Realistic or Modern The Dark Zone: Contagion

[Veiled Dream]

• Introduction
• Character Sheet
• S.H.D
• The Joint Task Force (JTF)
• The Rioters
• The Cleaners
• The Rikers
• The Last Man Batallion (TLMB)

• 
  
  On a bright, sunny crisp morning of October 22nd in the year 2018, the sun rose as it always had every day before with slivers of grass covered in dew like the greenery was perspiring heavily. There were a few warning signs all was not quite as it seemed; the birds failed to flock together in the air while others didn't squawk or call out in a boisterous manner as they usually did The C.S.A, The Confederate States of America had come under attack. Certain members of the communities claimed it started in the docks at the mouth of the Hudson River where it emptied in The New York Bay and then into the Atlantic Ocean on the eastern seaboard of the C.S.A.
  
  Then residing President Andrew Johnson, declared a state of emergency as details came to light that a pathogen of unknown origin, and highly contagious was sweeping through the Boroughs of New York; from Upper Bronx along the Hudson, the business center of Manhattan, to Queens and Jamaica Bay and Brooklyn along the upper bay region—down to Staten near the lower end of the New York Bay.
  
  In a divisive decision, the city was effectively shut down. Concrete walls 30 feet high and topped with razor wire were flown in and set up heavily defendable regions called ‘Sectors’ they ranged from 0 through 8. The Brooklyn Bridge and all connecting bridges out of the city were demolished though those connecting one Sector to the next. These Sectors were well stocked and heavily guarded at all times—unless you had a death wish, even the Last Man Battalion wasn’t' stupid enough to engage. The areas left to fester with rioters, looters, drug addicts, and other kinds were called Dark Zones; aptly named because there was no calling for help once you were in the Dark you had to rely on your own wits and know-how to survive.
  
  
  
• 
  Basic Information
  
  Name: The full name of your character in this story.
  
  Age: How old your character is at the start of the story--not the start of the epidemic.
  
  Date of Birth: The full birth date of your character.
  
  Gender: The sex of your character.
  
  Sexual Preference: (if any-optional)
  
  Religion/Spirituality: (if any-optional)
  
  Height: How tall your character is. Ft/In or Cm
  
  Weight: How much a character weighs, approximately. Lbs / Kg.
  
  Body Type: (Lean, muscular, athletic, thin, flat-chested, voluptuous, etc)
  
  General Description: Overall, a basic description of your character that may include, but is not limited to distinguishing features like scars, moles, freckles, etc.
  
  Equipment: The tools, gear, survival essentials, and weapons a character is in possession of or has access to. (Weapons and gear will be posted once I make a proper Table to account for them.)
  
  Mental Characteristics
  
  Likes: A few things your character prefers such as pastel colors, sushi, or a 69' Dodge 'Charger'.
  
  Dislikes: Several things that your character has disgust to such as spider webs, laziness, or 'Twilight'.
  
  Strengths: What are things your character is particularly qualified for? Are they virtuous, open-minded, and Careful?
  
  Weaknesses: What are the qualities of your character that really show their flaws? Are they rigid, timid, or arrogant?
  
  Fears: What frightens, unnerves, or generally worries your character? These features don't have to be phobia specific--but can include phobias. (Arachnophobia, total anarchy, being all alone.)
  
  Aspirations: An aspiration is a character's strong hope, dream, or goal. (Attaining personal wealth, getting that promotion you've been seeking--or finally getting revenge on the person who killed your wife.) Aspirations can be noble, however, they can also carry a lot of 'weight' for a character. Either mental, emotional, or even spiritual.
  
  Hobbies/ Pastimes: This one's pretty straight forward: What does or did your character do as an activity that they enjoyed? Did they love to read before bed? Do a crossword puzzle in the morning--or piece together a jig-saw puzzle?
  
  Habits (Good or bad): St. Augustine once said "Habit, if not resisted, soon becomes a necessity."
  
• 
  As a member of the Strategic Homeland Division (SHD) you are not the only one who is familiar with your task. Also, other players out there have the same goal in mind – taking back New York. While this perfectly could happen in the Dark Zone, that agents turn away from the organization and become a Rogue Agent.
  
  The Strategic Homeland Division (SHD), referred to as 'The Division', is a classified unit of highly trained, self-supported tactical agents. They are fully autonomous field operatives trained to restore order to communities suffering from catastrophic events, institutional collapse, and societal breakdown. Division agents are embedded in society, leading ordinary lives until they are activated. The Division is not an elite unit in the traditional military sense. They are a civilian agency whose members do not train or deploy like military units. Elite military forces are trained for specific tasks with a completely different mission specification than that of The Division.
  
  The Division is made unique by its connection to Directive 51 and its interconnected but autonomous networked organization. It is The Division as a whole that is special, not necessarily each individual agent. Officially, agents of The Division are counted as federal agents, in direct service of the United States federal government.
  
  The main objective of The Division is to ensure the continuity of government in the case of a catastrophic emergency. There is a possibility their jurisdiction is worldwide as they are brought in when society falls. Released in waves, Division agents are activated when all other forms of public protection have failed and the President signs Directive 51 in order to activate The Division. Having complete executive authority, Division agents must work with both civilians and remaining public authorities to restore order and prevent a total collapse of the government.
  
  Following the completion of the mission and averting the crisis, The Division agents are deactivated and return to their daily lives.
  
  Agents are hand-picked from various aspects of society. Commonly they have a background in military, law enforcement, intelligence community, rescue services, or engineering. They are approached and recruited based on a set of criteria. Which includes as following:
  
  

  • Loyalty
  • Mental Resilience
  • Judgment and Decision making
  • Adaptability
  • Problem-solving and Ability to improvise
  • Technical skills
  • Commitment to peak physical fitness
  • Immune-system health
  • Raw survival instincts

  
  Such recruitment can take a long time to make sure the candidate fits the profile and is suited for this type of job, and often, candidates are recommended by word of mouth from existing members. Once the Strategic Homeland Division has determined a candidate has adequately fulfilled requirements, candidates are offered to join.
  
  After joining, members are trained by other top tier operatives. Due to the need of maintaining the anonymity of the agency, the Strategic Homeland Division employs training covers. For example, lethal combat instruction may be billed as an exclusive "black-belt-only class" at a local gym with "special instructors".
  
  When candidates successfully complete their training, they return to their daily lives. A key component of The Division is that members exist in the "shadows" and function as a normal member of society. Their own families don't even know about their appointment with the agency.
  
• 
  The Joint Task Force (JTF) is a coalition of police officers, firefighters, civil volunteers, army national guardsmen, and other civil and military services formed in the aftermath of the 'Red Death' outbreak on Black Friday in New York City. These men and women were the first lines of defense against the ensuing pandemic.
  
  What remains of the JTF is led by NYPD Captain Roy Benitez in New York City and Manny Ortega in Washington, D.C. and by working in tandem with CERA, the group was initially chartered with the purpose of curbing the spread of the virus, efficiently distributing aid supplies, and maintaining law and order.; however, the organization's control quickly disintegrated as the disease continued to spread and panic took hold in both cities.
  
  Since then, the JTF has been considerably weakened and decentralized due to the incessant threat of several hostile factions, having been relegated to a small handful of safe houses and bases throughout the cities.
  
  The JTF was formed by the order of President Waller; it consists of local, state, and federal emergency services and military agencies including the NYPD, FDNY, and the National Guard. Understaffed and overworked with meager resources, they have been stretched thin, to say the least. As ensuing unrest decimated their ranks, the JTF lost control, leaving the cities to turn into lawless death-traps for all its citizens.
  
  Unable to effectively coordinate and manage the response, the JTF now puts their hope in the members of the Division to lead the way. As such, all Division agents are strongly encouraged to assist the JTF, wherever possible, whether it's protecting supply drops or aiding civilians in need. Troops are scattered around New York and are ready to assist Division agents or be assisted by them. Most men and women are tasked to protect the Base of Operations and any remaining secure locations like Camp Hudson while few of them are in charge of gathering information and reconnaissance and sending this data to SHD.
  
  The JTF also man various checkpoints throughout the city and sends out patrols whenever possible in order to increase stability and security all around New York City.
  
• 
  The Rioters are gangs of common thugs and delinquents that just want to rob and even kill others to ensure their own survival. Many know they can kill but will use that as a final option, but some will pull the trigger first.
  
  Leadership
  While Rioters do not have a set-in-stone hierarchy, each gang follows a certain leader. Such examples being Hutch or Five-O (possibly may just be a boss or a squad-like leader, basically tougher versions of peon Rioters) as well as a few more leaders. They usually carry bigger and heavier weapons than their lower-ranking members and tend to have armor, with the weapon of choice for most of them seems to be light machine guns and marksman rifles.
  
  Intelligence Brief
  Beyond the organized factions roam thugs and outlaws that now rampage through the city, rioting, looting, and assaulting any who come near them. Unafraid to wound or kill, they survive by preying on the weak. They roam in packs, hunting down easy targets and lashing out at authorities when they get the chance. Volatile and dangerous, they are a constant thorn in the side of the JTF and a steady drain on resources.
  
  Relationship with other factions
  Among themselves, the rioters are not unified and are divided into gangs.
  
  Rioters in general see the J.T.F. as weak and take advantage of their struggling power by robbing and looting within J.T.F. controlled territory or outright raiding and attack J.T.F. positions.
  
  Although skirmishes do occur they have been known to engage in trading with Rikers, namely weapons, however, seem to distrust one another.
  
  Rioters outright fear the Last Man Battalion. A Rioter report revealed when one of the rioters propose to loot at the U.N. building the other stated to avoid the area, describing the area as a "killing field" because of the LMB. The second rioter further describes them as "badass special forces type" with superior gear and equipment compared to the JTF, and are very ruthless, killing anyone on sight.
  
  Any animosity they have with the other factions would have likely been resolved by the time of Resistance as they joined forces with remnants of the Cleaners, Rikers, and Last Man Battalion to combat the JTF and Division agents.
  
• 
  The Cleaners are former New York City sanitation workers (garbage men, janitors, custodians, etc.) who lost everything during the outbreak. Formed and radicalized by Joe Ferro, they are convinced that the only way to save the city from the virus is to burn everything down, including the people still living in it.
  
  Intelligence Brief
  A roaming faction, the Cleaners can appear in many districts; all agents should proceed with extra caution, especially in Cleaner-occupied territories. The faction consists of construction and sanitation workers that felt abandoned when the government and JTF pulled out and left them to defend themselves and die. Trapped in the quarantine zones, they decided to take matters into their own misguided hands. Armed with flamethrowers, fire axes, and firebombs, they travel from one area to another hoping to cleanse the city of the virus.
  
  They will burn anything they deem to be contaminated. Their terror spreads quickly like the fire they wield. They are brutal and unfeeling and hold the belief that the sick are already dead. A video recovered from the Napalm Production Site or HQ shows footage of a civilian's phone which shows that she is burnt alive by a Cleaner when she was caught at the site. To identify their territories, agents are advised to keep a lookout for yellow-colored garbage trucks.
  
  Eight months after the outbreak, the remaining Cleaners allied themselves with two Rogue Division agents, Vivian Conley and Javier Kajika. Conley helped the Cleaners upgrade their utilities and weapons, they are now deadlier as ever.
  
  Relationship with other factions
  The Cleaners most likely think of the other warring factions as a detriment to their goal of cleansing the city of the virus as they only get in the Cleaners way.
  
  In regards to the JTF, they believe the JTF are weak and soft and thus unable to handle the situation. Compared to them the Cleaners believe they are capable of making the hard choices and doing what needs to be done for the greater good. At the end of Dragon's Nest, Roy Benitez admits he understands their intentions and goals but still views their methods as sick and twisted. He is also genuinely impressed and disturbed by their resourcefulness.
  
• 
  The Rikers (also referred to as Rykers), are escaped convicts from Rikers Island. They come from various gangs, but they decided to unite under Larae Barrett for the sake of the "power by numbers" motto. Unlike the thug Rioters who are simply taking advantage of the anarchy, the Rikers are hardened criminals who revel in it, even threatening to plunge the city into darkness if they can't claim New York City for themselves. The Rikers have a distinct hatred for law enforcement and JTF personnel, going out of their way to murder these distinctive types.
  
  Intelligence Brief
  A destructive criminal faction that has surfaced as a result of an organized prison break from Riker's Island. The Rikers faction fills the power vacuum left by the retreating Joint Task Force and now rules like lords in a lawless land. Their first objective: exact revenge on authorities—kill anyone in uniform, especially the JTF, NYPD, and FDNY. A video recovered from a dashcam of a police vehicle shows them throwing a police officer's body on a patrol vehicle, then surrounding and murdering the occupants. Another video recovered shows that they attacked three First Wave Division agents, then they move to the subway where they are killed off. A third video shows that their leader, Barrett, executes one of the Rikers over an authority dispute and further makes an example of him by slashing his throat open.
  
  JTF personnel has found the bodies of their comrades evidencing extreme brutality; some hanged from their legs, some left for dead in supermarket trolleys, still others with weapons still buried in their skulls. They are known to wear the uniforms and armor of their victims, either to disguise themselves, provide environmental protection, or both. Rikers also like to taunt their prisoners; demanding amusement and entertainment at gunpoint, or turning them loose to be hunted down for sport.
  
  With many members from local New York gangs, their ranks quickly grew as they drew in more local followers. Their rapid growth has led to occasional in-fighting and rivalry. This, however, is kept at bay by Larae Barrett. Known as much for her ruthlessness as her ability to plan, organize, and lead. Barrett's powerful leadership over her members shows that the Rikers gang is not to be trifled with.
  
  Relationship with other factions
  Rikers hate the NYPD and by extension the JTF. Due to their imprisonment, they seek to exact revenge against anybody affiliated with the authority and thus frequently attack the JTF. Any JTF personals unfortunate enough to be taken prisoner are sadistically maltreated, executed, and sometimes have their corpses abused, such as being displayed. Their uniforms and gear are often looted to be worn with the police symbol crossed out. The JTF likewise sees the Rikers as barbarians and monsters. Rick Valassi, however, speculates that the Rikers are composed only of hardened and violent criminals, as those imprisoned for non-violent offenses or misdemeanors returned to their homes and families.
  
  Rikers have been known to trade weapons with Rioters, but other times will attack them. They also seem to hostile to with the Cleaners, likely stemming from the latter group's fanaticism. Despite their unruly and ruthless attitude they seem to acknowledge the Last Man Battalion as a superior force and avoid confrontation whenever possible (although skirmishes still occur). This is shown that despite the relatively close distance between their castle and the LMB controlled Police Academy (or other LMB territories in general), Rikers have not made any attack on LMB positions, instead of focusing on the JTF. An echo in LMB territory reveals a group of Rikers patrolling near an LMB base with one Riker climbing the wall to taunt the soldiers. The other Rikers warned and berate the individual to not antagonize them as they have snipers, only for said individual to get shot in the head seconds later. The others promptly left.
  
• 
  The Last Man Battalion, often referred to as the LMB, was a Private Military Company led by Charles Bliss. The LMB was hired by prestigious Wall Street corporations to protect their assets during the outbreak but were abandoned when the crisis worsened. They now aim to retake New York and establish a new world order by force. Compared to the other factions, they employ far more specialists with more advanced gear, and their positions are more heavily fortified.
  
  Intelligence Brief
  
  Do be disclosed...
  
  Relationships with other organizations
  Prior to the activation of the Second Wave of Division agents, the LMB thought lowly of JTF to the point they don't even see them as a threat. Colonel Bliss views the JTF as a bunch of "ragtag volunteers". Rioters have been known to avoid LMB territories entirely as they fear their ruthlessness.
  
  Conversely, the LMB views the Cleaners and Rikers as a more legitimate threat, although it is unknown who they think is the bigger threat among the two. One LMB report shows two LMB soldiers disagreeing with each on who they think is stronger. One of them believes the Rikers are stronger because they are filled with dangerous criminals and have access to an array of weapons. The other believes the Cleaners are stronger because of their flamethrowers and their fanatical discipline makes them unable to feel fear.
  

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