- Joined
- Sep 25, 2020
- Messages
- 784
- Thread Author
- #1
Underneath the clamping banners of the Universal Union life can be, and most often is, hard, uncertain, pointless or cut short on any day. The constant authoritarian thumb of the regime will never find cause to relent, not even amongst its loyalist populations. For those not fortunate enough to find themselves in the combine’s favor, life can be even more harsh, and an endless barrage of mentally draining hardships. However, amongst this forever morphed and besieged planet of Earth, there still do remain lights at the end of the tunnel. For the right people of course.
The island of Santorini is one such location on the planet where the grip of the combine seemingly loosens, and life is permitted to continue almost as if little had changed. Resting in the Mediterranean Sea, surrounded by other islands of it's archipelago, Santorini is a beacon of pleasure and tranquility amongst the more tumultuous cities and terminals of Earth.
The island houses a wildly variant population of humans. Not including the privileged workers that are present on the island, it's population can swell to nearly 6000 or be as low as a mere few hundred. This number fluctuates constantly during all times of the year, though tends to see it's greatest changes during the closing months. The only citizens and personnel allowed upon the island are high tier loyalists, or children that have been relocated for re-education purposes via the global ECHELON program.
The island does not house a city, rather it is officially designated as a Sojourn Sector. Or, what could easily be considered an island reserved for the personal pleasures of high tier Union loyalists and other trusted individuals. It is here that they, under strict supervision and immense prerequisites, are allowed to vacation for a brief period never exceeding two weeks.
The island still retains much of its prewar architecture, just as it had for many years prior. That is not to say that certain conversions were not made to better suit the island for the purposes of a highly controlled area to find respite. In fact, the island only recently became suited for this purpose, originally having been used exclusively for minor agricultural production, but mostly as a selective location to meld young minds into believing in and placing the Union above all else.
However, due to the suppression field, the amount of children around for the local branch of the program decreased heavily around the year of 2017. Shortly after this period the island would begin to see it's conversions from a propaganda center for young minds, to a propaganda center for mature ones. Many notable figures have visited the island personally, even including the administrator of Earth himself.
Yet, planted underneath the glamor and beauty of sun beaten beaches and lime washed architecture is a subversive system of spies and informants designed to spell an end for any attending loyalists engaging in even remotely ‘unmannerly’ behaviors. You will be given everything you could want, but you will accept it with a smile, or you will be noted. The various workers planted on the island remain stationed for months or longer and serve a multitude of purposes; keeping the island running smoothly, operating establishments of various lines, and gathering information on most residents.
Workers are usually collected from individuals who have gone through extensive Memory Replacements, most often mere survivors who once suffered mental trauma in the aftermath of the Seven Hour War, or years of previous xenian incursions. In this way they are modeled, relatively gently, into informants, given the specific designation of earning the trust of the residents and reporting all behaviors exhibited. They listen when residents believe themselves to be alone, they ask questions that can be uncomfortable. They inquire of things men should not know and every answer, every look, is noted, in this place where the attending are at their most unguarded against inquisitive parties.
Should an attendee be caught engaging in unmannerly behavior, it will be reported back to the offenders local superiors. However, should they express or be found to be dissatisfied with the world, or worse, the situation regarding the Combine, they will find their stay extended indefinitely. Their absence will be explained to appropriate authorities back home with clever lies and tales told over time, after all there are a million ways to disappear in the world. But they will vanish some other way.
Beyond providing a place of respite for these ‘high powers’ the island does offer specific, although limited, production for the Combine. One form of this production is the island winery, which uses the highly rich soil to grow some of the most prized wines in the regions. Just as it had done prior to the occupation. The exact same techniques are still used today, one of a few completely transferred techniques from a long gone world.
Another form of production, while very different from others, is the breeding of domesticated animals to be shipped away. This is one of the few locations on the planet that intentionally gives way to these animals. It deals exclusively in felines which are permitted to be given to many citizens, even outside of the high brackets of loyalty across the horizons of the Combine Empire on Earth.
Finally the island houses the old Santorini Airfield, which is used as a regional staging ground for deployed AirWatch forces. This makes up the bulk of the island's non-automated defenses as multitudes of Gunships and Hunter-choppers can be deployed within a three minute window at all times. This airfield doubles as the reception ground for visitors, but the visitor section is deliberately separated by terraformed terrain and notable defenses.
The island possesses no nexus facilities within the various civil sectors and is mostly free of Civil Protection forces. Unless duress arises, the Overwatch Transhuman Arm maintains exclusive guard of the island and it's visitors. Typically this will be done with only a small force present. Automated coastal and air defenses make up the majority of repulsion equipment gathered on the island. Though more will be deployed when facing active hostilities, or suspected attempts of anti-civil subversion. Getting to the island without proper clearance has thus far proven impossible. Two boats have been sunk during the attempt, though it is likely they were merely fishing vessels that had drifted off course.
