[CP2020] Secret Bases

[the cat's pajamas]

I recently ran a game where the players were sent in to explore
a secret, rival corp's research base. It was located in Antarctica, which
presented several complicating factors, including what kind of people would
go there, how long, and what sort of effect that would have on the design.
I figured there would be a four square block area committed to
recreation to help keep the people sane. There were problems, though, with
keeping the base secret if people were being reassigned all the time.
(Traffic to the continent might be noticed after a while.) However, if
people didn't go on shifts then there was a problem with people going
crazy from being pent up for too long.
What do you think, sirs?

--
I accept no responsibility for any information contain herein that results in
the corruption of morals of the reader, blasting out of the eye with a potato
or other bodily harm. People should just take responsibility for their own
actions and thoughts.

[Britt]

jjni...@ellis.uchicago.edu (the cat's pajamas) writes:

> I recently ran a game where the players were sent in to explore
>a secret, rival corp's research base. It was located in Antarctica, which
>presented several complicating factors, including what kind of people would
>go there, how long, and what sort of effect that would have on the design.
> I figured there would be a four square block area committed to
>recreation to help keep the people sane. There were problems, though, with
>keeping the base secret if people were being reassigned all the time.
>(Traffic to the continent might be noticed after a while.) However, if
>people didn't go on shifts then there was a problem with people going
>crazy from being pent up for too long.
> What do you think, sirs?

Retract the "sir" but and I'll put in my opinions...

With the existance of orbital stations (providing you have those in your CP
reality) the problems of people being cooped up have been, to a large part
solved. Although no `official' publications (to my knowledge) have covered
exactly how, I've a couple of ideas on what it might take.
The research base has, exactly as you describe, a recreation area. It'll be
heated, have an area of vegitation (probably better than you can find topside
throughout most of the developed near-future world), several pseudo- or robo-
animals and a complete set of activity spaces. Add to that a gym with
programmed, personalized workouts, counselling by either human or AI for
those experiencing problems and a complete recreational braindance center
and you'll pretty much cover it. Embellish as you see fit (with a life-sized
holotank and some innovative chipware, you can have a damned holodeck...).

Or have the Antarctic base paired with a resort on some remote island in a
more temperate zone and have the employees and their families shuttled between
the two on, say, a 6-month on/1-month off ratio. That way all traffic is
both to and from controlled zones, can be handled very discreetly (submarine
anyone?), and everyone gets some time to cut loose every so often.

Remember that the first option is less expensive than the second.

Of course you can always have your corporation not give a damn (like any
actually _do_) and just replace downtime with braindance and chipped
realities... They'd be able to work people longer hours that way as well,
using sleep chips or inducers or who knows what.

- Britt
--
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[J.W.Thomas]

In article <tierna.8...@agora.rdrop.com>,

Britt <tie...@agora.rdrop.com> wrote:
>
>jjni...@ellis.uchicago.edu (the cat's pajamas) writes:
>
>> I recently ran a game where the players were sent in to explore
>>a secret, rival corp's research base. It was located in Antarctica, which
>>presented several complicating factors, including what kind of people would
>>go there, how long, and what sort of effect that would have on the design.

The last time my party were in antarctica, they travelled by Wing and Ground
effect plane (soviet ex-militarys, sold cheap as they had been taken there
for tests and then that tests budget has pulled)
They holed up in the Ross Archology, which was going to be THE place to
live in the future about 25 years ago...
The Place flopped, the cash moved on and the extensive mining operations
in antarctica attracted 'prospectors'...
The ross archology was origionally a mile square block of low level
subterainian housing with surface geodomes, self supporting garden green
houses, geothermal and nuclear powerplants and a mining operation to
extract the mineral wealth of antarctica with mininal envirimental
damage...

The place is now of unknown size ( the tunnels are insulated enough to
stop thermal scans, and space based radar scans turn up an awful lot of
old mining, tunnels and shafts etc that must be just underground minerals.

Technology was 'cargo Cult' to say the least. power comes from an old
self maintaining nuclear plant, the first of three ( the other two were
prepared and dug out but never had the cores installed)
Anything and everything can be found, as the place has a BIG net presece,
unregulated by even Netwatch. This makes it busy with covert ops from
many corporations and governments all bringing cash, info and hardware
into the Archology.

Play this place to disorientate the players...
everyone has the skill Streetwise (archology) at 7+ and knows all the
gangs, dealers, cloaks, coverts, corps, builders, wreckers, miners etc
that they need.
So players will be completely at sea until they fall in with a guide or
fixer
Run the place like downtown on speed in a tunnel...people are born and
die down here and never leave the tunnels
Anything and everything is available-for a price... In one case, the players
needed an NMR scanner for drug analysis.
A Kid near them skoots off, and then comes back asking for $20 to take them
to one (powered by a tractor engine and run by a farmer from missouri)
And the PCs pay by the second...plus parts and labour.

CHOPPER The god is absent
ChOpPeR His dead leaves are piling
cHoPpEr And all is deserted
chopper -Basho

[Raymond Frazee]

the cat's pajamas wrote:
>
> I recently ran a game where the players were sent in to explore
> a secret, rival corp's research base. It was located in Antarctica, which
> presented several complicating factors, including what kind of people would
> go there, how long, and what sort of effect that would have on the design.

> I figured there would be a four square block area committed to
> recreation to help keep the people sane. There were problems, though, with
> keeping the base secret if people were being reassigned all the time.
> (Traffic to the continent might be noticed after a while.) However, if
> people didn't go on shifts then there was a problem with people going
> crazy from being pent up for too long.
> What do you think, sirs?
>

> --

If you can find the information, take a look at the US Admunson/Scott base at
the South Pole; I believe it's much smaller than what you discribe yet is maned
year-round. And while not secret, it believe it's existance it pretty much
unknown. There is traffic going to Antarctica all the time, and since there are
only a few places from which you could fly or boat to the country, it may be easy
to maintain security for departures/arivials. More than likely personal would be
rotated once every three-four months, maybe six months depending upon the kind of
work they were doing. I think the rotation schedule for Admunson/Scott is every
six months.
As for *Really* secret bases, I think it's safe to say there are a number of
instalations in this country which are maintained by the government, and are not
as large as what you postulate. Submarines stay out 90-100 days at a time (and
sometimes longer) and yet no one goes crazy. (That we know of.) The kind of
people who would go to these places would be (a) those who are so into their work
that they wouldn't take note of their surroundings and would get along fine, or
(b) those told to go or they would get their butts kicked out of their jobs. I'm
sure you could find (or convince) a number of people to keep this place staffed
for some time.