https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycytNj2g-eA&t=41s The year is 2004 and the GWOT has escalated into a second war. For some of you this really matters, and for some of you this doesn't matter nearly as much. Some of you were present under Clinton and some of you were raised up into the higher echelons of power under W Bush. You are The Machine.You are slow and you are cautious. The little bits and pieces that make you up may be people and they make believe in things, but as The Machine it's unclear what you believe. Your members exist within Congress and exist within the various Departments of the Executive Branch. Some of you even exist inside the Judicial System. And overall, plenty of you would be content to make thousands of dollars in speaking fees, and looking forward to retiring with a pension at worst and a cushy do-nothing job at Lockheed Martin or some such MIC. The second wave of tax cuts for the wealthy are generous and the interests are almost nothing. It's a great time to invest and become even richer.--There are some problems however. 1. The threat level is Orange, which means that recently there has been some very serious terrorist attacks and the intelligence apparatus is expecting more.Nowadays these kinds of attacks are one or two dissatisfied youths shooting up some kind of intellectual institution and wounding and/or killing a few dozen people. There are also plenty of Al Qaeda attacks attempted, but they don't usually go through. Last month there was an attack on some federal agents in Maine. Colorado has been under curfew for about a year now. There have been four to six attempted attacks, with three of them actually happening, but being partially reduced by undercover agents and rapid response security forces. Power and water have come down for at least 20% of the state over and over, and attacks have also been made at hospitals and water purification plants.A detonation of some sort happened inside a suburban home and took out half the structure. At least two or three unknown groups were targets or causes or investigators into that incident. Another shootout happened at a separate suburban home and then it was torched.The most clear data available to you says that there has been serious attrition of militia members, suspected terrorists, private security, and government security forces. You don't even know which incidents killed, wounded, or maimed who, and which group targeted which in each incident.This doesn't make any sense. because in the five stage pyramid of power, you are the second to highest level. You don't decide the agenda, but you have the power to decide how it's carried out.
2. The lack of data you have and the number of incidents that require some degree of government support indicates that at least one, if not three or four, factions within The State. And none of them are you... None of them are Democrat or Republican, or even Socialist.. Or at least that's you leads so far.If you had to make a guess, you would presume that these groups either are simply cliques competing for power, a state that exists in high schools, parts of Africa, and Europe during the dark ages.Or maybe these groups actually believe things, like some of your members, supposedly. >Regardless, the voters, the donors, the higher ups, and so forth want action.3. The situation is so unclear and confusing, that the governor of Illinois declares he trusts no one and he's not letting any federal agents or forces within his state. His National Guard is mobilized, but divided about who to listen to.
4. Some portion of your members are hearing rumors and even glimpse of what might be leaks or data. There are a lot of what resembles the usual conspiracy theories and other nonsense, but the fact that so much is happening and so little information is available to you, despite that you're the upper apparatus of the most powerful nation in the world...Some are using the words "Deep State". Others are pointing to Russian or Chinese spies. The level of rumors about scientific and unexplained matters is rather high, enough that some your number actually believe them.At the very least a good portion of the nation has gone crazy.
GameplayIn 24 hours and for the 24 hours afterward, there will be a vote. That vote could result in advising Congress give permission to The President, to declare Martial Law. It could trigger a civil-war at worst and it could at best result in what was some kind of "Shadow War going more public. It would also draw resources from the Middle East and the rest of the world, and make relations confusing and messy with our allies and neutral parties.The second option is to form a Secret Committee, which would be very difficult to keep from ending up having spies from these covert factions "duking it out" within the nation. A lot of the best of the best, in terms of fighting at least, are ideologs or cut throat-killers, with the latter likely to be scooped up soon by PMCs.A third option would likely involve, Focusing on preserving the economic base and the donors. You might do something else latter, but for now you're washing your hands of Colorado and Illinois.There are other possible options, including that you don't have enough information and need to work something out that is more specific, and slower.
>Intelligence and Discussion PhaseThe rest of the time not spent on the vote and counting the votes, the period leading up to them certainly... Will be spent on obtaining intelligence and discussion. Any of you are free to ask any question. In some amount of time you will be told what you currently know, or what can be found out quickly enough. If you can be completely certain about something, you will be told. If you are told it is 50/50, you will be told. 90/10, you will be told. And if you have no idea, you will be told.You also have the ability to take some kind of action that won't require serious pull from Congress or the President. >A. Improving a CapabilityYou could try and improve any of your Capabilities. This could be by removing unqualified or suspicious subordinates, increasing funding, or recruiting new talent. It could be all of the above. Let's state some of your Capabilities.Most importantly, you have Internal Affairs. This is your ability to make sure you don't have spies within... whatever this group of senators and policy wonks is supposed to be.>B. Investigating a sub-compartment of The Machine.This would be like using Internal Affairs upon one of your capabilities or some agency or group that you recruited or gained the loyalty of, or entrusted with tasks.Then you have your Intelligence Capability.>C. Investigating or Infiltrating a sub-department of the Executive Department This would be looking into the USMC, FBI, or DEA for agents or members of the various other factions.There is also Commanders and Generals, who would prevent coups or come down hard on militias or rebellious states.>D.You don't have this Capability yet.There is the Wet Work Teams or Tier Two Counter-Terrorist Teams.>E.You don't have this Capability yet.There is that wonderful "Manufactured Consent that hippies always complain about. The news reporters could cover something or not cover something, and you certainly could have them tell the truth or a convincing half-truth. >F.You don't have this Capability yet.There is some kind of sociological research system. Using it too aggressively could get you accused of being hippies or partisan Democrats, but it would allow you to think of new ideas and proposals, possibly new solutions.
Capability List>Internal AffairsLevel 3, there is a 10% chance that any given recruit could be a mole or spy. >IntelligenceLevel 2, there is a 10% chance to see the secret messages within a Department or State, and a 30% chance of seeing secret messages for a Sub Department or third of a State.It's 50/50 if you can look over one of the above, and mange to get recruits without them being moles or spies later.
Winning Conditions and StakesYou are playing against a previous set of players, and a current set of players. Another set of future players might be playing against you, based on your choices.You have 10 units of Apparatus Body Points. If this number is reduced to 5, the remaining of your number will have fled the government and said government is likely collapsing. At the very least there will be a civil-war or a coup.That means you're dead at worst, but you could be blackmailed or some flavor of powerless, middle class, and unable to ever achieve much of anything ever again.If this happens, [u]all of you lose[/u]. >Every week or other week, there will be a secret vote.In that secret vote, it will be possible for you to switch sides to one of the covert factions. If you do this, you will get a payout and there is a chance they will be strong enough to prolong your life, or even your time in power and high status. There also will be chances to take a bribe and Cash Out. >1st. Highest Score possible, VictoryBeing inside the winning side, surviving, and being high status with multiple vacation homes.>2nd Highest Score possible, Millionaire Cash Out into the US and go work for Lockheed Martin>3rd Highest Score possible, Old DogBe spared by the winning side as having not done anything to anger or get in their way. You're just some boring policy wonk or congressman who just keeps their job.>4th Highest Score, Ex PatYou cash out and go live in the Bahamas or something, maybe France. You might be like a diplomat or something. This is the safest option as the nation can completely go up in flames and technically, that would mean you "won".If you're not rich and alive, you don't get a score, you just lose.
