BARD PAPER: OPAL3054 | Home | Traveller | BARD | OPAL |
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Data altered from Traveller Navigator 3.1 based on house rules IMTU for worlds with no gas giants (reduce TL loss by one factor/1 die).
Czerniakfell into the Outlands after the Vaward withdrawal of 1124 in the subsector, though her tech loss was minimal, as was her starport. She was considered a vital link to what was envisioned in the postwar Hard Times era as a J-4 link to Galines by both Margaret's economic Megacorp Advisors & those of Transstar from the Solomani Confederation. A passing Solomani fleet in 1120, damaged her A-class orbital starport and those downside facilities remaining in system maintained her at B-class status throughout the Hard Times (1124-1130).
Czerniak's Precollapse B-class Starport survived virus, as did its Scout base, thanks to timely warning from Thanatos. Czerniaktoo benefits from the J-4 route triangle between Thanatos-Galines & themselves. In the New Era, a Mystic Autocracy governs Czerniak's 19 billion citizens, the formerly underground Psionic institute does much like RENJ's Minotaurs do in Sitah subsector, save their control is invisible as well, due to the fact that they had successfully infiltrated the Charismatic Oligarchic Govt during the "Hard Times", and swiftly rose "behind the scenes" during the panic of Virus, with their own advisors to the Oligarchy.
Czerniak entered into the DAG after much debate in 1154, but are an "equal controlling member" of Technology in the chain of commerce. They too are balkanized along corporate lines, but with greater diversification (without the huge Collapse mergers Galines experienced.). The 1132-38 mega-mergers of this multi-world cartel system of govt that each shares was part of the plan, only here on Czerniak, the Psions control things thru the "Masked Consulate", to ensure that "no one Megacorp gets better treatment over another's interests". The origins of The Masked Consulate date back to "the panic of 1131-32" when they appeared before the stricken worlds leaders and offered them advice on how to proceed, without a loss of control of the planet into anarchy. Simply divest the day-to-day concerns of government to them, and avoid the screaming chaos that was looming larger and larger. With rioting and tough Police actions daily, eroding public support in their current F-Tech regime mounting, they seized the hope offered to them. Declaring that the separate F-Tech party system was inept at handling the crises, The Masked forced from actual political power the oligarchs by popular vote in 1133, and candidates (Psions, all of them of course) of their choosing were emplaced to run against them. As might be understood, they won easily.
Eventually, things subsided as a series of programs enforcing conformity, law, and order, and the last of the AI-Suicider strains was extinguished (by the Anti-Virus Arcana: Computer Techs of the Institute) The influence of hope and leadership mentally conveyed to these men & women were all part of their planned takeover. Now to steer the masses into the future remained the "Undiscovered" country.
As promised to the former rulers & people of the system, law and order and the status quo were restored, and they were allowed to retire in style, without stigma or ostracism. TL-B was maintained & sustained by 1137. The new corporate heads of "governing Megacorp remnants" were charged with keeping things running, folks kept employed, and the Masked would steer them clear of social upheavals, using psycho-social psychology techniques with the media, and subliminal advertising, as well as educational efforts through the school system. The infiltration of the Public domain by the Institute was both thorough and methodical, having anticipated such a crises in mid 1124.
Restoration of law and order, and luxury (The LOL principle, as they later called it) became bywords of the new Masked Consulate. The Masked get their name for wearing hooded masks & robes, so know one may blame anyone, reduce factionalism, and this faceless group maintains its secrecy. Attempts at discovering their identities save for when they pass on, (whereupon they are "revealed") by TKHL's Vermene from Galines have ended in abject failure, save that they know they are not biological robots or cyborgs, and are human. The selection process is a secret known only to the Masked ones themselves.
The Psionic conquest of the planet is maintained thru the balkanized F-Techs, as Czerniakmoves towards its former TL-C by friendly "spirited" competition, manipulated from behind the scenes as before. Dissent is handled in the most unusual manner: "Don't like it here? Bored with the same old same old? Then immigrate to the colonies!" Unlike other Post Collapse Institutes that seized power, the Czerniak group had a plan for peaceful integration and control. They also realized some people would not continue in the stagnant realm of the status quo, and their foresight in this matter was reflected first by the challenge to their regime by members of the former ruling system. Many of the former government's die-hard supporters were "encouraged" to just that, and were sent successfully in 1152-56, to found the boneyard-recovery world of Rebields. Followers of another form of governmental line of thought, that of a Civil Service Bureaucracy, were like wise encouraged to "immigrate" to the balkanized Agrarian world of Walager in the 1160's. These ambitious "settler-reformers" aided the opening of the planet to outside trade and were in turn supported in bootstrapping her back to present day TL-5, achieving the aim of gaining most-favored trading status over Galines (another Psionic Social manipulation) & her "hard-sell" Co-option Trade /prosperity diplomacy. As of 1200, the planet Walager's UWP is (D-9746AA-5, Ag Ni D: 2, B504 Cs/Jayna/1318). Another series of manipulations (Psionic and covert physical agents) keeps the seven nations there disunited, to keep the "CSB reformers" there until," the mission has been completed".
The advent of the rise of the Soleean Star Empire, (1190-1202) with its bigoted Solomani roots, in "Space for Humans only" was thankfully devoid of anti-Psionic bias, in part due to the efforts of the Masked amongst the powerful remnant Corporations of Czerniak. Solee's acquisition of warships for Trading vessels for the DAG worlds was another manipulation geared to favor Galines and Czerniak. Both benefited from the conquest of Depot/Ultraneta system in 1200 by elements of the Soleean Navy, from technology that allowed all three systems to upgrade to A-class starports. The Masked are not interested in conquest by open warfare, preferring annexation and Trade policies that steer a world into seeing the advantageousness of dealing with them, which has slowly influenced Soleean diplomacy the past few years, instead of the divide & conquer routine with worlds of balkanized TEDs as was their usual wont (The Invasions of Marcena & Hindahl are notable examples of this kind of effort), to tend to stick to world government led TED's, Dictators, etc, and making them "military governor's" of Solee's Empress.
How the relationship with the Droyne world Sveinel (grid: 1114) (D-4547BG-5 Ag D:0 B421 Wilds/Jayna) plays out however, remains to be seen, as they were recontacted by the DAG worlds in 1188 as a Supplier of their Agrarian world products, prior to Depot/Ultraneta being reclaimed. The Soleeans find their anti-alien propaganda at odds with the Masked Consulate's diplomacy here. The Masked keep an embassy there, and have exchanged Psionic techniques.
| Orbit | Satellite | Name | UWP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary | Zhukov | K2 V | |
| 0 | Voronezh | Y-110000-0 | |
| 1 | Rdansk | Y-220000-0 | |
| 2 | Czerniak | A-989A99-B | |
| 1 | Vlasov | B-S6076B-B | |
| 2 | Lvov | C-S4051B-B | |
| 3 | Tchekov | B-595716-B | |
| 1 | Tsarina | C-17066B-B | |
| 2 | Tsar | C-S4066B-B | |
| 4 | Zhunechek | B-642716-B | |
| 1 | Yeltsin | B-S40396-B | |
| 2 | Lenin | Y-S10000-0 | |
| 3 | Stalin | Y-S00000-0 |
As can be seen, not a world Solee could take by force, and the Masked Consul intends to keep it that way! Czerniakcontinues to chart its own course where future Soleean politics are involved, but will only defend itself, and that; it will do vigorously if pressed. The Coalition will be hard pressed to penetrate her as well. Like RENJ, in Sitah subsector, Czerniakis best courted gently, or not at all.
The xenophobia refers to The Galinian Megacorp Totalitarian Oligarchy & Soleean "Imperials" attempting to influence them. The Masked tend to take the long view, like China of old Terra and absorb "invaders/invading ideas. Corruption is not non-existent, but there are high penalties for it, as monitored by the Masked. By accepting the mergers of Galines, they took control of the situation with a larger population base, and with more shareholders, they had more control, though that tends to be in their system & client states only, it is enough for the Masked, to preserve their own prosperity & peace. Their friendly relations with the Droyne in the Coreward edges of the subsector is steadily placing them at odds with the State run, bigoted media-propaganda machine of Solee. They also tend to get better relations with Thanatos, & Walager over Galines, by dealing fairly & squarely with those who helped warn them of Virus' approach. Another major difference in their approaches, is to make their recovery worlds from colonies of dissatisfied citizenry, then tying them economically to the mother world by interstellar traffic, whereas Galines makes them a corporate run project, and Solee, as gulags/slave labor for defeated foes. Unfortunately, Czerniak's steering of trade, technology, & diplomacy has only worked to steer Solee & Galines into conquest of the Shenk subsector for newer markets they can dominate-headlong into conflict with the Reformation Coalition & their Hiver Federation allies.
Technological Items of note: (My apologies to Mr. Peter Gray) Under the tutelage& advice of the Psionic Institute's Computer Arcana Virus-busters, the computer industry on Czerniakhas diverged away from silicon & carbon based algorithm systems into quantum computers & nanotechnology with bioorganic micro processors (widely available at TL-A)back in the 1140's. With these and the steady increase in the use & development of smart materials. While being several years away from widespread commercial & military use (TL-D),They are currently practical in size & expense(see below world Tech UPP) the quantum computers are fast replacing the older Imperial "solid state" & virus prone systems in the Czerniaksystem(TL-C), and being sold off world to Galines & Solee.
A combined use of these three technologies allowed the safe restoration of the main arcology's power plant & life support on the Rebields recovery colony. Similar projects are "in the pipe" for future recovery worlds in the "empire". Likewise, the use of nanobots in the medical field, puts her ahead of the other former DAG/SSE worlds, and a leader in the trade & manufacturing thereof, with their own SuSAG, LIC branch here. Czerniak now boasts two large orbital A-class starports& shipyards, as well as eight "dirtside"( of which only two of these are on dry land, the rest being submersible). The system Navy maintains its own orbital docking/repair facilities at both Lagrange points over the planet. Amongst its newer line of starships produced since upgrading in 1202(merchantmen, of course!), is the drop-ship-freighter. The jump drive is a detachable 150dton USL hulled shuttle(J-3 unloaded/J-2 with loaded freighter), and the freighter, a 3kton SL Cylindrical hull (Stressed to 2G's/ capable of 1G acceleration & outfitted with CG lifters.). Built in threes, it cuts down on the time a ship is downside with cargoes. TKHL, LIC is looking at purchasing several dozens of these, to replace their relic 3kton Tukera Liners, or to shunt them into passenger service only altogether.