World Knowledge

August 1st, 2007 by Jason Norred

Alpha Complex
This is where everybody lives. It is a vast, self-contained arcology that houses all of known society. There are no known exits from Alpha Complex, and citizens have been deemed treasonous for possessing or seeking knowledge of something called “The Outdoors.” Alpha Complex is broken up into Sectors, each with a three-letter designation. This game takes place in the CON sector.

The Computer
The Computer runs everything within Alpha Complex. The Computer sees everything within Alpha Complex (or that's what It would have you believe). Everybody within Alpha Complex works for the Computer, serves the Computer, protects the Computer, and, quite often, dies for the Computer. (Well, it's sometimes said they often die because of the Computer, but to say such a thing is treasonous. So it's not said very often.) Though deranged, the Computer believes it is doing the right thing. It strongly believes that Alpha Complex is in danger of being invaded by Communists or Mutants (or even mutant commies), and to this end it invented Troubleshooter Teams.

Clones
The Computer decided that sex and birth were very inefficient methods of creating citizens. Instead, Alpha Complex produces all of its loyal citizens in clone vats. Six citizens are produced at once, all identical. When a citizen dies, his or her next clone is sent by means of a rapid replacement system. In practice, this normally means that a replacement clone turns up within fifteen minutes of the Computer being notified of the death of the previous clone. Despite any evidence to the contrary, everybody believes that a replacement clone is free of any deformities that the previous one may have had (be this a mutation, secret society membership, or knowledge of what's really going on). To point out to the Computer that two clones from the same batch have mutations is a bad idea unless you have very good evidence to back this claim up. The Computer doesn't make that kind of mistake.

Mutations
Even though modern cloning techniques are perfect (the Computer says so), occasionally a mutation has been known to creep into the genetic material. Although mutations are treasonous, the Computer has been known to overlook mutations if they are reported and registered quickly. From time to time you may see a citizen with a yellow stripe on his or her uniform. This means he or she is a Registered Mutant and has already confessed the mutation to the Computer.

Details of specific mutations are not available at your security clearance. Should you discover that you have a mutation, or you know of an unregistered mutant, you should report it immediately to the Computer. If you should hear rumors that mutations are commonplace, you should report the citizen spreading the rumor immediately. Rumors are treason.

Secret Societies
Some poor misguided citizens feel that the Computer does not provide them with enough guidance or leadership. They feel that membership in a highly illegal Secret Society is the only way to progress. These misguided citizens join secret societies for many different reasons. Some feel that the Computer should be doing things differently, or that the Computer should be overthrown, or that mutants should be stamped out (even registered ones), or that the Computer is doing a wonderful job and should be protected because Troubleshooters aren't effective. Membership to a secret society is (you guessed it) treasonous.

Communists
The Computer believes that Communists are its greatest threat. While it is tolerant of mutants (so long as they register themselves) and some secret societies (certainly those ones which believe that the Computer is doing a good job, although "tolerant" may be too strong a word for it), It is not tolerant of Communists.
Should you discover you are a Communist, you are advised to terminate yourself. It would be a lot less painful than anything the Computer would have done to you.

Security Clearances
Everybody has a security clearance. Security clearance is based on colors of the spectrum. Citizens start out with Infrared clearance, which is low as you can get. These citizens wear black uniforms and are typically only allowed in Infrared areas unless specifically authorized by a citizen of a higher clearance.

As time goes on, citizens who don't get terminated can be promoted to a higher clearance. The nine security clearances are: Infrared, Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet, and Ultraviolet. It is rumored that there are security clearances above Ultraviolet. Rumors are, as you should know by now, treasonous.

Not surprisingly, those citizens at the top are reluctant to let others rise to their level. Citizens at the top always have a close eye on those below them. Citizens at the same level tend to compete to try to get promoted. Citizens at the bottom tend to try to eliminate those above them (and also the competition) in order to get promoted.

The Computer takes security very seriously. Citizens found possessing information or belongings above their clearance will be reprimanded. Citizens in corridors above their clearance will also be reprimanded (corridors are color coded).

Service Groups
Everybody in Alpha Complex belongs to a service group of some description. These determine what job the clone does when not performing Troubleshooting duties. Some Troubleshooters are full-time, but still have strong links to the Service Group for which they worked. Other Troubleshooters are a bit like volunteer firemen: they work in the Service Group most of the time, and do Troubleshooting when the Computer needs them. Either way, a Troubleshooter's Service Group will determine what skills they started out with. The Service Groups are:

• Internal Security (IntSec)
• Technical Services (Tech Services)
• Research & Design (R&D)
• Central Processing Unit (CPU)
• Power Services
• Production, Logistics, and Commissary (PLC)
• Armed Forces
• Housing Preservation, Development, and Mind Control (HPD&MC)

Bots
Alpha Complex is full of robots (more commonly called bots). Robots occupy a complicated position in the society of Alpha Complex, forced to obey the orders of all humans, yet essentially above the security clearance hierarchy. All bots constructed in Alpha Complex are fitted with Asimov Circuits and therefore must obey Asimov’s Laws of Robotics (Newly Revised). These laws state that:

1. A robot may not, through action or inaction, allow The Computer to come to harm.
2. A robot must obey The Computer’s orders, unless doing so would contradict the First Law.
3. A robot must not, through action or inaction, allow any of The Computer’s valuable property (including the human citizens of Alpha Complex (except traitors)) to come to harm, unless doing so would contradict the First or Second Laws.
4. A robot must obey any order given to it by a citizen, unless that order conflicts with the First, Second or Third Laws, or unless that citizen is a traitor.
5. A robot must seek to preserve his own existence, unless doing so would conflict with any of the other Laws.
6. There is no officially-recognized Sixth Law of Robotics; but contradictory, yet persistent rumors circulate to the contrary. This Sixth Rule is often cited as a loophole that allows bots to go Frankenstein, or to reconcile Secret Society propaganda with their Computer programming.

Troubleshooters
Your character is a troubleshooter. This elite band of citizens is supposed to track down trouble and shoot it. Sometimes, Troubleshooters live up to their names and have trouble shooting. More often, they find trouble in their own ranks and end up shooting each other. It is not unusual for an entire team to wipe itself out in a display of devoted loyalty to the Computer (at least, that’s what the Computer would like to believe it was). Invariably what happens is that some or all of the citizens belong to secret societies, which have given them instructions that quite often contradict the orders they were given by Troubleshooter HQ. Add some mutations to this mix (ones which would actually be useful, but the citizens daren't use them for fear of being terminated for being an unregistered mutant), and you start to see how silly a typical Paranoia mission can be.