Journal Entry #6 (First Pass)
Saying we are fucked would be an understatement. I think we have been pulled into a game that goes beyond just simple corp & government politics. Thing is I can’t figure out if Temple is just a dupe in all of this or one of the masterminds. Damn, I should have seen this coming.I am not one for paranoia but after the past few hours, after what I have seen, I cannot help but slip into that mode. And really wonder what is going on here.
As we headed down to the oil rig, we were reminded that the governments are not completely powerless within our current social structure. They are involved in things that the corps have no interest in like foster care.
But they lack the teeth, power and back-bone to affect change. At the same time, the government is rife with rot. We have no idea where government stops and corps start. Most politicians are corrupt and have their own agendas.
And this should have been going through my head back in NYC. Temple with his slick words talked about ideals and getting governments together for the people. But how do they plan to get rid of the rot. I think I am seeing pieces to that answer.
It is simple to speak the following words:
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquillity, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
But how does a new United Nations wrestle power from the corps? How are they going to address the rot in governments like the USCA? How are they going to gain real power in the current world? Creating an elite strike force of 4 men? Have us be like shadow-runners going up against the corps? Just one strike force?
The past couple of hours has my fucking head spinning. There is more going on here and we are being played.
Before we headed here, we were told that, for all intents and purposes, we do not exist to the “government”. They have to tread carefully but we do have a standing order called something like the Nasty Boy Initiative. So we are sanctioned to confiscate whatever we find. But have nothing to back it up.
Thing is, we are experimental to the PTB. They are waiting to see how we do before avowing any knowledge of us. Which, at first made some sense. Our first assignment was to secure the oil rig and make it our “headquarters”. Yet there are a few things niggling at me:
- They pulled us out quickly to get us here fast. Yet Helmut had said something about starting the training in the morning,
- We are now being tested,
- We have no real support from the “government”,
- The oil rig belonged to Macrotech and they supposedly outsourced the rig to a group of mercs,
- We get here to find the main deck deserted and the main armament turrets are empty,
- A ship is moored alongside of the rig & has a hole in it. And it is sinking,
- We find dead bodies (dead for at least 24 to 48 hours),
- We find a “human” that has been “modified” and was one of the original team members from years ago,
- The mercs are not what we thought but a team from Saeder-Krupp. Saeder-Krupp!
- The lower decks were being refitted for some unknown reason but not for drilling oil. More a military command centre,
- All encryption seems to be top-end stuff. Mil-spec. Stuff I heard vague rumours of at Ares. Part of their black-ops department most likely.
- Anton did something and sensed something “beyond” us,
- The S-K group tried to seal up the level we are in to prevent the things from downstairs coming up here,
- It seems the S-K group got their asses kicked.
The first pass through makes me believe that the “government” did not send us here to setup shop. I believe we were sent to send a message to S-K and the rest of the corps.
Here is what I see. If we fail, no skin off anyone’s noses. The “government” is not connected to this. None of the other corps are either.
But what if we do succeed? Think of the message it sends. We cleaned up a mess that S-K couldn’t. And we know what Lofwyr thinks of those who fail him. I think that it was he who Anton sensed, watching the operations. So we succeed and then the “government” comes in and goes see what we can do. Look at one of our many teams.
Against a AA corp like Macrotech, our success would be ignored. Against corps like Ares and the like, gives them more credence. But think of the buzz both in the shadows and on the street if the new United Nations came in and cleaned up a mess that S-K couldn’t.
It might not command respect from Lofwyr but it would give him pause. With one mission, suddenly people and wyrms would look at the new United Nations differently. And if I am right, he is watching us right now. Analysing the situation, trying to determine what the fuck is going on.
So for people like Temple, it is a win-win situation. If we fail, they will find more to send out. If we succeed, the buzz will be something credits can’t buy. The corps might start to take them seriously.
I could be wrong. This is just the first pass. I need to take a little break. Have a cigarette. Thank God I have some in my jacket. Then try to piece together all that happened over the past couple of hours. Then do a second pass.
The one good thing is I am still alive. And I am going to fucking make sure we all (save Helmut) stay alive. If I am right, then it isn’t just the corps that have to watch out for us. Temple and his people then had better watch their collective asses. No one uses me!
