NR / Atlanta

Atlantaa lukiessa ja pohtiessa kannattaa huomioida, että siinä missä tekstissä mainitaan kansalaisten kantavan huonommilla alueilla asetta tai paria siltä varalta, että Lone Starilla kestää on Seattlessa alueita, jonne Lone Start ei tule ilman rynnäkköajoneuvoja.

Atlanta

The Capital

During the Atlanta Secession Convention in 2032, there were three suggestions for where to put the capital of the CAS. Richmond had the advantage of being the capital of the old CSA but had the disadvantage of being the capital of the old CSA. The candidacy of Dallas/Austin/ Houston was seen as a push by Texas to dominate the new government, while Atlanta was seen as the best combination of historical signifi- cance, the capacity to absorb a national government and accompanying bureaucracy, and a non-threatening location. City and state leaders were pleased at the decision and gleefully anticipated the tax dollars that would fill their coffers to be used for their pet projects, including those that might take place off the books.

Things, however, don’t always work out the way they are planned. Inadvertently emulating DeeCee, Atlanta has grown but has been unable to keep up with the changes. With half of the city under only limited control of law enforcement in the early ‘60s, Crash 2.0 wiped out almost all of the “limited” part of that equation. Hit harder than most by the Crash, Atlanta is still reeling. The corps, the governments, and the rich have kept their enclaves well-preserved and safe, but the rest of the sprawl is shady at best, leaving average citizens to keep a gun or two loaded and ready in case Lone Star doesn’t show up in time. The unemployed masses squatting in the burnt-out husks of old buildings often slip the local gang leader a little something to stay safe.

Of course, these locales are all veritable paradises compared to the Dome. First it was Fulton County Stadium, then it was a Georgia Tech research facility roofed with a photosynthetic membrane, then it was abandoned to squatters after corp sabotage shut down the research that had been occurring. Never worth the money to clean it up even when times were good, the Dome had settled into a disreputable existence. In addition to the brawls between the insiders and outsiders, the isolation of the bug spirits, and corporations throwing in experimental tech for testing at the expense of the inhabitants, the gargoyles living at the top have begun to get more aggressive, ratcheting up tensions throughout. In addition, serious concerns about the lifespan of the building are beginning to pop up in local politics. While no one really believes the politicians care about the residents there, officials still publicly pay lip service to the well-being of the Dome’s inhabitants, while privately indicating they are quite willing to let the structure, and everyone in it, rot.

Most recently the politics in the city have pointed toward the pending renegotiation of the Treaty of Denver. While not affecting Atlanta directly, anything that could benefit the CAS and hopefully alleviate border tensions would be a small blessing to the city. It also received a small gift when an employee at the Aztechnology subsidiary Southern Food Group was caught selling BTLs out of their offices. The government was able to void the 99-year lease they had signed in 2067, so now they city has a brand new building to fill with tenants at rock bottom prices.

Order and Chaos

The capital of both the CAS and the state of Georgia is a study in contrasts. On one hand, it’s the seat of power for one of the more powerful industrialized nations on the North American continent. On the other hand, it’s also a sprawl besieged by ram- pant street crime. This Jekyll-and-Hyde split personality between order and chaos manifests in the layout as well, with the north and east showing the splendor of a nation’s capital, while the south and west teeters on the brink of chaos.

The state capital resides in the heart of downtown Atlanta, just slightly north of the juncture of interstates 75, 85 and 20. The national capital, as well as most Confederation bureau offices, resides in the eastern half of the sprawl near Stone Mountain. The presidential mansion, the Manor House, sits atop the moun- tain itself, giving it a commanding view of the sprawl.

As expected from any national capitol, political intrigue and espionage are rife in Atlanta’s shadows. There are two other unusual political players (aside from the UCAS, other nations and megacorps): the Georgia state government and the Atlanta city council! Lots of petty bickering occurs between all three levels, and politicos from all sides use the shadows, if for nothing else than to stick it to the other guys.

--Icepick

Scan that. What makes it worse is that while the Coalition holds onto power at the national level, the Southern Democrats con- trol the State Assembly, while the Conservatives hold City Hall and the Governor’s Mansion. The gubernatorial election is taking place this year, and state legislature assemblies take place every two years, so the political intrigue has become particularly cut- throat. The incumbent governor, Conservative Roger Barnaby, leads in the polls right now, but he’s facing a tough challenge from Southern Democrat Rob Showalter and Reformed Democ- rat Roosevelt Wirth.

Atlanta Spy

Georgia Tech

The Georgia Institute of Technology is one of the leading sci- ence, engineering and thaumaturgical universities in North America. Though trailing MIT&T, Georgia Tech is still in the same league and conducts its share of cutting-edge research, particu- larly in the fields of chemical engineering and materials science.

Geogia Tech is a state-funded school, but most of its funding and enrollment comes from the corps. Corporate competition isn’t that fierce over students, as most of the superstars go to MIT&T or CalTech. The real interest is in research projects, and the corps often hire runners to snoop on or sabotage another corp’s project.

--Bulldog Hater

The CDC

Sitting in the northern reaches of the eastern Decatur dis- trict, the Center for Disease Control is famous the world over for its disease prevention research. Originally part of the US Depart- ment of Health and Human Services, the CDC lobbied to become an independent non-profit agency when the CAS seceded, claiming political bickering could jeopardize its research. When the Corporate Court endorsed this request, the UCAS and CAS quietly acceded.

The Corp Court endorsed CDC independence as a political maneuver to marginalize the World Health Organization, which at that time obstructed many corp biotech projects. The CDC’s first director, Jerroldine Blake, proved to be a shrewd fixer, however, who kept the CDC free of corporate influence. Ironically, now it’s the WHO that acts as the mega- corps’ rubber stamp.

--The Smiling Bandit “Striking Again! Ha! Ha! Ha!”

Since then, the CDC’s rep has continued to grow. It’s attracted a number of world-renowned experts who prefer the working environment (free of corporate ladder-climbing and government bureaucracy). The CDC continues to act as a certify- ing agency for biotech-related products, in much the same way that Underwriters Laboratories certifies household appliances and products. Denial or loss of CDC certification can doom a brand of pharmaceuticals, cyberware or bioware.

Which means that biotech corps like Cross and Yamatetsu are constantly currying favor with the CDC in the hopes of getting an edge over their competition.

--Fallen Angel

The CDC has been known to hire runners if they suspect a corp is not being entirely forthright and they want some “independent verification.” Also, the rise of cults and toxic and apocalyptic groups in the world has prompted the CDC to take more direct measures against bioterrorism threats.

--Mongoose


Page last modified on 2011-04-12 14:53