Fallen Earth: Newsletter #11

Dear Friends of Fallen Earth™,

Continuing our series of newsletters detailing the factions of Fallen Earth from the points of view of the different groups, here is the Grand Canyon Province through the eyes of the Techs.

I figured you locals would show up eventually. A little smoke and engine noise does wonders for getting attention, not to mention having a settlement that stays lit after the sun sets. Oh no, it's not magic. It's electricity, and that's just part of what I have to show you. Marcus, pull off the tarp.

So maybe you've seen one of these before. But have you ever seen one moving? I'm not talking about yanking the front wheels off and lashing it to a goat or prairie chicken or whatever the hell you people ride on out in the desert. Look closely: four wheels, no goat. Yes everyone, this is a car. With an engine that's functional (that means it works). Once we get the radiator fixed and rebuild the transmission, this will be the only operational car in the entire Province. Unlike you all, I don't have time to wait for a team of packgoats to pull me to important meetings. And I don't have time for an eloquent opening speech detailing my name, childhood origins, and why you ought to listen to me. Dickens I ain't.

Now, if you are put off by my bluntness and frankness of expression, I am sorry. Sorry you're going to let your feelings impede your ability to listen to reason. The way I see it, trying to butter you up with compliments and clever turns of phrase might make you feel special, but I'm more interested in whether or not you are special. Special in a way that's useful to somebody other than your mom. See that building behind me? That's an armor-crafting facility, one of the largest and best-equipped armor-crafting facilities in the Province. If I put you in there with a blowtorch and a pile of empty soup cans, could you make a bullet-proof face mask? I know I could.

Like the other Techs, I'm a pragmatist. That's a fancy way of saying I like things that work, things that make sense, and people that aren't idiots. This last point is important, because there are a lot of idiots out there. And idiots like to talk. If you're nodding with me, that's a good sign that you're not one of them. Even so, I bet you've heard their talk. Talk about how Techs mistreat and abuse mutants, how Techs keep technology from people in need, and how Techs have an obsession with destroying the environment. Before I address these accusations, let's consider their sources for a bit.

The CHOTA. Yeah, I know, I'm starting with an easy one. I just feel it's important to detail how a group of half-naked savages wielding parking meters might not be a reliable source of information. I mean, it's not like I have a problem with them shoving pointy metal shards into their skin or that their names all sound like medieval diseases. I just resent that they accuse my colleagues and me of running horrific experiments on mutated humans.

The truth is, we're intrigued by the recent spike in the mutant population and are doing everything we can to understand this phenomenon. It's both fascinating and frightening. You may not be aware of this, but most mutations are actually the result of a virus called Shiva. While some infected by Shiva have acquired almost supernatural abilities, others have been warped beyond human recognition. Some of my geneticist colleagues at the University are doing what they can to help those afflicted by Shiva, but many of those mutants have become violent, dangerous, and nearly impossible to control. We've had some success in understanding and controlling beneficial mutations, developing stable chemicals that produce helpful mutant abilities in ordinary humans. Hence, rather than attempting to abuse and exploit the mutant population, we are seeking to understand and assist it.

Not that the CHOTA could comprehend this. Despite our efforts to let them live in peace inside their rusty metal shacks, they persist in raiding our settlements and attacking our allies. They believe that civilization is "cursed" and "evil" (as though those archaic terms actually mean anything these days), and try to destroy it whenever possible. What else would you expect from a bunch of people who think tetanus is the name of their great war leader?

And there's the Lightbearers. Before we even get into what they've said about us, do you really want to take seriously a group that's made up their own religion and expects everyone to follow it? You don't have to be a genius to see where that leads - sure, you might start out by meditating and singing songs to flowers, but in no time you'll be wearing a ribbed helmet and killing people in the name of the Light because the boss Lightbearer told you so. I won't even get into their weird healing "methods." Let's just say that if I get bitten by a mutant spider, I'd rather have an antivenin injection than drink green tea. Just one man's opinion.

Anyway, the Lightbearers accuse us of hoarding technology and wasting time on private research projects instead of helping people in need. But if we spend the time and resources to design and craft technology, does it make sense for us to give it to whatever tea-drinking hippie asks for it? Think of it as a matter of incentives: if you reward behavior, it will be repeated. You can't spend a truckload of chips on a lifesaving drug and then give it away for free, or you won't have any chips left to make the next lifesaving drug. Don't get me wrong, I believe we Techs have a responsibility to use technology to rebuild society as a whole. But if you're not working to restore civilization, is it really a good idea to waste technology and resources on you? The Fall happened largely because there were too many people using resources and not contributing anything in return. We Techs don't want that to happen again.

Then there's the Vistas. My god.

Compared to these nutjobs, the CHOTA and Lightbearers are bastions of intelligence and reason. Vistas believe that technology corrupts humanity, and that my colleagues and I are monsters for not wanting to live in the dark ages. Because we use natural resources like coal and oil, Vistas accuse us of carelessly destroying the environment. Apparently they prefer shivering in the dark at night rather than trying to do something productive after the sun sets. We're not reckless with resources - we harvest most of them from Pre-Fall salvage and established mines in the Province. And if we're not supposed to use fossil fuels, why the hell are they there? They certainly make crappy decorations.

Vistas aren't interested in this question. For the crime of making a gasoline engine, a Vista will kill you. That's how I lost Danya a month ago. We had just gotten this car's engine to turn over, and Danya stood up and cheered as I drove it out of the garage. It was the last thing she saw before a Vista sniper put a bullet between her eyes. We never saw the bastard. Alive, at least. Four of our Enforcer guards tracked him down that evening, got his confession, then strung him up. A brutal form of justice, but well-deserved for murdering someone because she got an engine to work. The Vistas are nothing less than terrorists. The CHOTA are savages and the Lightbearers lunatics, but the Vistas' adherence to a corrupt ideology of hate for progress make them especially dangerous.

Thankfully, we Techs aren't the only ones trying to rebuild civilization. We've had a longtime partnership with the Enforcers, who provide security for most of our towns in exchange for tools and firearms. This relationship evolved somewhat naturally - we have a predisposition for crafting and building useful implements, and they have a knack for killing things before they bother us.

The Enforcers have been with us since the beginning, back in the days of the Hoover Dam and that fascist Alec Masters. Maybe you've heard the stories, how Enforcers who questioned orders were sent on suicide missions and "accidents" befell Techs who failed to develop Masters' malicious super weapons. It was a strange time. On the one hand, we knew Masters could have us executed at any time for insubordination. On the other hand, there was everything we accomplished in the Dam. Think of it: the world outside was an irradiated wasteland filled with mutated beasts and ruined cities, but within the Dam complex we drove on paved streets, harvested hydroponic food, and had enough hydroelectric power to supply the whole Province. The rest of civilization seemed lost, but inside the Dam it was as though the Fall never happened.

Sorry...there's something about unlimited hydroelectric power that always gets me a little misty. Anyway, it's important to say that the Enforcers aren't perfect. Sometimes I wish they had more regard for science and technology beyond its ability to blow things up. If they were in charge, we'd probably have the best sniper rifles imaginable but still be cooking our food on a spit. And for some bizarre reason, they insist on maintaining a friendship with the Lightbearers. I suppose some of the Enforcers still cherish romantic notions of "good" triumphing over "evil" and believe the Lightbearers will help with that. As long as the Enforcers keep our installations safe, they can believe whatever they want.

That's one reason I like the Travelers. They always make you feel good about yourself.

I mean, a lot of idiots out there do everything they can to guilt you into listening to them. It's always "You don't help the needy enough," "Quit burning that filthy coal oil," or "Rarr! Tech bad! Die!" Travelers don't even pretend to be nice people. They just lay it all out: "Hey, if you've got the chips, we can make a deal."

And they are good for a deal. Travelers will go anywhere and get anything for you, as long as you follow up with your side of the bargain. This car wouldn't have quality alloy wheels if it hadn't been for some help from the Travelers. I mean, we COULD have sent an armed Tech salvage team to that irradiated junkyard, but that'd just be a waste of anti-radiation drugs. People might accuse us of being cowards, but no one will ever accuse us of impracticality.

Now, I'm not saying Travelers make good friends - you let a Traveler housesit for you and you'll be lucky to still have a house when you come back - but they're useful to have around. And they know better than to trifle with us. A knife-wielding Traveler thug knows he's no match for a cool, calculating man of science. With a shotgun.

It's about time for me to get back to work, and I'm not one for sentimental conclusions. So here's the crux of the situation: if what I said to you made any sense at all and you're interested (and capable) of fixing what's been broken in the world, come by our settlement at Picus Ridge and express your interest. If you're scratching your head or feeling bored, do us a favor and try not to break anything on your way out.