*Finally* got back around to fiddling with this. Comments, etc. welcome, forgive the wiki markup, etc.
====== Gernsback-2, 2014 ======
The following information is designed for those brave, foolhardy souls who want to incorporate Fenspace into a **//[[www.sjgames.com/gurps/boo...lds/|GURPS Infinite Worlds]//** campaign. This is designed as //a// reference frame, not necessarily //the// reference frame. As always, your milage may vary.
===== Current Affairs =====
With the aid of the miracle substance //handwavium//, science-fiction and fantasy fans begin colonizing the solar system.
===== Divergence Point =====
2006; "Overfan" creates/discovers handwavium and begins to distribute it along open-source backchannels.
===== Major Civilizations =====
Western (multipolar), Chinese (empire), Indic (unitary)
===== Great Powers =====
* United States of America (representative democracy, CR4)
* European Union (representative democracy, CR3)
* People's Republic of China (oligarchy, CR5)
* Russian Federation (representative "democracy," CR5)
* Republic of Japan (representative democracy, CR4)
* Republic of India (representative democracy, CR4)
* //Fenspace (representative democracy, CR1)//
* //Commonwealth of Australia (representative democracy, CR3)//
===== Worldline Data =====
* **TL:** 8 (Fen technology, TL8^)
* **Mana Level:** indeterminate((One for the record books; no other worldline has ever registered as "indeterminate mana." Paralabs blames handwavium, which frankly makes as much sense as any other explanation.))
* **Quantum:** 6
* **Infinity Class:** Z3
* **Centrum Zone:** Red
===== Outworld Operations =====
Infinity's primary mission in Gernsback-2 is the acquisition and study of handwavium. The miracle substance that keeps offworld life running has obvious properties that would make it invaluable on Homeline and to Infinity... if they only knew how it worked. Paralabs researchers first acquired a sample four years ago, but so far haven't managed to get any further than the best Gernsback-2 scientists. According to Infinty office gossip, at least one conveyor has been handwaved, but nobody knows the results of the experiment.
Most I-Cop work revolves around getting handwavium samples, along with samples of handwaved equipment, back to Paralabs. This is a relatively simple job, leaving the agents-in-place plenty of time to worry about other things, like what Centrum's up to or keeping the Secret.
Centrum, for their part, is torn between greed and fear when it comes to Gernsback-2. Like Infinity, they can see the promise inherent in handwavium and daughter technologies, but they also see a world that's perhaps even //more// screwed up than Secundus gaining access to dangerous toys with no supervision. The obvious solution - co-opting the governments and bringing them into Centrum, like on Gernsback-1 - is not quite that easy. Of all the nations in Gernsback-2, Fenspace itself is the best candidate for subversion; technocratic meritocracy is a strong draw for many fen. Unfortunately for the Uplift Service, the fen factions have enough ideological divisions that co-opting //all// or Fenspace, or even //most// of the factions would require more men and materiel than the I.S. can safely provide and maintain operations against Infinity.
As for the Secret, it's still safe... for the moment. Paralabs researchers are reasonably confident that handwavium by itself can't create parachronic technology, but rumors still filter through Fenspace that //somebody// has managed it. Both Infinity and Centrum have swept the major fen enclaves looking for parachronic emissions and come up empty, but the rumor remains strong. An incident on the Lagrange station //Stellvia// last year, when a pack of world-jumpers appeared on the station's main concourse and stayed for several days((The fact that they didn't shoot at the station inhabitants, nor were shot at implying that the jumpers weren't from Reich-5.)) suggests to both sides that the Secret may not stay that way for long, parachronics be damned.
All in all, Gernsback-2 is a very vexing place to be an I-Cop.---
Mr. Fnord
http://fnord.sandwich.net/
http://www.jihad.net/
Mr. Fnord interdimensional man of mystery
FenWiki - Your One-Stop Shop for Fenspace Information
"I. Drink. Your. NERDRAGE!"
====== Gernsback-2, 2014 ======
The following information is designed for those brave, foolhardy souls who want to incorporate Fenspace into a **//[[www.sjgames.com/gurps/boo...lds/|GURPS Infinite Worlds]//** campaign. This is designed as //a// reference frame, not necessarily //the// reference frame. As always, your milage may vary.
===== Current Affairs =====
With the aid of the miracle substance //handwavium//, science-fiction and fantasy fans begin colonizing the solar system.
===== Divergence Point =====
2006; "Overfan" creates/discovers handwavium and begins to distribute it along open-source backchannels.
===== Major Civilizations =====
Western (multipolar), Chinese (empire), Indic (unitary)
===== Great Powers =====
* United States of America (representative democracy, CR4)
* European Union (representative democracy, CR3)
* People's Republic of China (oligarchy, CR5)
* Russian Federation (representative "democracy," CR5)
* Republic of Japan (representative democracy, CR4)
* Republic of India (representative democracy, CR4)
* //Fenspace (representative democracy, CR1)//
* //Commonwealth of Australia (representative democracy, CR3)//
===== Worldline Data =====
* **TL:** 8 (Fen technology, TL8^)
* **Mana Level:** indeterminate((One for the record books; no other worldline has ever registered as "indeterminate mana." Paralabs blames handwavium, which frankly makes as much sense as any other explanation.))
* **Quantum:** 6
* **Infinity Class:** Z3
* **Centrum Zone:** Red
===== Outworld Operations =====
Infinity's primary mission in Gernsback-2 is the acquisition and study of handwavium. The miracle substance that keeps offworld life running has obvious properties that would make it invaluable on Homeline and to Infinity... if they only knew how it worked. Paralabs researchers first acquired a sample four years ago, but so far haven't managed to get any further than the best Gernsback-2 scientists. According to Infinty office gossip, at least one conveyor has been handwaved, but nobody knows the results of the experiment.
Most I-Cop work revolves around getting handwavium samples, along with samples of handwaved equipment, back to Paralabs. This is a relatively simple job, leaving the agents-in-place plenty of time to worry about other things, like what Centrum's up to or keeping the Secret.
Centrum, for their part, is torn between greed and fear when it comes to Gernsback-2. Like Infinity, they can see the promise inherent in handwavium and daughter technologies, but they also see a world that's perhaps even //more// screwed up than Secundus gaining access to dangerous toys with no supervision. The obvious solution - co-opting the governments and bringing them into Centrum, like on Gernsback-1 - is not quite that easy. Of all the nations in Gernsback-2, Fenspace itself is the best candidate for subversion; technocratic meritocracy is a strong draw for many fen. Unfortunately for the Uplift Service, the fen factions have enough ideological divisions that co-opting //all// or Fenspace, or even //most// of the factions would require more men and materiel than the I.S. can safely provide and maintain operations against Infinity.
As for the Secret, it's still safe... for the moment. Paralabs researchers are reasonably confident that handwavium by itself can't create parachronic technology, but rumors still filter through Fenspace that //somebody// has managed it. Both Infinity and Centrum have swept the major fen enclaves looking for parachronic emissions and come up empty, but the rumor remains strong. An incident on the Lagrange station //Stellvia// last year, when a pack of world-jumpers appeared on the station's main concourse and stayed for several days((The fact that they didn't shoot at the station inhabitants, nor were shot at implying that the jumpers weren't from Reich-5.)) suggests to both sides that the Secret may not stay that way for long, parachronics be damned.
All in all, Gernsback-2 is a very vexing place to be an I-Cop.---
Mr. Fnord
http://fnord.sandwich.net/
http://www.jihad.net/
Mr. Fnord interdimensional man of mystery
FenWiki - Your One-Stop Shop for Fenspace Information
"I. Drink. Your. NERDRAGE!"