Dome of York: The second War
Timeline
2752 - 2753
Following two comparatively uneventful years, Ceres Cyborgs are suddenly repeatedly observed in the Wastelands ? much to everybody’s surprise, as they had been considered extinct. Rumors of a possible return of the Dome of York troops abound in the streets of Neocron. A few days later, the CityAdmin, which has been entertaining contact with the Dome of York for a while now without admitting as much, receives a number of unauthorized data transmissions on the Neocron information lines. They seem to be encoded messages from the Dome of York. Twelve hours of feverish deciphering later, the CityAdmin’s IT specialists manage to break the code: the Dome of York is obviously attempting to transmit Ceres WarBot blueprints to spies deployed within Neocron. The CityAdmin quickly develops a virus that attaches itself to the data packages transmitted, effectively rendering the blueprints useless. Shortly after this, intelligence finds out that the Dome of York plans a further attempt to smuggle blueprints into Neocron ? this time by handing them over in the Wastelands. The CityAdmin foils the scheme with the help of Runners and takes possession of the blueprints.
At this time, leader of the Twilight Guardian Hagen Yager learns of a devastating diagnosis: he suffers from a serious, all but incurable disease and only has about two years to live. With this in mind, Yager comes to a crucial decision:
Yager plans to forge an alliance against Lioon Reza with the Dome of York, intending to draw on the Dome’s potential. To this end, Yager even secures the cooperation of estranged factions: the Fallen Angels, the Tsunami Syndicate, the Black Dragons, and the Brotherhood of Crahn. He manages to bring them together for negotiations, and after endless debating all parties do indeed agree on a common denominator. The Alliance is founded, and Yager intensifies his search for a cure to his disease. Due to his good relations with the Fallen Angels, the medics of this faction are willing to develop a therapeutical implant.
Meanwhile, a CityAdmin delegation travels to Techhaven in order to confer with the leaders of the Fallen Angels. The envoys are to discuss a possible involvement of the faction with the Ceres Cyborg affair. The CityAdmin bluntly accuses the Fallen Angels of having helped the Dome of York infiltrate the Neocron information network. The Angels emphatically reject the accusations. During the next few days, Runners report sightings of large Biotech transports in the Wastelands. These are denied by the company or shrugged off as mere hallucinations. Nobody knows that Biotech is working on a top-secret joint venture with the CityAdmin that includes research on brainwash procedures. In the following weeks, more and more Runners mysteriously disappear in the Wastelands. Instead of surfacing at any known GenRep stations, they remain nowhere to be found.
A few weeks later, the CityAdmin commissions Tangent Technologies to construct Ceres Cyborgs using the blueprints. It is intended to assault the Twilight Guardian with their help. Very soon, preparations commence in sector C-12. However, the cyborgs turn out to be utterly uncontrollable and are left in the sector, while development is continued elsewhere. For more efficient research, the CityAdmin also involves ProtoPharm and Biotech in the project. A mere week later, Twilight Guardian Runners come across a mysterious barrier enclosing a huge area in a remote section of the Wastelands. The Twilight Guardian leaders decide to infiltrate the sealed-off area. They succeed, making a shocking discovery: The CityAdmin is using this so-called Area MC5 for brainwashing kidnapped dissenters and turning them into loyal followers of Lioon Reza. Nearly simultaneously, analysis of an experimental array at ProtoPharm reveals that the DNA of organic parts of salvaged Ceres Cyborgs is identical to that of Runners gone missing. ProtoPharm immediately informs the CityAdmin that the Dome of York is using human tissue in cyborg production.
The Twilight Guardian tries to put its findings to beneficial use for all. It exploits various channels for alerting the public to the existence and use of Area MC5. Initially, reactions are skeptical, but soon rumors of the secret installation begin to spread throughout Neocron. Realizing the danger it is in, the CityAdmin hastily publishes the distressing results of its research on Ceres Cyborgs. Indeed, this piece of news successfully diverts public attention from Area MC5.
A number of weeks’ concentrated research by the Fallen Angels brings forth a chip for Hagen Yager. Due to its open structure, the chip can download updates from a special network. Nevertheless, it turns out that while the chip can alleviate Yager’s decline it is unable to remedy the disease. None of the scientists dare give a precise forecast of Yager’s remaining life span. Pressed by high-ranking Fallen Angels, the researchers continue to strive for a solution, though not as intensely as before.
2755
New Year is rung in by a relief attack of the Techhaven supported by heavily armed Twilight Guardians and Black Dragons, resulting in tremendous losses for the besieging troops. Neocron reacts cautiously; Reza knows very well that most of the Techhaven’s defenses lie deep within the complex and therefore withholds the order to storm the building. The fighting actually recedes, as the Fallen Angels seem to accept the siege, whereas they secretly are supporting the Dome of York by means of technology transfer in constructing a new weapon against Neocron. Nonetheless, another event fully captures Neocron's attention – at least for the time being...
A Tangent Technologies weapons convoy, transporting ultra modern plasma weapons, disappears in the Wastelands without leaving a trace. At first, the usual suspects are blamed but it soon turns out that mutants are responsible for the ambush. The mutant group, eliminating every security unit trying to take care of the problem, is thought to be located in the old Regant ruins north-west of Neocron. As it turns out later, the mutants are far more numerous than first expected and are armed with more laser swords and plasma guns than the convoy was carrying. Infrared scans of the Regant ruins quickly show that the mutants are receiving human support - albeit of uncertain origin. It does appear that the Regant mutants were treated with an intelligence stimulant from ProtoPharm over a long period of time - with resounding success. Once confronted, ProtoPharm denies all knowledge and just as if to prove their case two Anarchy Breed members break into ProtoPharm’s laboratory stealing the stimulant. It ultimately remains unclear by whom the mutants are supported.
Once again, Neocron’s attention is suddenly distracted by the Dome of York and their newest weapon. With the help of brain implants, the wearer’s resistance is reduced by hormones inducing a state of berserk rage. The subjects of this treatment, the so-called Kamikaze-Soldiers, wreak havoc throughout the Wastelands. It later turns out the soldiers are also using a remote controlled camouflaging device as well as a sub- dermal control-mechanism allowing the Dome of York to manipulate each individual by pain induction. With the soldiers being nearly invisible, the Gates of Neocron are attacked and overcome.
Some of the kamikaze attackers manage to slip past the strong defenses and are finally brought down deep within the inner sectors. The investigation reveals that the brain implants used were originally developed by Biotech but according to one company spokesperson were “dumped because of unwanted inhumane side effects”. According to BioTech, the Dome of York must have stolen some of these prototypes.
Parallel to the building of the underground tunnel network underneath the northern Wastelands, the Dome of York commissions the construction of a neutron emitter bomb, its calculated destructive power being many times stronger than that of a conventional nuclear warhead. Hopes are high to finally erase Neocron with one decisive blow.
In the meantime, Hagen Yager collapses during a public appearance after attracting attention lately only by holding imperious speeches and behaving like a megalomaniac. It seems that the chip meant to control his disease is malfunctioning and the update link has been anonymously hacked. After locating the emitter station and putting it out of action with help from the Twilight Guardians Yager recovers fast – but too late. After only a couple of weeks of research a prototype of the neutron bomb is put to the test. As Yager never treated the city's emissaries with the proper respect and never got tired of proclaiming that soon the Twilight Guardians would rule both cities, the Dome of York’ s leadership knows exactly the right testing ground for its new toy – the Canyon!
The test is a tremendous success – the Canyon is fully contaminated with radiation leaving the victims facing a horrible death. In spite of this demonstration of power, the Techhaven offers refuge to any surviving Guardian. It seems that there is a secret faction within the Fallen Angels sharing the view that the Angels should no longer be pawns in other people’s political games. Instead, these radical technocrats want the Fallen Angels to be accepted as an equal political power with its own aims and goals.
The original leadership of the Fallen Angels does not comply at first but finally accepts the new organization after becoming aware of all the surrounding dangers and enemies. It soon grows to become the predominant faction and while the peaceful scientists go about their daily business, the secret faction ruthlessly consolidates its own position. The faction had long ago established contact to the Dome of York and planted the bomb in the offices of the Neocronicle on the Dome’s order. Their armed units are also involved in the attack on the besiegers of the Techhaven.
The shock of the bomb's detonation is felt even in Neocron and triggers rumors about the Dome of York’s activity. Although the CityAdmin denies all of them, they secretly start an investigation and begin taking soil samples of the blast area for further analysis by ProtoPharm. They clearly show the same radiation signatures found in the victims of the neutron emitter weapon.
The Techhaven’s new leadership soon becomes aware that the time is perfect to play both towns off against each other. Therefore, they need to get a hold of the construction plans of the neutron bomb. As the Techhaven’s spies reach the Dome of York, they quickly realize that the CityAdmin had the same idea. A violent fight evolves right on the Dome’s doorstep and the Techhaven people are able to wrest most of the plans from the CityAdmin forces. Unfortunately for them, the CityAdmin gets away with the plans for the fuse as well as the bomb’s command frequencies.
These frequencies are the CityAdmin’s key to the weapon and agents of both Neocron and Techhaven soon find out that the bomb is in the final stages of production. In cooperation with Tangent and NeXT the CityAdmin now begins to frantically upgrade Neocron’s energy shield, based on previously acquired scientific discoveries. It soon turns out, though, that the shield will not be able to offer enough protection against the bomb – at least not within any acceptable period of time. Additionally the Techhaven now forwards counterfeit construction plans to Neocron, at the same time arranging that the Dome of York finds out that Reza is in possession of the plans as well and constructing his own bomb. Shocked by the news the Dome’s leadership reacts in panic and plans to attack Neocron early, not caring about any remaining risk. Neocron in turn, shocked by the imminent attack decides to use the frequencies and codes to trigger the warhead remotely.
Some days later, the Dome of York completes the bomb's construction and a carrier rocket is fueled up. In the meantime, the CityAdmin commands its remaining forces to conquer all Wasteland uplinks. A durable and clear communications uplink to the bomb is necessary in order to breech the Dome of York’s communications network and explode the bomb remotely. Simultaneously, the Twilight Guardians plan to attack the Dome’s tunnel network together with other factions of the alliance, who have already pulled their troops out of Neocron, in order to gain control of the Dome’s territory.
Twenty-four hours later, all preparations for the attack are completed and the countdown is started. Now the time is running out for the CityAdmin. The rocket will launch in less than an hour, destroying all life in Neocron. In a last minute effort of all of Neocron’s factions, their forces conquer the last heavily defended uplink post and gain access to the Dome of York’s network. The bomb's detonation codes are hurriedly entered into the bomb's system. Shortly before launch, the bomb is exploded on the pad and a gigantic explosion wipes out all life in the Dome. The detonation also triggers the invasion of the Dome’s tunnels by the Techhaven-Alliance. The Alliance forces storm the tunnels wiping out any last resistance encountered and soon control all the entry points into the doomed city. By the time that Neocron’s forces reach the Dome of York, the city is firmly in the hands of the Alliance and the attack is easily repulsed.
During the next few days, the city’s dome collapses due to immensely high radiation values while Techhaven scientists try their best to neutralize the radiation to allow resettlement. The habitable areas are mapped and their radiation level is recorded. Within the next few weeks, the city is slowly decontaminated by the Fallen Angels’ scientists making life in the city possible again. Half of the former Dome of York remains in ruins though.
Tsunami moves to the Dome almost as quickly as the Black Dragons – each hoping to be the first to get there, just to find out that the rival is already present. Both parties plan to continue controlling Pepper Park from a distance as no one wants to lose ground to the enemy. Compared to their former stay in the Canyon the Twilight Guardians are a lot better off in the Dome. In addition, the radical faction of the Fallen Angels also moves in, leaving the Techhaven once again to the remaining scientists and their plan to convert it into a peaceful trading center. Although the scientists still keep in touch with their brothers and sisters now living in the Dome of York, they do want to improve relations with Neocron. The Psi-Monks of the Order of Crahn are happy to finally end their existence as outcasts and welcome the Dome of York as their new home, even if this means sharing it with the Orders strongest intellectual and spiritual enemy – the Fallen Angels. To prevent an immediate confrontation between the new inhabitants a meeting is scheduled and after long and tiring negotiations the city is divided into several sectors, each controlled by different factions.
Finally peace talks with Neocron are opened, unfortunately without any result whatsoever as each side believes it has the best chance of securing and controlling the Wastelands.
