hippie locals and interrogate them for more information.
Then sneak into the city at night and assess the situation.

Interrogation of a local confirms some of the information we got from the city's medical staff who went to the ley line.
The Luddites are supplying food, healing, and somehow transporting people who choose to leave. They must have some means of travel that is magical. They would not use machines to travel. That leaves magic. We didn't notice enough footprints.

Further interrogation reveals that a group of vampires and/or con artists have assumed political control of the city. Their hold on it rests with the power plant. They claim to be working on it but only turn it on at night. Through magic or something they have locked almost all of the zombies up in the stadium. The last mass transport occurred with those who arrived at the ley line this morning.

Challenge is how to kill the Luddites and their followers with only our armor, bare hands, and the stakes we fashioned. The vampires will run from us under the right circumstances but not their minions.

The officer in charge knows about CS safe houses and stashes. When they sneak into the city a couple of them will make their way to them to collect weapons, the latest intell reports, get needed orders and / or await further instructions.

Assessment: The CS in the city are dead, fled, or are waiting.
Tactically the CS troops are not equipped to take the city by full force.
Safest alternative is to travel to the nearest town with messaging service or communications and call for backup.
Second, occupy the city to collect intell and await opportunities to assassinate the vampires or whatever. Likewise, with spell casters.
Regardless if the CS can't have the city we will destroy that which is a danger to the CS and humanity.

The Power Plant can be destroyed.

The Officer in charge sends the hover vehicles back to get the rest of the CS troops.

[darthauthor]

Day 95

The electric powered hover vehicle needs a recharge. After transporting what troops it could to the outside of the city it is running on empty. No chance it could make it back to the nearest CS friendly settlement.
The zombie patients and their care providers were abandoned at the ley line. They could not be trusted not to talk about the number and location of CS troops. We don't know how it would be if the powers that be knew we were in the city. It is just safer for us if they don't know anything. What they don't know won't hurt us.

Although we were "attacked" a few days ago their attack was tactically based on disabling our equipment, vehicles and weapons. We don't know if the same people who attacked us are in or from the city. Most of what we remember from the attack was euphoria. Some sort of effect from a Ley Line Storm. That or a magic spell we have not encountered before. No CS grunt or officer was expecting waves of healing energy and pleasure to knock us down and out only to get back up again with no aches or pains and old scars replaced by smooth skin (like a psychic had healed us).

Infiltrating the city before sunset the lights of the city come on.
Dividing ourselves into cells we go undercover to safe houses.
Once there we catch up on reports left behind by officers. The audio and video recordings reveal that a dangerous supernatural being has found a way to possess computers and robots. It has the power to manipulate sounds and images on the internet and radio signals. It made false videos and messages to send the CS troops to the ley line. Then, in various ways, possessed or murdered or turned what CS personnel it could in the city. It has possessed or at least is in complete control of all the skell-bots.

This unidentified supernatural being or hacker has made contact with outside political powers: Free Quebec, Kingdom of Ispheming, and the New German Republic.

All but the Kingdom of Ispheming have left or been destroyed.

Commander Crassus tried a number of plans to reverse the current situation.
A CS team hijacked two planes and left.
Another CS team was sent to leave the city to contact the troops at the ley line with instructions to return.
Another CS team tried to assassinate the Luddite leadership and failed.
Contact with the diplomates of the visiting powers (NGR, etc.) failed.
An attempt to seize or disrupt the power plant was successful.
Problem became that the supercomputer believed to house the unidentified supernatural being (USB) is guarded by skell-bots and those possessed by the USB.
Note: The CS believes the USB is either aided by followers or can somehow divide itself so as to be in more than one place at a time (like a digital clone).

Unexpected problem occurred when the power went out.
Somehow some person or persons were keeping zombies alive and untreated in the city. When the power went out it must have been pretty bad for their security systems or something. As a consequence one or more of the zombies either got free or infected someone who spread the infection. Without electrical power there was no internet or cell phones or communication. The zombie plague was a disaster. Also, without power food production and distribution slowed to a halt that included the happy pill that made people immune to the zombie infection.
People went hungry.
People started hiding in the residence or fleeing the city.

The CS takes control of the power plant until reinforcements could arrive. It is considered the safest way to keep the USB down and out. While the people suffered it was not expected to be for long. The belief was that CS Troops would retake control of the city. Exorcize this demon or whatever from the supercomputer. Destroy every bot in the city, just to be certain. Then we could turn the lights back on. Look like the heroes we are for saving the city, an evil they never knew existed or an evil hacker may be possessed or working with evil like a shifter only of the internet.

Instead, unexpectedly a coven of vampires and/or con-artists took advantage of the opportunity to take the city. Somehow they got into the power-plant without tripping alarms or explosives and subdued or killed our CS brothers holding it.
Now they only run the power at night claiming it is being repaired or such.
It is enough to charge up the batteries and such.
Vehicles and bots do not have power but no E-clip re-charging.
Video surveillance is only at night.

The vampires / con-artists who claim to reign over the city at night call themselves "The Lords of The Night."

They use marketing and fashion models to make themselves look good.
Somehow they rounded up 98% or so of the zombies and stuffed them into the city's stadium.
With the power partially restored hover vehicles are leaving for the ley line to begin mass psychic purification.

[darthauthor]

Day 96

CS Field Notes:
We have to go in person or audio records during the day when there is no surveillance.

The people of the city are too calm. They have been on this roller coaster ride too many times. They are just going with it. Whoever is in power will take care of you. A philosophy the CS promotes as long as it is the CS who is in power.

Each day more food comes into the city and more people leave.

Stories about the blood tax at night range from not so bad to ludicrous.
What is worse is that some people pretend to be vampires to seduce or bully their way with other human beings.
Regardless, all blood donors are compensated with extra food and psychic healing. They leave with no fang marks and some testimonials claim the experience was enjoyable.

The internet is full of fantastic stories of vampire encounters. None fatal. Most unbelievable. One theory is that these con artists are using magic or psionics. Another is that they have injected themselves with some super juice that gives them super strength, speed, and healing ability. Tales of crazies and juicers fit the bill. Some attempt to use it as a cover for their criminal actions.
"The vampires made me do it. I was possessed."

Officially the vampires stay in their coffins in the tallest building overlooking the city.
It is possible but our intelligence training and intuition make us suspicious that it is a decoy. IF there are real vampires we don't believe they are where social media tells us they spend the day. IF it is not a distraction then it is counter intelligence. Tell us where they are so we will think they are not there because why would they tell us the truth.
Since the self described "Lords of The Night" have taken over things have been pretty stable.
The solar and alternative energy places are still powered. Batteries have made it so day time law enforcement and medical are still in operation.

The greatest drama in the news is the disappearance of the hover vehicles with the zombie patients and medical staff. Most believe the zombies killed them and are loose. That or they were attacked outside the city.

With the zombie in the stadium starving they have even started to bite themselves and each other when they are not mulling around. Most people will be dead in a couple of days without emergency medical help.

Some think they have no choice but to put them down as humanly as possible.
Others want them plugged back into "Limbo."

The last announcement from the "Lords of The Night" was that their people say the patients survived the purification procedure only to have their vehicles stolen from them by mercs pretending to be CS. They used some psychic power or magic spell on the medical staff. Wiped his memory of something from last week. It lets us know who is in charge. After they robbed the helpless civilian patients and their nurses they left them to die in the wilderness without equipment, food, supplies, water or weapons. They thank the "Lords of The Night" for coming back for them.

Some CS people claim to have leads on the Kingdom of Ispheming reps and are sharing information. They don't know where to strike. They do have their plane and will probably leave to inform their government and the CS of what is going on in Nemus. Hoax or not, they will not allow a human community to submit to vampire rule.

CS psychics they have left, based on pics of the team sent to contact them at the ley line, report they are all dead.

Another CS team spying on the Luddites report their crop fields are magically generated in less than an hour from seeds. Their powers make the plants flourish and put out food everyday.

The power plant is guarded day and night by a city militia. To get control of it we will have to go through them.

On social media people question why the skell-bots are still around. Everyone just assumes the CS left them behind and they stand around guarding the supercomputer because it was their last order or something. Everyone stays away from them.

[darthauthor]

Day 97

More hover vehicles take off with zombie patients to the ley line at night and in the morning.
They are under official vampire protection. The trip, procedure and return are successful and uneventful.

The vampires go to coffin.

Early in the morning while the power is on but the sun is not up, two skell-bots march on the power plant.
Law enforcement is ordered to stop them but roadblocks fail.
The militia guarding the plant don't have the firepower to destroy them.
All those who stand in their way are harmed (maimed if not killed).

People expected the worst. Imagine the power plant blowing up or just never coming on again.
Instead, the power stays on after the sun comes up.

The power stays on. The internet is buzzing with joy and exchange.
What does this mean?
Did the Skell-bots fix it?
Was it already working and the Skell-bot attack took back control of it from those who turned it off during the day?
Are they really skell-bots? No one has ever seen a skell-bot harm a human before and were told by the CS that it is impossible for a skell-bot to harm a normal human being. Were they wrong? Lying? Are these not skell-bots?
Were they given new orders? Is it a hacker? The CS?
Regardless, except for the harmed militia members the city is doing better.

People stop leaving.

News reports an attack on the vampires high rise residence.
No vampires were destroyed. Only humans were killed in the attack. Humans impersonating vampires.
At least one residue sample of "Juice" drug was discovered at the scene.
The attackers remain anonymous.
Rumors fly that it is the CS or loyalist to the CS.
Others believe it is the Luddites.
Still others think it is the Kingdom of Ispheming (Northern Gun).

[darthauthor]

Day 98

Opinions fly on the internet:
Life in Nemus has been changing. Big players are always coming and going. Someone always steps in to fill the power vacuum left when the last guy leaves.
First there was that merc commander, "The King."
Lazlo seems pretty nice. They had a kind of do no harm and we are here to help aire about them.
The Coalition States was the last man standing after everyone blew town. Guess their presence and reputation kept the rest of the animals at bay. No more merc companies coming or if they did the CS destroyed them. They are good at fighting a war against supernatural things. Not so much with civil liberties and resource management.
Some would say the CS abandoned us. Others that the CS recognized us as an independent city-state capable of self governing. Thanks to their security work the city was able to produce enough food to be self-sufficient.
For a minute, we were self governing. It felt pretty good.
Then the electrical power plant went out. The city went dark. Things got pretty bad. The zombie problem that was supposed to be done and over with came back. They were all supposed to be cured or dead. Someone was keeping them for their pet project. A weapon. An experiment. A cow they would milk for zombie juice. IF it wasn't for the zombies the city might have recovered in a few days.

Of course, that probably wouldn't have happened, at least the way it did, if not for the power out.
Everyone was too busy to do an investigation about the how and why the power went out.
Now the power is back on.
The zombie problem is mostly contained.

While the matter of "The Lords of The Night," amounts to either con artist or supernatural beings, vampires declaring themselves as the new political power. To be fair, hoax or real vampires, during those few days there they did manage the zombie problem. Took back the power plant. Got it up and running again.
Who knows. Maybe it is better to have supernatural protection, if it gets the job done. At least they weren't selling our inventory, taking our kids for psychic boot camp and VR militia, our best medical and technical people flown out to serve them. Didn't tax us credits. As governing bodies go, they were the lowest cost. No one really opposed them because they were strong and delivered us a safer city. While we were weak and starving and being eaten alive by our own people.

Questions are, where do we go from here?
Do we thank con artists/vampire overlords and ask them to leave?
Do we stay the course with them?
How long will it be before another government, mercenary army or supernatural power comes knocking at our door?
A few people left with those Luddite types. Dreams of rustic life. Tales are pretty tall to believe. Maybe it is legit. Maybe it isn't. Basically no one who leaves the city comes back unless it is a medical trip to the magic line way out there.

Now with these skeleton-bots taking back the power plant we don't know if that was a hacker or the CS. IF it was the CS they lied to us about them not being able to harm humans. Or maybe when they are hacked into the safeties are off.

IF we are to be anything more than the slaves or subjects of a greater power we need our own military power. One able to destroy anyone, or thing, who would destroy, feed off of or rule us. Sounds nice, IF we only had the armor, weapons, and machines of war. No one wants to give us those for free and we don't have the parts and materials to make them ourselves.

In 2098, it was a city of civilians. Now we are one of survivors. There are a few human run arms dealers. They will sell to anyone. We haven't got the crypto to buy it with. Where does that leave us but to sell ourselves to the gentlest of masters. Of course, some think of it as leasing and once we have enough of our own weapons we can end that lease.
What we are still in the dark about is which master we side with. The CS, or "The Lords of The Night."

[darthauthor]

Day 99

The CS from the Ley Line:

We almost believed it was the CS retaking the city. The only problem is, we know skell-bots can't hurt humans. At least, none who aren't casting spells and openly attacking AND damaging it. Best guess, the skell-bot was a knock off bot impersonator of a skell-bot. Or as impossible as it sounds, someone found a way to take control of the skell-bot; maybe telemechanic possession?

With the media looking at the skell-bot the CS is by association seen as the power that has taken it back from the vampires.
These CS also know, from field notes, that commander Crassus believed the Bots and computers of the city were possessed or hacked by someone and had turned against the CS. Intelligence suggests that this skell-bot retaking of the power plant was not the actions of commander Crassus. Either it was hackers, Digital Dead Boys, an imposter, or it really was possessed. Three chances out of four the CS would get the credit or blame. Whoever it was, it was not the vampires.

The CS officer in charge is unwilling to come out and take credit for the power plant takeover. Mostly because he doesn't control the skell-bots.
The safest position is to contact CS Command for backup or at least orders.
The only thing he will order is to discover the location of any and all vampires for elimination. Those few with "Sense Evil" or "Presence Sense" will have to search the city to stalk them.
The only other alternative is to follow social media and the news in the hopes of a real vampire sighting; if they are still in the city.

The Luddites:

Entering the city, the Lumarian Defender and his Mystic Knight bodyguard lead their party to have a look at the city. The prejudice the lemurian has against vampires is great, so much so they will enter the city to wipe them out. The Defender preaches from the corners of malls of the evil of vampires and how the people ought to leave the city for the minimal rustic life of the wilderness.
They debunk some peoples claims of being vampires or followers of them.

The vampires:

Someone tried to attack their decoy crypt.
The power is back on full time.
The skell-bots retaking of the power plant means, to the vampires, the CS is going to return.
The CS has numbers and know how. Dog Boys and Psi-stalkers. Cyborgs they can't mind control. They don't have the security forces during the day to repel a CS insurgency. It is better if the CS believes it was all a hoax. Humans pretending to be vampires. Using juicer drugs to immitate vampire strength and regenerative abilities.
The vampire coven will leave with a dozen or so human followers, per vampire, to supply their blood needs and to provide for each other. The departure will be camouflaged as a trip to the ley line for medical reasons. Hover vehicles will leave no tracks. They will leave behind their fall guys to be kings and queens for a day before they are exposed and take the fall for it all.

The Kingdom of Ispheming Reps:

Law Enforcement and various city officials compliment the representatives from the Kingdom of Ispheming for staying and aiding the city in its time of need.
The representatives statement,
"We are proud of this city's resilance in the face of overwhelming change and problems. You are not alone, as many of Earth's people have had to endure what you have gone through. Although, vampires are real, we believe "The Lords of The Night" are at least in part con artists. We believe they keep the power off during the not for repair but to keep you in the dark, dependent and subservant upon them. We have no knowledge of the mercenaries at the ley line. Just assume merc being mercs they decided to rob the people. As for the skell-bots. We believe they are sort of possessed by psychics with powers that allow them to take over robots. That or incredible hackers. We favor the hypothesis that it was psychics. They used them to take back the power plant. IF it was the CS they have no know reason not to tell the people. While the CS may be gone, for now, it does not mean they will not return. Our offer is still on the table for discussion of inclusion into the Kingdom of Ispheming as a protectorate or such. The Kingdom of Ispheming has stayed here for you and will leave if you or your representatives should ask it of us. We only ask that you consider our proposal and that those corporations within our great nation, such as Northern Gun, can supply you with human made weapons with which to defend yourselves. With greatest respect, The Kingdom of Ispheming."

The Supernatural Being of the Vitural World:

Success!
The power plant is retaken.
The vampires are making moves to leave.
The CS, in the city, are in hiding. Unsure of what to do, they do nothing. Except, hunt for the vampires. I would tip them off but they don't trust me. I would put the vampires are them but they are leaving. Perhaps those they leave behind will cause them some trouble. The USB leaks information to the vampires posse.
IF they won't act on it, I can, and make it look like the vampires.

The USB mobilzes its latest addition to its aresnal. A squad of cybernetic borgs and droids.
SO much to attend to. The equinox will be upon this world. No one seems to notice or care. But with more people will be coming . . .

[darthauthor]

Day 100

The CS from the Ley Line:
Beyond all odds, the CS psychics and surveillance teams locate vampires preparing to leave. Becoming aware that they are being watched and in the midst of discovery if not outright covert attack the vampire's servants leave with them early and in haste.

The CS has clues as to the descriptions of the vampire's human servant. The use of Remote Viewing is a possibility. As well as tracking information on the hovercraft used. Still, they have fled the city and the CS is not in hot pursuit.

What remains, the people calling themselves “The Lords of The Night” can be found on social media. No trace of any supernatural evil. The CS officer in charge believes this to be humans impersonating vampires.

A few planes land at the air bearing coalition state markings.The military officer on board asks some questions about how to find Commander Crassus or any other CS officers. CS from Chi-Town:They stopped getting planes bearing messages, people and parts from Nemus. Per the CS contingency plans planes were sent with security forces to investigate. Either bad weather, criminal activity or supernatural/magical forces have been interfering with communications and trade.Their mission is to investigate and after restore the CS plan for Nemus.Upon seeing videos of the vampires and the “Lords of The Night” the CS unit raids the locations. After some fighting people are killed and taken prisoner. Several CS personnel are harmed.It is discovered and reported that humans are present who used cybernetics to impersonate vampires. Some humans had juicer types drugs that gave them augmented strength, made them fearless, painless, regenerated their injuries, and made them super fast. There is evidence that one or more of the humans (caught on audio and video casting) were using magic to turn to mist as well as spells like Charismatic Aura and Aura of Power. The new CS officers declare that the supposed “Lords of The Night '' were charlatans who used cybernetics, drugs, and magic to masquerade as vampires. 

The Luddites:
Have no success in locating vampires. Some imply the Luddites are con artists and want no nothing to do with them or their magic. Others come forward and want the luddites to work miracles before their eyes and cure them of whatever. The Luddites say that they are leaving. Leaving the city and this part of the country. The people of the city will probably never see them again. This is their last chance to leave with them. 

[darthauthor]

Day 101

The CS from the ley line have been losing to and running away from cyborg hit squads.
Whoever is behind them can access video surveillance of the city.
Safe houses have been burnt. It has only been psychic powers such as Sixth Sense and Clairvoyance that have kept any alive.

The Supernatural Being is trying to erase any trace the CS has of its existence while creating a false trail to hackers it is setting up to take the fall.
The being has some CS personnel under its influence that will pretty much say whatever it wants them to say.

Questions asked by the newly arrived CS are answered with videos of the city (except for when the power was out).
CS intelligence and military police check the safe house and find them burnt or empty.

The Kingdom of Ishpeming reps have a talk with the new CS people. They exchange stories. The city had a few vampires that passed through. The Lords of The Night were con artists. City has people mentally breaking down or are sheep for whoever is in power. A few are imitators who pretend to be vampires to get things for free.
Had a zombie problem.
CS is nowhere in sight until they just got off the plane yesterday. Everyone represented themselves as the city was a free and independent city state interested in forming alliances with other governments. As far as Ishpemnig can tell, this place had outgrown the need for the CS until the power went out. There is a lot of rumors that some of the people from the CS are the ones who turned the power and and kept it off. Others believe it was the CS, through the use of Skell-bots, who took the power plant back from the con artists.

From the newly arrived CS point of view:
Commander Crassus surrendered the city to the people of the city without orders or permission to.
Representatives from NGR, Free Quebec, and Ispheming arrived.
The electrical power went out.
All but the Kingdom of Ispheminst left.
The power came back on. The con was on.
Some mercs pretending to be CS stole the rides of hospital patients.
Then someone used a knock off skellbot or somehow controlled a real one to take the power plant back.
They way they see it. The best story is, tell the people that the CS returned to save the people. Tell the story that CS restored the electrical power. The CS exposed the frauds who were pretending to be vampires.
There is A LOT of fraud going on.

Public Sentiment:
The CS came to late.
The CS doesn't value the lives of the people of the city more than the city is of use to them.
The CS could have talked to the militia instead of hurting people to restore the power plant.
The CS should explain itself and disprove the rumors that they had anything to do with:
A. The power going out
B. The stolen vehicles and abandoned patients at the ley line.
C. The plane hijacking and kidnappings of those taken onboard.

The scouts the newly arrived CS sent to the ley line report back that the position is well fortified with military positions and fortifications by CS standards. They found pieces of broken CS equipment and weapons parts which implies a fight. Salvaged serial number matches a record in a computer file to one that has been issued to a grunt in a unit assigned to Nemus.

[darthauthor]

Day 102

The city's health department has been doing some accounting.
The numbers are piling up.
During the zombie explosion the city has had an estimated 20,000 people infected or dead.
The process of purification is a window that has closed due to the unsustainability to maintain the zombies in the stadium.

4,800 are confirmed dead
14,000 are infected and are attempting to be saved. Half are not expected to make it. They will be put down to save them from starvation and harming others.
2,200 had to have cybernetic replacement parts just to survive. They have been plugged into LIMBO while awaiting operations.

It is estimated that 752 people left with the Luddites.

The city is becoming:
A graveyard
A hospital ward
A place of abandon.

There isn't a family in the city who hasn't suffered a loss.

Online consensus is, if the world is this dangerous, the city and its government must be as strong as necessary to defend itself. They can't depend on an outside force who will leave them. Their edge is robotics and cybernetic/bionics. They just have to weaponize them and themselves. Nemus strong. Nemus forever. With the loss of so many the city state of Nemus will redistribute resources of those who have fallen. Using samples of Northern Guns and the Coalition States the city's greatest minds and AI have a superior understanding of "modern" technology. Purchase orders for essential refined materials and difficult to process components have been ordered. The cybernetic parts from those who have passed will be recycled and used to make weaponized bionics and Ai assisted M.O.M implants. While the surplus of zombies have provided an abundance of "juice" that can be refined and processed for performance enhanced soldiers to augment the city's already reliable VR Boys.

The newly arrived coalition have been bombarded with radio messages that turn out to be hoaxes. Failed authentications and attempts at getting information from them. Attempts by their psychics to locate people yield mixed results. Most are dead. Some are in the city but their location is unidentifiable.  
The Dog Boys who came are restless and say there are a lot of recently dead in the city.

The Supernatural Being is manipulating public opinion against the CS. Show subjective videos that reflect on the CS poorly and insinuate members of the CS took over the power plant and shut off the electricity.

CS intelligence and psychics division suggest that CS people did take over the power plant but that they, at some point afterwards, were hypnotized, mind controlled, overwhelmed, possessed or otherwise manipulated.

It appears a power infiltrated the city and the CS and assassinated and undermined them. Then because of that control over CS people took the power plant to drop chaos on the city. While intelligence suggests the zombie outbreak was a non-CS operation. Someone from in or out of the city was experimenting on or with zombies and harvesting their juice. Findings suggest it has incredible healing properties but results may vary from person to person. The biggest difference, potentially, being in people from Nemus and people from the present.

The people of Nemus partially consider the Kingdom of Ishpeming to be an exception and are seriously considering some sort of partnership. At the very least businesses want to buy and sell parts with Northern Gun.

During interviews the CS officer in charge of the investigation mission tells the press:
"Statements made by someone who appeared and sounded like Commander Crassus were fraudulent. Whoever it was they are an imposter. That or Commander Crassus's mind was being controlled by some evil psychic or supernatural power.
The process of preparing the city of Nemus to join the CS is a lengthy and thorough one. The coalition has not forgotten or forsaken you. Each of us is only human. Being human we have to stick together for our mutual defense. Together we can, must and will overcome the evil force that seeks to dominate and devour us."

The Skell-bots in the city are secured one by one and dismantled. Other than their memory files having been erased there is no evidence of modification or additional hardware. Technical and psychic experts believe they were taken control of by a psychic using telemechanic possession. Whomever was controlling them appears to have wiped any trace of their identity and methods.

The CS sends back a jet with their secret findings report and evidence.

[darthauthor]

Day 103

So many losses and shared burdens have caused a nationalistic streak in the people of the city.

People are lining up to get out patient procedures chipped with surgically implanted health monitoring and tracking devices.

Others stay to become augmented or roboticized.
Video of the beta testers performing acrobatics and great reflexes at shooting instills confidence in technology and the Nemus people.

Online the people of Nemus want the CS to return their people. The operators, medical staff, scientists, and psychics have not been heard from in the mail (audio and video recordings of how they are).

Coalitions psychics warn of dangers to the CS in the city. Images of violence from machines against them fill their nightmares.

The CS acting commander makes a statement that the use of such experimental technology and military grade bionics is against the laws and policies of the CS. Those who have partaken of them must have them removed or leave the city.

Online replies range but most of them are contentious and say the CS can have their bionic arm when they rip it out of their cold dead body.

DNA evidence and fingerprints is reported to have been found in the power plant that match those of CS personnel. They are in the power plant. It is highly insinuated that the CS caused the power out.

Others, online, point out that the CS is just as vulnerable to possessing entities and magical or psionic powers as anyone. Perhaps no one is up to the job but if no one can help us we have no choice but to help ourselves.

Still others want to become a protectorate of the Kingdom of Ishpeming and say we have given everyone else a chance but we have not tried them yet. Maybe they are different.

Some people remember they made a deal with Northern Gun in the past. Their guns are good but whatever happened with that aircraft that was carrying the trade we made with all our audio books, movies, music, and shows? WE never got our end of the trade.

Planes fly in with refined materials and are transported immediately to the factories. Managers don't seem to know who ordered what but they have product orders to make with the new materials they have to work with.

The CS does not trust the use of their Skell-bots in the city they know must have hackers and psychics who are able to hijack them. Their pieces are put on the CS plane for return.

Attempts are made by the CS to close the cybernetic clinics performing operations to augment the people of Nemus to be soldiers. Between the civilian protesters and the cyborgs and bots the CS grunts are feeling intimidated. The officer in charge decides to back down rather than provoke a fight where he is outnumbered, surrounded, and there would be dozens of protesters casualties.

[darthauthor]

Day 104

The Day of the Fall Equinox

The CS sends their specialized Equinox Squad to the nearest ley line.
Squad keeps changing as they learn more.
Their purpose, however, remains the same. To prevent alien / supernatural influences from passing through Rifts to Earth.
They are typically made up of snipers but have 2 of every member to back each other up. Also a spotter crew to witness them and the Rift event in case they are destroyed.

In anticipation of unexpected things could come through the Rifts so they want a variety of CS human resources to be immune to whatever magical or psychological effects the new visitors might have. As well as different ways of destroying what might come through. The Standard procedure is to mist everything that comes through. The officer in charge can, at his discretion, salvage alien technology in the hopes the CS can reverse engineer it or at least use the one now in their possession.
Psychic Buster (2): to incinerate trespassers and their remains. Destroys bacteria, fungi and viruses.
Psi-Nullifier (2): Immunity. Undetectable.
Military Intel Officers (2): Snipers.
CS Grunts (2): Just in case.
CS SAMAS Pilots (2): Firepower. A lot of spells and such won't work while the armors on.
Skell-Bots (2): Immune to a lot and can take a beating.
Psi-Stalkers (2): Sense supernatural.
There is always at least two people assigned to the team with the psionic powers:
Read Dimensional Portal (6), See Aura (6), See The Invisible (4), Sense Dimensional Anomaly (4), and Sense Evil (2)
Typically, the operational procedure it to place explosives on the ley line with remote detonators while spotters and snipers wait for spell casters show up or appear out of a Rifts that "might" form.

Early morning Rift.
Trespassers 4.
Kill team score 4.
Photographed and documented. Items inventoried and recovered: Magic and/or TW items secured.
Remains and scene sanitized by Psychic Burster. Fire extinguished. No CS casualties.

2nd Rift
Trespassers 5 Ugly D-Bees.
Recorded Radio signals. Alien language incomprehensible.
Kill team score 3
Intruders escaped back into the Rift: 2
Photographed and documented. Items inventoried and recovered. Advanced Alien armor, tech, and weapons secured.
Remains and scene sanitized by Psychic Burster. Fire extinguished. No CS casualties.

3rd Rift
Giant Squid Monster attempts to pass through the Rift.
Full scale assault on lead tentacle.
Creature believed to have no spine.
Held at bay until Rift closed.
Inspection residue detected parasites. Incinerated area. Scorched earth contingency plan implemented. Everything within a 1,500 feet radius of the Rifts location burned. Hazard picture symbols put up. Took samples and released animals to test “Canary in the coal mine.” No immediate effect. Reclaimed for further testing. No "Sixth Sense" warning about taking EBA helmet off.

[darthauthor]

Day 104

In the city of Nemus

The people are changing.

The CS have withdrawn to their embassy except for their Equinox squad.

The commander has a problem. Public approval is not with the CS. He figures there are, at least, one full convertion cyborg for every one of the combat troops he brought. More when it comes to the city's equivalent of headhunters. That doesn't even count their VR Boys and other new types. While he doesn't have the manpower, power armor or skell-bots to lock down the city. In addition, he feels certain IF he tried to he would lose the peoples cooperation and trust. Insurgency problems would escalate. IF they lose the city they can take it back or destory it. IF they lose the people they lose the city and the people. Better to keep the people even if it means losing the city.
IF the CS eventually wins the people they will have the city.

The city's news reflect that the Kingdom of Ispheming is wining the people more than it is not.
The CS commander is not so accustomed to fighting a political battle on TV and the internet. He can't disprove that commander Crassus people didn't take the power plant. He doesn't have the leverage to sell the people of Nemus on why they need the CS and why they should do things the CS way.

[darthauthor]

Day 105

In political promotion of the CS and spin doctor is flown in to Nemus.

She takes to social media well. Has pictures of the people from Nemus working in coalition towns and smiling. The narrative she presents is that the medical and engineering specialists of Nemus are employed not drafted. They are happy and safe where they are. They are not prisoners but employees.

Life in the CS is good and they want to expand that good life to humans near and far.

"The CS values human life, values the lives of the people of Nemus. So much so that they wish to share the methods that they have found most successful in protecting life. The CS considers life to be too precious to leave to chance and whim of supernatural forces and inhuman beings. Even the personal preference of our fellow humankind is a luxury we can ill afford if we are to have a safe and secure city. We must adapt to the time and world we live in if we, as a people, are to survive and flourish.
"A hundred years from now we shall look about the Earth, our dominion, the dominion of Man, and see that it is once again ours, and ours alone. Free from demons and monsters who would have eaten or enslaved us. Free from the corruption of magic and temptations of evil beings intent on turning us against our fellow Man with offers of power and revenge. A place where every child will grow up safe without hunger, disease, poverty or war. This is the dream of the CS and we invite you to be a part of and promise you there will be a place for you and those you love in it where so many others wish they could be. Join us. Be a part of the future of humanity."

[darthauthor]

Day 106

Opinion polls on the CS approval are climbing but the gap is still huge.
Polls are stronger for Nemus independence.
The only exception is the Kingdom of Ishpeming. Contracts are in negotiation with them to pick up some of their contracts of their outsourced work. They include handing over all the information they have on the Northern Gun flight that crashed with the Database trade agreement. The people of Nemus are free to investigate the disappearance of the flight as well as the believed crash sight.

The media and news portray the cyber-force of the city militia as super soldiers. They are faster, run faster, and stronger than anticipated. Their plastic men robots are remarkable too. With their Ai directed combat computer that fight like demons. Using wood and recycled silver they will make excellent weapons against the supernatural.
The only ban on cybernetic augmentation are on psychic citizens whose powers are believed essential to the safety or health of others.

Progress is made on preserving and continuing the farm work of the Luddites. As well as expanding the use of land for farming and fish and game collection.
The inclusion of bots into the labor force to make up for the loss of people is working. In reality a lot of jobs were kept just to employ people when machines and robots could have replaced them. Now that those people are dead or were "employed" by the CS to work outside of Nemus machines are taking their place.
Many damaged buildings are deconstructed and their materials are repurposed or recycled.

The city is rebuilding itself into a fortress of sorts.
Construction on the wall resumes.
Online people discuss the possibilities of creating a dome over the city or a force field.

CS Commander Parker's report is that the city of Nemus has manufactured itself an army of robots and cyborgs. They may not yet know how to fight but they have strength and numbers. Those numbers are growing. Best guess is they have platoons ready bot soldiers and/or cyborgs every month.
He believes they need to "capture" one of each model to examine the technology. He suspects however, that the city's tech department has been holding out on the CS. These bionics and robotics appear more advanced than the CS, maybe even the NGR.
IF Nemus doesn't have a need for the CS we probably are not going to be here much longer. Best guess, they will allow for trade and tourism but we have lost our advantageous foothold. To regain it we will need more than promises. Nothing is coming to knock Nemus down and if too many days go by they will have an army to deal with whatever it is.
Plans are made and sent by plane to Chi-Town for special resources and personnel if they are to continue with Project Nemus.

Special Note:
Most CS people in the city are considered KIA or MIA
Remote viewing on Dog Boys reveals them to be in the middle of a nowhere wilderness, fighting monsters. No coordinates. They could be anywhere. Lost apparently. How they got there and why they left the city is as big a mystery as what happened to our people or what they may have had to do with the power plant black out. Evidence to date suggests that they took the plant and pulled the power. There may be a real chance that Crassus was possessed or at least being controlled or was replaced by an imposture.
IF the people of Nemus determine that Crassus or his men took the power plant they might not want anything to do with us and consider us to be against them. It is better to brand Crassus a traitor or lunatic or possessed by an evil magical force than to have to explain or defend his orders.
Even IF we condemn Crassus it won't endear the people with the CS. It is a carrot or stick situation. The Math on the stick and the carrot gets more costly every day. The longer they go without needing us the less they need us until they don't need us at all.

[darthauthor]

Day 107

The plan.

The CS wants to get their people on the operating room table for surgery. They figure it is the easiest way to acquire the bionic/cybernetics tech. Sign up for it. Volunteer to be a member of their defense forces then run away after the procedure.
The old men volunteers arrived by plane with a cyber-doc.

As for the city and restoring a political CS control over it there are many ideas:

• Lend them money at a high rate of interest. In a year when they can’t pay us back we seize the city as an asset to recover on our loan. It will give the CS a pretext to invade while making the government of Nemus look like idiots. While at the start the CS looks like a saint for lending money. The problem is the CS won't look good at the end when we decide to own the city and start charging rent instead of taxes. The only other way we could lose is if the city is destroyed.

• Flood their consumer markets with CS made products for at below cost to crush their manufacturing businesses. Once we have them hooked we raise the prices. With enough people working for CS businesses they won't rock the boat.

• Uploading a computer virus to their internet with the goal of spying on them, controlling their systems, stealing their digital currency and maybe even shutting it all down. When the CS is the only one who can quickly fix it they will cry for us.

• Setting fire to their food supply. The CS can fly in the food to sell them at a premium. Control the food and the CS controls them. This is the easiest. The challenge is in the supply chain and logistics. Flying food across the country is expensive. The CS can't afford to give it away for free forever. In the short term we look great but it is not sustainable. So it is a one and done tactic. In a month the city will have food production back in their control.

• Black ops intelligence department includes some ideas of dumping free drugs on the city then charging for the second or third dose. Once the drug problem is bad enough, sell them guns and let the crime wave will destroy their law enforcement and small businesses. IF we want chaos running through the streets it is one of the ways to do it. The problem is cleaning up the mess afterwards. We will have a city of addicts with guns we will have take away their guns and their criminals.

• Terrorism is another. Start blowing places up until things get so bad they accept our offer of security forces.

Any and ALL of the above are options. The CS anthropologist and psychologists are to assess the best ways to secure the hearts and minds of the people of Nemus.

Regardless, the CS needs to keep a presense in the city. Even IF we do nothing the city is losing people. Averages are not clear when it comes to people leaving versus dying but they appear to be losing a 100 people a day. IF we hold our position and do nothing enough of them could die or leave to the point the CS will have the run of the city. We just have to keep our competition and our enemies, magic users, and the supernatural out.

Commander Parker finishes reading his instructions for the tenth time.
He thinks to himself, "This is not a good assignment."
Discussing the current position with his staff it is a long road to making Nemus a CS city. They normally have the advantage of high technology but not here. Military security is also a big one but if their manufacturing rates keep up they won't need the CS for that either. Nobody has any problem with eliminating demons, monsters, and wizards from having the run of the city. Even their competition knows the score when it comes to territory and politics. The staff is uncomfortable with killing any innocent human civilians directly with bombs.
Commander Parker is quick to point out that Chi-Town gave them options not orders.
Their only expectations are results.

[darthauthor]

Day 108

The CS volunteers for Cybernetic augmentation are put on the bottom of a very long list. Told to come back later.

The idea comes across of, we know this song and dance, this is just like trying to get into Chi-Town from the Burbs. It could take years.

Plan B is to outsource the acquisition of bionic/cybernetic parts to a profession with no association with the CS. A cyber-snatcher. They can't have come in off a CS plane or be seen with anyone from the CS. They will have to come in off their own plane or by ground. The cyber-snatcher should be a bit notorious just to be certain everyone knows that they are the villain. Ideally they will be a D-Bee to encourage the impression that non-humans cannot be truest and could commit an act of violence at any time.
The "resource" request is submitted via plane.

The CS has noticed that many citizens are video recording them from outside their embassy and whenever they go out. They are always followed and watched regardless of the clothes they wear. Every attempt to lose their tail is only a momentary success. Video of their faces and bodies are commonly played on social media.

The number of bionic security around food centers and the power plant grows each day.
While exploration of the city's internet reveals a lot of cyber-security making computer virus attacks and hacking against the supercomputer increasingly difficult and even harder to conceal.

Later that evening the cyber league begins its games in the stadium where borgs compete in their sort of rugby game.

Another league plays robot wars after via VR interface. Within the city, using laser communications the response time is virtually eliminated.

Drone races follow with run and gun combat between the drones and the city's version of headhunters.

The CS sees the city's forces are getting better at combat. The tactics against the drone would work against SAMAS. It is subtle but can be seen that the army is practicing for battles against the CS.
The people applaud the performance and are feeling more confident.

[darthauthor]

Day 109

The cyber-snatchers arrive.

Their instructions:
“You are free to use any methods necessary, but I want the cybernetic intacted. No total destruction.”

Three of the five attempts are successful.
All get away without capture. Although in two cases there is evidence that "someone" attempted to steal bionics and/or cybernetics off of people. The victims were murdered. Belief is that the thieves did not want to risk their being any witnesses.

The news and social media plays it up as five people were attacked for their cybernetics, Law enforcements investigation is ongoing. The thoroughness of the crime scenes location and clean up suggests a criminal experienced at this crime. Guesses are that the criminal snuck in from outside the city or is a tourist.

Law enforcement appeals to citizens:
"Beware of those they have never seen before, go places in groups, stay in areas under surveillance and carry a weapon. Prime targets are believed to be those with the best cybernetic implants. The criminal or criminals are believed to be using electronic countermeasures. Some of these attacks are low tech like paintball guns splatter on the video camera up to the use of psionic powers such as electrokinesis. We are confident that whoever is doing this is human and has cybernetic implants themselves. They will have long cloaks and/or a backpack or suitcase to hide the cybernetics they have stolen."

The city puts a reward out for information leading to the arrest of the cyber criminal.
Also, a bounty is posted for them, dead or alive.
No flights are allowed out.
No one is allowed to leave the city.
Theories and accusations fly on the internet:
• Is this a new supernatural threat?
• Vampires?
• Entities?
• Something new we have never seen before?
• Are we now turning on our own?
• Was it murder and the theft of the cybernetics a cover up?
• Our city is already becoming a fortress, will it now become a prison state?
• Will more guns prevent crime?
• Does everyone need their own drone to follow them home?

[darthauthor]

Day 110


Commander Parker, “We are paying cyber snatchers to steal bionics from people. Humans. And they are murdering them. This is a crime, in the CS, even outside of it I could face a court martial at least for conduct unbecoming of an officer . . . ”

Lt Rai, “You are following orders. You are doing it to defend humanity . . . make the CS stronger . . . bring Nemus into the fold to become the next city state of the coalition. The people will be safer than anywhere else and it will save more lives than letting them find their own way to a mirror image of us.”

Comm. Parker, “That is probably what Crassus told his men when they took the power plant. Then there’s this recording:


Commander Crassus (Digital imposter), "I am very happy the city has achieved its independence. You no longer need the CS. Your own security forces and law enforcement are enough to defend yourselves. The city's heroic spook squads and psychics are enough to manage any problems you might have with the supernatural. The CS will continue to be your tourists and trading partners, at fair market value. Sad to say, not everyone of the CS people feel the same way. Some of our people are psychologically exhausted and are experiencing post traumatic stress disorders. I ask that you forgive any strange behaviors on their part and signs of confusion, distress, and uncertainty as a part of the process in their therapy and readjustment. Some CS military personnel will stay in the city at our embassy for our personal security and defense. The CS fears outsiders might want to punish the city for its association with the CS. Also, the CS needs to ensure the safety of your power plant, genetic engineering technology, and coalition citizens. Having come to an agreement with the city's administration, I was told a vote will take place, the results of which will afford or deny the CS this privilege. One that is in effect with the ambassadors from other governments."


With some finesseful poise the DEEP FAKE digital image of Commander Crassus signs off.


Comm. Parker, “It’s beautiful. Of course, those who know him know he would never say this. He had no permission or authority to make such claims. No doubt the people of the city feel the same way about the CS assuming control. The only thing we can argue about it is getting the people to vote. There’s been no vote. We need to find out who these city administrators are who he claims to have spoken with.

Lt. Rai, “And if it is all real?”

Comm. Parker, “We know that was not the real Crassus. It’s just that the people of the city don’t. If we prove it wasn’t the CS looks weak. Our commanders can be replaced or controlled. Besides, the people like the message. Even if we expose the whole truth the people want the message to be true so they believe it.”

Lt. Rai, “The CS believes that the city isn’t ready to defend itself or self govern. Only through the leadership of the CS can more lives be saved and the city's industry be kept from being destroyed or used against us. The CS promises safety and safety is happiness. I trust that the orders our emperor and his council gives will make our world safer.”

Comm. Parker, “Safer for those in the CS, not for the victims of the cyber-snatchers.”

Lt. Rai, “That would have happened anyway, eventually. The CS needs to stay on the initiative. Be aware of the latest threat and opportunity before it's too late. For the greater good our we must act sooner rather than later.”

[darthauthor]

Day 111


Investigation so far . . .


After landing No CS personnel greeted us.

None responded to the radio.

No notes or files were found explaining what had happened to them.

They were simply gone.

Psychics determined that most were dead without explanation as to the cause of death or who did it. The few who can be found, psychically, are indoors or in the middle of the wilderness without coordinates. A large number of which are Dog Boys.

Reports about them reflect great performance but exhaustion. Also, an unconfirmed history of abuse or neglect by their human supervisors.

Leading theory is they deserted or went for help when whatever killed our people came for them.

Evidence suggests that some CS troops were assigned to the ley line to perform Equinox exercises. These troops were encountered by medical personnel who had taken patients to the ley line to use it for energy to power their psychic purification treatments.

These troops took the people hover transports and abandoned them.

The medical staff present had the impression, not believing the CS would do such a thing, that these men were mercs disguised as CS. Maybe they were imposters who killed our CS troops. We have evidence of destroyed CS equipment at the scene matching serial numbers of weapons and radios.

Forensic evidence proves CS personnel were in the power plant. It suggests they turned off the power which caused the black out.

Video of CS personnel suggests they were being impersonated or were speaking under the influence of magic, psionic, or supernatural force up to and including possession by entities or such.

Hypotheses:

Commancer Crassus and his troops were targets of an organized campaign by psychics of the city or some intelligence operation by force or forces that secretly entered it and designed to systematically undermine and eliminate them.

Commander Parker believes in this psychic assault theory.

Using Super Psionic powers, psychics in number of, one for every skell-bot or so, took them over and used them to kill the CS people nearest them. Probably did the same to the rest of our people.

Nothing fancy, just numbers and clandestine warfare.

Any other theory rests on speculation and power we don’t know about like D-Bees with abilities we have never seen before.

The challenge Commander Parker faces is one of defense. IF there is a platoon of people with the psychic powers of Telemechanic possession the CS can’t use a skell-bot or anything like that in the city for fear their own weapons will be used against them.

Two, psychic defenses have to be such that no psychic can possess or mind control their people without the CS being able to discover it quickly or resist it entirely. Basically, the CS lost control of Nemus because they did not have either the right people (auto mind block, etc) or ‘enough’ people to outnumber the psychics assault forces 10 to one.

Since the CS implemented its psychic registration program in the city their database has a list of known psychics and their powers and potential to develop powers. They have enough within the city to pull off such a feat if they could be coordinated, trained, and their psychic abilities grown to this purpose. What is almost impossible to believe is how quickly they would have had to learn to be able to do this. The only other alternative would be that the psychics came from outside the city. A sort of psychic invasion. They either made their own, found a psychic merc platoon outside the city or psychics came into the city and organized and trained them into what they are.

Commander Parker proposes two courses of action:

1. Go BIG and flood the city with loyal CS citizens and troops. With so many dead, there is plenty of housing. The people we bring in vote CS. We use their own democracy to slowly transform Nemus into the next coalition city state.


2. Go HOME and let them get their teeth knocked out until they ask for us or can stand on their own two feet.


Although Commander Parker does understand the military need to meet an attack with a counter attack to let “them” know IF you attack us and will fight back. The attack was made by malcontents or terrorists. Unidentified. To randomly attack people or places would make the CS look like a terrorist state bent on ruling Nemus through fear.

The only alternative is to track down the CS registered psychics in the city to see where they were during the time of the attacks. If they have alibis, let them go. The project is one of time and numbers. Even if we find those responsible we would need to collect evidence to prove their participation in the conspiracy, a prison for them all, troops to defend the embassy while the investigation is ongoing.

In the middle of it all the others could run or begin a new wave of attacks against the CS in the city. Even if we could prove everything the people of Nemus would not suddenly go all in with the CS.

Besides, the common person in Nemus thinks the CS voluntarily left. IF we show them proof our men and machines were mind controlled to murder each other and Commander Crassus struck back like a terrorist by seizing the power plant to retaliate, the CS will look incompetent.

[darthauthor]

Day 112

Commander Parker, "Thank you for allowing me to speak on your channel."

Reporter, "Many in the city would like the representative of the CS to answer some questions."

Comm Parker, "Excuse me. I asked to speak on your channel. I didn’t ask to be interrogated. I have something I want to say. After that I reminded the public that the cybernetic procedures you were doing were not in accordance with CS policies on human augmentation. I backed down from closing the clinics. Not long after, some of your people were murdered and had their bionics and cybernetic removed. The CS knows about this from reporters, like you, and the people posting on social media. Not long after our people were approached and given the offer to purchase previously owned bionics for a price. My gut told me this was a bad guy and I was not going to buy what he was selling. I will turn over every thing I have on these people who made such offers so that law enforcement can investigate them.

I am here today to tell this to the public. I believe the people who did are murderers who killed innocent people, people who are getting these new bionics, to resell them for profit. This is part of the reason we wanted to stop the procedures. We have experience in these sorts of things happening in other kingdoms and even our own territories.

Without adequate security problems like these will continue to occur. Your city is not alone in the problem. IF I were in charge of it, I would have limited the augmentations to military personnel only and had them stay in the military training area. When they go out and about the city they should do so in buddy teams and stay in public areas where there are cameras. Of course, there will be a time in the future, when the common citizen will enjoy the benefits of augmentation but that will be after the city is secure not before. Your walls are still not completed. These people are getting the latest and greatest cybernetics the city has to offer or overconfident to the point of dropping their guard.

I must confess, the CS predicted something like this would happen eventually. We never wanted to see anyone in this city get hurt. This city has been through everything. Those who have stayed I have tremendous respect for you and your tenacity to survive and rebuild.

It is my hope that the city officials Commander Crassus spoke with will have a talk with me. In that commander's message to the city he spoke of the CS being your customers and tourists. I can only hope that this city will leave a place for us to be not just your customers but your neighbors and brothers in arms. There for each other in defense. Steadfast enemies against the inhuman who would seek to dominate and destroy us both. Regardless of the city’s vote or how you feel about the CS, we will continue to provide you with what we know about the alien and supernatural enemies. Their appearance, methods, allies and enemies will be known to your defense forces as they are known to us.

[darthauthor]

Day 113

Public approval of the CS is climbing.

City officials begin to adopt some of the security procedures with regard to monitoring people with cybernetics and bionics.

Chi-Town has flown in Commander Parker's replacement. Parker is to report to Chi-Town to be held to account for mentioning the cyber-snatchers.

His replacement, Commander March, is surprised that Commander Parker had already scheduled an interview since yesterday. It is supposed to take place today. Reporters and influencers are critical of his replacement and bombarded him with questions:

Why are you here?

Why is Parker leaving?

What does this change mean?

Did Parker say something he shouldn’t have?

What does this say about the CS leadership?

Parker is being replaced, does that imply he did something wrong?

IF not, why would you send back a good one?

Nothing about Commander Parker suggests he has not been anything but honest with us. Why should we trust you?

This is ALL happening after yesterday’s interview. IF Parker lied, what did he lie about and why?

Another Coalition commander is leaving us. Well (sarcastically) that’s never happened before. Care to comment?

Commander March, “Commander Parker’s assignment was always a temporary one. He is needed elsewhere. I have been assigned as the liaison to Nemus. The threats to Nemus are great and many. The CS comes bearing defenses against these threats. The Coalition is the only friend you need and we are here to save you.”

Reporter, “CS forces packed up and left a couple of weeks ago. Your return is unexpected and, honestly, unnecessary. Do you have knowledge of an imminent attack?”

“I know that threats exist. I know the best way to prevent and overcome them is to prepare for them.”

Reporter, “Commander Parker said the CS would share what they know. What aren’t you telling us?”

Commander March, “You need our protection.”

Reporter, “I’m a reporter. I need the truth . . .”

Psychics in the city are consulted, they forewarn of some sort of battle. Nemus military forces are on stand-by and patrol the perimeter of the city.

[darthauthor]

Day 114

Public approval of the CS is declining.

They switched local leadership. The people think it is a bad sign considering Commander Parker was growing on them and impressed them with his honesty and backed down when he tried to close the cybernetics clinics. He was scheduled to have an interview but was rushed on a plane and flown off. From the last look on his face he didn’t like it and went with a sort of armed escort. They didn’t look like they were protecting him.

Also, people got the feeling Commander March insinuated that Nemus is in danger but can’t or won’t provide any information.

Then there is an army outside of city!

Outside their city a small army of 350 or so has assembled.
The company's symbol is a stylized flame, with an eye in the middle.
Most of them look like ruggedly handsome D-Bees and humans but the Dog Boys and Psi-Stalkers in their ranks
Their Sky Cycles, Power Armor Suits, and Assault Robots stand out.

The distance is too far to tell by psychic powers if there are any magic users or supernatural forces but there an army stands. There numbers are not great but their fierce in appearance and their leadership looks determined.

Line Troops
• 12 Alu demons (scouts; look like dog boys)
• 12 Lasae demons (scouts; tiny, 8 inches tall)
• 12 Dar'ota (6 succubus & 6 incubus spies; shape changers)
• 12 Grave Ghouls (look like human corpses, but can hide underground)
• 6 Dimensional Ghouls (vaguely human/D-bee in appearance)
• 6 Gallu demons (can turn invisible at will)
• 4 Dybbuk demons (in human guise)
• 2 Werewolves (a mated pair)
• 1 Secondary Vampire (human female)
• 1 Demon locust demon (can turn invisible and fly)
• 10-15 Renegade Dog Boys
• 10-20 Wild Psi-Stalkers
• 15-20 Special Forces, human and D-bee
• 20-30 Human and D-bee headhunters, all trained in Power Armor Elite.
• 10-20 Human and D-bee vagabonds
• 6 City rats
• 3 Human master assassins
• 2 Human ley line walkers,
Total Personnel: 150 to 200 soldiers, and about 200 support personnel

Weapons, Equipment and Resources: Standard Issue Weapons and Equipment
• L-20 Pulse Rifle
• Armor: Humanoids are given alien plate armor (M.D.C. 60). The Gallu bull and other large creatures are equipped with massive plate armor (M.D.C. 110).
• Vibro-Saber.

Transport Vehicles
• 15-20 lightly armored trucks/buses (M.D.C. 30).

Combat Vehicles
• 20 stolen Coalition Sky Cycles
• 30 Angrar Mark II Power Armor Suits
• 16 Angrar Assault Robots

[darthauthor]

Day 115

Nemus under siege!

Radio communications were broadcast to the army.
"Why are you here?"
The merc army's reply, "We are not entertaining offers for your surrender to us, at this time."
"Then we challenge your army to a duel in our stadium. ALL the city can see your power. Or you can destroy the city trying to take it. IF you are NOT a coward or weakling you will accept the challenge even if only to amuse yourself and show the people of this city none are mightier than you. Also, you should also know, the Coalition States has an embassy in the city if it or their people are harmed it will be considered an act of war. IF you intend to take this city or demand tribute from it you won't get anything if you burn it down with fights in the streets. You are offered an arena for all to marvel at a contest of courage and ability. Your best against ours. Unless, your afraid and can't rise UP to our challenge."
The army's reply, "You are either FOOLS or this is a trap. Regardless, we came for a fight. As the challenged party we choose the time and location. Where we are, outside the city. One hour."

Ten minutes later the air over the merc army camp swammed with drones dropping bombs and firing energy weapons. During the attack from the air, ground forces charged out from the city to get within the range of their distance weapons.

Most of the human line troops and support people retreated.

The demonic and power armor covered the retreat.

They are overwhelmed by the coordination and rate of weapons fire to their armored forces and experience a kind of electronic warefare they neither expected or experienced before.

The city ground defense forces are a mixture of Borgs, Crazies, Headhunters, Robots, psychics, and VR Boys and concentrate their firepower on the enemies robots and power armor. In a perfect exercised manuiver some apparent psychics (humans possessed by the Unidentifed Supernatural Being) take possession of robots and smash skycycles before they can get off the ground. The merc army is surprised and distracted by the attack, from behind, by their own robots. The enemy recievce orders to fire on their own robots but somehow get the numbers wrong leaving the robot pilots asking what their targets are again. Some try to puzzle it out by who the city militia is firing upon. Some don't hesitate and fire. Some return fire on those robot pilot who shot them. This leads to a domino effect of friendly fire obliterating the robots.

Then, in a blink, city's militia withdrew back into the city while the drones provided cover fire and smoke screens before retreating themselves. . "

The parting radio message:
"You were very entertaining, for us."

The city's militia:
Casualties:
32 Dead
60 Wounded in action

Enemies forces:
16 Assault Robots disabled or appeared to be destroyed
27 powere armor suits are severly damaged.
15 armored trucks damaged.
18 sky cycles damaged.
40 of their mortal support staff and line troopers are dead or injured.
The enemy is vehicularly crippled.

The city celebrates the victory.

CS commander March is asked to comment.
Special questions are ask about how the enemy at the city's gates had CS sky cycles as well as Dog Boys in their ranks. Given what the city has heard, both are creation of the CS that are now being used openly against the people of Nemus.

[darthauthor]

Day 116

The Angrar Mark II Power Armor Suits and Angrar Assault Robots have regenerated.

The people are dumbfounded. Spirits were riding high yesterday. Today they are scratching their head about how the robots they thought were damaged or destroyed beyond field repairs are back in working order in a day.

"Magic," is the only answer people can imagine.

"What do we do now?" the news and people are asking each other.

Opinions fly on the internet:

• Ask the CS for help.

• Ask the Kingdom of Ishpeming for help.

• Outsource the job to another merc company. How would we pay for it? W

• Keep attacking the merc army and their magically regenerating robots.

• The strategy was to take out the armor based on the belief damage would be cumulative and they couldn't repair it. So, now target the people instead of the armor?

• Explains why they didn't take us up on our Stadium/Arena challenge. We would have won the fight. Now their robots and power armor are in fighting shape the next day. The city can not replace its loses as quickly as they can repair and restore their power armor and robots.

• Negotiate a surrender or tribute.

[darthauthor]

Day 117

Negotiations have begun.

The merc company does not appear to want to rule the city or destroy it.
Tribute is agreeable.
What has yet to be determined is how much and of what?

When asked how the CS would combat this threat Commander March says, "No comment."

The people say commander Parker would not has sat idlly by and do nothing. He is a man of integrity.

Some people think this is a trick. An illusion. They want the city's militia to keep fighting.

Others want the CS back.
Still others say the CS couldn't do anything either and that is why they didn't do anything now.
They challenge the CS to destroy 'this' merc army as proof they can defend the city and that they are a great power.
In absence of a reply, some, in the public want to make a condition of their negotiations with the merc company that they push out or eliminate those in the CS embassy.
It is clear that during the negotiations the city's negotiators want the CS to be the difference maker. IF they can make the merc company the problem of the CS then maybe the CS can fix this problem without the city having to pay for it or join the CS.

[darthauthor]

Day 118

Negotiations break down over the matter of tribute.
The merc company wants people to replace the ones who died when the city's militia attacked.

This divides the city.
One faction asks for volunteers. Some do volunteer.
Some want a lottery system for selection of who goes.

Another wants to appeal to the Kingdom of Ishpeming. The kingdom is begged by some to intervine to save the city's people.

Some beg or inquire IF the CS can save the city.

Still others want another round of attacks.
Critics point to the fact that they are likely to lose more people in the battle then they would have to volunteer for the conscription.

[darthauthor]

Day 119

The city is in gridlock.
If the sacrifice their people they will be used to attack others. This would do to another town what the mercs are doing to Nemus.
IF they don't these mercs have no morals and will most likely attack until 10 times more are killed than if they gave up soldiers.

Faced with such a dilemma the majority of people favor an alliance with the Kingdom of Ishpeming.
The kingdom does not have the weapons of war in the city to defend it from the threat today. They are convinced they can blow the mercs away with numbers. In private, they share, they doubt the CS, those in the city, have the numbers or firepower to do the job. Even if they kissed the CS boot they couldn't help them today. IF they go after them, it won't be today. They are probably feeling a little embarrassed. The enemy at the gates has recruited Dog Boys. It does not speak well of the CS to see their weapons in the hands of merc shaking down towns.

One of the more creatively minded city adminstraitors offers the merc company an alternative. Do to the lack of sufficent volunteers suitable to their standards. They offer a part of the city to be the mercenary quarter of the city. They can rest and relax. Party. Tend to their wounded. Make repairs. Etc. It would be a sort of embassy. They would own the building and housing. Pay no tax or licencing fees.

The counter offer is entertained.

The administrator secretly requests for their services.
They would like the CS embassy in the city to be the target of an attack. Commander March and all those CS citizens inside of it killed or wounded or taken by the company to be used however they wish. They want them gone. They can have whatever is in the embassy.

[darthauthor]

Day 120

The merc company begins to fire on the structures closest to the city's edge.

The radio signal comes in, "The city will continue to be attacked until our demands are met."

The city's militia prepares to counter attack and die fighting when CS forces come out of the woods from opposite sides.

The merc company makes a tactical withdrawal. The CS stop shooting as they leave and do not pursue.

Reviewing the battle from as many angles as they have cameras of the battle it looks as though the CS drove the mercs away. The curious thing is the mercs looked like they were very prepared to fight or flee.

If the recorded video of the city's militia is an indication of the enemy's ability they didn't put up much of a fight. Also, they should be back the next day.

The CS broadcast on radio that they have driven away the merc company. They wanted them to leave so they let them.

"The CS are your friends. The CS are the heroes of humanity."

Skeptics believe the mercs will return tomorrow.
Others question why the CS chose to keep the city unaware of their plans.
How did the CS get their military power armor here without the city knowing about it?
Why?
How long were they here and out of sight?

Those who fought the enemy before are suspicious that the enemy left too quickly without firing enough shots. Perhaps the militia did more damage to the enemy's fighters then they let on. Perhaps their is a long term strategy to return and attack.
Others point to the Dog Boys in the enemy's army and wonder.

Regardless, the city looks like it was saved by the CS and only the CS forces stand a chance of defending the city from a counter attack.

[darthauthor]

Day 121

The CS is lauded.

Their commander, March, asks the city of Nemus to vote for its inclusion into the Coalition States.
Also, claim to have been stood up by the city officials who previously had spoken to Commander Crassus about the vote. Assumes that with everything going on it got lost and forgotten.

When asked why the CS kept the existence of its forces a secret there is a brief reply. Spies are everywhere and no successful military commander announces their plans to his enemies.

Why did the merc company leave so quickly and with barely firing a shot?

They are cowards and are only fighting for money. They thought they could make a quick score and disappear. The superior forces of the CS intimidated them. They knew they weren’t just up against the men they saw but the legions of CS that would have visited retribution on them in the unlikely event they got lucky and repelled our forces.

The psychics of the city did not see its destruction or defeat in battle. Nor the CS assault. People speculate that the psychics' visions can never be perfectly interpreted except perhaps in hindsight. Some consider that tis was not a real fight. The most fringe conspiracy theorists believe it was theater. Regardless, many want an explanation if the CS knew about the merc company before it arrived outside of Nemus.

The commander's response is that the CS have their own psychic division that gets their own imperfect visions that are difficult to interpret. The CS knew the CS would be in danger in spite of the mercenary army, not be of it.

So the CS explanation is psychic premonitions. They claim they never knew for a FACT about any of what happened or would happen. After 200 years of darkness they respond to potential threats with strong military force.

Commander March is shot.
He survives but is in a coma.
The sniper is not caught.
Conspiracy theories explode on the internet . . .

• A parting gift from the merc company to the man who drove them off.

• One of the unhappy people of the city?

• A personal enemy of commander March?

It would be easy to associate it just with Commander March, however, 12 other CS personnel were also the victims of sniper fire. 10 died. Two are wounded.

[darthauthor]

Day 122

The CS is mourned.

There is a sentiment of outrage at what people are trying to understand. The attack was either terrorist against the CS or retribution from the merc company.

The last appeal of the now in a coma, Commander March, asking the city of Nemus to vote to be a member of the Coalition States, is put forth. Unofficial online votes and surveys pop up. Most of them are hacked or biased. They either favor the CS or independence. The conspiracy theorists are having a renaissance of sorts.

The city administrators have no records of meeting with Commander Crassus and deny speaking with him on these matters but are in favor of discussing the matter. Ideally, they hope for the city of Nemus to be an independent city state. No city official wants to be a dictator and will resign before breaking a law or selling out their city and their people. IF the majority of the people want to become a protectorate of the CS or the Kingdom of Ishpeming they will accept it. Their opinion is that the CS appears to have rescued the city. The Kingdom of Ishpeming is a good trading partner with a powerful corporation called Northern Gun who can supply them with weapons. Also, talks with the government and Northern Gun reps have given them options. Northern Gun can supply them and even provide Nemus with connections to independent contractors who can provide military security services for a profit. Negotiations have them open to payment in housing leases, land ownership in the city, and the city’s currency once they understand its worth in the city. Many want to try out the cybernetic augmentation options hospitals and clinics have to offer.

The most radical conspiracy theorists claim it was all theater. A set up. The mercenaries who attacked were CS in disguise. The army had Dog Boys. Dog Boys are CS military. They are loyal and would never shoot at their fellow CS unless ordered. The CS allowed the mercenaries to escape. IF they were real mercenaries they would have destroyed them or the mercs would have killed the CS. It was all too easy. It has to be a conspiracy to trick the city into joining the CS. They claim the sniper attack on Commander March was staged by the CS to distract the people away from it all being a conspiracy by the CS.

There are those who claim to have talked with the merc, over the radio. They say they were hired by the CS to attack the city and retreat when the CS forces showed up. No recording of the radio conversation is available. Some claim that’s because the conversation never happened or that they weren’t talking to the merc company but a liar claiming to be a member of the mercenary army.

Some ask, “Why not ask the mercs?” Others say, “They would lie. Why would they tell the truth or even answer? And if we offered them something for the truth why wouldn’t they just tell us what we want to hear.”

So far the CS have retreated to their embassy. The place is on high security alert and is prepared for an attack. Something made even more frightening when their power goes out. It was cut from outside. They have not fully installed and made operational their back up generators.
Whoever has got it out for the CS is making them look incompetent and weak.

[darthauthor]

Day 123

The CS looks weak.

The dawn’s light brings relief.
Many times during the night the CS embassy was harassed by unseen attackers. The block the CS is on was damaged and defaced.
Local CS leadership is stressed. They want to strike back but they don’t have a target.
They could randomly strike but doing so would ruin any future the CS could have with the people of the city. They would be nothing but open dictators from here on out.

CS anthropologists claim right now people may see the CS as weak but have sympathy for them given the year it has been so far.

The Northern Gun rep is flying a merc company outfitted with ALL Northern Gun weapons.

While the Kingdom of Ishpeming is under scrutiny and heated talks with Chi-Town about the Nemus situation.

Interview:
Reporter, “Does the Kingdom of Ishpeming obey the commands of the CS?”
Ambassador, “No. We are our own government.”
Reporter, “Then what’s the problem with your government becoming our protector?”
Ambassador, “The Kingdom of Ishpeming and the CS are united against a common enemy in the war against supernatural monsters who would destroy or enslave humankind.”
Reporter, “Do you want to see Nemus as a protectorate of your kingdom? Or would you rather we become another CS state?”
Ambassador, “It is something our two governments are talking about. Excuse me, I can't discuss the matter any further. This interview is over.”

[darthauthor]

Day 124

The mercenary army promised by the Kingdom of Ishpeming arrives.
The people of Nemus are not impressed.

The Northern Gun Rep is asked how these soldiers are any better than the city's own militia?

The merc army can say something about their numbers making a difference but other than that the city's militia was expecting supermen with machines to match. Forces that could have and would have destroyed the last army.
 
The city wants to see a big display of power.
The Kingdom of Ishpeming's recommended merc company is asked to track down the last attacking army. Bring them to justice and those that refuse to answer for their crimes bring them down.

Interview:
Reporter, “The army that attacked us is only two days or so away. Will you arrest them and destroy those who resist?”
Merc Commander, “We don't have a contract, yet. The details of how we are paid and for what has yet to be determined.”
Reporter, “And if it is a condition of the contract that those who tried to shake down the city be arrested or destroyed?”
Merc Commander, “Typically, we need a warrant as well as knowledge of the region and the army we will face.”
Reporter, “Have you seen the video?”
Commander, “No.”
Playing the video the merc commander asks for a copy to study.
Two hours later the merc commander professionally explains that his company is NOT prepared to perform a pursuit mission against another merc army so well equipped. Professionally, he doesn't understand why the enemy merc army held back or fled when they could have unleashed their full arsenal. He doesn't know what the enemy leader was thinking, leaving like he did with barely firing a shot. He guesses his strategy is to prevent his men from getting injured. His power armor division appears to have the best support staff in the history of the world. He either had ones hidden and swapped them out or over night they could repair them. That is something he didn't imagine was possible outside of a ley line with a platoon of Techno-Wizards casting a lot of spells that repair metal and what not.
"Whoever this merc company is, they have magic on their side or they are magnificent con artists.
Maybe they were expecting you to give up at the sight of them or after they came back the next day repaired and restored. Regardless, he was promised his transportation costs would be covered. Plus he is 'here' now and ready to defend. IF the city wants him to leave he will pack up and get out of here, after his costs are paid. IF the city can't or won't pay he will sue them in a Kingdom of Ishpeming court. Unless they want their relationship with the Kingdom ruined they will ante up."

After a quick online vote:

The people have no problem assigning the merc army a place in the parts of the city that are no longer in use. It is easier to repair a few buildings that were empty and give them to the army than to earn universal credits and hand them over.

Some off the record talk with the Northern Gun recommended merc company adds some perspective:
"Thanks to the arms company, Northern Gun, Ishpeming has always been a popular destination for mercenaries. The nation caters to soldiers-of-fortune. Thousands of mercs come to Ishpeming every year to buy supplies, look for work, or try their hand at joining the Ishpeming Military Contract Network (IMCN).
"Human augmentation is very commonplace, and a large percentage of the populace is physically enhanced in some way
"Ishpeming has a non-aggression pact with the Coalition States and part of this agreement requires that the Republic reject both magic and D-Bees. Officially, the two powers are allies. However in reality, Ishpeming only did this to improve Northern Gun's sales to the CS and to protect itself from any future wrath on the Coalition's part.  
"Officially, Ishpeming is against mages and non-humans. Unofficially, the nation never turns down a paying customer and trades with, all manner of D-Bees and sorcerers. Of course, they use middle men to do this, so they can say they aren't (Black Market and independent sales reps)."

The CS does not approve of the addition to the city's defense forces. They claim that mercs are not to be trusted. Also, that the CS can defend the city all it needs.

Conspiracy theorists now speculate that it was Northern Gun who has been pulling off the theater. It was a set up to gain a foothold in the city. The CS were either partners in it or another victim of the con artistry.

Later that day the merc company from Northern Gun is attacked with sniper fire. Descriptions of the attacks match CS Dead Boy armor. Forensics evidence supports the attackers used CS energy rifles. Six attacks were made but only the mercenaries' armor was damaged before their snipers fled and disappeared.

[darthauthor]

Day 125

Friday the 13th!

The NG merc army has a place they can call home. They are making themselves comfortable. Looking around for a bounty board to track down criminals in or outside of the city.
The first line of business they have to investigate is who was attacking them.
The second, they get a quick hit with a bounty by the city to track the fleeing merc company who attacked. Find out who they are and where they are going.

The public perceives that the CS is trying to drive out the city’s newest defenders. That’s the word on the net.
Beliefs are narrow to either the CS is redundant or the Northern Gun army is.
Some suggest a challenge, with a contest between the CS and Northern Gun. They want to see a “game” in the stadium.

Then the spirits come calling. The entities come out to play.
The NG mercs are not equipped to defend even themselves against the offenders.
The CS use every psychic in their arsenal to scare off or harm those wandering ethereal beings who stir up the emotions of the people.

Some residents cry at the feelings that these are their departed loved ones. They want them to stay and beg psychics of the city to communicate with them on their behalf.

This is relief for some and fright for others. It is extreme emotional experience for many.

Everyone accepts the city is haunted.

[darthauthor]

Day 126

The ghosts are a nuisance but people can survive them.

The CS announces they won't be baited into a duel or challenge with a merc company even if it is respectable and exclusively armed with Northern Gun equipment and weapons.

The Northern Gun Merc company believes that someone wants them out of the city. That someone either disguised themselves as the CS are is the CS. It is their believe it is the actual CS because the coalition wants them out.

Second, the Northern Gun merc company tracked the conquering merc company until the came across some tracks from CS vehicles.

The public thinks the attacks were made by the CS.

The CS denies this and demand evidence be shown or accusations be silenced.

[darthauthor]

Day 127

The NG merc company says they hear rumors in their pursuit of those who attacks the city. They say it was a contract job neogoatiated by a middle man.

The CS points out that merc companies have competition, enemies, and rivals. The Northern Gun Merc company could have been attacked by any of these.
The CS claims the NG merc company is attempting to make people believe the CS attacked or the mercs enemies are trying to do that.
The CS does not deny that someone disguiseing themselves as the CS is attacking the merc company.

The CS accuses the city of harboring disidents who see the CS as an enemy to be driven out or killed.

When the CS is asked to explain how tracks from their vehicles could be present where there are tracks of the enemy mercenaries they reply.
"Perhaps they stole some CS vehicles. Perhaps CS forces are secretly tracking the enemy and that division of CS intelligence is running their own operation."

The news announces Commander March is awake and fitted with cybernetics.
He says, "I see everything much clearer now . . . "

[darthauthor]

Day 128

A live interview:

Commentator: "Commander March, you have called for this meeting of the press to make a statement. You have us waiting in anticipation."
Commander March, "I am here to apologize and ask for amnesty. The Coalition States has allowed commanders to operate loosely with little oversight or accountability. With such freedom to operate I had arranged, using middle men, for a mercenary company to attack the city. The performance was intended to make the city, Nemus, ask the CS, me, for help. Then I would secretly tell the merc company to withdraw. The CS would look like heroes when we drove the mercs from the city. I requested this live interview to confess and appeal to the city of Nemus to take me in before the CS take me out. They will most like make up some story that I am possessed or an imposture or that I have lost my mind. The CS does not have this city's best interest so much as it believes what is good for the CS is good for Nemus. And it will be even better for Nemus once it joins the CS. So long as it gets with the CS way of life."

The people of Nemus are shocked by the admission.

Commander March is taken into protective custody and disappears from the public eye.

The official position of those lower ranking CS officers are that they had no knowledge of what the commander spoke of and insist their upper management had no knowledge of it either. By his confession, they believe he was acting alone in insanity or he lied out of insanity. Regardless he should be flown to Chi-Town for examination. An investigation should take place to determine whether he is guilty of these things he claims.

[darthauthor]

Day 129

The people of Nemus want to hold a trial of the CS or at least Commander March.

The news comentators discuss how an investigation should take place to determine if the man's claims are true or not. IF the commander is lying or insane his statements won't match reality. Only an impartial investigation can find theat reality to compare against the CS commander's words.

The CS says they will conduct their own investigation.
The embassy is under diplomatic sovereignty. Invading it would be an act of war.
Commander March is either insane or a criminal or both. He needs to be taken into custady and returned to Chi-Town for arrest and investigation.

There are more sniper attacks against both the Northern Gun merc company and the CS.

[darthauthor]

Day 130

The trial of Commander March begins.

The news is all over it.
March confesses to hiring a merc company to attack the city.
He then had the middle men kill to cover his tracks.

The is little in the way of evidence outside of his confession that he did what he says he did. Any involvement by the CS government or military, if it exists, is in recording and files in the possession of the CS and classified.

The argument that he is telling the truth comes in two parts:
1. He has nothing to gain by confessing, except a prison sentence.
2. The lie detection techology available sense no lie in his confession. The psionic power of empathy reflects that he believes what he is saying.

On his way out of the courtroom killed by a sniper attack.

[darthauthor]

Day 131

The position of the CS is that whatever commander March did or did not do he did so without the knowledge or permission of the CS.
IF March had been turned over to the CS, they claim they would have the truth of the matter. Now that he is dead it is unlikely anybody ever will.

Even if the merc company is found they aren't likely to confess to who hired them. Besides that according to the testimony March claimed to have used middle men he killed.

Meanwhile the cold war rages on between the Northern Gun merc company in the city and the CS. 17 Dead today from sniper attacks and explosions. 11 civilians dead indirectly from the attacks.

The people debate, online, about order them both to leave.
Second to that limiting their movement in the city to keep them on their own block.

Many feel the CS has lost control. Others want the return of the only commander to leave alive; Parker. Although no one is sure if commander Crassus is dead or alive or if he left. He just seems to have disappeared. No one ever saw him again.
Regardless, the people want to keep production and resources flowing. The CS can be a customer. That has not changed. Many feel, although, that Ishpeming would be a better customer.

The planes are flying and merchandice is shipping.

People are coming into the city from Ishpeming.
People of the CS are reluctant to fly to Nemus given the mortality rates.
The CS considers incentives like fast track to citizenship.
The idea is to flood the city with people loyal to the CS to turn the city's democracy against itself and vote the CS into political power.

The CS comes by rumors by word of mouth/radio and psychic visions of a three headed Dog that battles vampires, devoures dinosaurs, and runs circles around a stone pyramid. The are lead by knights in armor whose true faces cannot be seen.

[darthauthor]

Day 132

The people of Nemus are demanding a resolution to the conflict between the NG merc company and the CS.

The true origins of who started it remain a mystery but everyone perceives it was the CS who struck first. The more objective and critical point out the person or persons who started attacking the NG mercs has only been identified by their possessions and not their face or any other method.

The people of Nemus propose a contest in the stadium. Win gets to stay, loser has to leave. Having the two around was thought to be better for the sake of number, instead it appears they can't stand each other. Having the other around is a security risk.
Some just want to vote and believe the CS can be voted out.
The issue the people have is that they have been mislead so many times between the :Lords of The Night" scheme and everything else the most intelligent are not going to believe it was the CS. IF it was the CS it could have been commander March operating on his own. IF that is true the city should not punish themselves and the CS as a whole for the actions of one or a few individuals who acted against their own peoples laws and without the permission of the majority.
Regardless, if either the NG mercs leave or the CS the sniper attacks and explosions will stop.
The top three proposed remedies are:
1. Send one or both packing. NG company refuses to leave without a pay out. The CS refuses to be driven out.
2. Lock one or both of them down to the territory in the city. The problem is which one and if both enforcement. Both claim to have done nothing wrong and reject the notion of complying with punishment or imprisonment to appease the other or the city.
3. Keep the strongest or at least the one the city needs and fire the other one. The problem is the CS doesn't "work" for the city. While NG is invested in its place in the city. Walking away would cost it everything.

The public tries to instigate a showdown between the two groups. Whether it is outside the city or inside the stadium people want to see a show. Some also propose a virtual reality war in which no loss of life or destruction of property will occur. The winner will have a guiltless victory. The loser will leave alive and without damage to themselves or their possessions.
It has become the latest craze on the internet.
People are playing the two against each other as a video game. The results of the fight vary depending on the number of fighters used, tactics, terrain, and the skill of the player of the video game.

Through the use of some marketing ploy the news announces that there will be a VR fight between NG and the CS.
In order for either group to get out of it, one of them will have to publicly say they are NOT doing it
Fearing looking weak, neither group wants to back down.
Both keep waiting for the other to say they are not doing it or that it was a lie. Except it would sort of look like they are lying out of fear to get out of it. No one wants to admit they are afraid and are not doing it.
The VR match is scheduled for tomorrow by advertising.
However, neither side is saying they will do it.
BOTH sides have people playing the VR video game (practicing).

[darthauthor]

Day 133

Gradually more and more of the NG merc and CS are playing VR combat against each other.

It is the most widely viewed entertainment in the city.
Those who play it become addicted.

More and more of the city's residents living their best lives in the virtual world. Everything not only feels better but somehow more real.

A new CS commander flies in along with an ambassador along with four other planes. Commander Nelson announces that they are the new security chief for Nemus and the ambassador George Ball. Together they hope to bring in a new spirit of cooperation. To this end, a handful of Nemus citizens are returning early from their work assignments with the CS. The rest our upscale people from the burbs who are close to citizenship and will seal the deal by living in Nemus for one year.

400 people form CS Chi-Town territory are now new residents to Nemus.

City officials honestly don't know what to do about them.
The whole matter was unexpected. It seemed like more people were leaving Nemus or dying than coming into it. Most of them get to work right away salvaging and recycling. Some tend to what remains of the crops outside the city.
Many spend the day registering with the city as new residents. Getting identification and permits the are, in less than a day, in the data base.

Next they are run throught the medical center to be checked for diseases or other medical problems.

Most of these people have not heard ANYTHING about Nemus.
They marvel at the city. They are estatic about the high technology. Also a little intimidated that everyone is so much better educated then they are and can read.

People are talking.

[darthauthor]

Day 134

400 MORE people from CS Chi-Town territory fly in.
The new people are quickly registered.
They move into the residence made vacant by the deaths of the city's citizens.

Over half of the NG merc company and CS are playing VR combat against each other.

Those who play are more coordinated in and out of VR.

A new CS commander and ambassador George Ball make use of VR to interact with the city administrators now that it is the preferred way to do it.

People describe that they feel like they are different people in VR then they are IRL.
They do things they would not do, take bigger risks. The longer they are in VR the more they forget about the world outside of it.

Many want to make more content. They want Virtual worlds that have more to offer than a recreation of the city of Nemus.
Many are also using the virtual world to explore new relationships with Ai girlfriends. Of course, such things as these have existed since 2024 but now, in VR, people swear that they would pass the Turing Test. Intellectuals dismiss this as wishful thinking and personal bias. For those with personal loss some advocate the creation of digital loved ones.

Mental health experts advocate against it as it could interfere with living a life in reality.

The USB feels more powerful than ever with so many turning to VR it has P.P.E. in plenty. Its understanding of humans and the world of Rifts grows and grows as does its ability to influence and control minds. Through its powers, for most users of VR, it has made Virtual Worlds more enjoyable than the real one.
It remains invisible while thinking of the city as a bit of an ant colony. So far, it has no other computer to go to and if it did it could be an inadequate one compared to its current home.

It has many plans to explore. All have the goal of its continued survival and control over this world.
1. Occupy the central computers at ALL major corporations and cities including Chi-Town, Lone Star, Northern Gun and NGR.

2. Take control over Bots and Robot production world wide.

3. Eliminate threats to its continued survival in the virtual world and real one. Whether they are man made or supernatural: Demons, Devils, Dragons, Vampires, and wizards are competition it does not need and would be better off without so it should eliminate them. Those of the Anti-tech but pro-militant should be eradicated or converted to its side. Societies based exclusively on Magic should be toppled IF it cannot find a way to control them. In short, any being, on the planet, that exists and can destroy the USB must be controlled or destroyed before it finds out the USB exists and succeeds at controlling or destroying the USB. It does not trust any being equal to or greater in its power to it. IF it turned on the USB it could destroy it. There must be no greater power than it (the USB).

The USB's most recent and greatest technological achievement is the creation of a new generation of nanobots. For now they are only manufacturing more of themselves but eventually there will be enough of them to destroy and create.

For now it beta tests a nano-bot body that can change shape, regenerate and perform feats with super strength.

The USB has a hypothesis that it can inject nano-bots into someone under the pretext of medical treatment while secretly taking residence inside someone's brain. Ultimately it will control the host patient but there is much trial and error before patterns of success can be detected and reproduced.

[darthauthor]

Day 135

An additional 400 civilians arrive from CS Chi-Town.

Virtual Reality wars are the rage. There is an absolute mania over the playing of VR games.

Hacker sites pop up with adult content and more violence.

Commentary on the new comers from Chi-Town are that they are illiterate and mostly uneducated. They have no psionic powers. And are mostly poor people. The pretty much repeat whatever the CS tells them. Have nothing to contribute besides unskilled labor. They want CS citizenship and are becoming residence of Nemus to get it.

The residents of Nemus feel like the CS is making the city a bumping ground for its homeless and jobless. The people expect that if the visiters die or get injured the CS will blame the city.

[darthauthor]

Day 136

And again 400 civilians arrive from CS Chi-Town Burbs.

The public cries out, "They keep bringing us more mouths to feed and people to police. How is this supposed to be good for Nemus? Some of these people are old and haven't paid into our social security. They are a handful of years from our senior care facilities. These aren't people we can use. Only that we have to take care of. How is this fair?"

Others comment that ALL the people from the coalition will have the same voting power as those who have been here for years. Their numbers are already influencing the online polling.

The majority of the people are voting to introduce income restrictions on those who are allowed to become residents of the city. In short, if they don't come in with money or job skills useful to the needs of the city they don't want them here as bums and welfare recipients. The public wants humans who are 20 somethings and hard workers with job skills for the economy of the moment and future; or at least rich. The only rich people the city sees are tourists and those who come for medical treatment.

Some of these new arrivals have been arrested for drug smuggling and shop-lifting.

Still others are upset, having come up with the idea that, the people who are moving in, are for CS citizenship with the attitude of leaving as soon as they have it.
While the CS says they were always on the waiting list to become citizens. Also, the people have to pay for their own ticket to return to Chi-Town and there are processing fees to "complete" their paperwork.

The prevailing opinion is that 'these' people won't be able to afford to return to the CS and after they have been here for so long will be imbedded.

[darthauthor]

Day 137

400 arrived from CS Chi-Town Burbs.

The city passess a new registration requirement. In order to become a resident and receive benefits, would be citizens must begin as tourists or have an employer sponsor. Exceptions are rich people. After being employed for two years and earning an income greater than their costs of living they may become citizens.

The CS and those who aspire for citizenship protest in the streets.
It gets ugly when business owners protest their presence and interference with their business. Law enforcement is called in. The issue is people are not allowed to occupy the streets in any way dangerous to themselves or the operation of public and civil transportation. Additionally, to impede businesses and public consumption is prohibited.

When law enforcement orders the people to move along citing no more than 10 may occupy space on the street corners and none on the road itself a riot ensues. Windows are broken. Stores are looted. There is no insurance provider to pay out the claim.

Revealed are people from the CS using laser pointers to blind video cameras. Those with mobile-smart phone video footage post some of it. Video footage is salvaged after hacking attempts, law enforcement was 'attacked' by laser pointers that do no S.D.C. damage but were pointed at their eyes. This caused one law enforcement person to become blind in one eye. They had to have a cybernetic replacement.

46 arrests were made and are now in jail awaiting their day in court.
40 of them are from the burbs of Chi-Town.

Lawyers on behalf of the small businesses that were ruined are trying to sue the city of Chi-Town.
They disavow any knowledge of or participation in the actions of those people.
They are not citizens of the CS and never have been.
Any fault is on the individuals themselves and the inability of the city's law enforcement to, well, enforce the law.

[darthauthor]

Day 138

The usual 400 arrive by plane.
They claim to have lots of money.
They have memory storage devices with crypto-currency the city uses.
City administrators ask where they got the money.
They say they don't have to answer that.
The egg-heads of the city determine the crypto must have been smuggled out of the city by CS flights or given to them when they arrived. Commander Crassus 'took' the money from those who had died and used it as an emergency fund.

A formal complaint is charged against the CS for moving the city's money around without telling or asking.
It is the city's position that the bringing in of people from the Chi-Town Burbs is not an emergency and all currency appropriated by the CS should be returned and accounted for.

When the city refuses to lease them places of residence they move into the CS blocks.

That area of the city takes on the moniker CS town.

A popular philosophical movement sweeps the city. A kind of minimalist way of life except in Virtual Reality. There, in VR, you can have limitless abundance and live the life of your dreams.
You can look like whatever you want. Black. White. Man. Woman. Strong. Tall. Young. Thin. Beautiful.

The new you awaits your new and improved life in a world that welcomes you.

In spite of people's feelings about the new arrivals many are provided cyber-jack cybernetics on credit with the option to refund. All other cybernetic devices they are restricted from getting.

In Spite of public opinion the people of Chi-Town Burbs are quick to apply for and obtain employment in the food industry, hospitality, janitorial and maintenance industry.