Disclaimer:Not a hard science RP. Think pseudo science. The fuck I'm talking about.
Shields (Ship Hull) Only very early prototypes exist. Developed by Masamune Space Structures to prevent accumulating hull damage by space dust, and other objects (which led to the destruction of the Plymouth class settler ship, Takeshi in 2603) Some other corporations may possess the potential for the technology or even a working prototype, but some further development and research will be necessary before shields are in common use.
Foreign-Object-Hull-Deterrance FOHD (commonly called the F-word on cargo-ships) are small-scale outer hull mounted laser weapons designed to destroy or significantly reduce in size any object that may threaten the integrity of a ships hull. FOHD's are designed to track and engage potential targets automatically although some 'crack-shots' sometimes control the lasers manually..
Ion Rockets Propulsion systems have seen an enormous advancement in the past 500 years. Continuously thrusting ION-rocketry has made travel to each planet relatively quick.
Cargo Cannons & Shipping Capsules The modern Cargo Cannon like VULcan Corporations Thor's Hammer utilize alternating magnets to accelerate cargo in capsules at speeds far greater than a human being or typical ship could withstand. Cargo Cannons have to have a sister station called a 'Net' at the target to slow the capsule using a net of magnetized 'buoys' and dampening fields. The Capsules themselves also have computer-guided correcting boosters.
Artificial Intelligence After the Kiev-CAO scare of 2190, the Earth Governments (precursor to the United Terran Gov't) signed a treaty effectively banning the development of AI within terrestrial bounds. Since 2595 any research and protypes have been developed on Bright-Spot station on Ceres.
Weapons
FALSE_PATH chaff drone Chaff has long been a defensive measure for slower, lightly armored aircraft. Like their ancient predecessors, modern air & spacecraft can be equipped with highly intelligent anti-missile chaff drones. The FALSE_PATH drone is a reliable mass-produced unit that comes standard in most small SKYGUARD craft. The simple on-board computer predicts missile trajectory and attempts to contact the weapon, preventing damage to the mother ship. Many commercial ships also use Chaff.
NITE3 soft-kill missile The NITE3 is a defensive weapon with low velocity designed to anticipate any incoming fire to an aircraft, contact that weapon and detonate it prematurely. Slightly more effective and longer range that chaff. Ballistic Weapons Although 'future' weapons exist, the most common weapon used planetside is still ballistic based. This is purely economical. Nearly anyone can manufacture the weapons and ammunition needed for traditional machine and assault style guns. Martian rebels especially are notorious for home-made weapons.
Those Damned Future Weapons Incredibly expensive lasers. Weapons classified as 'planet killers' launched from orbit. No space warfare has actually occurred outside of small-scale pirate action. The implied destruction of such a war is too reminiscent of the early 21st century wars. Not to say that it won't happen again.
Setting Info
The Solar System Mankind has explored the inner solar system for the past 500 years. There are permanent space habitations. Industrial Arcologies on Mars, not to mention the first permanent Martian City of Elysium. Corporation have sprung from the ashes of the early 21st century religious wars and the resulting economic backlash of the First Space Boom. They are the true powerbrokers on Earth and the Inner Solar System. With the signing of the Jupiter Referendum the Second Space Boom has begun.
Earth Earth has prospered in the last 200 years. Endless wars and economic turmoil for centuries swept aside the old Earth governments. In it's place has stood the United Terran Government, literally a World Power. But with the UTG came the Corporations, the real power brokers. The instrument of technological advancement and research. The Corporations have never engaged in open warfare, and would appear to be as amicable as ever with the signing of the Jupiter Referendum, but it would be short-sighted to think this peace will last. Espionage. Government corruption. Sabatoge. Terrorist funding & action. The Corporations are all capable of any or all of it.
Mars The jewel of the inner solar system. Martian resources seem to be endless, and millions of settlers have come looking. Whether as corporate policies or private citizens (that's a sketchy term these days) the masses have come to start a new life on Mars and with it, political intrigue. Things are changing rapidly on Mars as the Corporations muscle in on private claims. Terraforming is in it's infancy, and so infrastructure has become a hot commodity.
Arcologies and Bio-Spheres dot the landscape. Some abandoned and ripe for refurbishment. Some have been reclaimed by the red sands in the past several hundred years.
Jupiter Retrieving data...please stand by...
Ceres Retrieving data...please stand by...
Io & Europa Retrieving data...please stand by...
Strategic Locations
Luna Base Shipyards The United Terran Government controls Luna, and with it the Luna Base Shipyards. This is the only shipyard in the System and of immense strategic importance. Long have the corporations coveted Luna Base. It would be unsurprising to learn that some Companies had clandestine docks hidden in the system. United Terran Government Headquarters, Earth (Western Europe) Retrieving data...please stand by... Bright-Spot Station, Ceres Retrieving data...please stand by...
Faction Name: VULcan Technology Corporation Faction Type: Corporation, Political Entity Prime Location: Prometheus Station,Hellas Sea, Mars Leadership: CEO Bjorn Skaarsgard Lead Developer Chief Mining Officer
Assets:
Prometheus Station VULcan Technologies corporation has a massive industrial complex located at Hellas Sea, Mars. The Sea was scouted as a potential site for the first permanent city on Mars, but the Elysium Site was chosen instead. VULcan took over the site in 2452 and established Prometheus Station, a massive mining colony.
Thor's Hammer, Cargo Cannon in orbit around Mars Thor's Hammer is a second generation cannon. Skyguard regularly patrols the cannon and Martian orbit. Billions of dollars worth of minerals are shipped everyday and Skyguard is critical for the safety of Thor's Hammer and the fleet of VULcan OX-23's in operation around the station.
The Cannon utilizes magnets to propel objects at a steadily increasing rate over a length of 21km, this gives the station the appearance of a very large gun or cannon when viewed from a distance. The cargo can reach speeds that are well past safety limits for humans (approx. 58,000/mph?) although some fringe research has suggested a human being could survive in the proper transport capsule. It takes about 89 days for the cargo to reach Earth (compared to the 6-8 months a ship might take from Mars to Earth). The cargo is received at a sister station near earths orbit using dampener fields and strong magnetic buoys. A literal army of engineers control the launching and docking of cargos at both ends. Because a steady stream of cargo is shipped, a long line of high-speed shipping capsules has been established. Engineers refer to this as the 'River' and it fluctuates taking into account the rotation of Mars and Earth.
Ships
VULcan OX-23, (Sentry Class) Surface-to-Orbit Transport. Short range workhorse. Sentry class ships are reliable and cheap, require very little flight training and can be modified relatively easy to suit specific tasks. The VULcan OX-23 has been adjusted to operate in Martian atmosphere for extended periods of time. It is viewed favorably among pilots and engineers as a reliable ship. VULcan Tech puts its fleet of OX's to work moving mineral shipments from the surface of Mars to Thor's Hammer for transport to Earth.
VULcan DART11, Senator Class Rapid Transport ship capable of self propelling through planetary atmospheres. VULcan has a small fleet of 6 for moving around VIPs and dignitaries from other corporations. Equipped with defensive countermeasures like the Skyguard developed 'FALSE_PATH' chaff drone or the (technically) illegal soft-kill missile system called NITE3.
Company History:
VULcan Tech can trace it's origins back to the early 21st century as a laser weapons developer mostly doing experimental work for various first-world powers. Profits never materialized and in the 2300's VULcan began concentrating on extra-terrestrial mining work in anticipation of the massive amounts of resources that would be needed for the rapidly increasing expansion of extra-terrestrial exploration and colonization.
Projects/Active Missions:
Jupiter Referendum Signatory
VULcan Tech is currently developing
Mission/Orthodoxy/Principles:
Info on relations with other factions
Faction Name: Masamune Space Structures Faction Type: Corporate Entity Prime Location: MSS Corporate Headquarters: Earth, North Eastern Hemisphere (Japan) MSS Manufacturing Plant 1, Luna, Earth Orbit Leadership: CEO Hideki ASO Executive in charge of Engineering (ECE): Yoshio Suvorov Assets:
Ships
Gai-Jin Class Modular Settler Ship The Gai-Jin class was the 6th generation of modular colonization and permanent settlement ship designed and manufactured by Masamune. Wakizashi Fighter Sleek and deadly, the Wazikashi is the primary fighter unit in the SKYGUARD armada. The WAK-1 is a single pilot fighter that launches from a mother ship. The WAK-2 is a 3 man ship capable of breaking atmospheric resistance on it's own propulsion. The WAK-2 is still under development. Ken Strike Bomber SKYGUARDS controversial ship-to-ship bomber designed to obliterate completely any enemy spacecraft. The Ken is also capable of bombing surface targets although it cannot break atmosphere on it's own and so has to have a base of operations on the ground. SKYGUARD currently has 1 squadron of 4 Ken Bombers. Special Notes:The Ken has never been deployed in action because it is a deliberate breach of UTG regulations regarding combat action in space. The regulations require that ships exchanging fire strive to do as little damage to the vessels for preservation of life and the vessel itself. The exhorbitant costs of building and launching vessels has kept the UTG regulation from being broken (mostly).
Special Projects:
Executive Order 221-Plausibility of Widely Deployed Hull Shields A study begun in 2640, the testing of ship-hull 'Shielding' has been a major endeavour undertaken by ECE Yoshio Suvorov. He views shields as a way to save untold amounts of human life onboard spacecraft. The study examines various theories on ways to create such a device and especially the plausibility of mass manufacture and deployment.
Projects/Active Missions: Jupiter Referendum Signatory?: (If a corporation. This just means your not openly hostile to any other corporation. If you pick no then any other corporation will consider you hostile.) Mission/Orthodoxy/Principles: What does your faction or faction Leadership believe in? List goals or primary missions/objectives. Just to give an idea where your headed with your faction. You can change this as you go along, just keep a log if you wish.
Skyguard Retrieving data...please stand by... Elysium Defense Force Retrieving data...please stand by... United Terran Government Retrieving data...please stand by...
Maps & Locations
Feel free to download and edit these images to delineate your holdings, assets and faction locations.
Faction Name: The Red Haven Coalition Faction Type: Martian colony faction
Prime Location: Mars
Leadership: Prime Minister Adrian Conway: The elected leader of the Red Haven parliament, and leader of the Red Haven Coalition as a whole. Under the last 20 years of his repeated elected administrations the RHC has undergone a industrial drive comparable to the Soviet-era five-year plans. While hardly a popular or charming leader, even his political enemies don’t question his achievements in turning the dream of a coalition of independent habitats into a serious rising industrial power on Mars, and though people grumble at discomfort they support his work. However the recent political tides of the solar system and discoveries at home for exotic starship materials may be the ultimate test of his administration and whether Red Haven can remain independent of Earth and the Megacorporations.
Magistrate Melanie Winters: Chief administrator of Ferrum, and de facto chief economist of the Red Haven Parliament.
Magistrate Norton Meierson: Governor of Oasis Station.
High Consul Mariette Valar: Head of the Sisters of Mars techno-religious order, and holder of a de facto seat of on the RHC parliament as speaker for the minor guilds. Formerly a corporate biotechnician, she quickly rose in the ranks of the Sisterhood as a beginning curing mining habitats from an outbreak of rustlung caused by underground toxins, selflessly saving thousands of lives before proceeding to expose the corporate prospectors that illegally broke open the seams to the toxins they unleashed and condemned them to agony for the rest of their lives. While her days of traveling and spreading of the word of Mars are over, she finds comfort in providing more personal consultation to the Red Haven Parliament, whom she is finding to be in continuous need of shepherding.
Tactics/Wander: A powerful asset unknown to the faction’s leadership is the pairing of a Martian spaceport mechanic and high-spec AI named Tactics. It is unknown how James Wander and Tactics came together, having woken up in an alleyway with the AI embedded in a series of unique cerebrospinal implants and a cybernetic replacement for Wander’s right eye, Or why Tactics is a high-level military AI yet possesses no restraints or loyalty programming or hint of who made it to begin with. With no choice but to work together, Tactics/Wander have formed the Dirty Deeds company as a brigade of the RHC defense pact that protects and acts on behalf of the RHC colonies. While capable of superhuman feats, neither of them can make much use of them lest they catch unwanted attention. Such as AI scientists that would be interested in finding out how a high-grade AI can fit in a human brain, regardless of what the human host would think in the matter.
Assets:
Pioneer-class Frigate The majority of the RHC’s space force and merchant marine is composed of Pioneers, a older but still widely used model of ship that can be outfitted for exploration, planetary survey, cargo hauling, or even combat thanks to it’s modular undercarriage. Pioneers are often named for famous explorers and surveyors.
RHS
Military Forces The RHC does not have a proper standing army, due to most of its manpower being devoted to day to day survival and industry. Militia forces are kept and maintained on an as-needed basis, with some colonies able to afford a semi-standing rotating militia garrison while others must rely upon it’s citizen-soldiers to mobilize when needed. Quality and training of it’s defenders is highly variable as a result, but one common standard is the usage and deployment of Picton’s for heavy mechanized defense.
HUM Picton-09 The Picton is the primary warmachine available to the Red Haven Coalition. Formerly a utility mech design from Earth, the RHC have taken the rugged and reliable design further with better components and servomechanisms while still keeping a relatively low price tag per unit and adapted to the Martian dust and gravity conditions. While normally used in construction, mining, and industrial activities alike, it’s also been adapted for combat as well with a range of handheld weapons and heavy weapons mounted by removing an arm. While certainly a generation behind modern military mechs, they can be produced and fielded en masse by even the RHC’s limited resources and there is no shortage of pilots and able volunteers in any colony station.
Major Colonies: Red Haven The capital of the RHC, center of both the Bifrost spaceport and the majority of the high-tech infrastructure of the RHC including it’s only biotech hospital and university of technical studies. The Union Hall functions as the political capital of the RHC, while it’s limited industries form the basis of it’s darker R&D elements.
It is also the home of the techno-religious faith of the Sisters of Mars, disciples of agriculture, medicine, and war alike. While their archaic practices are odd, particularly their core duality of mercy and malice, none dispute their skill in their fields and the red-cloaked sisters are often welcome where they travel. Somewhat helped by their private militia of well-maintained Pictons they often use in their wandering.
Oasis Station Formerly the Oasis project under the now-dissolved Mayfare corporation, Oasis station exists at the center of several “Former” terraforming stations that enable green plantlife and rainfall on a patch of Mars, although most of them have scavenged to more practically environmentally control sealed agriculture domes. The colony is thus a center of agriculture and food production for the RHC, as well as one of the most populous. It is the center of the Populist party, and a sizable Sisters of Mars chapter also exists to support the growing population.
Ferrum Station A industrial colony built around a series of geo-industrial plants, utilizing energy and heat from geothermal vents to fuel large industrial complexes and Industrial-scale 3D printers fueled by rich mines in it’s area. Living conditions are harsh and austere, yet tens of thousands living in the worker barracks and boom towns call Ferrum home out of pride and belief they are giving a better future to their offspring. It is the center of the Industrialist party, with a significant secondary representation of the Militarists.
Due to it’s importance, the Ferrum militia is one of the largest and best equipped among the RHC militias, highly stocked in mechs and artillery ontop of standing garrison troops.
Dogsville Mining site DDB-928 “Dogsville” was a corporate mining town, where the miners were left stranded as their various patron companies pulled out after repeated disasters and setbacks in the region and seemingly easier money elsewhere. Abandoned, the beginnings of the Red Haven movement were founded here as the miners strove to dig in and endure, inspiring other backwater colonies and mining sites to step up as well. Miners picked up their tools, not for corporate profit but for themselves. A simple act sparked a greater revolution, and turned a mining habitat into a boom town alongside several other sites that became full-fledged outposts unto themselves.
Recently the actual causes of the initial disasters were found: Dogsville and other mining sites are sitting ontop of dangerous exotic materials such as hyperium, hexaferrium, and quadrite. Yet while dangerous, they are vital components for cutting-edge technology and advanced starships just beginning to be developed, and every survey and prospecting probe deployed only hints at even greater reserves beneath the surface than before ontop of great industrial resources. The worker’s paradise is now at threat because of it’s own success as the corporations come sniffing again.
The Dogsville militias are highly irregular, but they possess extremely large numbers of mechs and explosives, along with the technical skill to make creative use of both.
-Special projects. Include any working prototypes and where they are located and whether or not anyone knows about it. (probably not)
The Bifrost Starport and Orbital Elevator Complex An ambitious project by the now-defunct Aesir Corporation to build a spaceport of unprecedented scale along with a six-strand industrial ultrabulk-scale space elevator platform in low orbit to facilitate immense industrial growth and exploitation of the Martian region. The Corporation went bankrupt as clean hyperfusion their designs depended upon failed to become practical, and the spaceport likewise was left unfinished and only able to handle a bare minimum of domestic traffic. One of the first projects of the Coalition was to pool resources and manpower in a hail mary effort to bring trade back to the region. After ten years of brutal labor, risky loans, and five battles to keep pirates and marauders away from the elevator, they miraculously succeeded in restoring two of the six planned strands and establishing regular heavy lift trade, making it a center of economic activity in a backwater region of Mars.
Just recently however in light of the Jupiter Referendum, the starport has taken new importance as Elysium is descending into internal turmoil and corporate number-crunchers realize the orbital elevator is located on the perfect spot and combination of resources to build a large-scale shipyard independent of the UTA yards on Luna. The RHC have also just come to the same conclusion.
Project: ROUND TABLE
With mechs forming the core of the Red Haven Militias, the RHC have begun a crash R&D program to develop home-grown upgrades and new models to secure their independence. Efforts to rig railguns and laser cannons onto mechs, enhance current designs, and improve support systems have also been folded into the Round Table.
Reportedly a squadron of next-gen mechs are reaching field prototype phase along with new equipment for Pictons and civilian mechs in the fields of optical stealth, battlefield drones, armoring, and weapons. But without major gains in high-tech industry to manufacture them, they may end up solely as a secret special forces group. If the rumors are true that they are ready that is.
Projects/Active Missions:
The Fourth Industrialization Plan: The Red Haven Coalition has declared and is executing a fourth wave of industrialization activity, specifically in getting their commercial industries in line with their heavy industry to give their citizens a better standard of living after decades of hard labor, but recent political threats may force these new factories to be turned to other purposes.
Project Prometheus: With the discovery of starship resources under their feet and the realization their starport is a viable site to become a fully-fledged shipyard, the RHC is initiating a crash program to develop domestic fusion reactor manufacturing and import shipbuilding experience to build shipyards as a homegrown industry instead of as a corporate subsidiary. Progress has been slow, suspected to be UTA and Skyguard interference in recruitment of personnel and importing of industrial parts.
Jupiter Referendum Signatory?: No, not applicable
Mission/Orthodoxy/Principles: Independence at any cost from the corporation's, Earth, and any other outside power. The Red Haven Coalition will not accept subordinate status to any foreign power, and will defend it’s position by force if necessary.
The word of corporations and the United Earth Authority holds no weight. If outsiders want to deal, they MUST back up with hard action, resources, and payment or not even bother trying.
Corporations may be permitted limited operations within the RHC, if they prove they are not unjustly exploitative, however they are not granted unlimited resource or land rights and must operate under licence that may be revoked. Workers Unions are NOT optional.
It is not enough to survive, the people the RHC deserve the right to live and develop as a culture. Improvements in standards of living and domestic culture are a priority of the current Populist majority, although recent events are forcing them to share power with militarist factions in the RHC who prioritize national defense.
Stocks require updating. Assets may recieve an update to include airspace capabilities - just know that TSDC has a few repurposed commercial cruisers for now.
TSDC, or the Talon Security Development Corporation, is the leading branch of the former Talon Industries and is presently a market leader for the research and production of military equipment. Based in Mars, It is known for creating popular equipment models and technologies that are in common use today, and is a very high profile arms dealer - one of the best to acquire items from short of the black market. However, access is limited to any entity not corporate; it takes some convincing for non-extremely wealthy individuals to get into the "loop" known as the Corporate Network, also known as CorpNet, over which TSDC sells its wares.
Dynamic Information
Information here can change every so often over the course of the roleplay. It's a good idea to see what's changed specifically after I make a post, especially if big things are happening.
Everything is presented in the style of "CorpNet", short for the Corporate Network - an entity of TSDC's ownership inherited from Talon Industries. It involves a community of corporations and people and is the main medium through which others access information about the company.
Information here is provided via an administrative read-only access token. In character, one only has a member token; sometimes less. Relations and Security Assets aren't shown period, and only projects that have a (CorpNet) tag are actually supposed to be visible. The Stock is relatively honest and accurate both IC and OOC; you're only not supposed to see the stuff with Code 801 on the bottom IC.
Message me if you feel like hacking CorpNet and having all this info IC. A specialized computer geek character can get at least limited access until the tech team catches something wrong, which will take a post or so IC on my end.
Loading CorpNet...
Accessed with token 346:B...
Accessing Internal Network Additional Data...
Loading Data via format 66B-T
Stock [Error Code 801:X:ACCESS_DENIED] <^creative way of saying I didn't make it yet>
Security Assets from TSDC Internal Network - Access Via CorpNet Headquarters -Defense Grid: 100% Capability -Errors:None- [12/12 Point Defense Towers] [GSS Unit: Functional] [Guards On Staff: 200] [Early Warning System: Offline]
Production Site A -Defense Grid: 100% Capability -Errors:None- [14/14 Point Defense Towers] [GSS Unit: Functional] [Guards On Staff: 260] [Early Warning System: Offline]
Production Site B -Defense Grid: 100% Capability -Errors:None- [14/14 Point Defense Towers] [GSS Unit: Functional] [Guards On Staff: 2040] [Early Warning System: Offline]
Central Warehouses -Defense Grid: 100% Capability -Errors:None- [12/12 Point Defense Towers] [GSS Unit: Functional] [Guards On Staff: 150] [Early Warning System: Online]
Dynamic Forces
Harasser Divisions [1st: 6/6, Supplied, Central Warehouses] [2nd: 6/6, Supplied, Central Warehouses] [3rd: 6/6, Supplied, Central Warehouses] [4th: 6/6, Supplied, Central Warehouses] [5th: 6/6, Supplied, Central Warehouses]
Jump Corps [12/12 Members] [Combat Effective] [Suits s4/4. c6/6. a4/4]
GSSs.b [Functional] [(1)Error: Inner Core is not pure. Blackouts detected] [Inner Core: Code E4001-Level 1] [Efficiency:81%]
Loading CorpNet Data...
Relations [Archive Empty. Please add entities to the database] [Entities: Present to TSDC Network for evaluation]
Projects
Operation Packet [Clearance: Internal Knowledge] [Nature: Development] [System Description: Development of dropship "Packer"] [Staff On Project: 237] [Project Site: Central Testing Fields] [Status: Test Phase Alpha]
Operation Jupiter [Clearance: Semi-Public (CorpNet)] [Nature: Site Development] [System Description: Build offices and Production Site C] [Staff On Project:4] [Project Site:Jupiter Claim Zone] [Status:Delayed(Economic Considerations&Staff Power]
Transmission Format [Standard T63] [Encoding 66T-B] [Supported Colors: LightGreen Primary, Green Internal Color, Emergency Red] [Additional Features: Video HPG-y2100 Protocol, Decode T-class Protocols, 3 Version Forwards Support] [Holographic Compatibility:No] [Year of Production: 2096] [System Type:MicroBit Protocol 3] [Version 33.006] [Year of Production:2343]
General Info
Faction Name: Talon Security Development Corporation (TSDC) Faction Type: Corporation / Political Entity Prime Location:Mars; see assets for more particulars. Leadership: CEO Argus Melengyavik is currently the most powerful man in TSDC; a few others, such as development head Logan Ferris, external relations dept. head Howard Oleman and the main security officer John Blackstaff have very high positions of power and influence, and are sometimes better choices to approach than the CEO.
It's a good idea to talk to a mix of these characters, as things may change in the near future in the leadership, resulting in one of the more secondary leaders becoming very powerful, very fast.
Info on specific characters is in a hider at the bottom of this NS.
Organization Structure Command TSDC is a corporation with a board consisting of all main department leaders, who in turn answer to the CEO that acts as basically dictator for everything short of the largest company-changing decisions. The CEO can do just about anything and is in office until stepping down or ending up dead. The board has an annual meeting that presents up-to-date information to the CEO and if the CEO dies or steps down, elects from its ranks a new leader by 75% majority vote.
Each board member is generally left alone to his or her own affairs, with the CEO only getting involved in special matters. Individual board members have great power and can in some cases speak for the company (for some, it’s the job). They consist of Production Site commanders and department heads.
Department Level Department particulars vary based on type.
Departments for things such as research and public relations maintain small ranks, but have dedicated facilities to themselves. Main corporate departments are almost exclusively located in the main Headquarters.
The Department of Security and Staff Management are a little different. Staff Management has a host of agents, mostly to perform secret audits in the ranks of the ground level, and some to actually oversee hiring and promotions (candidates are presented to department heads on a case-by-case basis). Security maintains a massive force and accounts for a good 1/5 of the company’s spending. It includes everything from strike teams to the sub-Department for Mercenary Relations.
Sub-Department Sub-departments very rarely get in the spotlight and are often even more independently functioning than the departments they are part of. The most well known is the Department of Mercenary Relations.
Ground Level Supervisors make up the top ranks of the ground level workers, who consist of everyone from security guards to cheap labor - with massive pay and security clearance gaps. While the Department of Security actually provides a good fielding ground for advancement, it is possible hard workers of the production level may never see an improvement in quality of life. Which they know all too well...
Embassy These are small offices consisting of a few security guards and someone trusted from the External Relations department. They are afforded a decent pay grade... and are the front lines for anyone that wants to pick a bone with TSDC. It’s sometimes a dangerous job, and so it can often be seen as “being sent to the Eastern Front” so to speak.
Assets Locations TSDC has its primary holdings on Mars; a number of locations critical to the corporation's survival, each in the general access sphere of the other and very heavily guarded.
Headquarters Following the destruction of the late Talon Industries headquarters, the branch headquarters on Mars became the primary center of operations, with most of Talon's surviving key assets being placed there. It is the location of the CEO and most high-ranking staff (apparently they didn't learn much in this regard from the past). It was remodeled when Argus became CEO and turned the headquarters into a futuristic fortress while putting an almost overkill amount of defenses on it that makes ground assaults from anything short of combined corporate arms or a strong government-backed army impractical.
Production Site A The majority of development and production happens here. It is almost historical, being a site that has been in place for hundreds of years and remodeled five times. An expensive business venture indeed...
The site covers about a full acre, with a vast empty space surrounding it. Inside is a nuclear fusion reactor, a massive and heavily fortified production site, a large old-style Biodome structure (one of the few things that hasn't changed much since the site was first colonized), and most of the remaining space being warehouses above and a little ways below ground, along with various buildings in between. It is surrounded by a fortified perimeter of three levels of barbed wire fencing and checkpoints at various places along the way. It employs a massive security force... but in a focused assault on one section, most of it is static and won't end up being used, and it takes a while for unprepared security forces to go from one end of the place to the other.
The creation of the site was a key factor in Talon Industries falling in the first place, and remains a mixed blessing to TSDC. While it cranks out several tons of ready equipment a day, it leaves the company itself rather lacking in funds to simply throw around. The result is quality of life at the lower levels being rather like working in a small-scale factory. While it's a step up from 19th century factories, it isn't that big of a step. Even the corporate executives feel the strain in luxury items as a result of this site.
Production Site B Almost the same as site A, but smaller, funded much less (almost affordable), and a third the production. Nonetheless, it still cranks out a massive portion of the company's assets.
Auxiliary Warehouses Located in the middle of the triangle formed by the above three locations, slanted a little to the side, is a massive field of warehouses protected by mostly static defenses and a security minefield around the perimeter. It is from there most of the contents of the corporate stock are distributed, and additionally the location of various active branches of TSDC security. Directly to the left is a massive testing field, well secure in the perimeter and the site of advanced weapons testing.
Embassies TSDC has a newer office on Earth, old offices on Venus and Earth's moon, and has a site claimed on Jupiter; although construction has yet to begin due to a shortage of funds (not the official reason, of course).
Loading Data... <insert maps here>
Troops and Stock This information will be presented and updated in the Dynamic Information hider on top for simplicity, but here's the gist.
TSDC has massive amounts of military equipment and enough firepower to arm several massive corporations to the teeth; that said, it lacks the manpower to put it all into effect - a small fraction can be used at any given time, and is used in designated units. The rest is put in warehouses.
Most of the security assets of the corporation are static - turrets, mines, the like. Regular guards are skilled and pretty vast in number, but don't match up to fully trained soldiers and tend to be spread out across the sites.
More information will be put in the dynamic info hider. It is separate so I don't need to modify this lower part of the NS and put active information all in one place.
Jupiter Referendum Signatory?: Yes Mission/Orthodoxy/Principles: What does your faction or faction Leadership believe in? List goals or primary missions/objectives. Just to give an idea where your headed with your faction. You can change this as you go along, just keep a log if you wish. Additional Information -TSDC is known for being a politically charged atmosphere of competition and backstabbing at the top, and being a crappy place at the bottom. It specializes in cheap colonial labor and bringing in folks for mass production on the main lines of getting equipment out in places where automated labor simply isn’t effective enough. However, it is better for supervisors, live operators/testers and anyone in the security divisions. However, the above has caused TSDC to gain a very negative view in the eyes of the common folk, and make it an iconic dirtbag organization, often one of the first scapegoats even though it doesn’t actually do much outside of arms dealing. -Lasers/shielding are the weak spots of TSDC. It’s a little ways in the past when it comes to the top tiers of technology. It makes what works and sticks with it... and it does produce some very nice new items, and has good systems in place. However, the newest of the new - AI developments, effective laser weaponry, the like - are not things this company specializes in. -The infrastructure is rather like having Windows XP being the main OS used in a company today, and the oldest terminals are like running Windows 95. So things are dated, constantly hotfixed by a round-the-clock tech team and not the most secure around. -As an extension of the above - it uses the T63 Transmission Standard, which is about 300 years old. It works and just about everything supports it, but it’s old and some folks get tired of video transmissions that, to compare with today’s logic, look kind of like year 2000 video games. -TSDC is known to be aggressive and throw its weight behind things once in a while. Such things typically succeed... -Buying something from them and not being trusted, a corporation or a multi-millionare is hard. However, if you want to get their stuff, you might have a chance contacting External Relations Department Head Howard Oleman directly; he is known to be more lenient than others at the top of the command tree when it comes to selling to outsiders. -Changes will happen to the leadership over the roleplay, with two integral characters being old. It may be worthwhile to see that fact and buddy up with the likely candidates; although choose wisely - choosing the wrong contender might cost the backing of TSDC in the future.
Talon Industries, the predecessor of TSDC, was for some 200 years the undisputed leading producer of military weapons, and came up with various standards that TSDC has claim to today; they include various advancements of ammo usage for rapid fire, production of iconic vehicles and weaponry units, developing a modular system along with other leading corporations, and more things along those lines. However, some 35years ago, Talon Industries collapsed due to political infighting and debt. The command structure had spent far too much and operated too many facilities, in addition to a standard of weak leaders at the top with far too many powerful figures leading various branches. The result was the destruction of the main company headquarters on Earth and the rest of the branches erupting in a small civil war over assets. TSDC managed to gain the largest portions of the corporate empire, but even today it still lacks the power of its predecessor.
TSDC itself was founded on Mars as one of the most profitable holdings of Talon Industries. The majority of production indeed ultimately came from Mars. The division leader Charles Fafnir lead the Martian assets and in his lifetime became more powerful than the executives themselves. Nobody really knows if he was behind the collapse, but some folks do have ideas.
When the corporation did fall apart, he participated in a brutal game to control assets on Earth, Mars, Venus and the new openings in Jupiter. He ultimately gained control of the majority, though he was unable to eliminate all the splits; the wise ones aligned themselves with other corporations and in effect became untouchable. These events allowed for a great deal to be exposed in the Talon development structure and lead to the integrity of their previous proprietary systems being compromised.
Still, he was able to pull enough together to reclaim a position in advanced corporate politics. However, neither he nor his successor Argus Melengyavik have yet been able to claim a top position in the corporate pyramid.
It certainly wasn't from a lack of trying, and Argus has pulled his corporation into a very strong position. It is well respected in the arms industry and by most other corporations. But it is going to take fresh blood to put it over the edge... which may need to come through more aggressive means, considering Argus is old, stubborn and has no intent to step down.
But then again, the fellow has life in him yet. If he's managed to survive the schemes of his underlings this long...
Other Talon Industries Split-offs
Talon Industries split off in various locations on Venus, Earth and Earth's moon - the primary planets of production outside of Mars. Attempts at reuniting the assets were somewhat successful; but a good number of locations on the planets took the protection of other corporations in the meantime. The result was a leak of TSDC intelligence and an almost catastrophic result for the Martian Talon branch in keeping items proprietary; although it has managed to keep itself afloat and has indeed built a reputation as the one true successor company of the legacy, others still half-heartily go for the title and in some cases have tried to shove TSDC out of the business; however, due to the most important projects and network information being on Mars and having been destroyed in part on Earth, they haven't been able to reproduce what TSDC has built up. Some labs owned by the former Talon may still be in operation under other companies today, much to the ire of TSDC [Feel free to integrate this into your own writings if you like].
Appearances are somewhat abstract so you can imagine the characters for yourself. And because I am a bit lazy with descriptions. ^And yes, I took liberties by at some points slapping a little extra info into Appearance that I felt too lazy to did not require another section just for it.
Due to the fact I use multiple characters and that they are not completely central and are ultimately expendable, and serve to be the eyes through which I conduct RP, (nothing to do with being lazy), char bio's are short and in line with other sections.
Name: Argus Melengyavik Affiliation: TSDC Position: CEO Appearance: Short, bald, and a good layer of muscle. Some of his artificial enhancements are visible through his skin, but not too much. He has a very grim and what many consider to be an intimidating face. He's not overly short, but he is a head shorter than most of his collegues. Notoriety: Second leader of TSDC, and well known for helping make the name "Talon" known to pretty much every corporation around. His nature is reputedly cold and heartless - and in practice he's not that much better. Also known for being shorter than most of his collegues and being bald, leading to some... pretty creative jokes about him. He's probably the most artificially augumented human around; most of his limbs are replacements and his heart is an electrical system. Background: Argus was 55 when Talon Industries fell apart.
Prior to that point, he was second in command to Charles Fafnir; a strong corporate mind who had more powerful than executives on Earth. It is suspected Argus worked with him to secure the fall of the corporate overlord and secure independence as a martian corporation, while gaining Talon's former assets in the process. Such rumors have not been proven... yet.
Argus was recruited at the tender age of 21 as a fill-in supervisor and managed to battle his way in a politically charged atmosphere to the side of Charles, who had the same history more or less, but with 20 years seniority and more time at the top. Charles trained Argus in the ways of top society corporations and after Charles died, was the obvious succeeding candidate.
Argus has since then built up a powerful corporation and reputation, but has always been stuck in "the old ways". He's old and many have waited for him to drop dead at some point. However, there is no clear successor - and nobody at TSDC has proven worthy of continuing the legacy. Goals: Advance corporate interests as far as possible. He's pretty much content, for now, to maintain things as they are; he'd like to get his hands in as much as he can. Other: He's very blunt and is typically considered honest when it comes to corporate entities - although that doesn't do much to help his reputation with the lower classes, who know well of his disregard for them. He's very old (unless you live in a world where 90 is young), and still lives only from a combination of surgery and a backbone of steel. Folks have been waiting for him to die for years, and he still stays alive. The primary disadvantage of this is that he isn't very receptive to revolutionary technology such as practical shielding or laser weapons. He also doesn't see a need to fix what isn't broken, such as CorpNet that was initially created in the early days of Talon Industries.
Name: Logan Ferris Affiliation: TSDC Position: Projects Development Coordinator Appearance: Tall, thin, an iconic businessman with a bit of a smirk and an almost inviting face. Anyone who knows him sees a cold gleam in his eyes that tell them exactly what he thinks of them, more distinctly if the thoughts are negative. He's one of my only folks here that actually looks young. Notoriety: Logan's probably the second most well known figure at the company and is best known for pioneering the development of several well known technologies at TSDC, including the Bulldog II and GSS advancements. He's sometimes more ruthless than Argus, and is in a position to make anyone he doesn't like have a difficult time. He's known to be quite friendly with Argus, although inside the company he actually has a somewhat precarious position. He's known for being on the more subtle side of things, not as willing to throw weight around unnecessarily as some of his collegues. Background: Logan was recruited as part of Ragnok Karondale straight from the Planetary Institute of Elysium, and immediately began climbing the ladder. His strategy was developing noteworthy enhancements while disposing of corporate opponents. He grew close to Argus and is said to have taken some role in Karondale's "accident". Not proven, of course. However, he's drifted recently as Argus gets more stubborn and a little paranoid. Goals: He's of the opinion that the corporation has advanced pretty well as it is, and intends to pretty much iron out the rough edges and maximize any spare profit for his other projects/hobbies. Also ultimately looking at becoming the next CEO and taking out Oleman, who stands in his way of getting into the full confidence of Argus. Other: He's a prime candidate for future CEO and generally well regarded in the corporate community. He was one of the first in the Karondale Inititive; a project initiated by former corporate VP Ragnok Karondale, who went on a spree of hiring the best candidates of Martian and some of Earth's primere corporate universities. He is from the Planetary Institute of Elysium, a very highly regarded university in all colonized human space for producing corporate minds.
Name: Howard Oleman Affiliation: TSDC Position: External Relations Lead Appearance: Relatively tall, somewhat boney, sunken eyes, slight stoop, has a distinct cane he uses. Walks slowly as well. Notoriety: A former politician on Earth turned corporate executive, dispite being a corporate executive - he's known to be the only one with at least something resembling a heart and is the first pick for anyone who wants to get "in" to talk to that usually wouldn't stand a chance. He initially had a poor reputation, but in more recent years is known to be quite honest as far as corporate folks go - more so than Argus. Folks that hate the company usually have at least some degree of grudging respect for him. Considered the one true friend of Argus (which is a strange combination... making it all the more noted) Background: Oleman's been around forever and was in charge of External Relations since the age of 45 after flopping in politics for a turmulous 7 year career; he got in only from having the estate of a billionare (in his youth). His greatest success was befriending Charles and Argus and for a short time becoming a third in their little loop. Not to say he had anything to do with Talon Industries falling, of course.
His career has been somwhat successful, although early on he got a bad reputation from politics and tanked in the public view after the whole Talon Industries bit, after which it became known the new leadership wasn't much nicer. He's worked in the background and "acquired" MAN; his true personal success. He's gotten a bizarre reputation for being more "open" to external groups trading with TSDC, although his morals are still in question. Minor acts in the past 20 years have improved his image though, and he's generally more liked than the other executives even by those that flat out hate TSDC. Goals: He's not really ambitious, but he wouldn't mind taking out Logan before he comes down to age. The two don't get along much... at all. Other: He's older than Argus at a whooping 118. He's the oldest company employee on record by over 20 years, but for nearly the opposite reason as Argus - his physical constitution in its day was extremely strong. That said, he walks with a cane (he has rejected most artificial enhancements) and does have a few mental problems that come with age. He's pretty sharp, but not as much as Argus, and he isn't going to last long. Not popular with the new-comers in the company (as he sees them) and is only still around because he knew Argus since literally 70 years ago.
Name: John Blackstaff Affiliation: TSDC Position: Dept. of Security Senior Officer Appearance: A little taller than Argus, very skinny, serious looking, on business downright unsettling in a way nobody can really point out. Middle aged looking, athough he has a feel of being older than he looks. Notoriety: Although there are plenty of folks in higher positions than him, he's known for the one to do the "taking care of it" in pretty much anything that needs to happen behind the scenes, a duty for which he has largely free reign. He's rather extreme when it comes to corporate opinions, and if he advances, he is almost certain to be a "doer" as compared to a talker. Background: Blackstaff was a security officer that helped the First Harasser Squad become known for ruthless efficiency in dealing with brigands and raiders. His actions have been both effective and criticized. Of the characters here, he has the most legends and rumors. It's a wonder he hasn't been destroyed by controversy yet.
He picked up a senior officer position 10 years ago and now works on the more clandestine side of TSDC, though folks still insist he gets his hands dirty once in a while. Little more about him outside of these minor details is known. Goals: Looking for advancement and running up the ranks, which he is doing fairly well so far. If his plans come together he'll get on the corporation's main council and possibly get in the running for the next CEO, after which he has an agressive set of plans in mind for expansion. Other: Blackstaff is an interesting figure to watch for his ability to get his fingers in many places that even some of the Board can't reach, and his connections to the lower class of employees as well as higher. He's not as old as the most senior company members, but he has been there a while, and he has the connections to move up if need be.
Minor Characters are generally pretty high in position, and possibly have the ability to become more influential characters as things happen over the roleplay. That said, for now, they are very unlikely to have a central role and don't warrant much more than a description. Keep an eye out for some, though.
None relevant at this time. They will be added as the RP commences.
MAN - A news organization based on Mars that covers corporate news almost exclusively, which has as of late expanded to include multiple planets. It's fairly well regarded in the corporate community and is generally free of censorship. Of course, that doesn't include the censorship that comes from it being managed and paid for by TSDC...
More in mind in the future - will be added as necessary.
If you don't get something in the CS, ask and it will be responded to on the spot and probably put in here.
Ragnok Karondale was a senior VP of the corporation for many years and most notably put together the Jump Corps and hired tons of new workers that are in various positions in the corporation today, from the ground level to being a Board member. He eventually was killed in an "accident" with a dropship that involved a suspicious amount of explosive content. The motives for killing him were not strong enough to pin blame on anyone specifically, and the mystery was never solved.
Charles Fafnir was the first CEO of TSDC and did most of the things that make it notable today, including rebuilding what was left of Talon Industries into TSDC. Argus did plenty of things in his prime, many alongside Charles, and the two have always been seen as the "fathers of TSDC". However, he will always be known in history for being the lesser of the two. Anyone who's old enough (40+ years in the corporate environment) remembers the days of the enigmatic Charles Fafnir and would typically agree he was the stronger man and CEO.
Some more OOC bits
-CorpNet is old. It's had enough hotfixes and tech-team added updates to at least work on newer hardware and blend in fairly well, but it's lacking in any graphic appeal. Not necessarily a problem considering all it is designed to do is present information and manage trade, although some would still complain. -Don't be too put off by the corporate aim of the company. Although getting on the wrong side of an executive is a bad idea, getting on the right side of one can open up some quite productive trade. -The corporation is steadily becoming more aggressive and will ultimately, depending on the next company successor, attempt to throw its weight around. Successfully or not remains to be seen, but the point is - life may be easier by befriending the "up and coming" executives of a younger age. Although it's possible that the winds of change may blow them away altogether... so caution is advised.
Name: James Conrad Affiliation: TSDC Appearance: James is an average white male standing at 5'9". His blonde hair is short and neatly done and is usually clean shaven with his eyes being light blue he wears a nice black suit though always dressing for the appropriate occasions. Notoriety: Unlikely most others of the executive staff James is rather unknown to the public but within the company James has helpped greatly advance Talon's holdings and upgrading older tech. Some may think it's him others believe he has a way to motivate people. Background: James was recruited as part of the former VP's new hires being one of it's first hires he became friends along the way with Logan Ferris. He had jumped up the corporate ladder though has been at a state of limbo being as high as possible with Argus still alive. Current Location/Mission/Objective: To become the CEO of TSDC and reinvent it. Other:VP of External Affairs very powerful within the company. He may have had something to do with the Former VP's death.
