Player's Guide - Ravaged Planet

RAVAGED PLANET:
THf BRAVf NEW WORLD PLAYER'S GUIDE
BY MATT fORBECK
CREDITS
Written and Designed by: Matt Forbeck
Editing: Hal Mangold
Cover: Paul Bonner
Cover Background: Zeke Sparkes
Interior Art: Don Hillsman, Michael Phillippi, Justin Long,
Eric Polak, Richard Pollard, and Curt Shoultz
Computer Coloring: Chuck Croft, Chris Impink, Zeke Sparkes, Matthew Tice
Graphic Design: Matt Forbeck and Zeke Sparkes
Proofreading: Ann Kolinsky and Pat Kolinsky
Special Thanks to: Amber Bucheit, Rachel Butterworth, Ken Carpenter, Frank
Chafe, Martin Forbeck, Marcello Figueroa, Leticia Hayler, Michelle, Caden, and
Shane Lacy Hensley, Christy and Jolm Hopler, Ann Kolinsky, Ray Lau, Jim
Pinto, Dave Seay, Matt Tice, Jennifer Wick, Maureen Yates, John Zinser, and
Jo1m and Mary Zinser.
Playtesting and Advice: Shane Lacy Hensley, Aaron McConnell, Hal Mangold,
Ashe Marler, Zeke Sparkes, and John Zinser
Dedicated to: Ann, the light of my life .
Pinnacle Entertainment Group, Inc.
PO. Box 10908
Blacksburg, VA 24062-0908
www.peginc.com
deadlands@aol.com
(800) 214-5645 (orders only)
Stop by www.peginc.com
for regular, free updates!
Printed in the USA.
Brave New World, Defiants, Defiance,
Bargainers, Patriot, Superior, Truth, the
Yankee, Triumph, Inc., Evil Unlimited,
delta, alpha, ovenant, Delta Prime,
and all character names and likenesses
depicted herein are Trademarks of
Pinnacle Entertainment Group, Inc.
1999 Pinnacle Entertainment Group,
Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Brave New World
created by Matt Forbeck.
TABLE Of CONTENTS
WELCOME TO DELTA TIMES .............. 4 LIVING IN AMERICA ..................... 12

Patriot's Journal:
An Introduction ......... 5
Patriot's Journal:
The Final Days ........ ... 6
June 16, 1999 ......... .. ........ 6
The Beginning ........ ........ 6
My Awakening ..... .......... 8
Drafted .......................... 11
Back to School .... ......... . 12
Delta Squadron .. .......... 13
Dallas .... ...... ................... 14
My Decision ............ .. .... 15
Regrets ........ .. .......... .. ..... 17
My Delta Prime Days .. 18
The Bicentennial
Battle ................ .......... 20
The Cold War
Heats Up .... ............... 21
Ufe in the Cold ........ ..... 22

The Great
Mistake of '88 ........... 22
A Career Change .......... 24
Life on the Run .... .... ..... 25
Working for
the Family .. .. ............. 26
Leaving the Family ...... 27
The Defiant Years .. ....... 31
Redemption .......... .. ...... 34
America,
Right or Wrong .. .. .... 35
July 4,1999 ............... .. .. . 37
My Trial .......... ..... .......... 38
August 4, 1999 .. ...... .. ... .46
REQUIEM fOR PATRIOT................ 48

The Death of a Hero ... .49
CRESCENT CITy ............................ 54
Ufe in the Big City ....... 55
The Early Days .... .. ....... 56
The City Today ........ .. ... 58
The Government .... ...... 60
Major Buildings .. ........ .. 67
United States
of Anarchy ............. .. . 73
America the Battered ... 74
Atlanta ... .... ...... .. .. .......... 75
Boston .... ........................ 76
Crescent City ........ ... ... .. 76
Dallas ............... .............. 77
Detroit .......... .... .. .... ........ 79
Denver .............. .. .... ....... 79
Los Angeles ........... .. ...... 80
Miami .......... ..... .. ........... 82
New York City .... ........ .. 83
Philadelphia .... ........ ..... .85
San Diego ................ .. .... 86
San Francisco ................ 87

Washington, DC ........... 88
The State of the Union . 90
AWORLD Of HURT ..................... 92

This Ravaged Planet .... 93
Africa .... ............ ...... ....... 93
Australia ............ ......... ... 94
Canada ...... ................ .. ... 96
China .... ... .. .................. .. 97
Europe ...................... ..... 98
Middle-East .......... .. .... 101
India .. ..................... ..... . 102
Japan .... .. ...................... 103
South and Central

America .. ................. 104
Soviet Union .... ........... 106
The United Na tions ... 107
CHAPTER ONE:
HEW POWER PACKAGEs......... 109
The Power Packages .. 109
The Covenant .. ......... .. 110
Covenant ... .................. 117
Defender ...... ................ 123
Genius .......... ................ 123
Hot Shot .............. ........ 125
Screamer ........ .... ...... .... 125
Shrinker .. .............. .. ..... 126
Sneak .... .. .................. .... 126
Telekinetic .... .. ... .. ........ 127
Teleporter .. .. ................ 128
Tough ............ .... ........... 128
ARCHETYPES ........
m ...................
THE GUIDE'S HANDBOOK ....
u .....
129
145
CHAPTER TWO:
THE TRUTH Of THE MATTER .. 141
Guides Only ................ 147
Patriot's Journal ... .. .... 147
Death of a Hero .... .... .. 149

Crescent City ............. . 150
United States
of Anarchy ...... ........ 151
Ravaged Planet .......... 152
THE AUTHOR'S
AHERWORD .......................... 155
Wh a t" s In a N arne ?...... 155
What's the
Game About? ... .. .. .. 155
My Thoughts .... .. ........ 156
Sources of Inspiration 156
Many Thanks .. ............ 157
INDEX........................................ 159
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PATRIOT'S JOURNAL:
AN INTRODUCTION
If you've been living under a rock in

some God-forsaken part of the third
world for the past few months, let me
fill you in on the biggest bit of news
since the Great Mistake.
The Defiant known as Patriot was
captured in the streets of Crescent City
this spring while attempting to rescue a
newly awakened young delta woman
from a Delta Prime recruitment team.
This was the kind of thing Patriot
did all the time. Ever since he left Delta
Prime back in the late '80s, he's
struggled to redeem himself in the eyes
of the Defiant community.
For doing so, the goverrunent has
branded him a villain of the first order
and spared no expense or effort in
hunting him down. Despite that,
whether through luck or planning, he
always managed to stay at least three
steps ahead of them.
Unfortuna tely, this June, his long,
one-man assault on Kennedy's America
came to an end.
Thankfully, the young woman got
away. Patriot would have wanted it
that way. He was never afraid to risk
his own freedom for that of innocents.
This time, though, his luck finally ran
out.
My fRlfND THf HfRO

As the editor of the Delta Times, I've
known Patriot for many years. When I
was younger, I remember hearing
about his exploits on behalf of Delta
Prime. Even then, long before he joined
the Defiance, I admired his heroic
efforts to help those in need, whether
they were deltas or regs .
When I heard Patriot had left Delta

Prime, I cheered, although quietly. Lots
of people had left the Primers in the
past, mostly moles sent to infiltrate th.e
Defiance. I said a silent prayer that thIS
wasn't the case here.
When I finally had a chance to work
with Patriot, it was easy to see where
the fire in his belly came from. This was
a man who believed in America.
I'm not talking about the America
you and I grew up in, the fract~red
nation that's torn itself apart WIth fear
and loathing. I mean the America we
all dream about, the one our teachers
told us about in school, the country the
framers of the Constitution always
intended for their descendants-both
literal and figurative-to inherit.
Here are some words of Thomas
Jefferson's that Patriot was fond of
quoting:
"We hold these truths to be self
evident, that all men are created
equal, that they are endowed by
their Creator with certain
unalienable Rights, that among
these are Life, Liberty and the
pursuit of Happiness .-That to
secure these rights, Governments
are instituted among M en,
deriving their just powers from the
consent of the govern ed,-That
whenever any Form of Government
becomes destructive of these ends,
it is the Right of the People to alter
or to abolish it, and to institute
new Government, laying its
foundation on such principles and
organizing its powers in such form,
as to them shall seem most likely to
eff ect their Safety and Happiness.
/I
You might recognize this quote. It's

from the Declaration of Independence.
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PATRIOT'S JOURNAL:
TH fiNAL DAYS
JUN 16, 1999
It's been a danm good run, but it

looks like it's finally coming to an end.
Here I am, rotting in this cell in New
Alcatraz in the center of Chicago Bay.
I've been in a lot of hard situations so
far, but nothing this bleak.
I'm not a man of words, but I've
decided to resort to them now. In the
end, they're all I have left.
The warden came down to talk to me
yesterday. Making this record was his
idea. He thinks I'm going to give him
something he can turn around and use
against me in court, I'm sure. Not that
it matters. They've already got plenty
of evidence. I'm headed for a face
down with a firing squad either way.
I wonder how many bullets it's
going to take?
I'd guess that not too long after ~'m
turned into fertilizer, this record wlll
get published. If the feds print it, you
can be sure tha t a lot of it's going to be
rewritten. I can only hope that Truth
gets her hands on a copy before it's
mangled by the "free press."
People deserve to hear the truth.
Of course, what I'm writing here
may not be the whole truth and
nothing but the truth. I only know
what I know, and that's my truth.
That's what I'm trying to set down
here.
If I hadn't been captured by that
Delta Prime strike force yesterday, I'd
still be out there fighting for the truth
instead of trying to write about it. I'm
done with that now. If you're reading
this, the fight is up to you.
Hamel
TH BGINNING
Where should I start? I know, I

know: the beginning. But which
beginning?
Do you care that I was a scrawny kid
from Chicago before I became a delta?
Do you want to know what it was like
to fight alongside Superior and the rest
of Delta Squadron in the early days of
my career? Or what it felt like to miss
out on the Bicentennial Battle? Or what
it was that finally got me to toss aside
all my years of senrice with Delta
Prime to join the Defiance?
I'll get to all that in a minute.
First, let me tell you about the
Yankee.
When I was a kid, he was my first
and greatest hero. Joe DiMaggio, Bob
Cousy-you can keep them. Sure, I
loved sports as much as any other red
blooded American boy, but the deltas
always did it for me, and the Yankee, in
his star- spangled costume, he was the
best.
Yeah, looking back on it, the costume
was pretty damn goofy, but it was a
product of the times, a more idealistic
era. Most of the heroes dressed that
way in those days.
You could always tell the good guys.
They were the ones in bright, primary
colors, wearing symbols that hit you
like a club.
Of course, the bad guys were almost
as goofy. I mean, the worst villain of all
time was a guy named the Devastator.
How corny can you get?
I know, I've been guilty of that
myself. When I started out, I was a
bright-eyed kid with delusions of
bringing Americans-style justice to the
world. I believed in my country, right
or wrong. That's why I called myself
Patriot.
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Hamel
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RAISED BY UNCLl SAM

From a very young age, America was
the most important thing in my life. My
father had been killed storming the
beaches of Normandy, while I was just
a baby, and my mother passed away
from grief soon after. I was made a
ward of the state and turned over to St.
Savio's Orphanage in Chicago. So even
from the beginning, the feds weren't
just my government. They were my
parents.
When I was a kid taking classes at St.
Savio's school, the civics classes were
always my favorite. I memorized the
entire Declaration of Independence, the
Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, not
to mention the Gettysburg Address. I
knew their words backward and
forward, and I vowed to live my life by
them.
Maybe that's why the Yankee was

always my favorite. Most kids my age
worshipped Superior instead. And why
not? No one ever beat Superior. Sure,
they might get away for a while, but in
the end, he always got his man.
To me, though, Superior's
superiority was always a bit suspect.
It's easy to be sure of yourself when
you can kick anyone's ass. How much
bravery does it take to waltz into a hail
of bullets when you know you can't be
hurt? Just because he was lucky
enough to be given such incredible
powers, he was the idol of millions, the
Atlas with America on his shoulders.
Me, I stuck by the Yankee. In those
days, he was getting older, but he never
seemed to let it slow him down. Sure,
he was strong and fast and he hauled
in more than his share of evil deltas,
but for him it was a real risk.
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Remember that time back in '62

when he got shot? We almost lost him
that day, and it shook me to the bone.
While he was recovering, I realized that
this was a man who laid his life on the
line every time he put on his costume.
Tha t earned my respect. When he got
back on the streets as soon as the
doctors would let him, that got my
admiration.
When Chicago disappeared, America
mourned the loss of Superior most of
all. I wept for the Yankee.
It was my last year at St. Savio's.

Graduation was coming up in a couple
months, and I was due to be kicked out
on my ass to make room for the next
class of parentless punks. I had no idea
what I wanted to do with my life, but
the Army was going to be waiting there
for me as soon as I stepped off the stage
at the graduation ceremony. Just like
these days, back then no one ever got
out of serving his four years. And this
was back in '62, before the DRA was
even a twinkle of a bill in JFK's eye.
My AWAKENING
AfATEfUL ENCOUNTER
Just about every aspect of my career

as a delta's owes something to the
Yankee, right down to my red, white,
and blue mask. Even though he never
knew it, he even had a sort of hand in
my awakening. Well, it was less of a
hand and more of an inspiration, but I
was a pretty impressionable kid.
That's what we call it when a delta
finally gets his powers: awakening.
According to the eggheads I've talked
to, a good chunk of the planet's
population has the potential to become
a delta. It's locked away in our DNA,
that code of life that tells us who we
are. At the moment a delta awakens,
the DNA morphs into something new.
Of course, not everyone realizes that
potential. It takes a lot to get those acid
chains fluxing-usually some kind of
near-death experience-and most
candidates don't pass that final exam.
In my case, I was hustling through
downtown Chicago, on my way back
to the orphanage from a date. It was
past the nationwide curfew for kids,
and I knew I was going to get it from
Sister Mary Victoria. And if the police
caught me on the street, it was going to
be worse.
As I jogged through the nearly

abandoned streets, I heard a choked
scream from up ahead. I turned the
corner, and I spied four people
standing under the glow of an old
streetlamp. Three of them were a
family: a mother and father in their 50s
and a boy not much younger than me.
As I later found out, these were the
Billingtons, a wealthy family that had
been downtown to catch a production
of Camelot . They were on the way back
to their car, and they'd taken a wrong
turn. At the time, they didn't realize
how wrong the turn would be.
The fourth person was a man named
Wilbur Jeffries. In those days, we'd
have called Jeffries a hobo or a bum. He
was as homeless as they come. One of
those sad and lonely people that
somehow fall through the cracks.
Jeffries was also a delta with a power
he barely knew how to control, and he
was using it to rob the Billingtons. The
awakening doesn't always come to
those who deserve it. If Jeffries had
been able to pull himself together long
enough to approach the proper people,
he could have mastered his powers and
turned his life around. Instead, he was
wasting his abilities on petty crime.
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To this day, Jeffries just boggles my

mind.
I mean, I can understand someone
who can make his body parts explode
using it to rob banks or mastermind
plots to take over the world. This
Jeffries guy, though, all he wanted was
enough cash to pick up a bottle of
cheap scotch.
In his constantly intoxicated state, it
never occurred to Jeffries to knock
over a liquor store. Instead, he was
going to mug an innocent family.
Jack Billington IV, the father, was
doing his best to protect his wife and
kid, but he saw that Jeffries was
agitated, so he was trying to talk some
calm into him. Apparently he spent his
last moments doing that instead of
reaching for his wallet, and the money
didn't show up fast enough for Jeffries'
taste.
Jeffries' temper wasn't the only thing

about him that was unstable. Billington
reached out a hand to calm the mugger
down, and Jeffries stepped forward
and poked the well-dressed man in the
chest with a grimy fist.
Jeffries' hand went off like a
gunshot, and a gaping hole appeared in
Billington's chest. From where I stood,
with Jeffries' back to me, it looked like
the greasy man in the tattered coat had
just shot the sharp-looking man dead.
fiNEST HOUR OR BIGGEST MISIAK?

Barely even pausing to think "What
would the Yankee do?", I sprinted
straight for the killer.
Looking back on it, it was one of the
dumbest things I ever did in my life. I
attribute some of it to my near
worship of people like the Yankee.
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Stop
Hamel
After hearing story after story about

their bravery in the face of incredible
odds-all in the name of saving their
fellow Americans-I couldn't see
myself doing any thing less.
I was 18 years old. Like most men
that age, I was confident in m y
immortality. I was going to take this
murderer down and save the day. I
never gave it a second thought.
I can only guess what went through
the Cynthia Billington's head in those
last moments. There she was, standing
there with her teenage son behind her.
Her husband lay dead at her feet, and
their attacker stood there in front of
them, staring at a smoking stump
where his hand used to be.
And then this idiot kid runs out of
nowhere to tackle the bastard.
Honestly, it was the turning point in
my life.
I hit Jeffries from behind and just to
one side, knocking him awa y from
Cynthia and young Jack and wrapping
my arms around him, reaching for the
gun I thought he had. Mother and son
took the hint and ran for safety, he
pulling her along as she tripped along
after him, screaming for help .
Meanwhile, I wrestled Jeffries over
onto his back. I hadn't found the gun
yet, which scared the hell out of me.
Sure the man was going to pump me
full of bullets, I laid into him with both
fists.
A few frantic swings later, I had
pulped the man's face, and I still wasn' t
dead. Still sitting on the man, I grabbed
him by the front of his filthy shirt and
looked around for the gun. That's
when I saw the stump of his hand, still
smoking even then.
Shocked by the sight, I goggled at
the man for a moment. As I looked into
his mad eyes, he grinned up at me, spat
out a tooth, and said, "Boom."
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1m: AfURMATH
The explosion shattered every
window on the street and left a crater
in the asphalt like a meteor had landed
there. Bricks fell from the facades of the
buildings. The streetlights popped like
overfilled balloons.
In short, it was a disaster.
I came to in the front of a darkened
drug store across the street from the
crater. I was lying in a heap of broken
bottles of lotions, potions, and pills.
The sirens and the flashing lights woke
me up.
By all rights, I should have been
dead, dead, dead. I was covered with
bruises and cuts from the glass 1'd
landed on, but I was breathing just fine.
I struggled to my knees and peered out
the broken window.
The street was filled with Chicago
police in their old black- and-white
squad cars. They'd cordoned off both
ends of the block and were poking
around, interviewing people, and
trying to piece together what had
happened.
Jack the V and his widowed mother
were off to one side, tears spilling
down their bloodied cheeks, the red
and blue lights strobing across their
faces. A detective was asking them
questions, but it didn't look like he was
getting much out of them. They were in
shock, emotionally and physically.
There were beat cops poking their
noses into different places on the street,
making sure everyone was all right. For
a moment I wondered why they hadn't
come into the shop to check up on me.
After all, the place was a complete
wreck.
Then J realized that every place on
the street was a wreck. They just hadn't
gotten to picking through the closed
storefronts yet.
At the time, I didn't really know

what had happened-I just thanked
God I was alive-but I was dead sure
that if I ended up going back to St.
Savio's in a squad car, Sister Vic would
toss me out of the school right then and
there. I was still hoping to get my
diploma, so I let myself out the back
door of the pharmacy and slipped off
into the night.
DRAFTED
When I got to St. Savio's, Sister Vic

was up and waiting for me, her face
beet-red beneath the white halo of her
wimple. I told her I'd gotten into a
fight, which was close enough to the
truth that I didn't bother confessing it
as a sin after mass the next day. She
gave me the tongue-lashing of my life,
but none of it hurt any worse than the
bruises I was carrying.
Two months after that, I graduated
from St. Savio's, and sure enough,
Uncle Sam was there before my
tasseled cap even touched the ground. I
was drafted into the Army, and during
my physical, the Army doctor realized
there was something different about
me.
For one, every time the nurse tried to
give me a shot, the needle bent or
broke. The first time it happened the
doctor chewed the woman ou t for
being incompetent. After the second
time, he pushed her aside and told her
he'd handle it himself. The third time,
he stared at the broken needle and then
at me, then murmured to the nurse,
"Get me the colonel."
An hour later, a pair of MPs escorted
me into Colonel Drake's office. He gave
me the lowdown on who I was and
what was going to happen to me from
there on out. I was a delta, and as a
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delta, I was going to be assigned to the

Delta Academy, effective immediately,
as in right then and now.
The next morning, I was on a plane
for Washington.
This was back before the passage of
the Delta Registration Act, although
only by less than two years. If tha t kind
of thing happened these days, I'd have
been tossed in jail for failing to register.
If I'd been lucky, someone might have
believed that I really didn't know I'd
become a delta until that moment in
the doctor's office. Otherwise, I'd have
been sent to the Fortress for sure.
Maybe I'd have even been transferred
to New Alcatraz eventually and ended
up right here just the same.
Of course, I'm not looking at life in
prison this time around. No, the only
penalty for my crimes-such as they
are-is death.
BACK TO SCHOOL
As it was, I was bundled onto the

next troop transport back to Chicago,
and I reported for duty at the Delta
Academy the next day. Since I already
had my high-school diploma, I wasn't
required to take any of the regular
classes, but I was put through a crash
course in how to handle my powers.
After extensive testing, the quacks at
the academy's infirmary determined
that my skin had gotten tough enough
to bounce a low-caliber bullet off of.
Also, I could fire blasts of plasma
energy out of my fists . Not a bad
package overall. They had just the
training regimen already set up for me,
and I started in on it right away.
I remember my days at the academy
fondly. When I got there, I was a scared
kid, new to my powers, and all alone
against the rest of the world. At the
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academy, I found a bunch of other

scared kids doing their best to keep
moving in a world that had suddenly
been turned upside down.
To this day, some of them are my
closest friends.
My coaches there worked me like a
three-legged mule, but they taught me
a lot. I think they'd call it tough love,"
without any of that love stuff.
These days, life at the academy's a
lot more rigid than it was then. I was in
a crash course for deltas discovered
during their draft physical. These days,
if you' re found out that way, you've got
a one-way ticket to the Fortress. The
only students the academy gets are
those who tum themselves in right
away- or who are turned in by their
parents.
Since Delta Academy students are by
definition minors, they often aren't
held responsible for not registering
themselves. Their parents are. These
days, more than one student studying
at the academy has to send letters
home to a federal pen.
II
IHTfR DUAHfY
Anyhow, the academy's where I met
Delaney Cadre, the woman who would
one day be my wife. And yes, she was
in Chicago the day the Devastator
destroyed it.
Remember- before when I said I
cried for the Yankee on that day? Well, I
mourned the loss of a lot of friends on
that day, but none more than Delaney.
She was my life.
Delaney was a senior a t the
Academy while I was there. We were
sparring partners for a brief while, and
we even had a date or two, but we
knew it couldn't last. Soon enough, the
coaches told the Army I was ready, and
off I went.
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DILTA SQUADRON
Ever since its founding in World War

II, Delta Squadron had a reputation of
having the best and brightest deltas in
its ranks. Those are the top-ranked
deltas, of course, the ones the public
saw. I was a grunt, just another rookie
hoping to make a name for himself
among the greatest deltas of all time.
In those days, Superior was the de
facto leader of Delta Squadron, despite
the fact he was outranked by Yankee.
Even though the Yankee was nominally
in charge of us all, he was in his 50s
then, just a bit older than I am now. He
was past his prime, and he knew it.
He'd given over the position of ranking
field commander to the seemingly
ageless Superior, contenting himself
with taking a strategic position behind
the scenes instead.
Anyhow, I stepped into uniform all

starstruck by the names I was going to
get to work with. In addition to the
Yankee and Superior, the Silver Ghost
was still kicking around (in a
semiretired, advisory capacity), plus
Warband, the Old Soldier, Mary
Hartless, and Jack Magruder were team
leaders there, and they were in their
pnme.
I was looking forward to working
with them all. I thanked my lucky stars
for giving me my powers, for leading
me into such a life.
I had no idea what I'd gotten myself
into.
WAR IS HUL
The fact is that Delta Squadron, like
most military institutions, is in the
business of war.
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After Superior put a sudden end to

World War II, it quickly became clear
that America was the superpower in the
world, in more ways than one. We
tossed the noninterference Monroe
doctrine out the window and quickly
got involved in every government you
could think of. We were the policemen
of the world .
Most people think of that as a figure
of speech, and for most Americans it is.
Not for us in Delta Squadron. We got
sent off to prop up every little petty
dictator in the world, anyone who paid
lip service to the idea of democracy as
opposed to communism, even if they
were ruthless fascists.
You've got to remember, this was
before we had a ruthless dictator of our
own. The idea that freedom-loving
Americans were willing to fight, die,
and kill to keep oppressors in office
was a bit strange to some of us then
certainly to me---but I was a soldier,
and I supported my country, right or
wrong. I did what I was told.
In the end, we kept the Soviets out of
a good portion of South America and
most of Africa and Europe. We had to
sell our souls to do it, but KeIUledy told
us it was worth it.
We believed him.
DALLAS
Do you remember where you were

on November 22, 1963? If not, you were
probably too young. There's no other
excuse.
The day Jackie KeIUledy died was a
turning point for our nation. Up until
then, we were still a democracy, at least
in name.
Although it wasn't official until
many months later, that idea died in
Dallas with the First Lady.
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I'm not going to go over that story

here again. You can read the Warren
Commission Report if you like. As far
as I can tell, it's pretty accurate. A team
of Dreadnauts zoomed in and took out
the Presidential motorcade before the
Delta Squadron soldiers working with
the Secret Service could even react.
Afterward, Superior hunted each
one of them down. Two of them
Donna and Dennis Krueger-didn't
survive arrest. Of the three others, Bill
Houseman is doing time in solitary
confinement in the Fortress. Jack Ruby
got killed by another prisoner soon
after being transferred over to New
Alcatraz. No one shed a tear.
To this day, Lee Harvey Oswald is
still at large. Delta Squadron-and later
Delta Prime-claims to have nearly
captured him a dozen times, but
somehow he always gets away. These
days, he's got to be at least as old as I
am-probably more. But he's still out
there, and I'm finally in here.
MISSING THE ArnON

Ironic, isn't it? I was nowhere near
Dallas that day. I was part of the
occupation force in Cuba that had put
down Castro's attempted rebellion. We
were stuck there in the Caribbean,
making sure that Fulgencio Batista
Zaldivar kept his job as leader of the
country.
The funny part was that Batista
actually called on the US for help. We
helped him out all right, but I don't
think he was too excited about the
price he had to pay. Either way, at the
end of the day, he was out of power.
Sure, once we took care of the rebels, he
was still sitting in his office in the
capitol, but it didn't really matter.
From that point on Washington was
calling all the shots.
Of course, just because we'd

captured Castro and disbanded his
revolutionary force years earlier didn't
mean we could go home. The Cuban
people were discontented for a reason,
and that still hadn't been resolved. To
this day, we've still got forces there
centered in Guantanamo Bay. No
matter what Kennedy may try to tell
you, people want to be free-and
they're willing to fight for it, no matter
how long it takes.
Even so, I mourned for the First
Lady-our last First Lady, it seems
right alongSide the rest of the country.
And the rest of the world, for that
matter. In retrospect, it was Jackie that
held Jack Kennedy together. Once she
was gone, he fell apart, and so did the
rest of the country.
My DICISION
It wasn't long after JFK recovered

from the "cowardly delta attack" that
the Delta Registration Act was rammed
through Congress. As a member of
Delta Squadron, I was one of the first
people asked to register my powers.
Since I was already working for the
government, it didn't seem like much
of a choice, but I still wrestled with it.
The patriotic boy I'd once been knew I
was giving up some of my most
cherished Constitutional rights when I
signed on that dotted line, but at the
time I was prepared to make that
sacrifice.
It was for the greater good, I told
myself. There were deltas running wild
out there, bad ones. If I wasn't part of
the solution, I was part of the problem.
At least that's what my CO in Delta
Squadron told me. You might have
heard of him.
His name was Superior.
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THE HORNS Of ADILEMMA

When that red, white, and blue
soldier put that dreaded piece of paper
in front of me, it already had all my
vital data on it. All it needed was my
John Hancock.
The government knew all about who
I was, of course. When I got my
security clearance for Delta Squadron,
the FBI had crawled into every dark
corner of my life, and they'd
pronounced me clean as a shiny, new,
silver whistle. Just about everyone I
knew of in Delta Squadron, all my
delta buddies, had already registered
without even asking many questions.
To them, this was just a formality.
To me, though, it meant something.
Sure, there wasn't any direct harm in
me admitting to information about
myself that the government already
had. But it was the first encroachment

on my rights as a human being. It was
the first step toward officially
segregating hvo peoples that were
really one. Once that happened, it
would be a simple matter to keep
chipping away at those rights until l
or those like me-suddenly had no
protections at all.
But at the time, it seemed harmless.
And Superior personally asked me
to comply with the law-this in a
country in which I'd sworn to uphold
the laws and even enforce them. This
was the man who'd killed Hitler,
who'd single- handedly put an end to
World War II. He was the foundation of
America as I knew it, my beloved
country.
I took the pen he handed me, and I
did something I'd always regret.
I signed the damned thing.
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REGRETS
Yeah, like the song says, I've had a

few, but some of mine are worth
mentioning.
Right after I registered, I felt a great
relief, as if the world had suddenly
been lifted from my shoulders. I should
have known it was only repositioning
itself before it really came crashing
down.
Soon after it became apparent that
only about 50% of the delta population
in the United States was going to
register voluntarily, Delta Prime was
formed. Its mission: to protect the
United States against delta threats both
foreign and domestic.
Who else was better to police the
deltas than the deltas themselves? At
least that was the theory. Given how
well the regular government agencies
had handled the situation over the
years, it seemed like the right thing to
do. At least, the thought went, we
couldn't do any worse.
Little did we know how wrong we
were. In the end, all we did was
escalate the situation to a fever pitch. A
lot of innocents have died in the Delta
Wars, as they've been called over the
years by the less-judicious members of
the press. And it's at least partly our
fault.
Sure, there are lots of deltas out there
who are just crooks who happened to
luck into their powers, but we didn't
stop with them. No, we had to tum.
every innocent kind and hard workmg
American who somehow ended up
with powers into a criminal just for
wanting to live their own life.
Most of these people didn't ask for
their powers. Given half a chance,
they'd get rid of them forever.
It's just not that simple.
My NEW EMPLOYER
Unlike Delta Squadron, Delta Prime
came directly under the jurisdiction of
the Department of Justice. Back in
those days, it was headed up by
Attorney General Bobby Kennedy,
none other than Big Jack's very own
little brother.
That particular move pissed off J.
Edgar Hoover, then the head of the FBI,
like you wouldn't believe. His G- men.
were now second-class citizens when It
came to federal law enforcement, and
he didn't like it one bit. Rumor has it he
spent the next several years building
up his own secret FBI delta tea.m set to
take his side in any open conflICt.
In fact, rumors persist to this day
that Hoover was behind RFK's
assassination in '68. Sure, a delta by the
name of Sirhan Sirhan did the actual
deed, but he was blasted apart by delta
Secret Service agents before Bobby's
body even hit the ground. We may
never know who was really behind the
attack. Either way, you can be sure that
Hoover shed no tears the day Bobby
Kennedy was put in his grave.
Hoover or no, as soon as my term
with Delta Squadron was up in '66, I
was asked to join Delta Prime. I'd had
enough of military life, I told myself.
Putting down insurrectionists in
foreign lands had always left a bad
taste in my mouth. With the draft,
though, I hadn't really had much of a
choice. It was Delta Squadron or
Leavenworth.
I chose freedom over jail.
I was only 18. How could I have
known there was any other choice?
Since then, I've learned a lot about
life. It's not so much about taking the
choices that are presented to you as it is
in coming up with your own course of
action.
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THf NOT -SO-NOBLf XPfRIMfNT

Joining Delta Prime was pretty much
the same kind of choice. Again, it took
Superior himself to convince me that
joining up was the right thing to do. In
the two years the DRA had been in
existence, the Primers had only
managed to get an estimated 25% of
the unregistered deltas to change their
tune-forcefully or not.
The remaining three quarters of the
rogue delta population was now firmly
entrenched in their lawlessness, or so it
was described to me. It was the
government's responsibility to protect
its people against any threat, from
without or within. Given the number of
delta-related disasters we'd seen over
the past two years, it was pretty
obvi~us the people needed protecting.
I sIgned up. I told myself it was the
right thing to do. I could protect the
innocent and drag in the guilty. Never
mind the only thing some "villains"
were guilty of was not complying with
the Delta Registration Act.
WORKING FOR THf MAN

I also told myself that the best way
to effect change is from within. If there
was no way to fight City Hall, I sure
wasn't going up against the federal
gov.e rnment. That would mean going
agamst everything I'd fought for and
believed in my whole life.
It would also mean going against
Superior, a man who'd become a real
father figure to me, the orphan from
Chicago. I knew he had his own
agenda, but I trusted him as much as I
ever trusted anyone.
I told myself I wasn't being
cowardly.
I was being practical.
I didn't believe it either.
My DILlA PRIMI DAYS

So I put up with it. I had my job, and
I did it. While mobsters ran amok
around the country, while the Catholic
Church kept the masses opiated with
all their talk from the Pope's Covenant
of peaceful coexistence between deltas
and regs and uniting against larger,
common foes, I was busy hunting
down and locking up dangerous
deltas," some of which were barely out
of diapers.
Bringing in the kids was always the
worst. It wasn't their fault they hadn't
registered. Their parents just didn't
want them hauled off to the Delta
Academy, vvhere they'd never see them
again.
The problem, of course, was that the
law didn't care. As a duly deputized
representative of that law, I couldn't
care either. I wasn't allowed to .
/I
TRUTH AND (ONSfOUfNCfS

Did it really matter that those kids
were being torn from the only homes
they'd ever known to spend their
childhood as wards of the state? Did it
matter that their parents weren't going
to be able to see their kids again? Not
because the academy doesn't allow
vi itors. It does.
No, the parents were going to jail for
harboring a fugitive. If they were lucky,
they'd get out in time to see their
children graduate from Delta Academy.
Then they'd have all of about three
days before the kid was shipped off to
do her manda tory four years in Delta
Squadron.
N i~e kn~wing you, kid. Don' t forget
to wnte. Still, I closed my mind and
h~rdened my heart and did the job
wIthout question. That was my life,
and it wasn't a bad one either.
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DELANEY AGAIN
I met Delaney again in Delta Prime,
and we got assigned to the same unit.
Within a few weeks we were dating. A
few months later, we were engaged. We
were married within the year.
Those were years of bliss. I was
young and in love, married to a
wonderful woman. I had put the
doubts of my job behind me, and I was
doing the right thing to bring peace
and prosperity to my country. I was
willing to die for my country. More to
the point, I was ready to kill for it.
DOING MY JOB
Despite how strange that kind of life
might seem to you, it wasn't all tearing
innocent children away from their
parents. Delaney and I actually worked
in the Special Forces division of Delta
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Prime, the blue shirts. Unlike the

Primers in red, we didn't spend our
days tracking down people whose only
crime was not registering as deltas.
No, we spent our days investigating
delta crimes and then bringing in the
mad dogs who corrunitted them.
There's not a cell block in New Alcatraz
that doesn't have someone on it who I
put away. And nearly all of them
deserve to be there.
For hauling in the terrorists and the
criminals, I feel no shame. Being a delta
might make you faster, stronger, or
tougher than most people, but it
doesn't make you any better than
anyone else.
If you were a greedy, murderous
bastard before your awakening, then
afterward you're still a greedy,
murderous bastard. You're just more
dangerous than ever.
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THE BICENTENNIAL BATTLE
Actually, doing my job and doing it

right is why I missed the Bicentennial
Battle. Delaney and I had been
investigating a series of mysterious
drowning murders in the Arizona
desert-which is what made them so
damned mysterious-when I found
myself on the wrong end of a blast of
water strong enough to knock me into
a wall and crack my skull. Fortunately,
Delaney cornered my assailant and
cleaned his clock.
It wasn't the first time I'd been hurt
in the line of duty, and it wouldn't be
the last. Over the years, I'd almost
come to expect it.
With the success rate of delta healers
these days, especially those who are
part of the Covenant, breaking a bone
or two is no big deal. You're pretty
much fine unless some part of your
body suddenly goes missing or you're
DOA.
I was under the care of a delta healer
in Tempe when the word that the
Devastator had taken over Chicago
came down. Delaney was on the next
flight out.
I didn't even ask her not to go.
Nothing would have stopped her.
SIDHIHD
The healer told me that because of
my wounds I wouldn't be going
anywhere for a couple days. Delaney
assured me that she could handle
herself just fine, and I believed her.
From what it sounded like, most of
Delta Prime and even a number of do
gooder Defiants had taken up the
Devastator's challenge. For Delaney,
this was her chance to finally work
alongside the legends she'd always
heard about.
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I'd been one of the lucky ones, top of

my class. In Delta Squadron, I had been
part of Superior's handpicked team,
the people assigned to the most
dangerous missions of all. Even as a
"mere"-I always preferred "pure"
delta, my skills helped me stack up
well against some of the alphas.
Delaney had been good herself, but as
one of the Bargainers, she wasn't really
suited for frontline battles. She was one
hell of an investigator though.
Anyhow, Delaney hadn't even met
Superior or most of the rest of the
members of myoid squad. This was
her shot.
KISS IT GOOD-BYE
I never should have let her go. I was
still in the hospital when the reports
about the Chicago disaster started
streaming in. At first, no one could tell
what happened. All communications in
and out of the city were just cut off.
Nobody knew the city was gone. That
was simply inconceivable.
Pictures of the damage pretty much
fit that description too. They were just
impossible to believe. The destruction
could be summed up in one word:
total.
I've seen pictures of ground zero at
Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Chicago was
much, much worse. Literally millions
of innocents died in mere moments,
most of who never even knew they
were in danger.
We lost the Yankee. We lost Superior.
We lost most of Delta Prime and Delta
Squadron, including just about every
good-hearted alpha on the planet.
And I lost Delaney.
I still remember her last words to
me: "See you on the other side."
If I get the death sentence I'm
expecting, I'll finally get the chance.
THI (OLD WAR HIATS UP
The Bicentennial Battle was the

worst disaster in the history of
humanity, but the destruction wasn't
over yet. The disappearance of the
most powerful people on the planet
created a power vacuum . Suddenly the
USA wasn't the home of the most
dangerous person on the planet.
The balance of power tilted back and
forth like a seesaw in a hurricane. At
first it looked like the Soviets were the
new world power, then the Chinese,
then India or even France or Britain. Of
course, the US was right in there with
the rest of them, fighting like a punch
drunk boxer that had taken the sucker
punch of his life.
My LlH, My WORK
Those were strange days, but I threw
myself into them-hard. I suppose I
was trying to get over my grief, but this
was a cause I could get behind.
America was no longer the unassailable
fortress it had once been. Before the
Bicentennial Battle, no one would have
dared attack America for fear of Delta
Squadron wiping them off the map . All
you had to do was look a t Korea or
Vietnam to see what our deltas could
do.
Now, with the alphas-the cream of
our delta crop-gone, we'd been cut
down to size, and everyone wanted a
shot at us.
Kennedy was the worst. He
absolutely refused to believe that the
country he was in charge of was
suddenly knocked from the top of the
world. He seconded a lot of us from
Delta Prime into the CIA. If we weren't
the undisputed top country in the delta
race anymore, we had the best
espionage organiza tion by far.
oW,
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Stop
Of course, the rest of the world

wasn't going to stand by and watch the
CIA run rampant over the entire planet.
It was a golden age of spy versus
counterspy. It seemed like every month
or so you'd hear about some spy or
another getting caught in a foe's
country and being executed for his
trouble.
Well, I heard about it, but then, I was
on the inside. After the Bicentennial
Battle, I had what the shrinks called
"survivor's guilt." I knew all about it
and why it was irrational and all that. I
just needed a way to rechannel it.
When Kennedy asked Primers
interested in "serving overseas," we all
knew what that meant.
I didn't just step forward. I ran.
LIfE IN THE (OLD

Technically speaking, I was still part
of Delta Prime, but I answered to the
CIA. If you haven't figured it out by
now, the CIA isn't a nice bunch of
guys-more like a gang of thugs with
the power of the US government
behind it.
Sure, most of the directors over the
years had the best interests of the
country at heart, but they really didn't
care who got hurt in the process. So
hurt a lot of people, I did.
The rationale was that the
communists were out to bury us. Belt
Kruschev actually came right out and
said it. It was our job to make life at
home safe for the innocents there.
If some of us had to get our hands
dirty to leave the rest of the country
with a clean conscience, that was a
price we were willing to pay. Of course,
we weren't the ones who actually had
to cough up. That duty fell to the
people we captured, tortured, or killed.
Hame l
GHTING My HANDS DIRTY

That's a part of my life I'm not
terribly proud of. I managed to avoid a
lot of the wetwork myself, sticking
mostly to the espionage side of things,
but there were times I got blood on my
hands . When it comes down to killing a
man or spending the rest of your life in
a Soviet gulag, the choice becomes a lot
easier than you might think.
I spent the next 10 years jetting
around the globe, infiltrating different
government and criminal organizations
wherever I went. It was a real James
Bond kind of life-without the pretty
w omen or the ama zing gadgets.
kay, there were some beautiful
women, and some of the people I
worked with had some truly
astonishing pieces of technology, but
that's not the point.
The point is that there was a lot of
work for a spy with armorlike skin and
an undetectable weapon in the form of
a handblast as deadly as any gun. Like
the song says, I got around.
In the end, I think I did some good
for America, even though it was at the
expense of our rivals around the world.
And that's enough said about that.
THE GREAT MISTAKE Of '88

I worked for the CIA for 12 years. I
wouldn't say I was happy, but it took
my mind off the pain I was still
suffering from the fallout of the
Bicentennial Battle.
Chicago was gone, but Crescent City
was thrown up on the rim of the Windy
City's watery grave like some kind of
skyscrapered phoenix. We had the
Russkies on the ropes, and it looked
like the Iron Curtain might crumble at
any time. In the intelligence
community, we were riding high.
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1m LAnST RUSSIAN RfVOLUTION

It all fell apart in '88. That's when the
Soviet Union really started to dissolve.
The long-term effects of communism
and decades of steady battering from
us capitalist pigs finally caught up with
the country, and the people demanded
a change in leadership.
They got it.
Unfortunately, they got the leader
they truly deserved in General Mikhail
Tretyak. "Mighty Misha," as they called
him, took over the country in a bloody
military coup in which he personally
killed every member of the politburo
that wouldn't pledge his unswerving
support to the new regime . He was,
you see, a delta, and with the support
of Crimson Pride behind him, there
was no stopping him.
Tretyak lived only by one rule: Might
makes right. And he had a lot of might
on his side.
Within weeks, Tretyak had the
mighty Soviet Empire rolling along like
the troubles of the early '80s had only
been a speed bump. It seemed he kept
the whole thing going through only the
force of his own iron will. Without him,
the Soviet Union would have
crumbled.
IHf RUSSIAN SOLUTION

Of course, that meant Tretyak had to
die.
The CIA's long-standing policy had
been that it was in America's best
interest to keep matters in the Soviet
Union as unstable as possible. The
thinking was that, as long as the
Russians were busy dealing with
problems in their own backyard, they
wouldn't have time to be a threat to us.
Tretyak had put an end to all that, so
we needed to put an end to him.
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That's what we in the trade call a

tragic miscalculation. The CIA made a
clumsy attempt to assassinate the
Soviet leader. The backup plan was
supposed to put the blame for the
botched killing on Beijing, pitting the
Soviets against the Red Chinese.
Best case, we waxed the premier.
Worst case, the Chinese took the fall
instead. Of course, we were wrong.
THE REAL MISTAKE

Not only did our field agents blow
the assassination, they literally got their
heads handed to them by Tretyak's
personal guard. Our agents were deltas
themselves, and no slouch at their jobs
either, but they never really had a
chance.
Worse yet, the Soviet investigation
managed to pretty quickly pierce the
facade pointing at Beijing. It wasn' t
long before Mighty Misha knew who
had written his name on the bullets his
would-be assassins had been carrying.
Tretyak was mad as hell, and he
wanted to make a point. We even gave
him the excuse when a number of Delta
Primers were caught in Chernobyl
right before the reactor melted down.
Before cooler heads could prevail, he
actually ordered the launch of a limited
nuclear strike against the United States.
While the first missile was still in the
air we retaliated in kind. When the
gl~wing dust finally settled, millions
were incinerated, and millions more
lingered in radioactive suffering before
giving up the ghost. In the Soviet
Union, Kiev, and Minsk were gone. In
America, San Francisco and Atlanta
were inaugurated as nuclear
graveyards for untold numbers of
innocents.
The world wept bitter tears and
dreamed of vengeance.
ACAREER CHANGE
The Great Mistake was the last straw

for me.
Kennedy trea ted the American
public like mushrooms: He kept them
in the dark and fed them shit. Most
people thought the US had been the
innocent victims of an unprovoked
Soviet attack, and no lying, pinko
commie was going to tell them
different.
Of course, that's just what Kennedy
told the reporters, which they turned
around and fed to the public.
I knew better.
It had been bad enough when
Chicago was destroyed while I lay
healing in a hospital, but at least then
I'd been innocent myself. This time,
that wasn' t the case.
I'd hadn't been one of the agents that
had set up the Tretyak assassination
attempt, but I damn well could have
been. If the CIA had sent me there
and if my Russian had been a little
better, they might have-I'd have gone.
It could just as easily have been my
fault.
As it was, I felt guilty as sin. While
rescue workers were swarming around
San Francisco, Houston, and Atlanta, I
was making up my mind to leave Delta
Prime, to join the Defiance Movement,
to go rogue. In short, to betray my
beloved country.
MOVING ON
I didn't tell anybody about it. That
would have been suicide. Worse yet, if
I'd told one of my friends he'd have
only had two choices: turn me in right
away or become an accomplice to my
crime.
No, I didn't tell anyone. I just walked
off the job.
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LlFI ON 1"1 RUN

The first couple years after I tore up
my registration card, I was pretty much
on my own. I was a man caught
between worlds. I had given up on the
legal, government-sponsored path I'd
followed my entire adult life, but with
that kind of history there was no way
the Defiance was going to have
anything to do with me.
Over the years, I'd made a name for
myself. I'd taken pains to keep myself
disguised-some fantasy about
someday having a private life, I
guess-but my mask was nearly as
famous as Superior's face. Even so,
everyone in Delta Prime knew what I
looked like. It was an open secret.
It wasn't long after I lit out on my
own that Delta Prime put out an all
points bulletin on me, alerting every
law enforcement agency in the country

to the fact that I'd gone from authority
figure to wanted man.
Of course, the Defiance did the same
damn thing. They'd seen a number of
Primers" defect" over the years, only to
eventually reveal themselves as moles
and turn in every Defiant they'd come
across.
Before you register, it's easy to
become a Defiant. Hell, to some of the
Defiant leadership, simply refusing to
comply with the DRA is proof enough
of your sincerity. Once you've been
inside the government, though, you've
been tainted, and it takes a long time to
wash the blood from your hands. I
didn't really care. Primer, Defiant, it
was all the same to me. I knew there
was a demand out there for a delta of
my unique skills and powers. It was
just a matter of finding an employer.
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WORKING fOR THE fAMILY

I worked for the Crescent City mob
for a short while, mostly on a contract
basis. The only problem was I didn' t
feel like 1'd really moved up in terms of
m y employer.
Sure the pay was a bit better, but the
hours were nearly as bad, and I was
working what I had always though of
as the wrong side of the fence. Still
there were more similarities between
the two than I was comfortable with.
Just like the Primers, the Mafia
expected me to follow orders without
question, believe fanatically in my
bosses, and kill to further the
organization's ends.
I didn't much care for it, but it was a
paycheck. And at least the mob never
asked me to haul in other deltas for
forcible recruitment.
Well, most of the time. In fact, it was

just such an incident that led me to
leave the Gabriels, the family I was
working for in Crescent City.
Don Paolo Gabriel, the family' s
patriarch, had gotten word of a young
man in a friendly family who'd
suddenly come into his powers. The
poor son of a bitch had his awakening
when a delta battle tore through his
high school, leaving a wide path of
destruction in its wake . He'd been on
the run ever since.
The Don asked me to find the poor
kid and offer him a job. If he wasn't
interested in the job, I was to make it
clear to him that refusing wasn' t really
an option. I reluctantly agreed.
When I found the kid, I got the shock
of my life. He was a delta all right. He
was also only six years old.
I just couldn' t do it.
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THE TURNING POINT

On the other hand, I couldn't just
walk away. If I did, the Gabriels were
sure to send someone else after the kid.
If I could find him, so could whoever
followed me. Now that I knew where
he was, I had to actually do something
with him.
The way I saw it, I had two choices. I
could take the kid with me and live on
the run from the Gabriels for the rest of
our lives. Or I could make them leave
us alone.
I was already on the run from the
government. I didn't want to add the
Mafia to the pack of hunters. I decided
to make the Gabriels the prey instead.
OPEN SEASON
I actually gave Don Gabriel a chance
to leave me alone, but the old man
didn't see the wisdom in my offer. To
his mind, letting me openly defy his
orders meant that anyone else in his
employ might think she could get away
wi th telling him off.
He couldn't allow that kind of
insubordination, so he put my name at
the top of his hit list. Before long, I had
lots of dark-haired guys in nice, Italian
suits knocking down the door of my
pad.
Of course, I was expecting them.
When it was all over, I sent flowers to
their widows.
LEAVING TH fAMILY
This went on for a couple of days
before I finally managed to sneak my
way into Don Gabriel's fortress-like
house one dark night. The place was
crawling with guards and all sorts of
electronic security, but I'd seen a lot
worse in my spookshow days.
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I left a trail of unconscious bodies

behind me on my way in. When I got to
Don Gabriel's inner sanctum, he was
actually waiting for me there.
He was sitting in that overstuffed
leather chair of his, right behind that
huge mahogany desk that had been
polished to a mirror finish. His hair
had gotten gray over the years, and
he'd put on a few pounds, gotten soft.
His eyes, though, were as hard as ever.
He looked at me like a lion sizing up
his next meal.
"Come in," he said. "I've been
expecting you." He waved toward a
chair in front of his desk. I'm not quite
that stupid. I ignored his offer.
"I know what this is about," he said,
leaning over his desk, talking to me like
we were two old friends in on some
kind of secret, "and I can't tell you how
angry I am about it. You had a good life
with us here. We treated you well:
money, clothes, women."
With that he leaned back into his
chair and looked at me with disgust.
And now you're going to throw all
that away. Over what? A pissant kid.
Some snotnosed brat you don't even
know."
I kept my mouth shut and let him
rant. I wasn't there to talk, and he
wasn't the kind who would have
listened.
"Jesus, Patriot, what were you
thinking? That the punks just an
'innocent child'? Are you on drugs?
Nobody's irmocent!/I
He was standing up now, slamming
his hand down on his desk. He stared
at me for a long moment, his steely
eyes blazing at me .
Just then, a door to the left opened
up, and Vito Gabriel walked in. Vito
was a delta like me-very much like
me, in fact. Our powers were almost
identical.
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"I guess that's my cue." Vito smirked

as he sauntered into the room. He
flashed me a wide grin full of perfectly
straight, white teeth. His dark hair was
oiled back, and he wore a sharp, black
Versace suit.
His right fist glowed softly in the
dimly lit room.
I looked over from Vito to his uncle
Paolo. The Don was wearing the same
shit-eating grin.
"1 don't know what you're smiling
about," I told them with a calm I barely
felt. "Neither one of you is getting out
of here alive."
The Don barked a sharp laugh. "Be
serious, son. I know guys like you. I've
been working with them my whole life.
You've lost your edge. You've gone
soft. Anytime a killer starts worrying
about saving kids, he's not much good
as a killer anymore."
I glowered at him. He was right. I

was trying to put that part of my life
behind me, but he wasn't making it
easy. 1'd killed many times for my
employers, but 1'd never killed for
myself. This time, ] couldn't even say I
was just following orders.
My hands started to heat up, but as I
brought them up, Vito leveled a hotly
glowing fist straight at my head.
"Don't even think about it," he snarled.
"1'11 drop you like a brick."
He had me cold, so I let my hands
cool down. Guys like Vito rely on their
powers too much. They get cocky,
careless. He would slip up eventually. I
just had to wait for my chance.
"Smart boy," said the Don. I wanted
to reach out and wipe the smug look
off his face-along with most of his
teeth-but now wasn't the time. I
needed to be patient.
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The old man looked me in the eyes,

serious now. I'll remember his words
until my dying day-which may not be
all that far way, I know.
I'm all too aware of that.
"Patriot, I've been following you
now for many years. I keep track of all
the important people in my town, delta
or no. And now I've had the pleasure of
working with you for the past few
months."
He paused for a moment to wring
his hands. "This little job I sent you on,
it was a test. And I have to say, you
failed it horribly. All you had to do was
bring in one kid-show me that you
would follow my orders without
question.
"Instead, you defy me openly. You
know, if you had come to me and tried
to talk to me, honestly and in private,
none of this might have happened . But
no. You have to turn it into an 'issue'
between us.
"You known the situation I'm in. You
know that there are people who would
like to see me fall from power. To lose
face in front of these vultures is to court
death."
He really seemed like he'd given the
whole matter a lot of thought. I looked
closer and saw the bags under his eyes.
This was not a man who was sleeping
well.
"Now, I don't have a choice. It's
either you or me, Patriot. You or me.
''I'm afraid," he said, his voice heavy
with regret, "it's going to have to be
you."
With that, he leaned back in his chair
and gestured from Vito to me with his
hand. He kept his eyes on me the entire
time.
Don Paolo Gabriel knew the blast
was coming, but he never saw it. It
caught him in the side of the head and
nearly took it off his shoulders.
I looked up at Vito, stunned. He

stood there, his fist still smoking from
the blast.
"Uncle Paolo was right, Patriot,"
Vito grimaced. "There are lots of people
who wanted to see him go down. He
was getting old, soft. Time passed him
by."
He looked down a t the old man's
body. It lay slumped over the desk,
blood still spilling from its head,
creating an ever-widening crimson
pool that was beginning to drip onto
the floor.
When he looked back up at me, I had
my fist pointed at his head. It was
glowing hot.
He winked at me. "You don't really
want to do that, sport. As it is, you've
already got one murder on your
hands."
He motioned toward the Don's
swiftly cooling body. "The man who
led a manhunt against you is going to
be found dead in his house from a delta
blast. Who do you think the cops are
going to be looking for after that?
"After all, you're the one with the
registered powers. I'm just the grief
stricken nephew who---as far as they
know-is a reg.
"You've got the power, the motive,
and-thanks to you breaking in here
tonight- the opportunity." Vito smiled
at me broadly. "I couldn't have planned
it better."
I kept my fist leveled at him. "Tell
me," I asked flatly. "Since I've got his
death on my plate, why don't I go for
two? Either way, the penalty's the
same. They can't execute me twice."
Vito mulled that over for a moment,
but he already knew the answer.
"Two reasons, actually. First, Uncle
Paolo was right: You're getting soft. I'm
not threatening you at all, and you're
not the kind to kill in cold blood .
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"Second, I've just done you the favor

of your life."
I looked a t him hard, confused.
"Think about it, Patriot. I've just
killed the man who was leading the
charge after you. After this, there's
going to be a battle to see who gets to
take over the Crescent City operations.
I've got my money on the right horse,
and if we win, I can guarantee we
won't bother trying to settle an old
score Uncle Paolo had with you.
"You're free.
"As far as I'm concerned, you can
walk away from here tonight and never
look back. Sure, the cops are going to
pin the murder on you, but with all the
other charges they've already got on
you, that's the least of your problems,
right?
"At least you know the family isn't
after you any more."
He paused to look me dead in the
eye. "You're free to go, pal. But you'd
better hurry. Some of those guards you
took out are bound to start waking up
soon-and if they find you in here with
Uncle Paolo's body, well, who knows
what might happen."
I lowered my fist for a moment, and
it was then that Vito began to laugh. It
started out as just a chuckle at first, but
it got louder and louder until it grated
on my nerves.
"Hey, Patriot," Vito said as he
walked over to the picture window
behind his dead uncle's desk. "I always
knew you were a smart guy."
With that, I brought both fists to bear
on the man and blasted him right
through the window. He tumbled out
from the second-story in a shower of
shattered glass, a hole smoking in his
expensive suit.
He cursed me all the way down. I
was pretty sure he'd survive the fall,
but to tell the truth, I didn't really care.
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THI DlflAHT VIARS

After the papers told the world that
I'd assassinated Don Paolo Gabriel, I
instantly became more infamous than
ever before. As with most events in my
life, there was an upside and a
downside to this .
The downside was the public was
now screaming for my head-loudly.
Delta Prime was already doing its best
to find me though, so I don't know that
this really made my life a whole lot
worse.
The other problem was that Vito
actually survived the fall. To this day, I
don't think he's ever forgiven me for
blasting him out the window, and
that's just the way I like it.
The main bright spot was the fact
that my having supposedly killed the
head of the Crescent City mafia
apparently turned a lot of heads in the
Defiance too. These people, though,
knew what a bastard the old Don was,
and they thought that anyone who
killed such a dangerous, old bastard
must be okay in their books.
As a result, I was contacted by the
Defiance for the first time. In fact, it
was Truth herself who sought me out. I
guess she figured that with her special
talent she could size me up better than
just about anyone else. Apparently she
liked what she saw, because she soon
after offered me a probationary
membership into her little club .
The first direct benefit of this was I
was able to find a home for the little
boy 1'd rescued. He seemed to enjoy
being on the road with me, but it was
no life for a child . Truth placed him
with a truly wonderful family who was
willing to care for him and-more .
importantly-risk jail to cover up hIS
true nature.
THE DHIANCf MOVEMENT AND ME

I've got to admit, despite the fact I'd
been part of the government for m~st
of my adult life, I never really felt lIke
much of a joiner. The military wasn't a
social club. It was a job and a dead
serious one at that.
Joining up with the Defiance fit me
just fine. More than I though it would.
After all, as organizations go, it's not
much of one. It's mostly just a bunch of
deltas who use the internet and other
means to coordinate a loosely run
resistance movement against the
United States government.
I knew all about the Defiance from
my days in Delta Prime. I'd hauled ill
more than one Defiant in my day, and
I'd sat in on the interrogation of a few
of those.
Whenever I did, one thought always
struck me: These are the people we're
so afraid of? Dear God, most of them
could barely string three sentences
together, much less mount a massive,
coordinated campaign against a
powerful, popular, and entrenched
government.
In those days, I didn't think the
Defiants had a chance.
Of course, I'm not so sure if I'd
change my tune these days. Over the
past few years, the Defiance's influence
and power has grown by leaps and
bounds, but it's hardly ready to turn
the world on its ear.
All rumors to the contrary, the
Defiance will not be la unching a
massive sneak attack on the world at
the end of the millennium. That kind of
undertaking requires all sorts of skills,
ordnance, and intelligence that only the
government of a large country could
possibly supply.
Let's just put it this way: It ain't
gonna happen.
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MYTH MANAGEMENT
The other common misconception
people seem to have about the Defiance
is that it's one, large, well-oiled
terrorism machine. That's what the
papers tell you, after all, so it must be
true, right?
If there's one thing I've learned over
the years it's that you can't trust
anything anyone ever tells you. It
doesn't matter if it comes from the lips
of Dan Rather or straight from the
mouth of el presidente himself. People
only tell you what they want you to
hear. That's true of the President, your
preacher, your family, and yourself.
That's doubly true for me, so be
careful when you're reading this. For
one, are you sure this piece was
actually written by Patriot? Who told
you that? And who told them?
And how do you know that what
I'm writing hasn't been edited? A smart
censor would actually leave in text like
what I'm writing now-or maybe add
in some herself-just to make the
whole piece seem that much more
authentic.
It's a twisted world out there,
troopers, and there are days when you
shouldn't even trust yourself. For me,
those are the best ones, because at least
I know I'm ready for whatever cards
the world has to deal me.
fACTS AND fAnlONS

The truth is-if you think you can
trust what I say-the Defiance is really
a loose conglomeration of several
different resistance movements, each of
which tells you that it's the heart of the
Defiance. Getting all of these factions to
agree on anything is like trying to talk
sense to your dog. It only wastes your
time and annoys the dog.
There are factions that think that

blowing up the White House is the first
step toward peace. There are others
that think Kennedy's doing a great job
of keeping the regs in the dark, it's just
that they want the reins of power for
themselves. Then there are those that
just want to be left alone but find that
they can't peacefully convince the
Primers to do that.
Most, if not all, of these factions use
the forums and chat rooms at the Delta
Times website to relay information back
and forth to each other. Lots of people
try to use all sorts of crazy codes to
communicate with each other. It's a
website, after all, which means it's not
exactly a private venue.
Others freely speak their minds,
giving details on where they are and
what they've been doing. Most times
they do this because they're confident
they'll be moving on before anyone
from Delta Prime could use the
information to track them down. Other
times, they're just desperate enough for
help to not really care too much about
who answers their call.
My SIDE
When it came to choosing sides, I
stuck with myself. If you're a new
Defiant, I suggest you do the same.
Sure, there are factions within the
Defiance that you could do a lot worse
than fall in with, but once you do, you
become a target for every other faction.
It's best to step back from the whole
politically twisted thing and take your
time before you declare any alliances.
Of course, I didn't take that advice to
heart myself. What was it Sister Cabrini
used to tell me? "Do as I say, not as I
do!" I can see her point now. Looking
at myself, I'm a pretty lousy example of
how to do things right.
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I fell in with Truth pretty quickly.

She's a powerful woman, and I'm not
talking about her delta abilities. Being
able to figure out if someone's telling
the truth or not isn't much good in a
firefight.
No, Truth's just a forceful
personality. When she's convinced of
something, she argues for it like Moses
bringing down the 10 Commandments
from Mt. Sinai and smashing them at
his people's feet.
When she talks, you listen.
At least I do, and if you're reading
this on the Delta Times website, you
probably agree with me.
Truth's one of the few people that
actually manages to stay above the
fracas that's always going on between
the different factions. She's got no
interest in anyone's agenda but her
own, and hers she wears on her sleeve.
THE TRUTH
Truth's all about the truth. She wants
to drag it screaming and crawling out
of the backrooms and boardrooms and
into the harsh light of day. She figures
that if all the regs really knew what
was going on in this country-if they
could really see how much we're all
alike-we wouldn' t be in the state
we're in.
"Knowledge is power," she's always
telling me. "Right now, the people have
given Kennedy and Delta Prime all of
the power. The government's got a
stranglehold on information in this
country. When that's broken, the
people will be able to free their minds .
Like the song says, if they can do that,
the rest will follow."
I like Truth a lot, but I don't know if I
always agree with her. In my
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experience, there are some matters that

can't be settled by talking it out. Of
course, she'd fight to the death to
defend my right to disagree with her.
Or fight to take that right back.
No matter whether you agree with
the woman or not, she's worth listening
to. She's been at this Defiance thing a
while, and people have a way of seeing
the honest goodness in her and
opening up to her.
There's not an important Defiant in
this country that doesn't count on
Truth as a reliable source if not actually
as a friend . I'm talking about real
Defiants, of course, not crooks or killers
who simply wrap the title around
themselves as a cloak of respectability.
Those posers toss around words like
"freedom fighters" or "rebels" when all
they really want to do is rob, riot, and
kill for the sheer "pleasure" of it.
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RIDIMPTIOH
I bear a lot of guilt for the things I

did when I was a member of Delta
Prime. I was a willing party to the
atrocities the President visited upon the
American people. Even I wasn't always
the one committing the actual crimes, I
was complicit in them.
I knew what was going on, and I let
it happen. Worse yet, I had the power
to stop it, and I didn' t.
Once I got in with Truth and the
Defiance though, that changed. It was
like I'd been reborn, given a second
chance to make things right, and I
didn' t waste any time trying to make
up for past mistakes.
I spent a lot of my time avoiding the
Primers that had been assigned to
hunting me down. They were a dogged
bunch, always just a step or two behind
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me. Still, I managed to keep them

guessing about my whereabouts and
my motives for a long time.
Unfortunately, that didn' t last.
SAVE THE (HILDREN

There's that old saw that says
something like, "If you want to change
the world, start with the kids."
I took tha t to heart.
Under Truth's guidance, I made it
my mission to find young deltas and
contact them before they were hauled
in by Delta Prime. Sometimes it was a
thankless job, with more than one
brainwashed kid wanting to turn me in
as soon as he saw my mask.
I can hardly blame the kids for being
afraid. After all, the papers had been
telling them for years that Patriot was
the kind rogue element that would rip
open your skull and eat your brains
with a golden spoon. You can see why
they might not have been happy to see
me .
Others though-most of them
already on the run from the Primers
were ready to discount what they'd
heard about me. It's easy to think that
the government might have lied about
someone else when you've got a
platoon of Primers hauling in your
family for questioning and hunting you
down like a rabid dog.
I hauled a lot of young bacon out of
the fire and turned them over to Truth.
She tells me she's managed to place
them all with sympathetic families
willing to risk jail to give a poor,
scared, innocent kid a second chance.
Of course, some of those kids aren't
in this country anymore. A few of them
have even escaped to places like
Australia, where there are no laws
against having delta powers, and
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DOWN UNDER
A lot of deltas dream about making
it to the land down under, but it's not
all it's cracked up to be. All kinds of
deltas-good and bad-run rampant
around the place, which makes it a
dangerous place to live, delta or not.
The people who are afraid of deltas
aren't all wrong, you know. There's a
lot to be afraid of.
Sure, you can leave your country
behind for a life in another land where
you've got rights. Given the current
state of affairs in the USA, there's no
shame in giving up and heading out.
All I'm saying is if you're looking for
paradise, there's no place that qualifies
on this ravaged planet.
AMERICA, RIGHT OR WRONG
That's the phrase that my instructors

in Delta Prime pounded into my head
over the years. The idea behind it is
that you always do what your country
asks of you because it's your country,
no matter what you might personally
believe.
That's a crock.
Abe Lincoln said it best. We're
supposed to be a democracy. "Of the
people, by the people, and for the
people."
We're not here to serve some crazed
despot just because he's in charge.
America's about the people, not the
power.
I believe in that catchphrase though.
"America, right or wrong." America
might be wrong these days, but I'm not
about to abandon her. This is my
country, dammit, and I'm going to stick
with her, no matter what.
For some people, that means they
should stay in their jobs and do what
they can to change things with what
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little power they have. You see this

when a Primer hauls in a kid and
falsifies the report to show that the
poor rookie's only had her powers for a
few days, all so she can avoid a free
trip to New Alcatraz.
That might have been enough for me
at one point, when I was able to fool
myself into thinking that my
superiors-all the way up to the
President himself-knew better than I
what was in the country's best
interests.
Not anymore. I stopped doing that a
long time ago.
WE THE PEOPLE
In the end, it all gets right back to
that preamble to the Constitution: "We
the people."
We the people give the government
its power. That's one thing that's never
changed in America, even in the last 40
years.
Think about it. When Kennedy
pushed the Delta Registration Act
through Congress, was there a hue and
cry from the people? No, we let it zoom
right on through. Hell, we couldn't get
that bill passed fast enough.
And when the President declared
martial law 36 years ago, did the
American public complain? You might
thjnk we would have, but no.
Why?
We were scared.
We were scared, so we surrendered
control of our own destiny and put it in
the hands of a power-mad man with
aspirations of ruling over us like
royalty.
Back in the early '60s, the media
used to call Kennedy's White House
"Camelot." At the time, I'm sure they
never realized how prophetic they
were being.
PROfiLES IN COURAGE
Kennedy himself wrote a book once:
Profiles in Courage. It was about
standing up for yourself and your
country and what you believed in.
You should go back and read that. It
rings more true today than ever before.
You don't see a lot of courage in
America these days. No, you see
people cowering in fear of atomic
annihilation and delta-caused mayhem.
The American public is frightened
out of its collective mind. It's easy to
see why. Never in the history of
humanity has the future of the world
ever been so uncertain. Never has so
much hung in the balance.
This isn't a time to be scared though.
When the days are darkest, that's when
you need to look deep inside yourself
for the light.
In this new world, it's the time to be
brave.
THE WAY BACK

As a people, we can put an end to
the fears that put a stranglehold on our
freedoms. We can restore democracy to
our land once again. We can make our
country right. All it takes is courage.
If we're not afraid of the "Soviet
threat" or the "Delta threat" or any
other threat the government might
manage to come up with; if we take
each day knowing that it might all
come to an end and stand our ground,
preferring that it end well rather than
go on so badly; if we truly share the
values of our founding fathers-that
we have the right to life, liberty, and
the pursuit of happiness-then nothing
can stand in our way.
Well, that's not exactly true.
Nothing can stand in your way. By
the time you read this, I'll be dead.
.!.
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JULY 4, 1999
My trial ended today, on our nation's

birthday. As I sit here writing these
words, I can hear fireworks exploding
in the distance. I can 't see them from
the tiny window in m y cell, but I can
imagine them in my mind's eye.
The Fourth of July was always my
favorite holiday, even when I was a kid.
As an orphan, lots of the other holidays
didn't mean a whole lot. Sure, at St.
Savio's they always made a fuss over
us kids during Christmas and Easter
and even our birthdays, but it wasn' t
like celebrating with a real family, if
you know what I mean.
When the Fourth rolled around
though, the entire country got together
and congra tula ted ourselves and our
founders on being brave enough to
stand on our own.
.. Home I
It was one of the few times in my life

that I really felt like I was part of a
family, and my brothers and sisters
were everyone else in the country. And,
of course, the President was our
benevolent father. That all changed
when our country's doting mother got
blown to pieces in Dallas in 1963.
If there's one thing I could change in
all of history, it would be that one
moment. I'd have Superior sweep in
just minutes earlier and mop the floor
with the entire Dreadnaut team.
Better yet, I'd do it myself. And then
I'd continue on to find the Devastator
and put him in his grave 13 years
before the Bicentennial Battle.
The seeds to that tragedy-to the
whole downfall of our nation-were
sown on that fateful November
morning. But there's really no such
thing as a second chance.
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- ~ - History I
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Home I
My TRIAL
I've never really been much on
second chances myself. If you do things
right the first time, you don't need
them.
That's not to say that I always did
everything right. But I always did my
best.
I don't regret saving that girl from
the DP recruitment team. Sure, I knew
they'd be hot on her heels, and I knew
there was a good chance they' d be
ready for me. I did it anyway.
Why?
Because she needed a hand.
I mean, isn't that why you help
people?
THf (HARGfS
Still, that's not wha t I was on trial
for. Actually, helping the girl" flee
justice" was one of the charges, but
there was a laundry list of others, most
of them a lot more serious.
The worst charges were things like
"espionage," "dereliction of duty," and
so on. Technically, I was AWOL from
Delta Prime too, since I never had my
resignation approved.
Anyone of those charges would
have been enough to give me a lifetime
pass to the New Alcatraz cafeteria . That
wasn't enough for Walter Mulroney,
the federal prosecutor on my case. No,
he wanted me to go down for a capital
offense: murder.
Now, I've killed a lot of people in my
time, almost all in the service of my
country. I almost couldn't believe
which one Mulroney decided to charge
me with: the death of Paolo Gabriel.
To me, it's the final insult to my
country that the federal prosecutor
couldn't come up with a real crime to
hang me for.
.!..
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I had always been pretty careful

about committing crimes in the past.
Part of the training I got at Delta Prime
and with the CIA concentrated not only
on what to do but how to get away
with it clean. That was my job, and I
was good at it.
It's hard to cover up for a crime you
didn't actually commit though,
especially when someone out there's
doing his best to frame you for it. All
the evidence against me was
circumstantial, of course. The kicker
was the eyewitness: Vito Gabriel.
I never should have let that son of a
bitch live.
WITNESS fOR THE PROSE(UIION

You probably saw at least part of
Vito's dramatic testimony against me.
It was on every channel, I'm told, and I
believe it.
I watch the news regularly myself,
just so I can keep up on what Kennedy
wants everyone to believe. When
you're fighting a disinformation
campaign, it helps to know what you're
up against. My favorite bits were the
times I was spotted in different cities
across America, some of which I'd
never been to in my life.
Anyhow, Vito stood up in that
witness box, laid his hand on the Holy
Bible, and swore to tell the truth, the
whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Then he proceeded to lie through his
teeth.
Vito was no stranger to a courtroom,
of course. Mulroney had personally
brought him up on charges of
racketeering and conspiracy a half
dozen times over the years.
That's what happens when you're
the head of the leading local crime
family. The law always wants to talk to
you.
Stop
Hame l
Apparently the government wanted

to make an example of me. They
wanted me bad enough to actually
grant Vito immunity for previous
crimes in return for his testimony.
You'd think a detail like that might
have raised a few red flags for the
judge or jury, but they didn't seem
worried about any potential conflict of
interest.
WE, THE JURY

I was actually flattered that Judge
"Iron" Mike Byron bothered to call in a
jury for my trial. That's a nicety that
most judges don't mess around with
these days.
Rumor had it that word had come
down from the highest levels of the
government that my trial was to have
every semblance of being fair and
impartial. Note that a "semblance"
doesn't mean "really."
In fact, the jury was stacked with the
most conservative bunch of delta
haters you could find. My attorney, the
legendary defense lawyer Connor
Darrow, did his best to stack the jury in
my favor, but it didn't do much good.
Apparently the government stacked
the entire jury pool, which was
"selected" long before Darrow even
saw these people.
MY LAWYER
Darrow's really one of a kind. He
actually took my case on free of charge
because, in his words, "It was the right
thing to do."
You can't buy help like that.
Believe me, I tried. No other lawyer
in the entire city would touch my case
with a habeus corpus. They all knew it
was a losing proposition from the start,
and none of them wanted to be
I http://welcome_to_deltatimes/page
39
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branded a "Defiant sympa thizer" for

taking the trouble to lend me a hand.
Judge Byron was about to appoint me a
public defender when Darrow stepped
forward.
In my opinion, Darrow's a great
man, cast in the mold of his
grandfather, the near-mythic Clarence
Darrow. He takes on cases because he
believes in them, win or lose.
The elder Darrow had the reputation
of having never had a single client
actually face the death penalty for his
crimes. What's even more amazing
about that is he went out of his way to
take capital cases simply because he
was so against the death penalty.
Connor's like that-he's got that
same sense of being on a crusade
except he takes cases in which the
defenders are deltas. I don't know if he
likes losing or he's just plain stubborn.
Home I
THf COURT
Connor's record isn't exactly as
spotless as his grandfather's, but it's
not from a lack of skill. Under
Kennedy's version of martial law, the
burden of proof in a violent crime is
not "beyond a reasonable doubt." It's
more like, "If you might be guilty, the
country's probably better off with you
in jail."
I mean, why take chances, right? It's
better to have an innocent person rot in
jail than risk the lives of the rest of us.
After all, if the prosecutor believes
enough in the case to bring charges,
you're probably in a position to have
committed the crime. Even if you're
"innocent" this time around, who's to
say you haven't committed the crime in
the past? Or worse yet, might do so in
the future?
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"Iron Mike" was pretty clear with his

instructions to the jury members.
Unless Darrow could prove my
innocence entirely, I was to be
convicted.
Of course, all that happened off
camera.
THf IVlDfNCf
The trial itself was fairly short, but
the case the prosecution presented was
pretty darn good. Vito was a sharp
man, and he'd planned this crime as a
frame job from the start. Even in the
pre-martial law days, I'd have been
facing an uphill battle.
As it was, I was doomed.
I mean, I was in the room when
Paolo Gabriel died, and I'd busted a lot
of his guard's heads to get there. Better
yet, since Paolo had put out a call for
my death, I had a strong motive for
wanting him dead.
And, of course, Paolo had been
killed by a delta blast to the head. The
crime fit me to a T, and they wrapped
me up and found me guilty in it.
The best part was that Vito was an
unregistered delta. Sure, everyone in
the family knew he had some kind of
mojo working for him, but he kept his
cards pretty close to his chest, and none
of his close associates were going to
turn him in. Those that had thought
about it had ended up like his Uncle
Paolo: unable to give it another thought
for the lack of brains still in their skull.
Still, either the bosses at Delta Prime
didn't know anything about it-which
I found hard to believe-or better yet,
they did, and they didn't want to do
anything about it. I'd bet my last dollar
that Vito's immunity package included
a wink and a nod from Delta Prime.
Vito's eyewih1ess testimony was the
final nail in my coffin. The bastard
actually managed to summon up tears

for his "poor, dead uncle."
The at-home viewers were instantly
convinced that the government was
simply putting down a mad dog,
someone who was a danger to
themselves and their children. I wasn't
the hero the Defiance had made me out
to be. In fact, I was a dozen times worse
than the original reports had led
everyone to believe.
If the prosecution had suddenly
introduced a charge at that point,
claiming that I ate babies, I think the
public would have believed it.
Like I said before, the Kennedy
government rules through fear. Once
Mulroney was through with his case,
the person everyone was afraid of was
me.
You can guess how things went from
there.
THf DfHNSf
Conner did his best, but it was
hopeless from the start. Still, we had to
try.
He called in Hector Comacho (my
old CO in Delta Prime), Captain Suze
Connick (my CO in Delta Squadron),
and even Sister Cabrini. Each one of
them testified to the strength of my
character and convictions.
Sister Cabrini's words were
particularly moving, as she told the
world about the orphaned child she'd
helped raise. "I've always been proud
of him," she said. "No matter what
anyone says about him, I know him,
and he's a good man."
The jury wasn't swayed.
Conner even put me on the stand.
Conventional wisdom said doing
something like that was suicide, but
when you're already pretty much dead,
what have you got to lose?
rhttp://welcome_to_deltatimes/page 41
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My nSTlMONY
Darrow: For the record, please state
your name.
Patriot: My name is JOM Cruise.
People call me Patriot.
Darrow: Tell me, Mr. Cruise
Patriot. Where were you on the night in
question, the night of the murder of
Paolo Gabriel?
Patriot: I was in his home.
Darrow: And what were you doing
there?
Patriot: I was working for him at the
time, and I'd decided to quit. He didn't
much care or that, so he'd put out a
contract on my life.
Darrow: He wanted you dead?
Patriot: Yes.
Darrow: It seems like you'd hardly
be welcome in his home then. What
were you doing there?
Hamel
Patriot: I came to ask Mr. Gabriel to

leave me alone.
Darrow: And did he agree to do
that?
Patriot: No. In fact, he ordered one of
his men to kill me on the spot.
Darrow: And who was this man, this
killer?
Patriot: Vito Gabriel. He's sitting
right over there.
.
Darrow: But you're not dead, and
neither is Vito Gabriel. What
happened?
Patriot: Vito shot his uncle instead.
Darrow: Why would he do that?
Patriot: My guess is he wanted him
dead.
Patriot: Seriously, Vito wanted to
take over is uncle's operations in
Crescent City.
Darrow: Did he succeed at that?
Patriot: With his uncle out of the
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Home
way he was able to take control of the

city's most powerful criminal
organiza tion.
Darrow: But Paolo Gabriel was
found dead from a delta blast. How do
you explain that?
Patriot: Paolo's a delta, a blaster. It's
a well-kept secret.
Darrow: Do you have any way to
prove that?
Patriot: Any doctor could figure it
out.
Darrow: I see. I have no further
questions.
Patriot: Judge Byron? I'd like to say
something in my own defense.
Patriot: Ladies and gentlemen of the
jury. Let me first say how wonderful it
is to see a jury in this country after so
much time.
You've heard enough lies here today.
I'll make this brief.
I've done a lot of things in my life
even some things I'm not so proud of
but I didn't kill Paolo Gabriel.
Even if I'm innocent of that though,
there are plenty of other charges the
goverrunent could convict me on. I
haven't led the most exemplary life, as
I'm sure you know. But before you go
into that room and deliberate-before
you deliver your verdict-you need to
ask yourself one question.
Why am I here?
It's because I'm a delta.
Because I'm a delta, the government
sees me as a threat to this great nation
of ours. And maybe you agree.
But the fact is I'm no monster. I'm
just as human as you-or your
children. I come with all the flaws and
blessings of humanity, and at the heart
of myself, I'm no better or worse than
anyone else.
Although perhaps I'm a bit more
foolish than some. You see, I still
believe in this country of ours, no
matter how perverted its values have

become over the years. I still believe we
can get to a place in which we see each
other as human beings, where we can
break down the walls that force the
situation to become "us" versus
" them."
There's no justice in this society
anymore, my friends. There's "just us."
That might seem fine to you when
you're part of the "us" in power, but
being on the other side of that fence
isn't all it's cracked up to be.
When it really comes down to it, that
wall's just a sham that's been put up to
make you think you need the people
who raised the wall for you. They tell
you that, if the wall was to come down,
you'd be overwhelmed, destroyed, and
even killed .
That's a lie.
There are all kinds of deltas in this
world, just as there are all kinds of
people. Having amazing powers
doesn't make you any better or worse
than your fellow human beings. 1
anything, it only makes you all that
much more human to begin with.
1 you're going to convict me just for
being a delta, than go ahead. I'm
certainly guilty of that.
Please remember one thing for me.
Just about everything I did in the
course of my life, I did for my country.
Not just for me or for other deltas, but
for you and everyone else in this great
nation of ours.
After all, I'm nothing if not a patriot.
Now that I've stepped out of line,
Uncle Sam wants to disown me in the
worst way. You can stop that from
happening. You can make a difference.
All you've got to do is what your heart
already knows is right: find me
innocent-if you dare.
Please, for your sake and mine, be
brave.
IhUp://welcome_to_deltatimes/page 43
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THf WHOLf POilU

Haven't you been paying attention?
I might talk a good game, but that's
not worth a whole lot when you're up
against almost four decades of martial
law. The people's need to be protected
by our government like a classroom of
lost kindergartners has allowed those
in power to strip us so cleanly of power
that it's almost impossible to even
think about taking it back.
It's been that way so long, I don't
even think we'd know what to do with
that power if we had it again.
The general helplessness of our
people has been so ingrained into our
society, that it's almost impossible to
fight. What we need now are leaders
who can show the people how to have
courage, who can help them get to a
place where they feel like they can step
Hame l
from the shadows and stand on their

own once again. Unfortunately, any
time someone steps forward to fill that
kind of a role, she gets shot down
sometimes literally.
The way Darrow argued it in his
closing remarks, a verdict against me
was a verdict against hope, against any
chance for a change for the better in
this country. Not only that, but he
warned that my death would cause
riots across the country when outraged
deltas decided to take their anger out
on their fellow citizens.
Sure, deltas were hauled in by the
government all the time---and nobody
ever rioted then-but they rarely got a
trial. And if they did, it sure wasn't the
main source of news and entertainment
on television for months at a time.
According to Darrow, I'd become a
hero to deltas everywhere.
[http://welcome_to_deltatimes/page 44
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Better yet, m y trial had become a

metaphor for how American deltas
everywhere were being treated by their
govenunent. The government had
wanted to make a quick example of me
to show what happens to a Delta
Primer who deserts his post.
Instead, they got the trial of the
century.
Darrow did a good job turning the
whole point of the case around on the
feds. It quickly went from being a
murder case to a trial about how the
government treats and recruits deltas.
In fact, Darrow did his level best to put
the Constitutionality of the entire DRA
on trial.
And the best part was that once the
whole thing got started the government
was too afraid of public backlash to
turn the cameras off. Either that, or
they ~ust kept hoping for Mulroney to
turn It back around in the end.
He never did.
Not that it mattered all that much, of
~ourse. As much effort as Darrow put
mto the case, you just can' t turn around
decades of indoctrina tion in the course
of a few days.
In the end, I think we did manage to
reach some people. Judge Byron, I
know, was sympathetic to my plight.
He was old enough to remember what
~t was like to live free, among a people
m control of their own destiny. Still,
even if we changed his mind abou t us,
we weren't going to change his actions.
"Iron Mike" was hard-minded
enough to remember tha t no rna tter
how many fancy verbal games Darrow
might play with Mulroney, the fact was
that this case wasn't really about the
Delta Registration Act or any kind of
delta scare.
In reality, it all carne down to
murder, and as I said before, that case
was pretty damn tight against me .
THE VERDICT
T~e jury deliberated for three days. I
was Impressed that it took that long
even encouraged. For a few happy
moments there, I even found myself
hoping for an acquittal-or at the very
least a hung jury.
In the end though, it just meant more
time for me to rot in jail.
The verdict came back just like I
expected it to.
Guilty as charged.
THE SENTEN(E
During the sentencing hearing,
Darrow hauled in just about everyone
who might have a single good thing to
say about me. I was amazed and truly
touched b y the number of people who
stepped forward to reveal how-at one
time or another in the past-I'd
actually done something that had
changed their lives for the better. Some
of them I'd even saved from certain
death.
I didn't even recognize most of them,
but they were grateful just the same.
Mulroney ignored the character issue
and stuck to the" facts " of the case
s~ch as they were. He showed hu~e
pIctures of Paolo Gabriel's bloody
corpse. He brought in Paolo's widow
and bereaved children. He even got
Vito up on the stand to curse my name.
In the end, it took the jury another
three days to come up with the final
decision of my life.
I'm sure you read about it in the
papers or saw it on TV. There's no
secret about what the result was.
Death. What else is there for a man
in my position?
Now I've just got to wait for my turn
to walk the last mile.
Delaney, baby, I'm on my way.
- ~- History
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AUGUST 4, 1999
Today is the day I die.

In my line of work, I think about
death a lot. Oh, I try not to let it bother
me, but there's always this very real
threat of dying hanging over me like
the sword of Damocles.
There are lots of ways to die. I
always thought I'd end up getting shot
to death in a gunfight or having my
head torn off by some delta outlaw or
whatever.
I expected to die young.
When I was young, death didn't
mean anything to me. Risking my life
was a thrill.
Sometimes I think that's one of the
reasons I didn't try to leave the
government earlier. I actually enjoyed
my work.
Hey, I got to travel the world, meet
all sorts of people, and then oppress
them on behalf of the United States
government. Plus I got paid.
Back then, death seemed like
something far off, something for other
people. Not for me.
Hell, I could bounce bullets off my
skin. Death wasn't even on my dance
card.
Since then though, deatll's become
an old friend.
I've seen lots of people die over the
years. Some were friends I mourned.
Others I killed myself.
It's never easy.
I like to think tha t everyone I ever
hurt deserved it, but I know that's not
quite true. But most of them got what
was coming to them-at least from
Uncle Sam's point of view.
Now it's my turn.
And death's no friend of mine.
If you were to look back on my life,
you'd probably see it in one of two
ways.
Hame l
POINTS Of VIEW
Some people would call me a traitor
to my country. I was an exemplary
soldier for a good, long time, and then
something suddenly went wrong.
From that point of view, I should
now make a deathbed conversion back
to Kennedy's doctrine. I should
apologize for leaving the fold of Delta
Prime and working against my
government. I should truly regret what
I've done.
Well, that's not going to happen.
Others-Defiants, probably-might
say that I was more like Saul on the
road to Damascus. For a long time, I
worked on the side of evil, until
suddenly I was struck down and saw
the light.
After tha t, I worked to make things
right, to atone for my past misdeeds.
Unfortunately, I'm being cut down now
before I can complete my work.
You know, that's a point of view I
could really get behind. But it's not
entirely accura te either.
I'm tired. My work here is done. I've
struggled long and hard for the
Defiance over these last 10 years.
Sometimes I think I've made a dent in
the injustice we all face every day.
Other times, well, I'm not so sure.
Either way, my work is over. There's
not going to be any cavalry coming
over the hill this time. There won't be
any daring jailbreak. The warden's not
going to come down here this evening
and find an empty cell.
And that's okay. I had a good life. I
muddled through it as best I could, and
all I can say is I hope I left things better
than I found them-or at least better
than they would have been if I'd not
been around. But just because I'm
about to shuffle off this mortal coil
doesn't mean my work's over.
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OUR WORK
Whoever might read this-whether
you're a Defiant or a Primer or even
just an average Jane or Joe--I've got a
challenge for you.
Look around you and think about
what this country's become. Watch
how people can be ripped from their
beds in the middle of the night. How
they can be tossed into jail without any
recourse. How we all live in terror.
There are good reasons to be afraid.
This is a dangerous word we live in,
after all. But the fact is that the worst
crimes are the ones we've committed to
ourselves.
We let the government take over our
lives. We were scared, and we gave
over our power to a small group of
people who wield it like a club.
We were afraid that things were
getting out of control, so we
surrendered control to a "higher
power," our federal government. Now
things truly are out of our control.
Let me say this again: We did this to
ourselves, and we did it willingly.
But it's not too late.
We can change things, turn it all
around, restore a government of the
people, by the people, and for the
people.
We just have to want it bad enough.
If you do, if you want liberty so bad
you can taste it, then step up and take
charge of your streets. Take charge of
your community. Take charge of your
life.
That's the secret that our President
doesn't want you to know. He's only in
power because we let him be.
And we can change that.
All you need to do is want it bad
enough to step forward and grab back
the control you surrendered.
It's yours for the taking.
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THE DEATH Of AHERO

For those of you who've been living
on another planet for the last few
months, here's the news of the year:
Patriot is dead.
As my regular readers know, Patriot
was a good friend of mine, and I'm
going to miss him more than I can
possibly express in a few, short w?rds.
He was a true friend, a true Amencan,
and-yes-a true Defiant.
He's one man who lived up to his
codename.
Now, I know some of you are
shaking your heads. "What?" you're
asking yourself. "Is she on crack?
Patriot was the most subversive
Defiant around!"
That's certainly one way of looking
a t it. After joining the Defiance about
10 years ago, Patriot threw himself into
the organization in a way that few
others had before or have since. That
fervent dedication to liberty and
freedom for Defiants and deltas and
regs everywhere was what drove him
to such amazing lengths.
That's exactly what I'm talking
about. Patriot was dedicated to the idea
of America as it was created by our
founders-not the beastly thing it's
been mutated into today by Kennedy
and his jackbooted thugs.
He cared about all those inalienable
rights that most of us just pay lip .
service to. Not him though. To Patnot,
our rights as citizens were something
sacred, right up there with mom and
apple pie.
.
You could even say that Amenca
was his religion. Sure the flock may
have strayed from its proper course,
but he was determined to do what he
could to keep the rest of us on the
straight and narrow.
"'1-+1
THE (OLD, HARD fACTS

Since this is supposed to be a news
article, I should get the facts out of the
way before we go much further.
John Cruise-better known as the
masked Defiant called Patriot-was
executed early this morning by a firing
squad.
Cruise was incarcerated in New
Alcatraz prison, in the heart of Chicago
Bay, for the past six months. He was
there on charges related to his work to
undermine the Delta Registration Act,
most often by helping unregistered
deltas avoid capture by Delta Prime.
The most notable charge in the
laundry list of offenses Cruise allegedly
committed was the murder of noted
mob leader Paolo Gabriel nearly 10
years ago. The conviction on this
charge is apparently how Cruise
merited his death sentence.
Cruise was brought out into the
prison's exercise yard for his midnight
execution. Apparently at the moment
that Patriot was brought into the yard,
a group of Defiants attempted a valiant
jailbreak aimed at freeing Cruise before
he could be killed.
Unfortunately, Delta Prime was more
than ready for this last-ditch effort to
free the prisoner. In an unusual move,
they increased the power to the null
field generator that surrounds the
island, instantly nullifying the powers
of everyone of the Defiants-even
those that thought they were safely out
of the field's range. Primers flying
specially shielded Armorgeddon suits
made quick work of the suddenly
unpowered rescue team.
More than one Defiant died on that
island that night. Hard numbers are
impossible to come by, but I estimate
that up to three "rescuers" died, and
four more were captured.
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ATIMf fOR DYING

Then, of course, there was Patriot.
He stood straight and proud in his
prison blues, unshackled and ready for
his final reward. Never once on the
long walk from his cell to the yard did
he falter. Not once did a hint of fear
creep into his eyes.
Cruise knew what was coming. He'd
been preparing for this moment for
weeks. There were no surprises for
him, only the question about what
might wait for him on the other side of
this life.
In short, he was the epitome of
bravery.
The two-man firing squad, each
bearing a high-caliber rifle loaded with
armor-piercing bullets, waited for the
signal from Warden James Leffort. The
warden, looking grim due to the duties
he was obliged to carry out, stood
patiently by a nondescript black
telephone, hoping that someone on the
other end would pick it up and
announce that Cruise would be
reprieved.
The call never came.
Sensing tha t the time for mercy had
passed, Warden Leffort gave the two
riflemen a nod. They raised their rifles.
The warden asked Cruise if he had
any last words. He did, and he spoke
them so well as to move the entire
audience from pride to tears to shame.
(The transcript of this speech is
included at the end of this article.)
Then, granted the condemned man's
final request, Warden Leffort himself
stepped forward and handed Patriot
his mask. The man who'd gone from
hero to villain-or the other way
around, depending on your point of
view-stopped and looked into the
eyes of his mask for a moment like he
was trying to recognize an old friend.
Then, with the ease of decades of

practice, Cruise tied his mask over his
face. The red, white, and blue
bandanna fluttered softly in the night
breeze coming in off the bay as Patriot
stood tall against the surrounding
darkness .
The warden shook Patriot's hand
strongly, then gave him a quick, solemn
salute and backed away.
THf SHOTS HfARD 'ROUND THf WORLD

The two rifleman sighted down the
length of their weapons. Then, on a
signal from the warden, they fired as
one.
The first shots smashed into Patriot,
knocking him into the ground. Silence
reigned for a long moment.
Then he got up.
It's no surprise that a man as tough
as Patriot wasn't going to go down
with a single bullet. Two guards came
from the back of the small group of
observers assembled to watch this, and
they helped steady the wounded delta
on his feet. After a moment, he
shrugged them away and nodded for
the executioners to go on, almost as if
he was taunting them to do their worst.
The guards moved away, and the
shots rang ou t a second time, this time
knocking Patriot's battered body clear
off his feet . He lay there bleeding for a
long moment. The prison doctor went
over to examine his body, hoping to
finally be able to pronounce the man
merCifully dead-but it was not to be.
Patriot struggled to his knees. He
stayed there for a long moment, but
when the riflemen drew a bead on him
again, he made a superhuman effort to
make it to his feet. "I'm not dying on
my knees," he stated flatly as he
tottered precariously in the middle of
the yard, waiting for the next shots.
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They finally came.

This time, the bullets punched clear
through Patriot's body, blasting
outward from his back. He wobbled
there gracelessly for a moment before
finally collapsing in a heap that looked
curiously small for such a solid man.
The doctor tiptoed over to the corpse
and carefully examined it for a full
minute before finally declaring Patriot
dead.
The two guards who had helped
Patriot to his feet before now carried
out a gurney and carefully placed the
dead delta's body upon it. With little
ceremony, they covered the entire thing
with a white sheet that rapidly stained
red, then rolled the whole thing out of
there.
Somewhere in the audience, a press
hardened woman silently wept.
I know because it was me.
...
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THE AfTERMATH
Then, of course, there were the riots.
Actually, it's almost difficult to call
them riots. The word "riot" implies a
general breakdown of the social
structure, one in which most if not all
of the people in an area suddenly
decide to leave the law behind.
In this case, the only people rioting
were the less-responsible Defiants.
Many Defiants took to the street in the
aftermath of Patriot's execution,
determined to exact some kind of
retribution from the government and
the people who had put the best
known Defiant to death.
It was days before the police finally
had everything well in hand. In Los
Angeles, the riots raged much longer,
with Delta Prime actually ordering the
incineration of an entire city block.
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After all, it's the only sure way to

know that you've killed everyone in
the area, right? It certainly manages to
get that down pat.
Most of the rioters got tired of
hurting innocents and damaging
property once the sun came up the next
day. In fact, lots of Defiants actually
pitched in to stop their rioting brethren
when the local police and Delta Prime
units proved less than effective.
When the sun came up, lots of the
rioters went home, but there were a
few notable ones that just kept going
on and on and on.
Paula Wax ton-a Defiant who once
ran under the tag of "Liberty" and was
even Patriot's partner in the Defiance
for a couple years in the mid-'90s
actually went so far as to knock the top
off of the Crescent City Police
Headquarters. Repairs continue today.
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THE fUNERAL
As a veteran of Delta Squadron and
Delta Prime, Patriot was theoretically
entitled to a military funeral with full
honors. Instead, he was stripped of
even those last of his rights and buried
in a nondescript grave in a small
ceremony.
The location of Cruise's tombstone
was supposed to be a tightly held
secret, but eventually word of its
location leaked out. Over the past
week, the place has become a kind of
impromptu shrine. Dozens of people
have left flags of all sizes on and
around his gravesite.
Other people leave more traditional
things, like flowers. And many of the
Defiants who have managed to sneak
past the low-grade security to pay their
respects have even left their masks.
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It was a quiet, Catholic ceremony,
even though Cruise hadn't been a
practicing Catholic for years. It was
presided over by Father Patrick
Cooney, an old friend of Cruise's from
his childhood at St. Savio's Orphanage
in the lost city of Chicago.
A few of Patriot's friends from his
days with Delta Prime actually got up
to say a few words about him. The
most touching came from a hard
edged Hector Comacho, who called
Cruise, "The toughest son of a bitch, I
ever had the pleasure of working
with-and against."
In generat Defiants stayed away
from the ceremony, as the cemetery
was crawling with all sorts of police
and Delta Primers. Later that night,
though, a small group of Cruise's most
loyal friends got together for a
midnight meeting over the grave of the
man they-and the rest of the
country-had just lost.
We all wept bitter tears.
PATRIOT'S LAST WORDS

When asked if he had any last
words, this is what Patriot said.
"My fellow Americans, today I
finally fulfill a dream that I've had ever
since 1 was a boy. Today, I get to do
something both for my country and
what 1 believe in.
"I get to die for them.
"Some might fear death, but death's
been my friend for a long time. No,
that's not what I fear most.
"The thing that stops me in my
tracks is the thought that I could have
done more to help my fellow citizens.
That maybe 1 was too slow or simply
didn't work hard enough to improve
the lives of others.
"Now, I can lay those fears to rest,
for I am about to make the ultimate
sacrifice for those I care most about. I'm

going to die for them.
"My only hope is that my death
won't be in vain, but that's not really
up to me. No, it's up to you.
"It's up to you to go back to your
homes and talk to your families and
friends and tell them what I was all
about. Tell them that I lived my life the
best I knew how, trying to put an end
to the fascist, martial-law chokehold
threatening to strangle every last
freedom out of this country.
"Tell them that when it would have
been easiest to keep my head down
and my mouth shut-when the
smartest thing to do would have been
to run and hide-I held my ground.
Tell them that I stood up for what I
believed in, that I fought against
injustice in all its forms, right up until
the bitter end.
"And better yet, tell them that they
can do the same.
" A grea t American once said, "1
regret that I have only one life to give
for my country." That's exactly how I
feel. Because if 1had more lives, you
can bet they'd be lining up behind me
to fight the good fight against President
Kennedy and his fascist thugs!
"Of course, that's not how it works,
so I'm depending on the rest of the
world to wake up and follow my lead.
It's time to stand up for our rights or
lose them forever.
"And may God have mercy on those
who stand against the side of justice."
With that, Patriot stood ready to
receive his final punishment.
According to the doctor who
examined Patriot's body after the final
shots, he had one last thing to say. As
he lay there bleeding to death, he
managed to croak out this final
thought:
"Ever Defiant."
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CRESCENT CITY
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LIfE IN THE BIG (ITY

Crescent City is the newest kid on
the block-if the block you 're talking
about is "world metropolitan centers."
Like the song says, "If you can make
it there, you can make it anywhere."
Sure, it used to refer to New York City,
but the Big Apple's fallen on hard times
these days, what with most of
Manhattan declared a warzone.
Most people have heard about
Crescent City-if not, crawl out from
beneath that 40-ton rock you're living
under-but not everyone's been there.
Hey, the city's only been around for
just over 20 years, after all. What can
you expect.
THE NIGHT lHE UGHTS WENT OUT

It all began on July 4, 1976. Most of
the people in the city of Chicago were
busy celebrating the country's
bicentennial in true Midwestern style:
the barbecue.
While most of the average shmoes
were munching on bratwurst and
watching the fireworks fill the sky, just
about every decent alpha on the planet
was engaged in a roaring battle against
the Devastator and his Dreadnauts in
the heart of the city, right atop the then
tallest building in the world: the
mighty Sears Tower.
It was just after dusk when that big
flash of white light went off and ruined
everyone's day.
I'm not going to go into the gory
details about how many millions of
people were gone along with the city of
Chicago, a few of its suburbs, and a lot
of the bedrock that sat beneath them.
You can get that kind of information
just about anywhere. Most of it's even
fairly accurate, despite the government
censors.
+- 1-. 1
I mean, how are you going to lie

about something that big?
The fact is a staggering number of
people shuffled off this mortal coil that
day, and a lot of real estate went along
with them. That's a mindboggling
tragedy, the scope of which is almost
impossible for the human mind to
comprehend.
Go ahead and give it a try. I can't do
it.
ATRIUMPH OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT

Of course, where most of us saw the
most horrible crisis of all time, one man
saw opportunity. Ben Archer, the
president of Triumph, Inc., the largest
private employer of deltas in the world,
had a vision. Where there was dea th,
he would bring life. Where there was
destruction, he would rebuild. Where
there was despair, he would create
hope.
While most of the Chicago suburbs
were still digging themselves out of the
water, Archer was busy buying up
huge tracts of the freshest lakefront
property in the world. Some called him
a vulture for doing so, but the fact was
that he was paying good money for
land that was all but gone. Most people
were more than happy to cash his
checks-at least at the time.
A lot of those people are now kicking
themselves for not having held out just
a little bit longer. Before too many days
had passed, it became apparent what
Archer and Triumph were trying to do.
At his own expense, Archer sent in
dozens of teams of deltas to help clear
the rubble around the newly formed
Chicago Bay. No matter what you
might think of his motives, Archer 's
actions saved lives . When it was all
over, Triumph's deltas pulled more
than 500 people from the wreckage.
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On the one-month armiversary of the

disaster, Archer held a press conference
and made his now-historic
armouncement. He would be founding
a city in the ruins around the Chicago
crater. For the shape it makes on a map
as it hugs the edge of Chicago Bay, it
was to be called Crescent City.
THE (ARLY DAYS
When Crescent City first began, it

wasn't more than mile after mile of
waterlogged coastline. Even the waters
of Chicago Bay were filled with filth
and trash dragged in during the
disaster.
It was one huge mess.
Under contract from the federal
government's disaster relief program,
Triumph, Inc., set to work. It was the
largest and most focused delta effort
ever, surpassing even the failed attempt
to foil the Devastator's plans. After all,
there are a lot more pure deltas than
there ever were alphas out there.
The deltas had the place looking
much better in short order. Well, it
actually took the better part of a year,
but by the time summer rolled around
in 1977, the place was ready for some
new construction.
And so the cranes rolled in.
THI MAN WITH THI PLAN

When Archer envisioned Crescent
City, he wasn't thinking about just any
city. He had a plan.
Most older cities simply grew up
from whatever they happened to start
out as. The streets were often laid
down haphazardly, seemingly with no
rhyme nor reason.
That wasn't going to happen in
Crescent City.
Hame l
Archer 's architects labored day and

night for the entire year that his delta
teams cleared the rubble from the city.
When they were done, they submitted
their plan to the Illinois legislature for
approval. With President Kermedy's
tacit backing, the scheme was
overwhelmingly approved.
THI LAYOUT
Crescent City is flat-out huge. It
extends all the way around Chicago
Bay, which is basically a monstrous,
circular hole with a diameter of about
50 miles . This stretches from what was
once the northern suburbs of Chicago,
right to the edges of Gary, Indiana
(which was spared from the
destruction).
The city streets are actually laid out
in ever-expanding crescents that follow
the edge of Chicago Bay. The first street
is called Bayshore Drive, and it runs
along a huge cement levy that prevents
erosion from hauling Crescent City into
the bay. The streets that run concentric
to Bayshore Drive are called First
Crescent, Second Crescent, Third
Crescent, and so on. These run all the
way out to Ninth Crescent before they
give way to the older grid-style roads
tha t used to pass through the Chicago
suburbs.
Cross-streets run through the
crescent streets, cormecting them like
spokes in a wagon wheel. The first of
these is Center Street. This runs directly
east-west from the bay, and the corner
of Center and Bayshore is the ritziest
address in town. The cross-streets
rurming clockwise from here are called
North 1s l Street, North 2 nd , and so on.
(Here's a quick tip for you out-of
towners: Crescent names are spelled
out, while street names are ordinal
numbers.)
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The ones tha t run coun terclockwise

are called South l>t, South 2nd , and so
on.
This is all easy to understand when
you're looking at it on a map, but when
you're wandering around downtown
on foot, it's a whole different story.
What it boils down to is that there are
two kinds of streets in town. The
crescents are all curved, so if you look
down them, they eventually disappear
around corners. However, they follow a
wide curve, so you don't really notice
this when you walk along a block, only
when you look down a crescent. The
"streets," though, are straight as an
arrow, right up until they run into the
suburbs that used to sprawl around
Chicago.
THE LAND
Originally Crescent City only
covered the land inside the crescents
themselves. This extends out about two
miles from Chicago Bay, roughly the
amount of land that was devastated
when Lake Michigan rolled into the
hole where the city of Chicago had
been. Over the years, though, some of
the older suburbs have been annexed,
and the city has grown beyond its
original, not-so-humble space.
The land is hard and rocky, perfect
for building skyscrapers on, just like
the ones Chicago had been so famous
for. People nostalgic for the old city
claim that the Crescent City skyline
doesn't hold a candle to that of the city
it replaced. If you ask someone a bit
more unbiased though, you almost
always hear that Crescent City has one
of the most amazing skylines on earth.
This is only marred by the dozens of
cranes that always seem to be either
building a new place or rebuilding one
that's been knocked down.
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TH (ITY TODAY
Crescent City (or the Big Croissant as

it's called by the French--mostly
because the city's flaky) is a city with
many facets. In one sense, it represents
the greatest horror that deltas can have
upon the world, since every time you
look at the bay, you can't help but
remember the battle in which so many
millions of lives were lost.
On the other hand, it's a town of
hope. At least that's what the Crescent
City Council (also known as C3 or "C
cubed" --sometimes councilors are
called"cubes") would like the world to
think. Crescent City has adopted a
delta-friendly policy despite the fact
that it's built around what's basically a
watery gravesite for millions killed in
the worlds most notorious delta
incident.
THf (ITY'S fHL

The city has been described as
looking like "new nostalgia." Archer
and the rest of the city plarmers wanted
a place that people would feel at home
in right away, so they took pains to
reconstruct some of Chicago's
landmarks (Superior Park is basically
Grant Park). However, they also
wanted it to look like it was on the
cutting edge of tomorrow, so we've got
buildings like the Delta Academy and
the Triumph Tower.
There are lots of art deco elements,
but they surround buildings
constructed from glass and steel. The
builders used the opportunity to go
wild with the architecture, though, so
just about every building within
downtown Crescent City has its own
kind of identity.
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No block after block of the same

kind of places here . Instead, the
architecture echoes influences from
many different peoples and eras. In
that it's quintessentially American, an
eclectic blend of the best parts of the
past mixed with some of the most
exciting visions of the future .
This is an important part of the city's
identity. It's always reinventing itself
for .the future, while keeping an eye on
the past.
Much of the city is underlit by huge
spotlights which playoff the sides of
the buildings. This gives the city a
sense of drama that other cities just
don't have. There are some in the
Defiance who claim that the lights are
there just so the feds can keep an eye
on the city at night, but even those
cynics can't deny the magic of the city
at night.
The tops of many buildings have
moving spotlights too, so you can't
ever see the stars from the streets of
Crescent City. Only the top floors of the
Triumph Tower and have that kind of
unobstructed view, and then only when
Archer orders the lights shut off, which
he only does when the mood strikes
him.
The skyline of Crescent City is
staggeringly impressive, although it's
best seen from a boat on the bay or
from the heights of the 1-90/ 94
overpass that was built over the
surrounding suburbs to bring traffic
into the heart of the city.
If you get a chance, be sure to take
one of the Chicago Bay tours at night.
It's a breathtaking experience, and
rumors that these boats have been
attacked by some sort of watery beasts
seem to be unsubstantiated. The people
I've interviewed sure thought that's
what was happening, but no one ever
actually saw anything.
Home
THf PROMHHfAN (ITY

The fact is that even though the city
went up in record time-mostly due to
registered delta labor from Triumph,
Inc., and other, smaller companies-the
construction industry here is still
booming. After all, they've always go
to come in and clean up after the
massive delta battles that rock the place
on a fairly regular basis.
That's where the city gets another of
its many nicknames: Prometheus.
That's after the ancient god who
brought fire to the people, but paid for
it by being tied to a rock where a bird
could eat his liver. Worse yet, it regrew
every night, so the bird could come
back and have its ravenous way with
Prometheus again the next morning.
Living in Crescent City is kind of like
being Prometheus. It seems like every
week or so someone's knocking
something down, whether during a
delta battle or in the aftermath. Still, we
keep rebuilding the place. Sometimes it
seems pointless, since we know the
places are going to get damaged again,
but we're just stubborn that way.
Spotted throughout the best parts of
the city, there are buildings covered
with scaffolding, their tops shorn off.
Streets are often blocked off until
rubble and bodies can be cleared.
There's even one tall building-the
New Hancock Building-that's still
standing, even though a hole's been
blown clean through the center of it.
The construction crews came in and
shored up the weakened parts and then
actually built around the hole, leaving
the path through the heart of the
building intact. And all around town,
there are holes in the ground where
buildings have been knocked clear
down to their foundation so they can
be built back up again.
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THE ALPHA THREAT

The fact is that most deltas don't
have the kind of power necessary to
actually knock over an entire building,
but they can sure knock holes in them.
Punch enough holes in any structure,
and it's going to come crashing down
around your ears.
Worse yet are the occasional alphas
that manage to break out of New
A1catraz. You'd think these losers
would spend their time putting as
much distance between themselves and
their prison as possible. Instead, lots of
them set up shop right here in town.
Now, these alphas often have just the
kind of power you'd need to knock
down a skyscraper or at least level a
brownstone, and they're not afraid to
use it. By definition, any alphas who
didn't disappear during the
Bicentennial Battle or directly
afterward were in delta-proof jails.
You see, these places have a power
dampening field that surrounds them.
This keeps the delta prisoners in and
keeps any other deltas from mounting
successful jailbreaks. Sure, it doesn't
keep people from trying, but it's a rare
day when someone manages to leave
the Fortress or New A1catraz without a
warden's permission.
The theory is that this field is what
kept the jailed alphas from going
missing during the Vanishing. I mean,
think about it. While they're under the
dampening field, these people have no
more powers than the average reg.
Whatever called away all the deltas
must not have spotted the ones who
had their lights hidden under a
federally sponsored, concertina wire
lined bushel.
Every now and then, an alpha
manages to get out, whether by
jailbreak or actually on parole.
Hamel
Inevitably, they fall back into their old

patterns of behavior-most of them
were in jail for a reason after all-and
it's up to Delta Prime or even the
Defiance to bring them down.
Rumor has it that the Primers have
even inducted some alpha prisoners
into its ranks on some kind of a work
release program. If so, the government
sure is being quiet about it. Maybe they
realize that even a public as oppressed
as ours is going to protest having
violent criminals released onto the
streets to "protect" us.
The more suspicious members of the
Defiance even suspect that the feds
sometimes release these alphas from
time to time, just to inspire fear in the
populace. As Kennedy'S proven over
and over again, a frightened
popUlation is a controllable population.
THE GOVERNMENT
Crescent City works under the

traditional system that Chicago once
had. The city's split up into a number
of wards, each of which has a
representative known as an
alderperson to the city council. There's
also a mayor to execute the council's
desires.
In a way, it's a microcosm of the
federal government. The council acts
like Congress, and the mayor's like the
President.
However, because the country's been
under martial law since long before the
founding of Crescent City, neither the
mayor nor any of the alderpersons
have actually ever been elected to the
pOSitions they hold. In fact, Mayor Alan
Jefferson was appointed by the
governor of Illinois, and Jefferson in
turn appointed each of the
alderpersons in the city.
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This means that everyone in

Crescent City's goverrunent, from the
top on down, indirectly-or even
directly sometimes-owes his or her
position to JFK.
THf MAYOR
You may have heard about how,
back in the old days, Mayor Daley used
to run Chicago like one vast, incredibly
corrupt but equally efficient political
machine.
Daley had nothing on Jefferson. "Old
Jeff," as the papers sometimes call him,
has the city in an iron grip. With the
full backing of President Kennedy and
Ben Archer, there's little that can stand
in the mayor's way. He appoints
people he trusts into positions of power
throughout the city, which-of
course-they abuse.
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Jefferson doesn't really care, and

neither apparently do most of the
citizens. Even if the city's full of
corruption, it runs pretty damn
smoothly. All you've got to know is
who's hands to grease, and it's easy to
get just about anything done.
As far as public safety goes, there's
not an easier big city in which to reside
in America . From all accounts, Mayor
Jefferson's in cahoots with Don Vito
Gabriel, the head of the Crescent City
mob. Anytime the criminal element in
the city gets out of control, Jefferson
cracks his whip, and Gabriel makes
sure his people fall in line.
If the problem comes from outside
the Gabriel family, there are lots of
different ways to take care of it. Maybe
the Crescent City police department
suddenly decides to launch a "war on
crime" against the interlopers at the
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mayor's request. Or perhaps there's a

mob war. As long as it's confined to the
criminal element-and sometimes even
if it's not-the police often let such
things run their course. After alt if it's
only a bunch of gangbangers killing
each other, few people are going to
complain.
If things really get out of controt the
mayor can always call in Delta Prime.
Apparently the trade-off for having the
largest delta prison in American right
off the coast of your city is that you also
get the Delta Prime headquarters
downtown. (It was moved here back in
1980/ right at the same time that
construction on the New Alcatraz
federat delta-ready prison began. No
coincidence tha t.)
You can ask the people who got
killed in the last crossfire whether or
not they think it's a good deal.
THE CITY COUNCIL

The city council is made up of a
bunch of the mayor's toadies. Every
now and then, one of them gets it into
his head that he's got some real power
due to his position, and he challenges
the mayor on one issue or another.
These people never make it in their
office long.
Unfortunately, the mayor never asks
problem councilors to resign. He just
makes life uncomfortable enough to
make them want to leave the position
far behind.
There are currently 50 different
wards in Crescent City. These are
theoretically evenly divided among the
city's nearly two million citizens.
(There are over seven million people in
the metropolitan area .) However/ that's
not always the case.
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The city council spends most of its

time dealing with the smaller issues of
the city government, leaving the larger
decisions to the mayor himself. It's
almost like being a member of Britain's
House of Lords. You've got the title,
but really there's little to show for it
other than a good table at the best
restaurants.
Most councilors can't do a whole lot
to improve the situations that people in
the city find themselves in. Sure, they
can get a health inspector to look the
other way, and they can get a pothole
filled, but compared to the power the
mayor wields, these are petty things.
However, they can certainly make life
miserable for those that cross them, and
for this reason alone, most people treat
the councilors with respect.
You'd think that kind of incident

might turn a person against
unregistered deltas like the Defiants,
but not Marita. She seemed to
recognize the problem for what it was,
and she's since become a staunch
supporter of civil rights, something we
don't have many of in the Crescent City
government.
For her troubles, Suarez has
withstood aU-but-overt threats on her
life from other members of the council
and the Crescent City police. There
have, in fact, been over a dozen
attempts on her life, but she's managed
to survive them all.
Many less-brave individuals might
have stepped down from Suarez's
position long ago, but not her. She's
determined to have her way or die
trying.
COUNCILORS AT LARGf
The two best-known councilors are
"Big" Bill Macy and M arita Suarez. As
ward bosses go, Macy's one of the
biggest, and I'm not just talking about
the fact he wears the longest belts I've
ever seen. There's been talk tha t Macy
might actually make a play for the
mayor's position at some point. People
have even seen Macy dining at the
governor's mansion in Springfield, but
nothing's come of it yet.
Still, you can be sure there'll be no
good from that unholy coalition.
Suarez, on the other hand, is a
woman of the people. It amazes me
sometimes that she's still in office, but
as I mentioned before, the mayor
refuses to summarily remove people
from office.
Suarez kind of inherited her position
from her husband. He was killed by a
stray shot in a delta battle in Superior
Park during the Taste of Crescent City
festival a few summers back.
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THf POI.ICf
The police in rescent City are pretty
much like you'd expect them to be-if
you know real cops and not what you
see ev ry Tuesday night on CCPD Blue.
Some of them are good-hearted men
and women who are there to do their
job: to serve and protect the people of
Crescent City.
Others are jackbooted goons ready to
beat the city into submission. These
people take what they want and smack
down anyone brave enough to protest.
There are far too many of these kinds of
officers on the force today, but I
suppose that has to do with the police
commissioner: Stuart Fleming.
Fleming's from the old school of
police work. By that, I mean the really
old school of the '20s and '30s, when a
person's rights didn't mean a thing if
they got in the way of a cop on the job.
That kind of thing thinned out a bit in
the '50s, but with martial law declared
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in 1964, it was suddenly in vogue

again. Under Kennedy's rule, it's been
that way ever since.
Fleming's as crooked as a switchback
street. He takes payoffs from the mob,
from Triumph, Inc., and even from the
feds. In short, if you want the police to
look the other way in Crescent City, all
you've got to do is make a donation to
the Police Officers' Widows and
Orphans Fund-in the name of
Commissioner Fleming, of course-and
you're all set.
There are some good cops on the
force. I know some of them personally.
However, they're few and far between.
Whether that's because they're all
afraid to take a stand against their
commissioner or they're all just evil,
power-mad bastards, it's impossible to
tell.
In my younger days, I'd have been
more willing to give someone the
benefit of the doubt. These days, I
always just assume the worst. I save
myself a lot of time that way.
THE PEOPLE
As I mentioned before, there are 50
different wards in Crescent City. Many
of these wards are drawn along the
lines of the neighborhoods that were
planned out in Crescent City, but some
actually cross the standard lines like a
drunken snake.
When the city was founded just over
20 years ago, Ben Archer had a strong
vision for what he wanted "his" city to
look like. From all accounts, present
day Crescent City doesn't look much
like the original plan.
Sure, you can lay down all sorts of
zoning laws and the like, but the fact is
that people tend to like to live near
their families and other people they
know.
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With Crescent City, there was some

hope that it would be more of a melting
pot than any other city in America, but
it just didn't work out that way.
Instead, we've got some of the most
vibrant ethnic neighborhoods of any
city in the world.
We've got Greektown, Chinatown,
the Indian district, the Italian section,
the Hispanic barrio, an African
American area, and so on. Plus all the
white folks that somehow always seem
to end up in the nicer parts of town.
Actually, it's not as bad as that made
it sound. The fact is that Crescent City,
like many American cities, is divided
into neighborhoods just as often by
money as by race. And there's one hell
of a gulf between the haves and have
nots.
Either way, things here aren't all that
bad in any neighborhood-at least
structurally speaking. The fact is that
there are no old buildings in Crescent
City. Every structure in the entire city is
less than 25 years old.
Of course, that doesn't mean that
some of them aren't rundown. The
streets gangs quickly worked their way
into the low-income housing
neighborhoods (better known as "the
Lost Projects"), and certain parts of the
city resemble warzones in third-world
countries more than neighborhoods in
the newest metropolis on the planet.
THE NfiGHBORHOODS
The area in the dead center of town,
right near the intersection of Center
Street and Bayshore Drive, is by far the
nicest in the entire region. Here, people
live like royalty in luxury high-rise
condos and world-class apartments.
The shops and restaurants here are on a
par with the finest places in the world,
and the rents are on that same level.
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The Near Southside of the city is the

home of the Lost Projects. This is where
the people who work the grunt jobs
Downtown live. Many of them are too
poor to afford cars, and they rely on
public transportation-both buses and
the El-to get to and from work.
You can always tell which directions
the buses and the trains roll from
Downtown. The ones that stick to the
north are pristine clean. Those that
move through Near Southside are
covered with graffiti. Some of the tags
are pretty darrm good work, but most
are simply the work of vandals who
barely know one end of a spraycan
from the other.
Lower Southside is a blue-collar
area, filled with factory districts
interspersed with modest housing
tracts for the people who work at the
plants. Most of the people here squeak
out a good living and keep their heads

down. Lots of them are just happy they
don't live any closer to the heart of the
city where most of the delta conflicts
always seem to take place. The Lower
Southside continues all the way down
to Indiana these days, almost merging
with East Chicago and Gary.
Honestly, I don't understand how
people live in this part of the world.
The foul air always makes me gag.
The Near Northside is known to
most people as Triumphville. This
region of town is filled with young
people and young families. The upper
middle class mix with students here.
The older people often work for
Triumph, Inc., in one capacity or
another, and the college kids take
classes at either the University of
Crescent City (UCC) or the University
of Illinois-Crescent City (UICC).
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DCC's by far the bigger schooe just

recently joining the Big Ten athletic
conference. DICC's considered the
preppy older brother of VCc, even
though the hvo schools were founded
a t the same time.
The Far Northside is the high-tech
portion of the city. This area is filled
with all sorts of massive office
buildings that would be dwarfed by
the skyscrapers downtown. It's also
where some of the wealthier families in
Crescent City live. If you've got lots of
money and you feel like actually
having a driveway instead of an
underground parking structure, this is
where you want to be.
Some of the houses along Bayshore
Drive in the Far Nor thside are truly
magnificent mansions. Real estate
prices here are at an all time high, with
many of the estates being snatched up
in multimillion dollar deals.
PUBLIC TRANSPORTAI'ION
One thing Archer got right when he
set to making the world's most modern
metropolis was the public
transportation. American cities,
particularly those in the wide-open
Midwest, traditionally have lousy
means of public transport. Not so in
Moontown. (The moon's a crescent,
see? Bah! I never liked it much either,
but for some reason it stuck.)
Crescent City is serviced by an
extensive subway system that's still
called the UEI" -short for eleva ted
train-in remembrance of the old
Chicago train system. This is so despite
the fact that most of the trains' tracks
run underground. There are some
lengths of the system that do rise to the
third or fourth story of nearby
buildings, though, and these are what
remind people of the old system.
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MAJOR BUILDINGS
I don't have enough space here to

give you a rundown on the entire city,
but I'm going to at least touch on the
highlights.
CITY HALL
This large place is built like a huge,
glassy cube, giving rise to even more
cube references about the people who
work there. More than once, the
mayor's been accused of not being able
to "think outside of the box."
Despite its basic, utilitarian style, it's
got some art deco trimmings, like the
large, red, neon sign that reads
"Crescent City Hall" in Cotton Club
style letters. The cube stands alone in
the center of a large city block in the
heart of Downtown, surrounded by
trees and an open park.
The edges of the block are lined by
huge cement planters full of shrubs and
flowers. There's enough room to walk
between these, but not enough for a car
full of explosives to get through, which
I'm pretty sure is the point.
THE CRESCENT AMPHITHEAUR

This is a large, open-air concert
setting in the center of Superior Park.
(See page 70 for more on that.) It's
shaped like a classic, old bandshell,
except the seats are all top-of-thc-line,
plastic-covered folding stadium seats,
complete with cup holders for jumbo
sized drinks.
The area above the stage is roofed,
although the rest of the region is open
to the air, even in the expensive seats.
(There are cheap seats on the lawn out
back.) There are massive TV screens to
either side of the stage, perfect for
concerts or making speeches.
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In fact, this is where Kennedy made

his famous speech for the official
"grand opening" of Crescent City. Of
course, this was in 1980, years after
people had started living here again,
but no one seemed to care much.
There are tall bulletproof-glass
shields between the stage and the
crowd. They were installed for
Kennedy's speech and never taken out.
Ever since that incident in Miami
when that crackpot in the crowd took a
shot at Madonna, performers have
been extremely security conscious. For
that reason, the Crescent
Amphitheater's always at the top of
any tour date list.
The bulletproof shields front a trench
that's always filled with either security
guards or cops in riot gear. In Crescent
City, you don't rush the stage unless
you're hopped up on something.
Which of course means it happens at
least once at just about every popular
music concert.
THE DELTA ACADEMY

This one's a doozy. This is where
registered deltas from across the
country come to train. The school logo
is a sharply cut diamond, which
supposedly represents the pressure the
students go through in the course of
their studies. When they're done,
they're harder than diamonds, it's said.
The shape of the building actually
follows the logo's design. The bottom
50 floors stand like an inverted
pyramid stuffed tip-first into the
ground, and the 70 floors above that
are basically the same pyramid slapped
atop the other. Theoretically this means
there are at least 20 floors extending
into the bedrock beneath the city too,
but rumor has it that there are actually
far more.
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The Academy actually has its own

underground EI stop that lets off on the
third floor down. The regular trains
stop here, but only a few people ever
get on or off. The security around this
place is tighter than a drum.
To fit within a city block overlooking
Bayshore Drive, the Academy Building
had to start out relatively small at the
bottom. At its widest point (floor 50),
it's as big as the entire block.
Underneath that, there's a lot of open
space, and this is all paved ovel~ with a
lot of cement planters and red brick
paths cutting through the bare cement
parts.
There are also lots of places for
people to sit around the planters and
eat lunch or have clandestine meetings.
If you're looking for such a place
yourself, you could do worse. It's
pretty gutsy to hang around outside
the Academy if you're an unregistered
delta, but you wouldn't be the first one
to do it.
Security here is tight but mostly
transparent. Small cameras are all over
the place, but they're hard to spot
unless you know they're there. The
edges of the top part of the Pyramid, as
the place is sometimes called, are lit
with a single line of neon lights,
making the place really stand out in the
Crescent City skyline at night. It looks
like an outline of a pyramid floating in
midair. Of course, the sides of the
pyramid are then triangles, each
forming the letter delta.
MEMORIAL flUO
This is the football arena for the
Crescent City football team, the
Crushers. It looks like the old Soldier
Field, where the Bears used to play, and
It's open to the air and has real, natural
grass.
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Folks in these parts don' t care for

those wussy domes! Even when
temperatures plunge below freezing
and there's snow on the field, you can
always count on some fan to be out
there with his shirt off. Football's
meant to be played outside after all.
And compared to the weather the
Packers get up in Lambeau Field, the
winters at Memorial Field are like a
week in the Bahamas.
The entire place is a living memorial
to the people who died in the
Bicentennial Battle. In the center of the
west side of the stadium (which runs
lengthwise north-south), there stands a
statue of Superior leading some of the
world's most notable heroes into their
final battle. At dusk, when the orangish
haze of the sunset settles over the
westward-looking figures, it's a truly
inspiring piece of art.
And I'm a card-carrying Defiant.
(And please, for God's sake, don't e
mail me about getting yourself a
membership card. That was a joke.)
POLICE DEPARTMENT
This building was actually modeled
after the police department in Beverly
Hills, only it's a lot bigger, taller, and
more menacing. Nothing in California
can hold a candle to downtown
Crescent City, it seems-at least
architecturally speaking.
Like just about every major building
in town, the place is liberally lit with
spotlights at night. This not only
dramatically casts the place against the
dark of night, it also makes it easier to
spot potential intruders.
Few people are crazy enough to try
to actually try to break into the CCPD's
headquarters, but it's been known to
happen. The building's also the site of
the city jail after all.
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The Crescent City jail isn't certified

as a safe holding facility for deltas, but
it sees some use for that in a pinch.
Nullification fields are apparentl y
really difficult to pull off-there being
only a few in the entire world that I
know of-and the CCPD just doesn't
rate.
Most delta prisoners are held here
only shortly before being run out to
New Alcatraz in a police helicopter. A
few-those with more manageable
powers-are detained here on a more
permanent basis.
Commissioner Fleming's office is in
the top of the building's central tower.
He tells people it's so he can look down
on the city like a concerned parent.
More like a hungry vulture, I say.
Chief Newcomb maintains his office
a bit closer to his officers-and the
ground .
PRIMf HfADQUARTfRS
This is the main field office of Delta
Prime in the entire Midwest. In fact, it's
the largest DP facility outside of the
main office in Alexandria.
With the Delta Academy and New
Alcatraz in town-not to mention a
vibrant Defiant community, thank you
very much-Crescent City's a hotbed
of delta activity. The Primers recognize
this, and so they coordinate most of
their domestic activities out of this
centrally located office.
Delta Prime's chief officer in the area
is a woman known as Charlene
"Charlie" Parker. She's one tough, old
bird, and she commands the respect of
the people under her with her hard
nosed attitude and her iron will.
Back in the early days of Delta
Squadron, Parker was known as the
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Canary. She actually fought alongside

the Yankee and Superior and the rest as
a teenager in World War II.
As a pure (non-alpha) delta, Parker
worked her way up the ranks of Delta
Squadron and later Delta Prime. But
she hit a glass ceiling due to the fact her
powers never progressed. At least that
was true up until the Vanishing. Soon
after most of the alphas went missing,
Parker starting savagely climbing the
DP ladder, eventually landing herself a
job as the head of the Crescent City
office.
The DP building is a modern manTel.
It's a single pyramid that stabs upward
into the night like a glittering blade. Its
walls are so steep that they almost look
like they're straight, but they gradually
narrow until they meet almost on a
restricted-access, open-air observation
deck and helipad on the lOOth floor.
SUPERIOR PARK
This massive strip of greenery sits in
the center of the city's museum district,
just to the north of Center Street. It
takes up several blocks along Bayshore
Drive, and it stands directly across
from the Bayshore Marina, the place at
which Crescent City's rich and famous
dock their yachts.
On a hot summer day in Crescent
City, the place is absolutely packed.
This is where the city holds its Taste of
Crescent City food and music
celebration over the Fourth of July
weekend every year. It's also the home
of the Crescent Amphitheater (see page
67 for all the details), the center of the
yearly Crescent City Blues Festival.
The park's even got a replica of the
original Buckingham Foun tain in the
center of it, recreated in loving detail.
It's a favorite meeting place in the park,
because everyone knows where it is .
SUPERIOR SQUARE
This is the Times Square of Crescent
City, and it's right at the heart of it all:
Center Street and Bayshore Drive. It's
an open area of about two city blocks
(one north and one south of Center
Street), and it's surrounded by huge
buildings, lOO-foot-tall TV screens, and
massive billboards, neon lights, and
stock and news tickers.
Just off of Superior Square is the
Theater District, home to a half-dozen
of the best theaters in the country. With
the downfall of Manhattan, most
production companies have packed up
their bags and moved out here. Sure,
Crescent City may not be the safest city
in the world, but it' s a far cry from the
dangers that run rampant through the
heart of the Big Apple.
Superior Square is one of the most
commonly named places when people
are asked where they want to be on the
last evening of 1999. Whether you
consider that New Year 's Eve or the
next to be the last one of the
millennium, you can be sure it's going
to be one hell of a party.
Personally, I'm staying home that
night. I don't really believe in all this
Y2K crap, but there's more than one
nutjob delta out there, and that's a
perfect night for one of those
apocalypse-cult types to make sure the
world-ending prophecies he's bought
into actually come to pass.
Right in the heart of Superior Square
stands a massive statue of Superior
himself. It's guarded day and night, but
that doesn't stop people from messing
with it. Some Defiant actually made off
with the thing's head last year, and the
Primers still haven't been able to track
it down. In the meantime, the mayor
commissioned another head, but
honestly, it's not quite the same.
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THE TRIUMPH TOWER

This is the home of the largest
employer of delta labor in the entire
city, and it's a fortress. The place is
absolutely huge, taking up at least six
city blocks. The streets that would run
through the block still do, just through
reinforced concrete tunnels tha t
actually pierce the building at street
level.
This is the latest "tallest building in
the world," standing 150 stories tall,
and it's the centerpiece of the city. It's
an art deco masterpiece, lit all over
with glowing spotlights. At different
times of the year, Archer has the
building's maintenance crew put
different-colored filters over the lights,
giving it a festive feel appropriate for
each holiday. Christmas and the Fourth
wouldn't be the same in Crescent City
without the Triumph Tower looking
down on us all.
The building starts out covering all
six blocks, but most of the building
ends around floor 100 or so. Then five
towers stab out of the rest of the place,
one at each corner, and one at the
center of the side faCing the bay.
Between the towers are battlements of
offices that are 10 stories each, lining
the edges of the building. The towers
each reach 40 stories into the air, with
the central tower going all 70 stories
up.
Ben Archer's office is at the top of
that tower, 150 floors above the ground.
Some people say the rarified air up
there makes people lightheaded, which
is why Archer likes to conduct his
business there.
The place is kind of like the city
itself. It would have been almost
impossible to build without delta labor,
but no one ever seems to mention that.
Especially not JFK.
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UNITED STATES Of ANARCHY

With the Kennedy propaganda
machine being what it is, most people
don't know a whole lot about what's
going on in this great big world of ours.
After all, it' s in the feds ' interest to
make sure that you don't know any
more about the actual situation than
they w ant you to.
We're here to put a dent in-if not an
actual end to-all of tha t. There's a lot
more going on in the world than I can
cram into this little overview, but I'll
try to touch on as many high points as I
can.
If you 're interested in a particular
place, go ahead and search the website
for other articles. Maybe you'll find
something on what you' re looking for.
If you can' t find out about what you
want to know, go ahead and e-mail me
about it. If I get enough requests about
an area or situation-or if the request
just tickles my fancy-I'll make a real
effort to learn m ore abou t it, and I'll
report in here with anything I can find
out.
THE HArlIRE Of INfORMATION

There's no way that I can make these
reports as complete as I' d like them to
be . For one, there's just me and a legion
of volunteers out there, reporting on
whatever we can find out. We don' t
have a highly trained staff of
experienced, full-time professionals
backing us up.
On the other hand, we aren't subject
to government censorship of any kind.
If you hear about something on your
local or national news-whether on TV
or on the radio or in the paper-turn
here next, and you might be able to
find out a bit more about it than the
feds would like for you to know.
As they say in business school,

caveat emptor, or "buyer beware." That
means that, as a consumer, it's up to
you to take care of yourself. You've got
to evaluate the truth in anything
anyone ever tells you. Few people out
there have the power I have to know if
people are telling me the truth, and
even I get fooled from time to time .
And, no, I'm not going to tell you
how.
Caveat emptor means you should
take anything anyone tells you with a
grain of salt. That includes what you
read here. I do the best I can to verify
every bit of information I publish, but
sometimes that's not always possible.
Of course, if you're talking about
something you get from an "official"
news source, than you're going to need
more like a whole shaker of salt.
TIMELINESS
The other big problem with a guide
like this is that it can only ever be a
snapshot of a raging river. The world
changes on a daily basis, sometimes in
amazing ways, and it's impossible for a
small publication like the Delta Times to
keep up with it all.
For that reason, I tend to concentrate
more on easily made generalizations
than more newsy bits of information.
Those newsy bits often aren't relevant
for more than a week, and sometimes
they're even out of date by the time I
get the material posted on the web.
Nobody's more frustrated about it than
1, but that's the nature of the beast.
Now that we've gotten all the
disclaimers out of the way, let's get on
with the guide itself. It's the best, most
accurate, and most important we could
make it, and I hope you get some real
use out of it.
Either way, good luck!
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AMERICA THE BATTERED
That's right. Once it 'was "America

the Beautiful," but it's just not that way
any more.
I'm not saying that there aren't still
some really pretty parts of the country.
That's not the point.
As a people, it seems to me we
sometimes act less like a na tion of
winners and more like a battered wife.
We've been beaten and bruised by
someone we claim to love-and who
claims to love us. To any outsider, the
answer is obvious: Leave the bastard.
But there's some fear there. If you
leave the nation, could you survive on
your own? Could you hope to find
something better?
And like a battered spouse, deep
down we still love the bastard-or at
least that's what we tell ourselves.
Home I
I'm here to tell you that it's time for a

change. Like that world-famous delta
Bob Marley once sang, "You've got to
stand up for your rights!"
If we just keep taking the abuse from
our government, then nothing's ever
going to change. We've got to stand up
and say something-do something
about it. Until that happens, we' re
never going to win back our freedoms .
The saddest part is our rights
weren' t taken from us. We gave them
up. We were so scared about outlaw
threats that we actually s urrendered
our rights willingly. And now we're
going to have to fight to take them
back.
That's enough soapbox for now.
You're not here for a speech. You're
here to learn more about the once-and
future greatest country on the face of
this planet.
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ATLANTA
We'll lead off with one of the most

tragic stories around.
Once the belle of the ball in the last
century, Atlantawas enjoying
something of a revival in the '80s, once
again reclaiming the title of "the capitol
of the South."
Unfortunately, that was all cut short
in 1988. When real culprits behind the
failed assassination attempt of Soviet
Premiere General Mikhail Tretyak were
brought to light-and they were found
to be American-Mighty Misha's
vengeance was swift and terrible.
The nukes he launched destroyed
both Atlanta and San Francisco, turning
their downtown areas into smoking,
radioactive craters and killing millions
of people.
There hadn't been a disaster of that
magnitude since the Bicentennial
Battle.
r don't know why most of the world
didn't go up in a cloud of glow-in-the
dark smoke that fateful week. r
suppose we can thank our lucky stars
that Misha didn't launch an all-out
attack and that we didn't overreact to
the assault ourselves. It would have
been so easy for the violence to escalate
to a point at which the survivors would
have counted themselves lucky to only
have to hang out in their bomb shelters
until their grandchildren were grown.
That said, the destruction in Atlanta
was horrifying.
The worst part wasn't the blast itself.
The people at ground zero died
mercifully quickly. There was a great
flash of light, then they were gone.
The people on the ou tskirts of town
or in the near suburbs had it much
worse. Many of them were scorched by
the radiation. They lingered for days on
end until death finally took them. Even

with the Red Cross and the tremendous
federal disaster relief team that was on
the spot, there were just too many
injured people for them all to be saved.
Of the ones who managed to find
some medical treatment, most of them
died within days anyhow. There's only
so much you can do for someone who's
taken a lethal dose of radiation.
The region around Atlanta was a
charnel house for weeks on end .
Everywhere within about 10 miles of
the center of town was knocked flat,
and 20 miles outside of that, things
were considered radioactively hot. To
enter this no-go zone was tantamount
to a death sentence.
Of course, an incident like that
spawned a whole bunch of deltas, bu t
most of them died as well. Being able
to fly or shoot blasts from your hands
doesn't do you a whole lot of good
against radiation sickness. Still, there
were some who were far enough away
from the effect to survive, and a few
closer in were even lucky enough to be
saved by their powers.
Today, Atlanta's still a no-go zone. If
you're close enough, r understand you
can still see a soft, radioactive glow
coming off the ruins of the city at night.
Some foolhardy souls have actually
resettled in the ou tskirts of town. There
are some prime pieces of real estate out
there, and you can have them pretty
cheaply if you like.
In fact, Congress passed the
Radioactive Homestead Act in '89,
which was designed to get the areas
repopulated. Anyone who actually
lives on a property can file a clam for it
and get it for pennies on the dollar
and that's after it's already been
devalued by the disaster.
Not too many people have signed up
for the plan.
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BOSTON
Beantown looks pretty good for a

major American city a t the turn of the
millennium. Sure, it's had its share of
problems, but it's gotten away
comparatively unscathed.
Boston's population has surged over
the past 20 years or so, mostly due to
the exodus of people from New York
City. Other cities from Philadelphia to
Washington, DC, have also felt the
crunch, but Boston seems to have taken
the brunt of it.
Perhaps it's because Boston is the
unofficial gadgeteer capitol in this
hemisphere. All sorts of tech-minded
deltas congregate around the brilliant
minds at MIT, hoping to spark-or
steal-ideas off of each other and
advance their research and their
fortunes.
In fact, MIT has even opened its own
College of Para technological Research,
better known as the CPR. Some people
joke that MIT's hoping that the CPR
can pump some new life into the
American economy. They can laugh all
they want, but so far it seems to be
working.
The real benefit of MIT's CPR is the
testing facilities they offer to their
researchers. They've got buildings that
are pretty much explosion proof, and
believe me, those claims have been
tested time and time again.
Of course, the feds have first crack at
any technology developed a t the CPR.
By law, any deltas working there are
working for the federal government,
and the fruits of their labor are owned
entirely by Uncle Sam.
Many tech-oriented deltas hire on
here instead of with Delta Prime once
they finish their stint in Delta
Squadron. Deltas working at the CPR
Hame l
are treated well, especially compared to

other posts they might end up with.
Competition to get into the college is
pretty stiff.
There are no teaching requirements
for those given jobs as professors at the
CPR. It's a pure research institution.
Still, a few notable professors, like Dr.
Alan Hambly, do handle the occasional
graduate-level seminar.
Even with the high level of
maintenance that most delta-built bits
of tech require, the results are so
amazing that the government's been
willing to pour literally billions of
dollars into the CPR. In fact, that's
where the first delta-dampening field
was developed. Before that, the
government had to take extreme
measures to keep captured deltas
imprisoned. Thankfully, no one's been
able to figure out how to produce more
than a few of these devices, and their
power requirements are equivalent to
that of a large city.
Of course, when there's a delta crime
involving amazing tech, this is where
the feds turn first.
CRESCENT CITY
In my not-so-unbiased opinion, there

is no greater city on the planet than
Crescent City. Its very existence is a
symbol of how we can pull together to
pull victory out of the jaws of defeat, of
how we can go on to survive and even
thrive in the aftermath of the ultimate
disaster.
In short, it's all about human
resilience .
J feel so strongly about this place,
that I've written on it extensively
elsewhere. If you want to learn more
about the newest metropolis on Earth,
turn to page 54.
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DALLAS
The people of Texas have long had a

reputation for thinking of their state as
a whole 'nother country. If that had
been true in '63, Kennedy would have
bombed city of Dallas flat in retaliation
for the attempt on his life and the death
of his wife.
As it is, Kennedy has never forgotten
that it was Dallas that was the site of
the most traumatic incident of his life.
He's been back to the city several times
since, but always with even more
security than the normal squadron of
Secret Service deltas that usually
surround him at all times.
The name of Dallas has become
associated with shame, and the taint
has grown to affect the entire state.
When traveling outside of their home
state, most Texans conceal their drawl
and do their best to hide their heritage.

This is especially true of deltas. A
"delta from Dallas" is immediately met
with suspicion by most people.
Most people in the country have
bought into the conspiracy theory that
more deltas were involved in the
assassination attempt than were
reported in the Warren Commission
Report. Any Texan Defiant old enough
to have possibly taken part in the
atrocity is immediately under suspicion
by the general public, ironclad alibi or
no. Even Defiants too young to have
possibly taken part in the massacre are
mistrusted by most.
Of course, the people of Texas don't
really take all of this lying down.
There's a independence movement that
was spawned in the state back in the
early '80s, and since then it's done
nothing but grow in popularity.
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A lot of deltas (both Defiant and

otherwise) support the notion of an
independent Texas, but it's never going
to happen. At least not without a war.
Kennedy'S gone on record that
there's no way the country's going to
lose a state on his watch, and it doesn't
look like his watch is going to end
anytime soon. That hasn't stopped any
of the talk in the Lone Star State.
In fact, there's a group of Defiants
calling themselves the Texas Dangers
that's thrown themselves into the
independence effort. They haven't
actually gotten to the point of resorting
to terrorist acts, but they do what they
can to make life difficult for federal
employees in their home state.
The Dangers have been negotiating
with Texas government, hoping to get
some concessions. Rumor has it that
there's some kind of deal tha t' s been
cut in which the country of Texas
would agree to award deltas their civil
rights. All the Defiants have to do in
return is pick the right side when the
bickering turns violent.
In the meantime, the public seems to
have an ongoing love-hate relationship
with anything Defiant. When the
Defiants are busy hassling the feds-or
at least giving the Primers headaches
then they're the darlings of the ball. Of
course, not all Defiants are as
politically motivated as others, and
those that cause problems for the
community are openly hated by all.
It points to a real perception problem
the Defiance has. Anyone who doesn't
register calls herself a Defiant, whether
she supports our general goals or not.
Because of that, we get lots of
murderers, terrorists, and thieves
grouped in with us. Those kinds of
friends the rest of us really don't
need-at least from a public relations
point of view.
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DETROIT
Detroit, like New York, is a city that's

been torn apart by the "delta problem. "
In Detroit it's mostly delta-on-delta
violence, although a good portion of
the city's been damaged in the crossfire
the Detroit Free Press often refers to as
"colla teral damage."
Detroit is the home of dozens of
gangs, many of which have delta
members or are even run by deltas.
Some of these people claim to be part
of the Defiance, but in most cases this is
only to give themselves a veneer of
respectability in some quarters and
terror in others.
In fact only one gang has done
anything to really back up its claims to
be part of the Defiance: the Motown
Warlords . Despite their violent name,
the Warlords preach using violence
only in self-defense. Unfortunately
some members of the gang believe in
the credo, "The best defense is a strong
offense."
The Warlords' leader is a man
known as Juwan Webber. Webber's a
strong, tall African-American with skin
tough enough to bounce shells off of.
He's survived dozens of assassination
attempts, enough to make some of his
foes claim he's a ghost. Even Rasputin
himself would have given up on living
by now.
Webber's an honorable man who
believes in what the Defiance stands
for, but he's also a gang leader in a
difficult position. As the current king of
the hill known as Detroit everyone else
in town-the cops, the feds, Delta
Prime, and every other gang in the
city-wants to knock him down.
Honestly, it's just a matter of time
until Webber either goes down or busts
out. If he's taken down by someone,
you can expect the entire city to go up

in flames during a gang war that's
going to make the situation in New
York City look like a Sunday picnic.
The other option is that Webber
actually manages to wipe out the other
gangs, establishing Detroit as its own
kind of free city. Of course, if he
actually manages that Kennedy's
going to have the National Guard and
Delta Prime breathing down his neck
before he can finish pa tting himself on
the back.
In that kind of situation, the conflict
might go regional, engulfing nearby
cities and maybe even reaching
Cleveland or even Crescent City. From
there, it's just a few short steps to a
national civil war.
Webber's one hell of a Defiant, but I
doubt he's actually got the political
acumen to pull off a rebellion of tha t
magnitude. Stilt until Kennedy's out of
the White House, I'll be pulling for
anyone and everyone who stands
against him.
DENVER
Denver's the city the Defiance loves

to hate. The Mile-High City is one of
the few in the country that's actually
proud to call itself "Defiant-free."
Mayor Ross Higgins has labored
long and hard to give his city the
squeaky-clean image it has today. He's
got a crack platoon of Delta Primers on
call with his office at all times, and
they're some of the best delta hunters
in the country if not the world.
The skyscrapers that spire out of the
Denver valley in the Colorado high
plains stand straight and true, entirely
unscarred by the delta battles that have
torn other large communities to shreds.
The sun that sets in the nearby Rockies
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goes down on a people full of self

satisfaction in the fact that they've
managed to run off just about every
hint of the Defiance.
The Denver school system's got an
early detection system for deltas. It's
comprised of specially trained teachers
and police officers who constantly
monitor the student population,
looking for any hint of delta powers.
More than that, the police have a team
of delta hound officers at their disposal,
and they use these deltas to help them
sniff out their genetic brethren, no
matter how well hid they might be.
Thankfully, most hounds have to get
within a few yards of a delta to actually
detect one that's not using her powers.
Unfortunately, they can follow a delta
who's actually using her powers as if
they were a pack of bloodhounds on
the trail of a wounded fugitive. Most
newly awakened deltas are too
inexperienced to avoid these hunters,
and they often find themselves either
being drafted or packed off to the
Fortress before they barely even realize
what's happened to them.
The mayor's claim to the contrary,
there is a Defiance Movement in the
Mile-High City. It's just deep
underground. Defiants in Denver
almost always wear masks, but no
other kinds of costumes. It's a lot easier
to ditch a mask and a jacket than it is to
actually change clothes.
Defiants that are captured in Denver
are placed on public trial. The charges
are almost always trumped up, but the
result is always the same: conviction. In
most cases, the Denver DA-one David
Twist-does his level best to drum up a
capital offense. For this reason alone,
Colorado has been the site of more
delta execution than any other state,
something the mayor trumpets at
nearly every press conference he holds.
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LOS AHGELfS
The City of Lost Angels, as some
people call this place, is full of all sorts
of trouble. It's always been that way
out here in the land of the surf and sun,
but ever since the DRA, it's only gotten
worse.
First, the place has got nearly as
many gang problems as Detroit. There
are currently two that are battling it out
in a turf war that extends from South
Central into Bell. The smart money
seems to be on Los Reyes (tha t's
Spanish for "the Kings"), but the
Everybody Killers (also known as the
EKs) are sure making them work for it.
Both gangs supplement their
standard firepower with delta force,
but the more they do, the more they
call down the wrath of Delta Prime
upon them.
The other major group of deltas in
the area comes directly from
Hollj'\vood. There are a number of
different delta talent agencies out in La
La Land-including a branch of
Triumph, Inc.-but the best-known is
the Talent Agency.
This simply-named group is run by
the notorious Brian Selvin, self
proclaimed agent to the stars. Selvin's
fame trades upon the names of his
clients, including Schwarzenegger,
Stallone, Willis, Chan, and so on. He
specializes in deltas who can actually
act-or so he claims.
There's a lot of work in the movie
industry for deltas who can work as
stunt doubles. It really increases the
realism of the films when you can
actually show the bullets bouncing off
the hero's chest.
The trick, of course, is finding one of
these stunt deltas that can act his way
out of a paper bag. If you've seen them
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on the screen, chance are that Selvin's

their agent. Or at least he's been since
Marty Stever was put away.
Stever was the top agent for delta
talent in Hollywood for years . That
lasted right up until Delta Prime
figured out he was actually using some
unregistered talent who he'd supplied
with fake papers. The scandal nearly
blew the lid off this town, and this is a
city that's used to scandals.
It was even rumored that Stever was
a delta hlmself, one capable of using
some kind of Jedi mind trick to
persuade casting agents to give his
clients a call. That was never proved,
and the fact that Stever 's doing his time
in San Quentin rather than New
Alcatraz means he's no more a delta
than Robin Williams or Darryl Hannah.
I mean, at least as far as we know,
right?
Hame l
Many of the stars Selvin represents

do double duty as both actors and
members of Delta Prime's reserves. In a
pinch, they can be called upon to lend a
hand. It's pretty strange to find
yourself being chased down the streets
by the star of Delta Blues, but believe
me, it's even worse to get caught by
him.
Most reservists aren' t called on in
any but the most troubling times.
During the last big quake, they really
came out of the woodwork, giving a
helping hand to anyone in need. They
also helped fight those wildfires a
couple years back that threatened to
engulf some of their mansion-sized
homes.
Of course, a lot of Defiants did the
same thing, but you're never going to
read about that in the regular papers.
Only right here in Delta Times .
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MIAMI
Will Smith can sing its praises all he

wants. This is one city in some serious
trouble.
Despite what Kennedy might want
you to think, deltas aren't the only
problem the US faces today. Illegal
drugs is another big one, and Miami is
the biggest port of entry for these cash
crops in the entire country.
Miami's also the big city for
Hispanic deltas everywhere. The place
is crawling with all sorts of deltas from
sou th of the border- sometimes way
south. They come here thinking that
the only way to make a name for
themselves is to come to America. They
see the licensing deals that some of the
Triumph, Inc., deltas have set up for
themselves, and they think that they
could be making a lot of pesos here.
Hamel
A lot of them are also on the run

from their own fascist governments.
Just about every banana republic from
the Rio Grande down to Tierra del
Fuego is governed by a petty dictator.
You can bet your last dollar that if
those fascists weren't actually installed
by the US, they maintain their positions
by Kennedy's grace.
There are a few exceptions to this, of
course-like Costa Rica-but I'll get to
those la ter.
Miami is latino at its heart. The pulse
of the city pounds with a salsa beat.
Sometimes it seems that the natives'
manana philosophy has actually
infected the law in the town as well ,
since active pursuits of Defiants are few
and far between.
That's not to say the place is a haven
for unregistered deltas. Nothing could
be further from the truth.
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The local cops usually have their

hands full with drug lords and the like,
so they're not too worried about rogue
deltas until they become an active
problem. When that happens though,
they smack them down hard.
Miami cops-including the
Primers-are known for carrying more
ordnance than those in just about any
other city, except possibly LA. Most
carry machine pistols of one kind or
another, often with armor-piercing
bullets.
To an outsider, this might seem fairly
extreme, but to the Miami cops, they're
just evening the playing field.
Smuggling drugs pays pretty damn
well, and it seems like the first thing
every pusher spends his cash on is an
assault rifle and a Kevlar vest. Going
up against guys like that with just a
revolver is silly. You might as well be
using a Super Soaker.
Still, if you're looking for a town
with a great night life, you've found the
place. Most of the bars in town are
open until the sun comes up. The rest
never close. The people party with a
frenzy you don' t see in many other
places.
Maybe it's the thought that Miami
was next on Mighty Misha's list of
places to be permanently removed
from consideration for the next
Olympic games. Maybe it's the Latin
influences on the culture.
Hell, maybe it's the heat. They've got
plenty of that.
If you're a delta in Miami, all I can
say is stay away from the drug lords. If
they think they can find a use for you,
they'll make you an offer for your
services. If you refuse, they'll make it
painfully clear to you how dumb of an
idea it is to decline their deal. All in all,
it's best to keep your head down and
your nose clean.
Hamel
NIW YORK (ITY
If you can make it there, you can

make it anywhere.
Those words are as true today as
ever. The fact is that New York City is
the toughest place on the planet to be a
reg. Even as a delta, it's no walk in the
park.
Things here were fine up until '64.
After all, as the headquarters of the
United Nations and the New York
Stock Exchange, Manhattan was
always under Superior 's watchful eye,
along with the eyes of at least a dozen
other alphas.
That's not to say that New York
didn't have its share of delta crime. In
fact, it had a lot more than that. Every
up and coming madman in the country
knew that the place to really make a
statement was right in the heart of
Manhattan.
Of course, most of those jokers got
their heads handed to them on silver
platters, complete with a side helping
of utter humiliation. But that's just the
way it was. It seemed like every week,
some other idiot would step forward
with a new plan for world domination,
starting right in downtown Manhattan.
They were doomed to fail. They
were the idiots. The smart ones started
out someplace else and then worked
their way up to Manhattan.
On June 16, 1964, it stopped being a
la ughing rna tter.
That's the day the Devastator got
into his longest battle against Superior
to date. Superior was tracking down a
series of mysterious bombings that
eventually led him straight to the
Devastator's secret hideout deep
beneath the streets of the city.
From there, it was only a matter of
time before a fight broke out.
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Superior and the Devastator battled

it out toe to toe for a good, long while,
but the fight was destined to never go
the distance. Superior might have had
the reputation as the toughest alpha
ever, but the Devastator sure gave him
a run for his money.
Their battle raged across the streets
of New York for over an hour, and it
drew in other deltas on both sides.
Delta Prime warred against Dreadnaut
in a fight that shook the city's very
foundations.
Just when it looked like Superior had
his old foe on the ropes, the Devastator
broke loose and zoomed back to his
headquarters. When Superior caught
up with him there, the son of a bitch
actually triggered off a doomsday
device he'd been saving for the
occasion.
The resulting explosion leveled over
six blocks and damaged many more.
Windows were reportedly shattered up
to two miles away. Superior and many
of his Primer buddies-along with
thousands of innocents-were buried
under several tons of rubble.
Superior eventually managed to dig
himself out of the rubble, but the
Devastator's plan had worked. In all
the commotion from the destruction, he
had managed to get away scot free.
I think that incident should have
been the warning sign for the
Bicentennial Battle. It put us on notice
about the lengths to which a man like
the Devastator was prepared to go.
It wasn' t until '76 that he topped
himself once and for all.
Ever since the Vanishing, things in
New York have gotten worse. Entire
sections of the city have been destroyed
in delta battles, many of which
involved large numbers of Delta
Primers squaring off against an alpha
escaped from New Alcatraz.
Home I
Lots of people have left the city once

and for all, but New Yorkers have
proven a stubborn lot. Most of them
particularly those who've got real
estate on the island or a great
apartment-just refuse to go.
Some congresspeople have actually
suggested that Kennedy close down
the entire island of Manhattan and
leave it to the deltas that war across it.
Up until now, he's refused to do that at
every turn .
To him, giving up an entire borough
of the nation's largest city would be a
huge step in the wrong direction, and
he's not willing to do that-at least not
yet. Let things go on the way they have
for a bit longer though, and you never
know.
To counteract the number of
unregistered deltas in the Big Apple
some of which call themselves Defiants
and many of which don't even
bother-the President has assembled
the largest domestic group of Primers
ever to patrol the city's streets.
The effort seems to have done little
to sway the fervor with which rogue
deltas plague the island. If anything, it
seems to have made the situation even
more desirable to the rogues, as it's
given them that much more of a
challenge.
The results can be seen on just about
every street in the heart of the city.
Buildings have been knocked down or
punched through. Cars have been
tossed here and there like cheap, plastic
toys. Chalk outlines are far too
common of a site.
Some people ask why Mighty Misha
bombed Atlanta and San Francisco
instead of a nerve center like New York
City. If you're there, all you've got to do
is look around to see why.
We 've already taken care of that for
him.
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PHILADELPHIA
The City of Brotherly Love has been

a disaster area for the past 30 years,
surpassing the record of the next
highest city-New York-by five years .
Today, things aren't as bad here as the y
once were, but that's probably because
most of the delta loons take their
business up the interstate to the Big
Apple instead.
At one time, Philadelphia was a city
of great history, mostly dedicated to the
founding days of the greatest
democracy on the face of the planet.
These days, the democracy's not faring
so well, and the city almost seems to
mirror the country's ills.
Most of the historic monuments have
been torn to pieces in the course of
delta battles raging through the city.
The Liberty Bell-for instance-was
used to kill the Statesman back in '84,
crushing him to death. The already
cracked bell was destroyed in the
process. Its shards were recovered and
mostly reassembled . If you ever make
it downtown, you can still see them on
display.
Similarly, Independence Hall was
torn to pieces in a delta battle in '92.
Everybody's long since forgotten what
the battle was about or even who was
involved in it. It's not really all that
important when stacked up against
what happened.
These days, downtown Philly is a
ghost town. Nobody really bothers to
come down here anymore. There's not
much to see, and most of the businesses
that used to be here have moved to
safer ground .
Of course, most of the delta
problems left with the people. Who
knows? Given a few years, the city
might actually manage to bounce back.
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SAN DIEGO
With the ongoing border war that

keeps flaring up between the US and
Mexico, San Diego is a much more
important city than you might think.
Sure, it's always been a port of call, a
final waystation, and a checkpoint
between the two countries. It's also
been a hotbed of drug smuggling for
that exact same reason.
That was all before Kennedy decided
to put up the Wall.
You've probably seen it on TV, but
there's nothing like actually being
there. It's literally mile after mile of
guard towers, searchlights, roving
teams of dogs, and rolls of concertina
wire.
And that's just on the edges.
The Wall itself is a sheer surface
that's 25 feet high. It's made of
Hamel
reinforced cement, and it's covered

with razor-sharp blades all along its
surface. In most places, it stands stark
and clean, but in others-most notably
near San Diego-it's covered almost
entirely with spraypainted tags.
The fact is that, no matter what the
President might like you to believe, it's
impossible to patrol a border as long as
the one the US shares with Mexico.
Still, that doesn't stop us from trying.
Despite the fact that most of Mexico
is now nothing more than a cheap labor
camp for US businesses who aren't
perturbed by sweatshop conditions for
their workers, we apparently don't
want any Mexicans sneaking into the
country on the sly.
The most shocking testimony to this
is the fact that when a guard shoots
down a Mexican trying to sneak into
our country, no cleanup crew ever
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comes out to remove it. Instead, the

corpse is left there to hang as a dire
warning to any who might be thinking
of following in its fa tal footsteps.
You'd think this would be enough to
stop the illegal immigration, but
apparently the feds-and everybody
else-has underestimated the tenacity
of the people living in the Mexican
border towns. Dozens of p opJe try
ery day, and a few of them even
make it. Most of th em, however, never
reach the fabled land o f opportunity.
All I have to say about the matter is
that if the Mexicans want so badly to
get up here, just imagine how awful it
must be down there .
SAN fRANCISCO
If you left your heart in San
Francisco, you can kiss that baby good
bye. The whole place went up in a blast
of radioactive fire only about an hour
after Atlanta led the way straight into
hell.
San Francisco was one hell of a city.
Only a ways off from Berkeley, it was
one of the few major cities that actually
considered itself delta friendly in those
days. Since then, the idea of a city even
being tolerant of deltas has long ago
fallen out of fashion.
There are some in the Defiance who
say Kennedy might have given Misha a
hand in choosing his targets for the
attack. After all, if he was looking to
take out a city that had been a thorn in
Kennedy's side for long enough, he
couldn't have done much better.
Of course, that's all a lot of nonsense,
right?
Let's hope so.
One of the worst parts about the
destruction of San Francisco is that the
Russkies used neutron bombs. These
were supposed to take out a huge

number of people with a low level of
lingering radioactivity, making it safe
for the city to be occupied after the
people in it were dead.
The casualties in San Francisco were
much higher than they were in Atlanta,
but the property damage was
comparatively minimal. The Golden
Ga te Bridge came down in the initial
blast, but m ost of the rest of the city
still stood tall.
The rescue teams waited outside the
city until they got the go-ahead from
the federal nuclear disaster teams to
move on in.
When the relief agencies finally
showed up, they found there was no
one there to save . The streets and
homes were literally packed with
bodies, many of which were already
beginning to rot. There was little to do
except start carting out the corpses.
The cleanup crews spent the better
part of a year actually hauling dead
people out of the city, and they still
couldn't get them all. Eventually, they
just gave up, leaving the rest of the
bodies to their fate. Most of the victims
were either tossed into the ocean,
incinerated, or buried in a mass grave.
Even now, over a decade later, it
seems like you can still smell death in
the air of the city. The place is still like a
ghost town. Some people have moved
in to take the place of the dead, but
many others- either out of respect or
some irrational fear-have opted to
leave the place alone .
These days, San Francisco is known
as the Haunted City. If you're looking
for a place to hide for a while and
you're not afraid of possibly stumbling
across some long-forgotten corpse
which happens all the time-'Frisco
might be the place for you .
Otherwise, I'd give it a wide berth.
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WASHINGTON, DC
Last, but hardly least, there's the

nation's capitol. Bluntly put, this is a
town at war.
Since this is the heart of the nation, it
holds a great symbolic importance for
most Americans on both sides of the
"delta issue," as Kennedy likes to
phrase it. We Defiants prefer to call it
what it is: a total violation of our civil
rights.
It's not just a delta issue, you see.
The fact is that everyone in the country
has given up some measure of his
rights in the past 36 years .
These days, government goons can
knock down your front door, roust you
and your family out of bed, tear apart
your home, and haul you off for
questioning in the middle of the night
without so much as nodding in the
direction of a warrant. You can be held
for weeks at a time-really, as long as
the police like-with little or no
recourse. You can be forced to testify
against anyone---except yourself; there
are some basic rights we still haven ' t
lost-and you can be tossed into jail for
contempt if you refuse. If you speak
out against the government, you can be
jailed for sedition or even treason .
Needless to say, I'm wanted in every
state in the nation, and I regularly
appear on the FBI's Top 10 Most
Wanted list.
Who says there aren't any fringe
benefits with this job?
THE HEART OF OUR GOVERNMENT

The reason I stepped up on tha t
soapbox there for a moment is that DC
just brings it out of me. This is
supposed to be the core of our na tion,
the place where our freedoms all begin.
Instead, it's their graveyard.
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Like I said before, this place is

symbolic to just about everyone
involved in the Defiant / Delta Prime
conflict-which includes just about
everyone in the country. For that
reason, the more active elements in the
Defiance are constantly on the attack in
DC. This ranges from assaults on
congresspeople to terrorist bombings.
It causes me a great deal of shame to
be associated with these terrorist
elements. The vast majority of Defiants
not only aren't involved in such acts,
they are disgusted by them.
Still, it only takes a few of these
bastards to make a bad name for us all.
Of course, Kennedy's hardly going
to stand for this kind of insurrection
almost literally in his backyard. DC's
got the largest concentration of Delta
Primers in the country. In fact, there are
probably more deltas in this city than
anywhere else in the w orld.
Think about it. Fict there are all the
Defiants-bo th from peaceful and
violent factions-working against the
government. Then th ere are all the
Pr im ers that Kennedy's allocated to
fightin g these Defiants. Add on all the
Primers who w ork for different
government organizations which are
headquarters in the area-mostly in
northern Virginia-and you've got one
hell of a bunch of deltas.
THE SCARRING
DC may not have any more scars on
its facade than a place like Manhattan
or even Crescent City, but they're a lot
more noticeable. DC's a city of
monuments, and a lot of these have
been damaged, knocked down, or even
entirely destroyed over the years. The
Washington Monument alone has been
closed down for repairs over 20 times
in the past 30 years.
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One of the worst battles was in '96

when the Dreadna uts-Ied by a p ower
mad Lee Ha rvey Oswald-actually
threatened to reprise the Devastator's
trick from 20 yea r bef fe, but this time
taking out the entire capitol city. D ltas
from both the Defiance and Delta
Prime actually fought side b y side
against the Dreadnauts that summer
something most of the new reports
never mentioned at the time-and they
prevailed, but not before two of the
Smithsonian Museums were destroyed
and the Washington Monument had
the top knocked clean off of it.
Hundreds were killed in the
crossfire, both delta and reg alike, but
at the end of the day, the city was still
there. The Primers actually even
captured Oswald, although they
couldn't hold on to him. He escaped
the day before his execution.
Thinking of that day always gives

m e grea t hop e. N o t only were the
Dreadnauts soundly defeated, but we
were all able to set aside our differences
for a shor t time to face a common
threat. I've actually seen this happen on
rare occasions before, often to fight off
external threats in distant countries, but
nev er on so massi ve and effective a
scale.
an we ever manage to put aside
our differences once and for all? To
realize that deltas and regs are really
just people?
Some days I despair that all the
struggles are just pOintless, that we're
never going to be able to change
anything, that we're stuck in a death
spiral from which we'll never pull out.
On my better days, I think about
who we are as a country and where
we've come from, and I find hope.
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THE STATE OF THE UNION
My notes on some of America's

major cities should give you a bit of a
better understanding about what's
happening around the country, but that
doesn't really give you the whole
picture. I want to try to describe h?w
America's seen by those who aren t a
part of our struggles.
As a country, we're extremely
violent. In a planet as ravaged as this
one, a violent people is hardly unusual.
It's just that we're violent on such a
personal level.
.
.
In other regions, the vIOlence IS often
more organized, with the guns and
other weaponry for the local
government's dissenters being
supplied by recognized resistance
fronts. I mean, look at the PLO, the
IRA, and the like. These are real
organizations with a real agenda and
real procedures.
.
.
In America, we take our dissent a bit
more personally. Sure there are
crackpot militia units all over t~e pla~e,
many of which are mixed in with white
supremacist organizations, but these
are the exception, not the rule.
Don' t get me wrong . There are a.few
militias out there with their hearts ill
the right place, good men and women
who just want to the country to return
to the kind of place it once was, but
these are real aberrations.
There's even the Defiance, but as
you've probably seen if you've read
this far, we're hardly what you could
call a unified front .
In general, just about everyone you
meet on the street is armed in some
way. Guns are the most popular for
people over 21. Most minors carry a
knife of some kind, either a
switchblade or something nastier.
ARMD AND DANGROUS

The saying goes that an armed
society is a polite society, but I don't
think the statistics have really borne
that out. The fact is that a lot of
arguments that might have otherwise
only become fistfights often escalate
into shootouts.
Most classy businesses have
weapons checks at the doors and metal
detectors to ensure compliance. The
security guards are always armed and
armored and often more than a little
trigger-happy. After all, it only takes a
few irate punk ta king potshots at you
to really put your nerves on edges .
In some parts of the country
notably the West-duels have come
back into fashion. If two people want to
kill each other somewhere in an open
area in wruch no bystanders are likely
to be hit by a stray bullet, most people
don 't see anything wrong with that.
Sometimes the local law doesn't even
bother hauling in the winner for
questioning, as long as there are plenty
of witnesses to corroborate the story.
The real problem is that, when a
shootout begins, just about everyone in
the area is ready to take part. This leads
to bloody massacres in which just
about everybody in the room is going
to learn about stopping a bullet the
hard way.
Taking hostages is a common tactic
for desperate souls that are outgunned
by their foes, but it doesn't always
work out the wa y they hope. Most
times, people ignore the hostage and
start firing anyhow.
Then there are the people who back
down from the fight but come back
later to settle the score. Hopefully they
manage to cool off in the meantime, but
often enough, they don' t, and people
end up dead as a result.
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To counteract all of this, the

government set up an instant
background check, but it only does so
much good. If you come up as having
been convicted of a felony or any
violent crime, a licensed dealer can't
sell you a gun.
However, private individuals aren't
required to deal with the checking
system-and even if they were, it
would be difficult to monitor it. They
can sell guns to whoever they want, so
all a convicted criminal really needs is a
friend to buy the gun for him. Not too
tough to get around. Sometimes the
private seller even reports the guns as
stolen to help protect himself from any
liability if the guns turn up as evidence
in a crime.
All in all, it's a brutal place in which
to live, and life seems cheaper here
than ever before.
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DIVIDfD Wf fALL
All that said, there's really no
massive movement to change things.
People seem to just be too scared to
stick their heads up to really take a look
at what's going on long enough for
them to want to make a difference.
Those that do often find themselves
shot down-literally--either by those
who wish to see them fail or simply at
random.
The average American, it seems, just
wants to be able to live a peaceful life,
hoping that the people she loves are
going to be safe and sound from one
day to the next. Unfortunately, that
means he's not paying any attention to
the fact that the infrastructure for his
American dream is crumbling out from
underneath him.
Hopefully, we'll figure it out in time.
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THIS RAVAGED PLANET
The fact is the Delta Times is an

American newspaper. I'm an American.
I live in an American city, and I write in
American English. By definition, most
of wha t I publish is going to have an
American point of view.
However, that doesn't mean I can't
cover international news, which I do all
the time. Getting reliable information
on international incidents is even more
difficult than it is for domestic events.
After all, news that comes from abroad
is usually filtered through at least two
sets of censors if not more.
Despite that, I think my staff of
correspondents and myself do a fairly
decent job. I've actually managed to do
some extensive traveling around much
of the world myself, so some of my
basic knowledge of these different
places comes firsthand.
Still, there's only so much territory I
can cover, so a lot of what I publish on
international events often can't be
independently confirmed. That said, I
trust my sources implicitly. Otherwise,
I wouldn't be dealing with them in the
first place, right?
Most Americans don't know a whole
lot about what's going on overseas.
They know the Mexicans want our
jobs, the Russians want to blow us up,
and-if they're reading the tabloids on
the supermarket newsstands-the
Martians want our women.
Well, I'm here to tell you things
aren't always that simple. There's a
whole world out there, packed with all
sorts of different people, cultures, and
governments. They've all got problems
of their own, bu t in the end, they're all
basically just like us here in the USA:
generally good people just doing their
best to get by.
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AfRICA
Africa's the continent that most
Americans seem to forget about when
they're talking about life abroad. I
think it's less a case of racism and more
the fact that most countries on the
continent don't pose any kind of direct
threat to American interests. The one
notable exception to that is Moamar
Qadafi (or however it's spelled this
week), the ruler of Libya.
LIBYA
For some reason, Qadafi's got it in
his head to give the US a hard time, up
to and including terrorist attacks on
our citizens and military outposts
abroad. Every so many months, he
sends a fanatic follower of his out into
the world, and inevitably we either
hear about the lunatic getting caught or
we see his handiwork on the 11 o' clock
news.
The CIA, along with several
seconded team members from Delta
Prime, has la unched over a dozen
missions against Qadafi, and to date
none of them have met with any
success. In fact, every time we make a
move against the madman, he attacks
us in kind. I understand that a Libyan
terrorist was actually found in the
White House a few years back. I don't
think there was enough left of him to
scrape into a body bag, much less stand
trial for his crimes.
SOUTH AfRICA
South Africa is one of the most
notable countries on the continent
because of the incredible civil war
that's been going on there for the past
several years. The country used to
labor under a system known as
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apartheid, a kind word for "separate

but equal, bordering on actual slavery."
This went on for decades, but it all
finally came to a head back in '96 when
Nelson Mandela, the leader of the most
popular opposition group, was
murdered in the middle of one dark
night.
It seems that this was the final
affront in a long line of grievances the
large black majority had against the
white ruling class. Things had been bad
up until then, but afterward, there was
no looking back.
The only thing that saved the whites
was the fact they'd been routinely
imprisoning every black delta they
could get their hands on for years.
When the revolution finally came, the
poorly armed rebels were forced to face
off against a cadre of powerful and
well-trained deltas, including several in
suits of power armor descended
directly from the Armorgeddon suits
employed by Delta Prime.
THf RfST OF THf (ONTII~fNT

Most of the rest of Africa is in a fairly
stable cycle right now. Many of the
countries are led by military dictators
whose power comes from either the
United States or the Soviet bloc.
Without the steady supply of guns,
ammo, and deltas the ruling parties
receive, they'd soon be overwhelmed
by the rebels, who are almost
invariably supplied by the other side.
Much of Africa is mired in these
brush wars that flare up occasionally,
or in putting down the latest internal
uprising. Every now and then, the two
things happen at the same time, and
the reigns of power change hands, but
the difference hardly matters to most
Africans. Meet the new boss, same as
the old boss, see?
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AUSTRALIA
The land of Oz has weathered the

last half of this century amazingly well.
Maybe it's the Australian history of
being founded by criminals in the first
place, or perhaps the culture just
doesn't get itself up in arms all that
often over things like terrorists.
Whatever the reason, Australia is one
of the few countries that has no
equivalent of the Delta Registration
Act.
THf fXODUS
That alone would make the Land
Down Under a haven for deltas on the
run, but Australia's actually kind
enough to invite them to immigrate
down too. Just about any delta that
applies for Australian citizenship
automatically gets it. All she has to do
is actually be in Australia to fill out the
papers.
Of course, that's not as easy as it
sounds. Officials from every other
country in the world fret over the
possibility that their top deltas might
actually defect to Australia. Just about
every flight that's headed to the
Australian continent is checked for
deltas, up to and including sweeps by
delta hounds, looking to expose the
efforts of their own kind.
Still, deltas make it into Australia
nearly every day. In general, rogue
deltas-Defiants or otherwise-love
the land. They can openly use their
powers and be themselves without fear
of reprisal, right?
Well, that's partially true. The
government's policy is not to treat
deltas any differently than anyone else.
However, the citizens aren't always so
kind and forgiving as their elected
officials.
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Even in Australia, deltas sometimes

find themselves rousted out of their
beds in the middle of the night to find
themselves the guests of honor at a
hemp necktie party. Other times,
they're just gunned down in the streets.
MASKS Of ALL KINDS

The one thing the Aussies have made
illegal is the wearing of masks. There
are to be no secret iden tities in their
land.
Visiting deltas often find this
troublesome and are forced into
making a quick choice. If they remove
the mask, they risk having their true
identity exposed to the world. If not,
they're going to be run down and
tossed in jail, and as you might have
guessed, the Aussies have a lot of
deltas working for their police force.
Patriot, for instance, was down in

Australia several times, and he
managed to keep his 10 secret. That's
because he left his mask behind in the
US and kept his head down while in
Oz.
The real problem with the A ussie
policy is that anyone can identify you
as a delta . If that person then decides
she wants to do you bodily harm,
there's really no place for you to go.
Most deltas of means live in places
with security that would give Fort
Knox a run for its money. Others do
their best to keep their addresses secret,
if not their faces . In those cases, the
delta's life is an open secret, and those
who know how to pry can get into it
with little trouble.
If you do decide to try to make it to
Australia, remember this: You can' t run
away from yourself.
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(ANADA
The Canadians actually have a pretty

liberal view toward deltas. They have
their own form of the USA's Delta
Registration Act, but it's not nearly as
much of a disaster up there. They don't
have a mandatory delta draft, you see.
Sure, if you're a Canadian delta, you
have to report in at the local police
station every time you stay in a town
for longer than 24 hours, which is
pretty much like it is here. Granted, it's
a pain, but it's nothing like being
hauled off to Delta Academy or the
Delta Squadron boot camp.
Lots of Defiants make a run for the
Canadian border shortly after their
awakening, hoping to win themselves
political asylum. Those that actually
apply with the government are kidding
themselves.
The Canadian government regularly
extradite captured d eltas back to the
US. The on ly real benefit of living north
of the bord er is that there aren't nearly
as many delta mounties as there are
Primers, making it a lot easier to live
your life in peace and quiet, if that's
what yo u're looking for. There sure are
a lot of wide-open spaces you could
hide in for months.
The biggest problem Canada has
these days are little brush wars they
always seem to be getting into with
deltas from Indian tribes who want
their independence. Most of these are
quickly squashed, but the rebels'
friends always crop up again
somewhere else.
Then there's the situation with
Quebec's bid to become its own nation.
The relations between the Canadian
and Quebecoir governments are
strained, mostly due to Free Quebec, a
delta-reinforced terrorist group.
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(HINA
You'd think the most populous

country on the face of the planet would
have the most deltas, but that's just not
true. I'm sure they've got plenty of
people with the delta factor in their
genes, but they just don 't seem to get
that many people who actually trigger
it off.
On the other hand, it could be that
the powers are triggered off just fine,
but the people simply don't survive the
experience. The fact is that most
Chinese people live far from what we
would consider modern medical care,
and it's possible that most newly
awakened deltas in China simply die
before they can ever make use of their
powers.
These are all just th ories, of course.
No one really knows for sure why there
are fewer deltas per capita in China
than the rest of the world . Maybe the
Chinese government is simply
hoarding the deltas, never letting the
general public know of their ~xisten~e .
Perhaps the Chinese people SImply lIve
safer lives and have less opportunities
to be awakened. If the Chinese
government knows the answer, it's not
telling.
Rumor has it that Chinese scientists
have actually developed a program to
create deltas in the lab . They find
eligible candidates-those with the
delta genes-and then subject them to
untold horrors, trying to trigger off an
awakening.
Those deltas the Chinese do have,
they train to become soldiers of the
state, proud representatives of their
government and their people. At least
that's what their pamphlets say. The
few Chinese deltas who have managed
to defect often tell a different story.
Hamel
HONG KONG
The most active hotbed of delta
activity is in Hong Kong. This British
province was supposed to be turned
back over to the Red Chinese when the
lease on the island was up in '97, but
the Brits backed out of the deal.
Possession, as they say, is nine tenths of
the law, but the Chinese weren't about
to give up that easily.
Hong Kong is the last bastion of true
capitalism on the planet. All that stuff
that's against the law with American
stock and commodity exchanges
trading insider information and the
like-it's all legal in Hong Kong. Hell,
it's actually encouraged.
This is a land that's always been on
the edge, caught firmly between two
differen t cultures warring
metaphorically for the hearts, minds,
and souls of the people. These days, the
war's become a bit more real.
In late '98, the Chinese government
actually led an invasion force into
Hong Kong, determined to take the
place back by force . The British
government sent thousands of troops
to rebuff the attack, and the Hong Kong
residents-fearful of losing their
liberated way of life if the place was to
fall under communist control-lent
their support to the people who'd
colonized their land over a century
before.
The conflict is still raging on to this
day. The Chinese absolutely refuse to
give up a place they feel is rightfully
theirs, and the British are holding on
equally tenaciously. The fighting is.
house-to-house and vicious, both SIdes
being careful not to bring the city down
around each other's ears.
After all, that wouldn't leave the
winner much of a prize to gloat over,
now would it?
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IUROPE
Europe is just about as fractious now

as it has been since World War II. These
days, the conflicts are rarely between
countries. Instead most of the problems
come from within.
There have been rumblings about the
entire European community someday
melding itself into some kind of single
economic-if not actually pol itical
unit. Of course, that kind of massive
undertaking would require the
individual countries to start thinking
about working together for their own
benefit instead of them each constantly
examining their own proverbial navels.
Let's just put it this way: It ain' t
gonna happen any time soon.
fRANCf
The French have the most laissez
faire attitude about deltas in all of
Europe. They pretty much treat them
all the same: They don't like any of
them, and they wish they'd go away.
It's not that the French people
actively persecute deltas. They leave
that to their government. They just
seem to resent them on a personal
level. They seem to find people flying
around in the air or bouncing off the
sides of buildings gauche.
Paris, of course, is where most of the
deltas in France end up eventually. The
City of Lights seems to draw them in
like moths to a flame.
And that's where most of the delta
battles happen too. Most of you have
seen the pictures of the Eiffel Tower
with the top ripped off of it. The French
people decided to leave the n:onument
the way it is to serve as a remmder of
how much the world we live in has
changed.
GfRMANY
Germany was pretty much shattered
at the end of World War II. The entire
country ended up under Allied control
after the war, much to the Soviets'
dismay. At the time, they didn't have
any alphas around to argue with
Superior, so they end ed up letting the
argument go . In later years, they'd
come to regret having given up any
claim on the industrial giant, but there
really wasn't a whole lot they could do
about it.
Most German deltas these days
immediately register w ith the
government upon their awakening.
They do this without questioning the
idea that they do this for the greater
good and that the government really
does know how to best make use of
their amazing abilities.
Kennedy must cry himself to sleep
wishing he could get the same kind of
reply out of the American people, but
we're just not built that way, I guess.
GRfAT BRITAIN
The United Kingdom is the opposite
of the US in at least one vital regard .
There, all guns are illegal, except in the
hands of law-enforcement officials.
According to JFK, this would then
leave the populace unable to defend
itself against the incredible abilities of
even a single delta criminal.
That hasn' t turned out to be the case.
In fact, whenever there's a problem in
which deltas are involved, the British
people mostly do just what they're
supposed to : duck, run, and call the
police. The bobbies' rapid response
teams are then on the scene within
scant minutes, ready to take out any
deltas they might find.
It doesn't always work.
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The deltas know all about the rapid

response teams, so they move around a
lot, making hit-and-run strikes the
police find nearly impossible to follow.
Still, even though the Brits seem to
catch a lot fewer deltas-both good and
bad-they always end up with a lot
fewer bodies around too.
IRELAND
Ireland is in many ways like Britain
with the exception of the heavily armed
factions running about the place. These
people don't really have anything to do
with deltas, as such. Instead, they're
soldiers on different sides of the
Troubles, the conflict between Irish
republicans on one side (often led by
the Irish Republican Army) and Irish
loyalists on the other (of which the
Orange Order is the most notorious).
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The worst part of the conflict to date

was when a rather explosive alpha
Catholic was found by some loyalist
thugs in the wrong part of Derry back
in the late '60s. The battle was short
and sweet, but in the end, most of
downtown Derry was leveled by the
delta's death blast. Worse yet, the delta
was apparently hunting for a
Protestant arms cache, which he never
found but still managed to trigger off
with his dying boom.
Thousands were dead in an instant.
You'd think that kind of a disaster
would give people pause to think, but
in fact it just made things worse as
blame for the incident was tossed
around faster than bullets. In retaliation
for the" terrorist act," the Irish
Parliament was blown up three months
later, with the Orangemen taking
responsibility. It's gotten worse since.
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Hame l
ITALY
THE COVENANT
Italy was on the losing end of World

War II, and it's been paying ever since.
Still, Kennedy seems to have a soft spot
in his heart for it. You rarely hear of
efforts to destabilize the government.
In fact, the Italian government is one
of the most stable in Europe or even the
world. (Besides the USA, of course. You
can't get much more stable than almost
40 years under the same President.)
That's likely because it's reputedly the
most corrupt. The Cos a Nostra has its
hand in just about everything that goes
on in Italy, and tha t alone keeps things
running smoothly. It reminds me a bit
of Crescent City that way.
The only exception to this is Vatican
City. The Pope and his cadre of delta
powered Catholics known as the
Covenant see themselves as above
petty local politics, even in Italy.
The Covenant has branches in just

about every country on the face of the
earth. As the Papal-sanctioned force of
deltas, they hold themselves above
political laws, recognizing only the law
of God-at least as the Catholic church
sees Him.
Many Covenant deltas have what
have best been described as "saintly"
or "holy" powers. Why and how this is
so, is unclear at the moment. Maybe a
delta's personality actually has some
kind of effect on the kind of powers he
awakens with.
In many countries, the Covenant is
treated like the Red Cross: a neutral
organization that's allowed to cross
borders and go where it likes at will.
Not so in the USA, of course, despite
Kennedy'S Catholic roots. Still, there's
more tolerance for them than some.
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SPAIN
Spain has been rocked by a civil war
that's been going on for decades. The
Basque separatists in the northern part
of the country have always been a
thorn in the side of both the fascist
dictator Franco and his successor,
Miguel Alvarez Cabanas.
This problem has grown even larger
ever since the Basques managed to ally
themselves with the local version of the
Defiance, promising the rogue deltas
that an independent Basque state
would accord every delta the full rights
given to any citizen. Believe it if you
like.
Alvarez's own deltas spend most of
their time trying to figure out how to
eliminate the Basques and their delta
allies, but to date, they've had little
luck. The total destruction of Seville in
'85 put the world on notice that the
Basques are not to be trifled with.
SCANDINAVIA
Both Non-vay and Sweden are
virtual havens for deltas throughout
Europe. These socialist countries have
always been extremely forward
thinking in their treatment of deltas,
and it shows.
All awakened deltas are immediately
assigned to training camps to help
them learn to use their powers to their
best effect. After the completion of this
six-month course, the deltas then work
with a placement organization to match
them up with a position that both
needs them desperately and which
they would find challenging and fun.
Still, with the Soviet bloc-in the
form of Finland-knocking on
Sweden's door, these two countries are
always in a constant state of
preparation for war.
MIDDLf-IAST
Since the beginning of recorded
history, the Middle-East has always
been a part of the world plagued by
troubles. The end of the 20 th century is
no exception. If anything, in fact, the
problems have gotten worse.
IRAN
Back in the late '70s, the Ayatollah
Khomeni declared that delta powers
were an aberration in the eyes of Allah.
All those people who had these powers
were to be banished from the Islamic
church and from the land of Iran.
Most awakened Iranians do one of
two things. They either leave the
country or take their own life in
despair. There are a few who actually
stick around to live in secret among
those who might otherwise harm them,
but they are occasionally found out.
For these brave souls, the penalty is
death, and the sentence is carried out
both publicly and quickly.
IRAQ
Iraq is run by a madman of its own,
the notorious Saddam Hussein, a
power-hungry bastard who occu~ied
the neighboring country of KuwaIt
back in the early '90s. There was a
strong movement within the American
govenunent to go over there and kick
the Iraqis out of Kuwait, but with all
the problems at home, Kennedy
couldn't actually spare the troops.
Hussein has used his power over
two oil-producing countries to force the
cost of raw oil upward over the years.
In my opinion, it's only a matter of
time before someone gets tired of
paying too much for gas and se~ds
some troops in to liberate KuwaIt.
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ISRAH
Unlike most countries in the Middle
East, Israel actually embraces its deltas
as gifts from Yahweh, sent to lead them
pe~ple into the next millennium. They
belIeve these gifts must be used in the
service of God-and the Israelis in
particular.
This way of thinking is so
indoctrinated into Jews that it's rare for
an awakened Jew to not immediately
contact Mossad to sign up for training.
In fact, practicing Jews from all around
the world often leave their country to
emigrate to Israel as soon as they
discover they've got delta powers.
Because of these policies, the Israelis
have one of the most powerful and
effective government-run teams of
deltas in the world. Only the Delta
Primers and the KGB even come close.
Hamel
INDIA
The Indian subcontinent is another
place which always seems to be filled
with conflict. It seems like the Indians
have been fighting with their Pakistani
neighbors since long before anyone can
remember.
Both the Indians and the Pakistanis
revere their deltas, with some Hindu
schismatics actually seeing their local
deltas as different living embodiments
of certain aspects of the ancient Hindu
gods. The official line is that this kind
of thinking is blasphemous, but it's
nevertheless taken hold in the minds of
many people, even if they're afraid to
openly admit it.
The casualties in this war that's
flared on and off across the Indian
subcontinent have been astronomical.
Of course, the most tragic incident was
[http://a_world_oChurtJpage 102
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the" accidental" detonation of that

nuclear bomb in the Indian city of
Madras.
Indian politicians theorize that the
explosion-which killed thousands of
people and made a good portion of the
city unlivable-was actually triggered
by a Pakistani delta intelligence agent,
but with the destruction as complete as
it was, no one' s ever been able to offer
any solid proof.
Tha t didn't stop the Indians from
blaming the Pakistanis for the event,
but without any hard proof, the Indian
president was reluctant to press
forward with an attack that was sure to
lead his country straight into nuclear
Armageddon.
Deltas have a kind of dual
relationship with the public in India.
On one hand, everyone loves to read
and hear about the deltas battling the
forces of evil wherever they go. A good
portion of the Indian moviemaking
industry is based on a popular series of
films starring Indian deltas.
On the other hand, no one really
wants to have anything to do with a
delta in real life. They see deltas as
magnets for trouble. As heroes, the
deltas may be destined to succeed and
survive, but the same can't be said for
anyone who might be standing nearby
at the time.
Even so, the world's largest
democracy has instituted a mandatory
delta draft. If you're awakened, it's
your duty to serve your country for at
least five years. There is no refusal.
Foreign deltas are viewed with
intense suspicion by both Indians and
Pakistanis. If you find yourself there
someday, I recommend judicious use of
a mask. Don't tell anyone who you are
unless you've been hauled down to the
local police station. By that pOint,
you're already doomed.
Hamel
JAPAN
Soon after he killed Adolf Hitler in

that Berlin bunker back in '44, Superior
flew directly to Tokyo, confronted
Emper r H irohito and demanded his
unconditional surrender. Hirohito
looked aro und at the bodies of his top
delta guards scattered all about the
Imperial Palace and did the only thing
he could.
He gave up.
Th Emperor was deposed soon
a fter, and a new, democratic Japanese
go 'ernment was installed to take his
place. Thi ngs changed rapidly for the
Japanes from that point forward.
The Japanese had always been an
insular c untry, long ignoring the
happenings in the outside world. After
World War II, that just wasn't possible
any m ore. Japan was suddenly thrust
directly into the international scene,
and not wholly on its own terms.
THE GOLDEN YEARS

From the mid-'40s up until the mid
'70s, the people behind Japan's
government had an extremely open
policy toward deltas. As a recently
defeated people, they were happy to
take advantage of any edge they could
find, and they knew an edge when they
saw one.
Japanese anime and manga of the
time is filled with all sorts of stories of
the deltas and how they were able to
save the country from ruin time after
time. The most popular of these deltas
was a group known as the Silent
Samurai. They were called this for the
way they were able to sneak up on
people quietly, not because they were a
collection of mutes . This group of
alphas were the undisputed champions
of the entire country.
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It was a golden time for Japanese

deltas, and even some gaijin deltas
from the US and around the world
found some acclaim from the Japanese
people.
That all changed soon after the
Bicentennial Battle.
Hamel
SOUTH AND (INTRAL AMIRICA
The lands south of the American

border share one thing in common.
With few exceptions they're all
governed by petty dictators propped
up by the CIA.
THE fMPEROR STRIKES BACK
MEXICO
By the time of the Vanishing, Japan

had come to rely very strongly on its
alpha heroes, and when they were
gone, the country dissolved into
widespread panic. This only escalated
when the delta prison at Okinawa
suddenly lost power on February 18,
1977, and dozens of alpha criminals
were able to escape at once.
The most violent and dangerous of
these criminals, one Akira Yoshihama,
stampeded up to the seat of the
Japanese government in Tokyo and
proceeded to start killing every
representative in the place.
In the end, the Emperor himself
stepped into the fray and shamed
Yoshihama into actually surrendering
to the Japanese authorities.
With this simple act, the Emperor
established once again who was really
in power in Japan: him.
Since that day, the Emperor has
ruled over Japan with an iron fist,
preaching a return to the days of old,
the days when Japan was an island of
mystery to the outside world. Life as a
delta in Japan is harsh. As soon as
you're awakened, your life is given
over to the state.
From that point on, your days are
not your own. You exist solely to serve
the Emperor and-through his
wisdom-the Japanese people.
Of course, the Japanese Defiance has
something to say about that, even if it
can't always find someone to listen.
America's neighbor to the south is

by far one of the most unstable
countries in the entire hemisphere. The
fascist government is constantly
fighting off coup attempts from within
and rebellious guerillas from the
various provinces.
The Mexican goverrunent has
changed hands over 20 times in the
past 40 years, and the delta policy has
bounced up and down like a kid on a
trampoline. It all depends on who's in
power.
Thi week, the country's being run
by General Juan Alberto Gutierrez.
Alberto managed to claw his way to
power in a bloody, delta-backed coup
he led himself. That's right, Alberto's a
delta. In fact, he's an alpha who was
doing time in the Mexican version of
New Alcatraz when the Vanishing
went down.
Unfortunately, that doesn't mean
that the Mexican goverrunent's all that
friendly to deltas. After all, deltas are
the base of Alberto's power, so he
knows firsthand what kind of a threat
they can be.
(OSTA RICA
Costa Rica's almost like a slice of
heaven on earth, especially if you're a
delta. First of all, it's a tropical paradise
with miles of pristine beaches and
unspoiled jungles and oceans. But
that's not all.
oW...
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The president of Costa Rica is Senora

Marta Allende Alonzo . Allende is a
beautiful, distinguished woman in her
late '50s-and she's a delta.
Deltas are free citizens in Costa Rica
accorded the rights of any other citize~.
However, they are expected to help the
government withstand attacks on both
of its borders by CIA-led forces.
The edges of Costa Rica are ravaged
warzones, patrolled by delta guards,
constantly on the alert for new
incursions by their neighbors to the
north and south. The central part of the
country, though, is far from the front.
When you're there basking in the
tropical sun and sipping a frozen
margarita, you can almost forget about
the problems in the rest of the world.
Don't relax for too long though. I've
been to this place, and it's one country
worth fighting for instead of against.
Hamel
THf RfST
Most of the rest of Central and South
America is just the kind of unstable
banana republics you've heard about in
the news. Anticommunist fascists-or
just about anyone supportive of the
Kennedy regime-are supported by the
CIA. Drug lords war with each other
over both customers and prime
croplands.
In these lands, deltas are a prized
commodity. If your powers are
revealed, you can expect a visit from
the government or the local drug
lords-or all of the above. If you refuse
to enter the service of your visitors
which can pay pretty damn well, by the
way-well, let's just say that a lot of
good deltas have disappeared in the
jungle and never been heard from
again.
~~
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1"1 SOVIET UNION
Ever since the fall of Nazi Germany,

the Soviet bear has been the biggest
threat to the United States by far. It's a
huge country with vast resources and
the only nuclear arsenal that rivals our
own.
We should know. We have the
dubious honor of having been the only
nation to have ever engaged in a
nuclea r exchange with the Soviets, and
the people of seven cities paid dearly
for it.
TH (OLD WAR RAGS ON

The so-called Cold War resumed
after the bombings with barely a
hiccup. The fact is we still don't trust
the Soviets, and we've given them no
reason to trust us. It doesn't look like
that's going to change anytime soon
either.
These days, it's a game of spy versus
counterspy with the CIA and the KGB
spymasters squaring off on opposite
sides of the chessboard. They use regs
and deltas alike as pawns in their
massive, complicated game, jealously
guarding their more powerful pieces,
saving them until the moment to
pounce is ripe.
Lin BHIND TH IRON (URTAIN

As a delta anywhere behind the Iron
Curtain-basically any Soviet-allied
country-you've got two options. You
either come clean after your awakening
and "voluntarily" join the Soviet delta
training machine, or you spend the rest
of your days working in a gulag
somewhere in Siberia.
If you join up, eventually you 'll
make it into the Red Brigade, the
Russian version of Delta Prime.
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The Red Brigade is divided into two

different sections. First, there are the
Hammers, the deltas charged with the
defense of the Soviet Union. Then there
are the Sickles, the Russians'
specialized delta attack team.
Both teams work closely with the
KGB. Many Hammers work as
counterspies in Moscow and other
Soviet cities, doing their best to ferret
out spies from the US and other
nations.
The public arm of the Sickles is a
delta strike team that's called in to
handle hostage situations and the like.
The top-secret Sickles are inserted into
other countries under deep cover,
working as horribly powerful Soviet
spies.
THf RULING CUSS

Mikhail Tretyak has been the ruler of
the entire Soviet Union for over a
decade now, and he shows no signs of
slowing down. Every now and then,
reports of Tretyak's failing health filter
out of Moscow, but within days, we see
fresh video of the" kid from Kiev"
walking through Red Square and
shaking hands with his grateful
citizens.
Tretyak's a good communist, but he
rules with an iron hand. There have
been no less than five serious attempts
at a coup-that we know of-and he
has smashed them each down quickly
and ruthlessly hunted down the
pretenders to his office in the Kremlin.
None of the aggressors has ever
confessed to CIA backing, but you can
be sure that at least a few of them
received some kind of American
support.
According to a CIA friend of mine,
"Rasputin wasn' t this hard to get rid
of."
Stop
Home
THE UNITED NATIONS
Let's face it: This organization is the

biggest joke on the planet.
The UN's supposed to be a venue in
which the various countries can get
together and air their grievances
against each other and maybe even
work together toward some common
goal.
Well, lots of grievances get aired,
that's for sure-mostly about the fact
the UN's offices are still in Manhattan,
one of the most dangerous places in the
US-but little else ever happens. The
five main members of the UN security
council-the US, Great Britain, the
Soviet Union, China, and France-each
have veto power over any actions
suggested by the others, so nothing
ever gets done.
If the US proposes something, you
can be sure the Chinese or the Russians
will veto it, and if either of those
countries tries something, we almost
always shoot it down.
Of course, there's UNDDO-the
United Nations Delta Defense
Organization. This is the UN's elite
strike force, comprised entirely of
deltas seconded to the team from their
respective countries.
When UNDDO's on, there's no
better team in the world, but that's not
always how it is. Trying to coordinate
team members from several different
nations is always difficult-the default
language is English, it seems-but
working with all the tremendous egos
is even worse.
Still it was UNDDO that brought
down those terrorists threatening to
blow up the Sphinx back in '86, and
they' ve proven themselves a valuable
force for stability-if not actually
peace-throughout the world.
(HAPTER ONE: HEW POWER PACKAGES
(HAPTER ON:
NEW POWER
PACKAGES
You've patiently waded through all
that background information, and hey,
you've been pretty darn good about it.
Now here's the meat of the book:
brand-new power packages for you to
make all-new heroes out of.
There's a whole lot of stuff here for
you to sink your teeth into, 10 new
packages in all. That's as many as you
got in the Brave New World Rulebook,
automatically at least doubling your
starting choices.
And don't fret if you don't see your
ideal type of hero here. As always,
there are more to come.
That's not all. We're also drawing
back the curtain-at least partially-on
a powerful faction in Brave New World
known as the Covenant. These men
and women battle against evil on
behalf of none other than the Supreme
Pontiff himself, the Pope of the Holy
Roman Catholic Church. Of course,
they've got to be ordained members of
the Catholic clergy to be eligible to take
the Covenant package, but if that's
their vocation, so be it.
15 PIlLlCC
1"1 POWIR PACKAGIS

Every power package has at least
one entry: powers. Under this, we list
what powers a hero gets if you choose
this package for her. Remember, a hero
only ever gets to use one package, so
choose wisely.
Many packages also come with
another entry: quirks. When you pick
this package, the hero gets these quirks
along with the powers.
Last, every package comes with its
own tricks. Heroes don't get these
automatically. They can pick them as
part of their three free tricks (during
character creation) or they can pick
them up later.
Heroes with other power packages
can't use these power-package tricks
(except in special circumstances), no
matter how many successes they might
get on a roll. A hero can only ever use
power-package tricks from her own
power package.
Enough of all that. Let's get on with
the packages!
CROSS paul
(HAPTER O"E: NEW POWER PACKAGES
THf (OVfHAHT
The Covenant has its roots in the
very beginning of the Catholic Church,
right back to when the early Christians
were busy turning the other cheek to
their Roman persecutors. Back then,
Peter I, the very first Pope, began what
eventually evolved into the Covenant.
Peter realized that the Catholic
Church was one of the first lines of
defense against creatures of evil. As
such, it was the church's sacred duty to
prepare a force of holy warriors to
defend the hapless bulk of humanity
against the encroachment of the
darkness. Peter believed then- as the
Covenant instructors still teach to this
day-that the only true defense against
the darkness is light, and nothing
shone more brightly than the light of
God .
According to church histories,
Peter's teachings were borne ou t more
than once over the centuries. Covenant
forces battled against things that could
only be called demons many times over
the centuries, and they always came
out victorious.
Of course, that's only as far as we
know, and we're relying on the
Catholic Church to be entirely up front
with us. You can be sure that an
organization of that size has got some
secrets it's not willing to share, even
with its own members.
Only the Pope know aU. Members
of the Covenant report directly to him,
and he releases information to them
only on a need-to-know basis.
For centuries, the Covenant was the
Catholic Church's secret weapon. No
mention of it was made in the public
records, and all those who happened to
discover its existence were
neutralized- sometimes violently so.
is POLIce
INTRODUCING THE COVENANT

Of course, all of this happened long
before the first deltas were discovered
in the early 20 th century. After that
point, all bets were off.
In the early '20s, when it became
apparent that people like the Silver
Ghost weren't just an anomaly but a
whole new subgroup of the human
race, the Pontiff decided to announce
the existence of the Covenant.
The theory here was that with the
encroachment of deltas and other
supernatural threats on modern life,
people needed to know that the forces
of light were on their side, that there
were champions of righteousness ready
to stand against the shadows.
It worked famously. Enrollment in
the Catholic Church jumped by almost
50% overnight. Other organized
religions announced groups of their
own soon after, but none of them were
able to steal the Catholics' thunder.
In fact, the Covenant's mere
existence is considered to be one of the
reasons Kennedy was elected to office
in the first place. The Pontiff has a strict
policy of not handing ou t political
endorsements, but the very fact that
there were so many new Catholics in
the country certainly h ad an effect
up n the polls on election day.
Catholicism had always been
important in many European countries,
but it had been losing ground to the
various fla ors of Protestantism in
Ameri ca. The unveilin g of the
Covenant really gave the whole
organization a kick in the pants.
Across the world, attendance at
Catholic masses is up, and more and
more people are calling themselves
Catholic. The church hasn' t been this
popular since before Martin Luther
nailed his note to his church door.
CROSSPOLII
CHAPTER ONE: NEW POWER PACKAGES
THE OLD WAYS
THE NEW WAYS
Of course, with this amazing surge

in popularity, the Catholic Church
didn't see a whole lot of reasons to
make drastic changes in the way it does
things. Sure, the mere presence of
deltas has required the Church to make
some adjustments, but overall, things
are handled the same way as they were
at the turn of the century.
This means that all the masses are
still said in Latin, and that most of the
time the priest stands with his back to
the congregation as he conducts the
services. The ancient majesty and
reverence of the original Christian
church is still intact, although this has
meant keeping the majority of the
church's followers at arm's distance.
Even with record attendance in
Catholic schools and universities across
the country, there just aren't that many
people who speak Latin. This resulted
in the formation of a brand-new schism
of the Catholic Church in the late '60s.
As America swung to the far right,

politically speaking, in the '60s, the
Holy Father in Rome remained silent,
refUSing to break with the modern
tradition of not becoming involved in
secular matters, preferring to leave
those to the governments the people
found themselves under.
This didn't sit well with many
younger Catholics around the world.
They saw what was happening, and
they decided that to remain silent in the
face of such rampant abuse of power
would be a sin. Instead, these young
priests, nuns, and deacons took the
opportunity to preach nonviolent
resistance from their pulpits.
This cause was taken up by many
other religious figures at the time, most
notably the Reverend Martin Luther
King, Jr., a name which held some
irony for the Holy See. These men and
women decried the authoritarian
actions taken by governments across
jSPIII.ICC
CROSS paul
(HAPTER ONE: NEW POWER PACKAGES
the world to protect their citizens from

the "delta threat." They saw that these
moves involved the steady
encroachment on the civil rights of
people everywhere, and they refused to
stand by and watch this quietly.
In 1968, a number of Catholic
clergy-mostly American, but with
support from across the globe
declared their separation from the
Church in Rome. No longer would they
remain aloof from the course of secular
affairs, trusting that if their faith was
strong their rewards would come in the
afterlife, no matter the abuses they
endured on earth.
These rogue clergy banded together
with other ministers from several other
Christian-and even some non
Christian-religions to form a new
organization, one dedicated to fighting
for peace and harmony and human
rights in every corner of the planet.
Because the vast majority of these
clergy were Catholic, they called
themselves the Schism.
THE PAPAL RUCTION

Of course, the Supreme Pontiff has a
few other choice words for the men
and women of the Schism. The one he
uses most often is "heretic." In fact, in
official speeches and letters from the
Catholic Church, the Schismatic
movement is often simply referred to
as the Heresy.
That said, the Pope has taken a
decidedly ambivalent stance against
the Schismatics. Instead of demanding
that they return to the fold, he's opted
to open an honest dialog with the
leaders of the new nondenominational
organization with the hope that they
might see the light of reason and give
up their worldly struggles.
Not every other religious leader has
been so understanding. Many pound
on their pulpits with righteous fury,
demanding the return of their lost
sheep to their flock. Some have even
gone so far as to have their "lost souls"
imprisoned for stealing church
(HAPHR ONE: NEW POWER PACKAGES
p roperty-the very churches the

Schismatic pastors were leading up
u ntil they decided to part way w ith
their leaders.
THf SCHISM
As a active force in the battle for the
restoration of human rights to both
deltas and the general population
everywhere, the Schism is the de facto
religion of Defiants everywhere. To call
the organization a religion is something
of a misnomer. It's actually more like a
ecumenical league of ministers all
working toward a common political
goal.
Needless to say, the Schism has been
outlawed in many countries, including
the United States. Strangely, the Italian
government has not cracked down on
the Schismatics, this despite the fact
that Vatican City is only a stone's throw
away from the central seat of the Italian
government.
The leaders of the Schism vary from
country to country. In America, there's
a triumvirate of powerful people who
lead the cause. These are Cardinal
Joseph O'Conner, Sister Mary Victoria,
and the Reverend Martin Luther King,
Jr.
0' Conner and Victoria hail from the
Catholic Church, while King's religious
roots are based in the Southern Baptist
Church. All three have survived several
assassination attempts over the years.
In fact, both O'Conner and Victoria
only stepped up in the last decade after
their predecessors were either killed or
tossed in jail.
King has always surrounded himself
with a close-knit group of trusted
deltas who have been able to keep him
from harm. Without their aid, the man
would certainly have been killed
several times over.
~ 'S
pI-Ice
CATHOLICS IN AMfRICA
Catholicism is a central religion in
the w orld, and especially in Kennedy's
America. As the first Catholic
President, Kennedy has developed
close ties to the Vatican over the years
and to the Covenant in particular. He's
even known to have private audiences
with the Pope on a regular basis.
That's not to say that the Pope
approves of what Kennedy'S done to
what was once the most powerful
democracy on the face of the earth. The
Pontiff is actually a big believer in the
form of government the United States
popularized over 220 years ago, and
he's not terribly happy with how JFK
has turned his once-proud country into
a nation terrified of its own shadow.
Still, Kennedy ostensibly gives
ranking Covenant officials free reign
within the borders of the United States.
Of course, even though they may have
a special status, Delta Prime insists on
sending along guides with Covenant
operatives wherever they go.
These Primers are supposedly
around to help the Covenant people
out and to act as ambassadors of good
will on behalf of the American
government. In fact, they're actually
there to make sure the Covenanters
stay in line and doesn't step on the
wrong toes.
While not all members of the
Covenant are deltas-not by hal
those who happen to be are all
registered with the government of
which they happen to be citizens. The
word"delta" appears in bright red
letters on their 10 cards, so when in the
US, they must work closely with Delta
Prime or face imprisonment. This
punishment hasn't been invoked often,
but the threat of it hangs over the head
of every Covenant delta in America.
CROSS PIII.II
(HAPTER ONt HfW POWER PACKAGfS
THf (OYfNANT IN AAURICA
AMfRICAN SCHISMAriCS
In the United States, the C ovenan t

has the official blessing of JFK himself.
They are not to be hassled by Delta
Prime or any other governm ent
organization. The traditional rules
regar ding sanctuary in a church still
hold strong, although they are rarely
invoked . Were they to be taken
advantage of more often, there is little
doubt that Kennedy would u se this s a
reason to strip the Catholl Church of
its status in America.
Kennedy is reluctant to move agai nst
the church for several reason s. Firs t f
all, it's his own religion, and he
apparently still ha some d e p -s ated
respect for the entire organiza tion, its
people, and its b liefs .
Secondly, lhe popularity of the
church would make it difficult to
remove from power. The backlash tha t
would take place from the gov rn ment
moving against the Cath olic Ch urch
would be unimaginable.
Third, as an apolitical organiza tion,
the Ca tholic Church doe exac tly what
K nnedy wants it to. It keeps the
people hoping for a better life w hile
never encouraging them to ta ke action .
Sure the Catholic people are famo us for
praying for an end to th state of
martial law in the US, but that's about
as far as it goes. Kennedy doesn't seem
to be too bothered by the prayer.
Last, Kennedy's actually built up a
decent relationship with the Pope. In
fact, John-Paul II is actually the
President's confessor, supposedly privy
to Kennedy's innermost thoughts and
secrets. Of course, all of these are held
under the sacred seal of the
confessional, and even if the Pope
wanted to take action based on
something the President told him, he's
bound by his vows not to.
Of cours ,Ken nedy blasts the

A merican followers of the Schism for
just abo u t the same reasons he doesn't
touch the Cath olic h urch.
It's not his religion, so h ~ has no
sentimenta l ttachment to it. In fact, the
P ap al d eclaration of the Schismatics as
heretics m akes them all fair game in
JFK's book.
The Schism has been dem onized in
America alm a t as much as the
Defiance. The only d ifference is that
there are a lo t of regs in the Schism .
The Sch i.s m's very reason for
exi. tence is poli tical, p utt ing it in dir ct
conflict wi th Kennedy and his aims on
a cons tant ba j . ' hese are his foes in
m ore wa ys th an one. In fact, the
, ch ism 's leadership has called for the
overthrow of Kennedy's government
on more than one occasion.
;5 pOLIce
THf SCHISMATIC (OVIHANT

Of co urse, w h en the Schism first
fo rmed, it attracted the atten tion of
Catholics and religious figures of all
s tr ipes. Among them w ere some
m embers of the Covenant.
The men and women who'd been
trained as the frontline of defense for
Catholics everywhere now formed an
organization of their own, formally
known as the N ew Covenant. In
America, m ost of this group's
operatives are called "Newbies," which
was originally meant as a derogative
term, implying the recklessness of
you th and the overconfidence of a
high-school freshman. Of course, the
Newbies took the name and made it
their own, and there are many active
members of the Schism who are proud
to call themselves Newbies, no matter
what their age may be.
CROSS poLtI
CHAPTER ONI: NEW POWER PACKAGES
OTHER RELIGIONS
The fact that the Covenant plays an
important part in this book and in
Brave N ew World is not meant as a
ringing endorsement of Catholicism or
any other faith. In fact, in Brave New
World, several other faiths have similar
organizations dedicated to ideals
nearly identical to those espoused by
the men and women who answer
directly to Pope Jolm-Paul II. We hope
to cover more of those as the Brave N ew
World saga develops.
In the meantime, you can assume
that every major religion has its own
kind of version of the Covenant. The
Jewish Kabbalah, which has strong ties
to the Israeli intelligence organization
known as the Mossad is one such
organization.
I roes that come from those various
organizations have powers that are
mostly similar to those of the people of
the Covenant, although you should feel
free to tinker with them a bit and tailor
them as close as possible to each
religion's own system of b liefs.
HANDLING RELIGION IN THE GAME

In general, organized religions in
Brave New World are treated as good
things. They are generally helpful
organizations, most of which teach
things like personal responsibility,
being kind to your neighbors, lending a
hand when it's needed, and respecting
the rights of others.
Of course, that's not ahva ys true. The
Catholic Church, for instance, has had a
spotty record over the centuries with
regard to honoring other belief
systems. For those of you who were
asleep in your history classes, we spell
that rocky period of time "the
Crusades."
;S POLIce
CROSS POLII
CHAPTER ONI: NHV POWIR PACKAGIS
These days, the Catholic Church is a

mostly benevolent entity, whether you
agree with most of what they have to
say or not. Of course, that doesn't
preclude the presence of evil or simply
twisted individuals working within the
larger structure of the Covenant and
the church in general. It's a big faith,
after all, and for the most part it takes
all comers.
Have fun with working with the
different religions that crop up in the
course of your game, but please be sure
to treat other people's beliefs with a
good dose of respect. You'd expect the
same of them.
We've tried to do exactly that in this
book and throughout the game.
Dealing with religion can be a touchy
subject, and it something that many
games ignore. We feel that avoiding
something that's so central to the lives
of many people today would be doing
a disservice to both the various
religions and the people playing the
game.
COVENANTS AND BARGAINS

The one group of people the
ovenant really has a problem with is
the Bargainers. After all, these people
admit to dealing with demons on a
regular basis, something that's flat-out
wrong in just about anybody's version
of the Bible.
More open-minded Covenant heroes
try to take the a ttitude of despising the
sin but not the sinner. After all, these
are still human beings we're talking
about, and everyone's got the chance
for redemption later on down the line.
Other Covenant leaders aren't so
understanding. At the very least, even
meeting a Bargainer can put a
Covenant hero on edge. Covenant
heroes add +5 to their rolls when
resisting persuasion attempts of any
kind made by a Bargainer. Their
inherent distrust of anything that deals
with the warmer side of the afterlife
makes them difficult to deal with-at
least from a Bargainer's biased point of
view.
COVENANT
As a member of the Covenant, the
hero must be an ordained member of
the Roman Ca tholic Church. This
includes priests (fathers), nuns (sisters),
and deacons (brothers). The available
powers are the same for each kind of
religious figure, although their
religious powers and duties can differ
quite a bit.
Not every member of the Covenant
is a delta, but throughout the following
pages, we assume that any heroes are.
Of course, a player can always take on
the role of a Covenant reg if she likes. If
so, just ignore the bits that refer to delta
powers.
SCHISMATIC HEROES
Some heroes are bound to want to
join the Schism, and that's just fine.
New Covenant heroes are pretty much
the same as those who belong to the
original Covenant. They just answer to
a different leader. These rules assume
the hero is a Catholic Schismatic, but
that's not necessarily so. The Schism
takes in people of all faiths.
For the most part, the powers of
heroes of other faiths are going to work
identically to those of the Catholic
Schismatics. It's up to the Guide to
tinker with any variations that might
seem appropriate.
COVENANT MARTIAL ARTS

REGISTRAIION AND THE DRAfT
As registered deltas, Covenant
heroes are theoretically eligible to be
drafted by the US government at any
time . This has rarely been enforced,
however, especially after the first few
Covenant agents simply pleaded
conscien tious objector sta tus and
refused to participate. With regular
deltas, the objectors would simply be
forced to rot in jail, but Kennedy
relented at the pleading of the Pope
himself.
These days, the government and the
Covenant occasionally work together,
but only on a non-conscription basis.
Covenant operatives work with
members of the Defiance nearly as
often, claiming that their status as the
confessors of the Defiants in question
means that they aren't permitted to
testify against them or provide Delta
Prime with any information that could
lead to them coming to harm.
Of course, heroes from the Schism
are on their own-at least according to
the church's official stance.
;5
One of the more amazing and useful

skills the Covenant has developed over
the years is a new kind of martial arts
that's based on Spirit instead of Speed. It
involves the hero finding a calm center
of power within himself and then using
that to open a barrel of whup-ass in the
physical world.
Covenant martial arts works just like
the standard version of martial arts,
except it's a skill that comes under
Spirit instead. It comes in three flavors:
barehanded, blade, and club.
Like any other close combat attack,
covenant martial arts uses the hero's
Strength as the basis for any damage
rolls. Of course, many Covenant
operatives use close combat weapons
to give themselves that extra edge.
UNIFORMS
Covenant heroes often wear the
official uniforms of their office. They
have several different kinds of
uniforms they wear on different
occasions. For daily use, they normally
CROSS POLII
(HAPTER ONE:HEWPOWER PACKAGES
only wear their traditional collar or

habit. When on the job as a Covenant
operative, they often wear brightly
decorated body armor covered with the
symbols of their faith.
Covenant heroes aren't always eager
to betray their roots. At those times,
they don't bother wearing any
Covenant or clergical uniform,
preferring to dress just like the average
person-or delta, at least-on the
street. These plainclothes Covenant
operatives only reveal themselves
when necessary, although most carry a
badge of office on their person at all
times. The only real excep tion to thi is
when the operative is deep undercov r.
WfAPONS
Covenant agents use weapon s
similar to those of any other hero,
although they tend to favor guns of
Italian make, like Berettas. They also
make frequent use of a kind of weapon
not seen in the hands of many other
heroes: the Covenant crossbow.
This crossbow is exclusively
manufactured for the Vatican by the
Beretta Corporation, although a civilian
model is also available for the general
public-without the crucifixes and
other emblems that adorn the
Covenant variety.
The Covenant crossbow can fire
bolts of all kinds. Most modern
crossbow users employ metallic bolts,
but the Covenant swears by traditional
wooden ammunition for its usefulness
against all kinds of tal-gets, particularly
certain supernatural elements of evil.
The Covenant crossbow is similar to

regular crossbows with one exception:
It automatically reloads the bolts from
a belt, making it a lot faster to use in
combat, since the hero doesn't have to
reload between shots. In fact, the
ammunition comes in disintegrating
belts that can easily be fed into the
firing mechanism, making the weapon
simple to reload_
(OVfNANT HfROfS
For some reason, anyone who's an
ordained member of the Ca tholic clergy
ends up with a distinct set of powers if
they awak n as a delta after being
ordained . W hen we talk about
Covenan t heroes, these are the k inds of
deltas w 're talking ab out.
However, it's possible for a hero to
have awakened as a delta before being
ordained. In that case, the he ro might
h ave any kin d of power package at all.
That's the reason why, although most
Covenant deltas a re of a certain type,
just about any kind of delta can be
found working for the Covenant.
Here are the actual details on the
stand ard Covenant delta p ower
package itself.
REQUIREMENTS
very member of the Covenant must
have the foll ow ing skills at the listed
minimum levels: academia: occult 2,
Covenant martial arts 2, faith 3, language:
Latin 2, and profession: clergy 3. Of
course, they can have higher skills if
they like.
COVENANTCROSSBOW
Weapon Type
Action
Covenant X-bow Auto
Ammo
Bolt
Shots
20
;S PlllCe L
Q uickness
1
Rate of
Fire
1
Range
Increm ent
5
CROSS POLII
Damage
Sd6+S
Cost
$500
CHAPTER ON: HHV POWER PACKAGES
They must also have the duty -5:

Covenant, ordained, and patron +5:
Covenant quirks, and if the hero is a
delta, she m us t be registered. M st
Covenant heroes have the pacifist -3
quirk, but not ll . Some subscribe to the
ye for an eye" phil 5 p hy a nd are
happy to use force w hen it's ca lled for.
/I
POWERS
Covenant: The hero has acces t all
Covenant powers.
TRICKS
Blessed: Wit] two extra successes on
a faith roll, the hero picks up ano ther
delta pOint. Thi trick cannot be used
again until all of the h ero's d lta pOints
have been spen t. On e that happens,
the hero can use th trick to pick up
another free delta point. Unused d lta
points are lost at the end of th -es .ion.
Divine Inspiration: Wi th three extra
succe ses on a faith roll, the h ro gets
some kind of di rection from G d that's
appropriate to helping the hero in

whatever situation she's found herself
in. Since God works in mysterious
ways, the inspiration is never so direct
as to actually c me straight ou t and
a1 wer w hatever question a hero might
have.
lnst ad, some thing happens to point
the hero in the right direction. It's then
up to the hero to lue into what's
happen ing and fo llow the right pa th.
Often the hero only ac tu all y gets the
hint if she conducts herself in a manner
befitting her office.
For exampl ,a hero that's searching
for a lost chi ld migh t d iscover an
elderly woman who's just been
knocked over. 1 the hero stops to help
the w oman, the lady m ight start talking
about this beautifu l child she saw the
other day, the one that reminds her of
her grandson.
If the hero's ready to receive this
ki nd of help, he should clue in to the
fac t that the child is possibly the one
he's looki ng for. Otherwise, the
(HAPTER ONl: HEW POWER PACKAGES
opportunity simply passes him by. It's

up to the Guide to fig ure out exactly
how subtle to be wi th these clues, as
the situation warrants.
This trick can only be used once
during each gaming session. Once it's
been triggered, it's no good until the
next time the players get together for
the game.
(OVfHAHT POWfRS
Covenant heroes have access to a
broad range of powers, each of which is
triggered by a faith roll. For every point
of faith the hero has, she has permanent
access to one particular Covenant
power.
The only way for a Covenant hero to
pick up more powers is to improve her
faith score. When she raised her faith by
1 point, she gets to choose another
Covenant power to have access to.
Although Covenant powers have
their basis in the awakening of a delta,
the Covenant believes that the powers
are actually given to them directly by
God. This is the explanation they have
for why ordained clergy always end up
with Covenant powers as opposed to
any other kind of power package they
might pick up .
Every Covenant power comes
complete with a full description, as
well as a Target Number required to
trigger it off. Some of the Target
Numbers vary according to what the
Covenant hero is trying to do, while
others are actually opposed rolls, but
most are just flat numbers.
A Covenant hero can only use one
power at a time. If he switches from
one to another, the original power he
was using instantly fades away as soon
as he begins to activate the new power.
In any case, each power only lasts for a
maximum of three hours .
Unless it says differently in the

power d scription, it takes three full
actions for a hero to trigger a new
power. During that triggering time, the
hero d e n't have any powers at all.
If the hero becomes stunned while
trigger ing a new p wer, the fait h roll is
automatically failed. To activate a new
power, he must start all over again
from scratch.
AURA Of RIGHTEOUSNESS
Target Number: 5
For every success the hero gets on
his faith roll, he can add +1 to any
persuasion rolls of any kind made for
the remainder of the encounter.
To get this power rolling, the hero
must first make some kind of little
sermon or vocally offer up a prayer for
those he's about to talk to. The people
to be persuaded don't have to hear the
Covenant hero talk for the power to
have an effect upon them, as long as
the hero makes the required faith roll.
This power's actually about the hero
taking a moment to get in touch with
God and sense the power of God
within himself. Armed with that feeling
of potency, the hero is so much more
confident that other people can actually
sense a divine power within him.
The more cynical members of the
Covenant suspect that there may be
more than a few less-than-scrupulous
televangelists using this power.
DIVINE MERCY
Target Number: 5
This works similar to the healer's
power found in Brave New World.
However, the hero only adds +1 to her
medicine roll for every success she gets
on her faith roll. A Covenant hero with
this power can also learn the healer
tricks healing disease and healing poison.
CROSS PIJI.II
CHAPTER ONE: HEW POWER PACKAGES
GOD'S WILL
Target Number: 5
When this power is in effect, any
creatures of supernatural evil cannot
come within 1 inch of the hero for
every success he gets on the roll. It's up
to the Guide to decide which creatures
might be affected by this power, but a
regular delta with an evil streak just
doesn't qualify.
MANNA
Target Number: 5
To use this power, the hero must
have some kind of food and water (or
some other kind of drink) handy. It
doesn't have to be good food or fresh
water, but it has to be edible and
drinkable.
her faith roll, she manages to somehow
produce enough extra food and drink
to give one person a good, healthy
meal. This meal is solid and filling
enough to sustain a person for an entire
"SPlJce
day, and anyone who eats of it can add

+3 to any healing rolls he makes for
himself that day.
The hero can only use this power
once per day. Most Covenant heroes
are sure to feed others in need before
they feed themselves.
MIGHT OF GOD
Target Number: 5
This power fills the hero with holy
strength-although sometimes too
much of it. For every success the hero
gets on his faith roll, he can add + 1 to
his Strength, potentially making him
even more powerful than a goliath.
If the hero gets five or more
successes, he also adds +1 to his Size
and becomes obvious -3 (which is the
concealable variety) and must take -2
from his initiative rolls . A hero that
experiences a growth in Size is in for
some hurting once the power fades .
When this happens, the hero takes a
wound in every hit location all at once,
just like massive damage.
CROSS POLII
(HAPTER ONE: HEW POWER PACKAGES
When the extra Strength fades, a

wounded hero can ignore any wound
levels that would have been absorbed
by his extra Strength.
Example: Father Lange uses his
might of God power and makes a
faith roll. He gcts fou r successes,
50 he gets to add +4 to his
trcl1gth. In the course of a fight,
he take five wounds to his head
and th ree to his torso. When his
extra Str ngth fades, it takes up to
four wounds in each hit location
away with it. This means Father
Lange is going to have no wounds
to his torso, but (5- 4=) 1 wound in
his head.
SHIELD OFGOD
Target Number: 5
When walkin g through the valley of
darknes", hav ing this p ow er can really
help you to fear no evil.
This power grants the hero a level of
1/- armor for every success she gets
on her faith roll. For example, if the
hero gets six successes, she then has
armor 6/-.
WRATH OF GOD
Targe t Number: 5
The hero is able to call down the
wrath of Cod in the form of fiery
vengeance. This holy strike comes in
the form of a column of fire that
appears from nowhere to engulf the
target.
his faith roll, the attack does 1d6+ 1
points of massive damage.
The faith roll also acts as an attack
roll. Figure the attack as if it were a
standard ranged attack with a Range
Increment of 10. The Rate of Fire is I,
and the Quickness is 1. If the faith roll is
is POLIce
CROSS pOLir
higher than the Target Number along

with all the applicable modifiers, then
the attack hits and does damage.
Worn armor does not protect agains t
the wrath of God. Only armor powers do.
The wrath of God works like an area
affect weapon. If the attack misses,
check for deviation to see where the
column of flame erupts. If there's
someone s tanding even partially on
that spot, she's affected by the attack
instead.
DfFfHDfR
The hero has the ability to project a
force field from her hands. This acts
like armor against anything attacking it
from the outside, although attacks from
the inside of the shield go right through
it like it wasn't even there.
Most defenders work in conjunction
with a partner. The defender throws up
the shield, protecting them both, while
the partner attacks from behind the
safety of the shield.
POWERS
Energy Shield: The hero can project
an energy shield in fron t of her with
one hand. This shield is armor 20 / - ,
and it's big enough to protect the hero
and up to two other people behind her
against aU attacks from the front.
energy shield power, and a ranged attack

would have hit the shield if she hadn't
dodged, the attack doesn't penetrate
the shield, no matter how powerful it
is. Instead, it's bounced off the shield at
any other target of the hero's choice
even the original attacker.
Use the hero's dodge roll as her attack
roll. If it beats the Target Number the
hero would need for a similar attack,
the turned attack hits the chosen target,
doing all its regular damage.
This trick cannot be used against
close combat attacks or ranged attacks
with an area of effect.
GfHIUS
This hero's the sharpest tool in the
shed. H e's able to pick apart problem s
worse than the fabled Gordian knot
with his ra zor-sharp intellect.
The genius isn't much help in the
middle of a combat situation, but he's
fantastic when it comes to devising
solutions to problems. In fact, few reg
tacticians stand a chance against a
genius, whether facing off across a
chessboard or an actual field of battle.
In short, the genius is brilliant.
POWERS
Brainy: Add +5 to all Smarts rolls.
TRICKS
TRICKS
Shield Attack: With an extra success
on a barehanded close combat attack,
the hero can use the shield as a
weapon. The attack does Strength+5
points of damage. If the hero doesn't
get the extra success, the attack does its
normal damage.
Turnabout: If the hero gets an extra
success on a dodge roll while using her
:is PIlICC
Stroke of Brilliance: With three extra

successes on a Smarts roll, the hero has
some brilliant insight that's appropriate
to helping her in whatever situation
she's found herself in. What the insight
might be is entirely up to the Guide,
bu tit should be rela ted to the
adventure and involve some clue that
the heroes have simply been
overlooking up until this point.
CROSS POLII
CNAPHR ONE: NEW POWER PACKAGES
This d iffers from the divine inspiration

trick in that the hero can only use it
pick up on a standard clue that's
previously been missed. Divine
inspiration actually guides the hero in
the right direction, clues or not. With
stroke of brilliance, it's up to the hero to
piece together what's going on from
the clue she discovers.
It's up to the Guide to come up with
the clue for the hero. If there simply
isn't anything the hero's missing, then
she realizes that and can then turn her
attention fully to what she does know
as opposed to hunting for further data.
This trick can only be used once
during each gaming session. Once it's
been triggered, it's no good until the
next time the players get together for
the game.
I've Got a Plan: Of course,
sometimes the heroes are ready to take
a more active role in a situation than
merely gathering evidence and
laboring over different theories. That's
where this trick comes in.
is POLlCt:
With this trick-and an extra success

on a tactics roll-the hero can not only
poke holes in a plan, he can actually
come up with ways to improve the
plan.
In the game, the hero makes a tactics
roll to evaluate a plan and find the
holes in it. For every extra success he
gets on the tactics roll, the Guide must
give him an idea for how to plug a hole
in the plan.
Normally it's up to the players to
handle improving their plan on their
own, but the hero's so brilliant, he's
able to come up with ideas that might
never occur to the players. To replicate
that, he needs access to the Guide's
insight, however limited it might be.
Guides should watch out for heroes
that abuse this trick. For one, the Guide
doesn't have to give the best way to get
around a problem. Any way will do.
Also, just having a plan often is only
the first step in surmounting a difficult
situation. Executing it is something else
altogether.
CROSS POul
CHAPTER ONI: HlWPOWIR PACKAGlS

trick to w ork, the her must also get an
ex tra success on the attack roll.
O therw ise, it's just a normal attack. If
the hero is stunned while she's
building her power, the bonus is lost.
HOT SHOT
Most people who play with fire ge t

burned, but with a hot shot, it's
actually impossible. A hot shot is able
to produce flame from his mouth on
command and spit it at targets as a
deadly weapon.
A hot shot's also invulnerable to
damage from fire or heat. Smoke
doesn't do a whole lot to them either.
When you can spit fire, smoke
inhalation's not really going to be a
problem for you.
SCREAMER
This hero's got a set of pipes on her

that would make the fat lady forget all
about singing and take up knitting
instead. Not only does she have an
incredible voice, but she can actually
belt out vibrant notes pure and strong
enough to shatter glass or even
eardrums.
POWERS
Spitfire: The hero can spit fire from
her mouth. This is a ranged attack that
works as described on the Spitfire Table
below. The damage done is massive
damage.
Fireproof: The hero is entirely
immune to damage from fire, heat, or
smoke.
TRICKS
Burn, Baby, Burn: With an extra
success on a spitfire attack, the target
ignites, assuming that's possible. If the
target is somehow fireproof but the
attempt to ignite it is made, the extra
success is wasted. Once aflame, the
target continues to take Sd6 points of
massive damage each turn until the
flames are put out.
Flaming Hot: The hero can pump up
the flame in his belly to make it red hot,
increasing the amount of damage it
does by +2 for each action spent on the
buildup, up to +10. For the flaming hot
POWERS
Sonic Blast: The hero can belt out a
sonic scream capable of making a
person's brains want to start crawling
out of his ears. This is a ranged attack,
using the shooting skill. See the Sonic
Blast Table on page 126 for details.
The damage done is applied directly
to the head. No other part of the body
can be affected . Don't forget that all
head shots do two extra dice of
damage, so the attack's damage is
effectively 7d6+S.
Most armor in useless against the
sonic blast unless it entirely encases the
target's body. Good earplugs work as
armor 10/- against sonic attacks, but
when they're in place, the target
literally cannot hear anything else at
all.
Soundproof: The hero is entirely
immune to damage from sonic attacks
of any kind.
SPIlfIR
Weapon Type
Spitfire
Action
Ammo
Shots
is PI.ICC
Quickness
1
Rate of
Fire
1
Range
Increment
5
CROSS POL II
Damage
5d6
Cost
CHAPTER ONE: HEW POWER PACKAGES

TRICKS
TRICKS
Shatter: With an extra success on a

sonic blas t attack, any glass within 1
inch of the hero shatters. Add + 1 inch
to the range for each additional extra
success.
Rattle Brain: With three extra
successes on a sonic blast attack, the
hero can choose to do no damage to the
target. Instead, roll for damage and
figure the wounds normally. Then h ave
the target make a stun check as if he'd
taken twice that many wounds .
Growth Charge: With an extra

success on a close combat attack when
at a smaller Size, the hero can grow at
the same time and use the momentum
to add to his damage. For every point
the hero increases in Size during the
attack, add +2 points to the damage
roll. The hero takes no damage to
himself or his weapon for this kind of
charge.
Disappear: With an extra success on
a dodge, the a ttacker loses track of the
hero. Findjng hi m again requires a full
action, unless the h ero counterattacks.
SHRIHKER
As the saying goes, it's not the size of

the d og in the fi ght. It's the size of the
fi gh t in the dog.
The hero can actuall y shrink to
minuscule sizes-down to about 1
inch-while retaining his current traits
and abilities, including his Strength.
This makes it easy for the hero to slip
under doors, sneak into rooms, or get
around with little chance of being seen.
POWERS
Shrinking: In one action, the hero
can shrink herself and her clothes (but
nothing else) down to one inch in
height or return to her regular stature.
For each point of reduc tion in Size, the
hero adds +1 to stealth. Other effects are
up to the hero' s imagination and the
Guide's approval.
Armor: As the hero gets smaller, his
flesh and bones get d enser. For each
point of reduction in Size, the hero gets
armor +2/-.
SNEAK
Lo ts f h eroes are the flashy type,

almost demanding that people look at
them. That's not so with the sneak.
When you need to get into someplace
quietly, this is the hero for the job.
POWERS
Blend In: Add +5 to stealth rolls
Nightvision: The hero sees normally
in the dark.
QUIRKS
Light Sensi tive: If exposed to light
when using dark vision, the hero must
make a Difficult (10) Strength roll or be
stunned until he la ter m akes the roll.
TIlJCKS
In Plain Sight: As long as the hero
gets an extra ~ uccess on a stealth roll
and stands still in any kind of
SONIC BLAST
Weapon Type
Sonic Blast
Action
Ammo
Shots
;S POlice
Quickness
1
Rate of
Fire
1
Range
Increment
5
paul
Damage
5d6+5
Cost
darkness- ven just a shad ow-he's

virtually invisible. Add + 10 to his last
stealth roll until he moves or takes an
action. This trick doe n' t work against
someone who can see the hero before
he m akes the stealth roll, but a ll the
hero has to d o is get the p erson he's
avoiding to turn around, and then he
can disappear.
Radar: With an extra suc ess on a
perception roll, the h ro can ke p track
of things all aro u nd him, not just those
he can see with his eyes. This trick
doesn't work in noi ' y environment.
TELEKINETIC
This hero can actually move things
with only the power of his mind. The
power itself is invisible, but the effects
of it are not.
The best part about this power is that
the hero only has to look a t something
to be able to move it with his mind.
This makes it difficult to lin k delta
powers directly to the telekinetic.
is POLIce
POWERS
Telekinesis: The hero can m en tally
manipulate objects. To attack, h must
use telekinetic rnartial arts, a skill based
on Sma rt . W hen th e her d es damage
with this kind of attack, he rolls his
Smarts ins tead of his Strength . This skill
comes in three s tyles: baremind ed,
blad ,an d clu b. The he ro can m ove
things in his line of i ht up to Size 3 at
up to twi e his Pace.
TRICKS
Fast Mind: With an extra success on
a telekinetic martial arts roll, the hero can
make a second attack with the same
weapon. He can continue to do this
again and again-as long as he keeps
getting extra successes-but the Target
Number goes up by +5 each time.
Mental Shield: With an extra success
on a dodge roll, the hero can use his
telekinesis to block incoming attacks.
This gives the hero armor 10/- for the
rest of the round .
CROSS POUI
(HAPTER ON: HEW POWER PA(KAGES
TLPORTR
Now you ee him. N ow you don't.

This hero can actually lip through
space from one loca tion to another
without actually ever going to any
points in between. Even so, this
amazing power is not without risk.
POWERS
Teleportation: With a successful
Easy (5) navigation roll, the hero can
teleport from one location to another.
For every success the hero gets on the
roll, he can teleport 10 inches. He can
even teleport into places that he can't
see, although doing so involves some
risk and requires an extra success.
Either way, a hero can't ever teleport
into a place he's never seen before.
If the hero blows the roll, he
teleports his body into a space that's
occupied by something else. When this
happens, the hero is pushed to the
nearest available open space and may
be injured. Treat this as a 5d6+10 attack
that no armor can do anything against.
The hero can also teleport away from
an attack with a successful dodge roll.
TRICKS
Teleport Friend: For each extra
success on a navigation roll for a
teleport, the hero can teleport one more
person he 's touching with him. For
each passenger, the hero must make
another navigation roll to see if the
passenger takes any damage.
Teleport Foe: The hero can teleport
away a foe he's touching. In combat,
this requires a hit in close combat. If
successful, the hero can automatically
teleport the target wherever he wants
within his range-even into something
solid, instantly doing the regular
amount of damage.
'5
TOUGH
No thing gets to thi hero . His skin is

tougher than just about any armor.
H ero s with this power are known to
take tremendous risks that could
endanger even their own nearly
invulnerable skins. They douse
themselves with gasoline and run
about on fire. They leap out of
buildings, believing they'll survive the
fall. They walk into firefights, bouncing
bullets off their chest.
In short, they're nuts, but since they
can usually get away with it, what's the
harm?
POWERS
Armor: 20/
Fast Healer: The hero gets to make a
healing roll every eight hours instead
of once per day.
TRICKS
Catch Attack: With an extra success
on a dodge roll, the hero actually
reaches out and catches whatever it
was that was trying to hit him, whether
it's a bullet or a sword. Either way, the
attack does no damage to him at all.
If the hero catches a close combat
weapon, he can instantly try an
opposed Strength roll to disarm his foe.
If the hero catches a bullet or other
weapon fired at him. He can hurl it
back if he likes, although throwing a
bullet at someone isn't likely to do
much to her. Either way, the hero gets
+5 to persuasion: intimidate rolls for the
rest of the encounter.
No Fear: On an extra success on a
barehanded close combat attack, the
hero does Strength+5 points of damage.
This is because he can use his body as a
deadly weapon with no fear of it
becoming damaged in the attack.
CROSS POUI
ARCHETYP{S
(OVIMANT
PROfiLE
PERSONALITY
Smarts: 3d6
Academia: occult 2, area knowledge:
Crescent City 2, language: English 2,
language:
Latin 2,
medicine 2,
profession:
clergy 3
Speed:2d6
Dodging 1,
driving:
personal
vehicle 1,
shooting 3,
stealth 1
Spirit: 5d6
Bravery 2, Covenant
martial arts:
barehanded 4, faith 5,
scrutinize 2, search 2
Strength: 2d6
Climbing 2, running 2,
swimming 1, throwing 2
Size: 5
Pace: 7
Delta Points: 3
Quirks: Brave +1, delta O, duty
-5: Covenant, ordained + 1,
pacifist -3, patron +5, public
identity O, registered O, self
righteous -2, wise +3
Powers:
Covenant: The hero has access
to the following Covenant
powers: divine mercy,
God 's will, might of
God, shield of God,
wrath of God .
Tricks: Blessed, bull's eye, divine
inspiration
Gear: A Covenant crossbow with two spare
clips and 40 total wooden bolts, a
crucifix, Covenant body armor (Kevlar:
10 / -), a Winchester Defender with 20
shells, and $25.
The Lord works in mysterious ways, my

friend, but as His instrument, I can be a
little more direct. This is a world full of
mystery, and the lambs of the flock must be
protected by the shepherdS that have
dedicated themselves to that cause.
I count myself as one of
those shepherds, and as a
member of the Covenant,
it's my sacred duty to
bring the foes of the light
to justice.
I'll pray for their
souls la ter.
Quote: Bless you.
Now get out of my
way!
ARCHHVPS
IHHNDER
PROFILf
Smarts: 2d6
Area knowledge: Crescent City 2,
disguise 2, language: English 2,
medicine I, navigation I, profession:
law2
Speed:4d6
Acrobatics 2, dodging
2, driving: personal
vehicle I,
lockpicking:
mechanical
I, martial
arts: barehanded
3, shooting 2,
stealth 1
Spirit: 3d6
Bravery I,
perception 3, persuasion:
bluff I, persuasion: charm
I, scrutinize 2, search I,
shadowing 2
Strength: 3d6
Climbing 2, sport: aerobics 2,
running 2, swimming 2, throwing
2
Size: 5
Pace: 9
Delta Points: 3
Quirks: Ambidextrous +5, beautiful + I,
curious -3, delta O, heroic -5, secret
identity O, self-confident +2,
squeamish -2, tough +2,
unregistered O
Powers:
Energy Shield: The hero can
project an energy shield in
front of her with one hand. This
shield is armor 20/ -, and it's big
enough to protect the hero and up to
two other people behind her against
all attacks from the front.
Tricks: First move, shield attack, turnabout
Gear: A Colt Python with a spare cylinder
and 40 rounds of ammo, a Ford Taurus
SHO (financed), and $400.
PERSONALITY
You know, I never asked to be a delta.
Heck, before I awakened to my powers, I
pretty much thought the same thing about
deltas as everyone else I knew. They were
just a bunch of terrorists too proud to
lay down their arms for the good of
the entire country. If they'd just
surrender, everything would be
fine.
How little I knew!
These days, I see things a
whole lot different. I've watched
the Primers break into houses in the
middle of the night, hunting for
people fitting my description.
My parents and friends have
had to suffer for just knowing
me.
I've dedicated
myself to helping
the Defiance
bring Kennedy
down. I may not
be able to blast a
Primer out of the
air, but I can help
protect our own,
and that's exactly
what I'm going to
do!
Quote: Get behind me!
ARCHETYPES
GENIUS
PROFILf
PfRSOHAI.ITY
Smarts: 5d6
Academia: occult 1, academia : history 1,
area knowledge: Crescent City 3,
bureaucratics 1, computing 2,
criminology 1, language: English 2,
medicine 1, naviga tion 1,
profession: business 1, science:
biology 1, science: chemistry 1,
science: physics 1, tactics 1
Speed:2d6
Dodging 1, driving:
personal vehicle 1,
shooting 2, stealth 2
Spirit: 3d6
Bravery 2, perception 3,
scrutinize 4, search 2
Strength: 2d6
Climbing 1, fighting:
barehanded 3,
swimming 1,
throwing 2
Size: 5
Pace: 7
Delta Points: 3
Quirks: Alert +3, clumsy
-3, delta O, famous
+2: in his real identity,
glass jaw -3,
photographic memory
+5, secret identity O,
skeptical -1, snobby
1, stubborn -2,
unregistered O
Powers:
Brainy: Add +5 to all Smarts rolls.
Tricks: Fast learner, I've got a plan, stroke
of brilliance
Gear: A Colt 2000 with three clips of ammo,
a taser, a Cadillac Allante (financed), and
$100.
Excellent! I appreciate you bringing this

flux capacitor to me post haste. A device of
this intricacy must be studied so as to
further the cause of science.
Some people may claim
that because I've got a
superpowered mind, I'm
somehow cheating. I
honestly don't see
how. To me, thinking
the way I do is as
na tural as breathing,
and I have only the best
of intentions. My work
is for the betterment of all
humanity, both delta and
reg.
Now if I could just get the
Primers to leave me alone,
everything would be
exquisite. If they catch me,
I'm sure they'd draft me into
their nuclear weapons lab . I
want to use my amazing gifts
to help people, not kill them.
That' s why I' m with the
Defiance. It' s the only choice
that makes sense.
Quote: Fascinating! Let me
explain to you what that is
you're looking at.
ARCHETYPES
HOT SHOT
PROfiLE
Smarts: 3d6
computing 3, gambling 2, language:
English 2, language:
Spanish 2, security 2
Speed:4d6
Dodging 4,
driving:
personal
vehicle 1, martial arts:
barehanded 3, shooting 3,
stealth 2
Spirit: 3d6
Perception 2, persuasion:
bluff 2, scrutinize 2,
search 1, shadowing 2
Strength: 2d6
swimming 1, throwing 2
Size: 5
Pace: 9
Delta Points: 4
Quirks: Alert +3, delta O,
impulsive -3, lucky +3,
secret identity O, sharp
eyes +1, stubborn -2,
temper -2, unregistered O,
vengeful -2, wise +3, young
-1
Powers:
Spitfire: The hero can spit
fire from her mouth. The
damage done is
massive damage.
Fireproof: The hero is
entirely immune
to damage from
fire, heat, or
smoke.
Tricks: Bull's eye, burn, baby, burn, flaming

hot
Gear: A Colt Python with a spare cylinder
and 40 rounds of ammo, a Kevlar vest,
and $200.
PERSONAUTY
Hey, baby! Where you going? You don't
have to be afraid of me. I'm one of the good
guys, the Defiants.
Aw, now, don't
act like tha t!
Don't believe
what you see on
TV. You think those
talking pigs don't just
tell you what Kennedy
wants you to hear? Buy
yourself a vowel, baby,
'cause you need a clue!
Personally, I dig being a
delta. There's nothing like
being able to fry the ass of
someone who's truly
deserving of it. Before I got
my powers, people used to
pick on me all the time.
Who's laughing now?
Quote: jEstoy muy caliente,
baby!
ARCHETYPES
SCRUMIR
PROFILf
PUSONALITY
Smarts: 2d6
computing I, disguise 2, etiquette I,
language: English 2,
navigation 2
Speed: 4d6
Dodging 3, driving:
personal vehicle 2,
martial arts: barehanded
I, shooting 4, stealth 2
Spirit: 4d6
Arts: music composition 1,
bravery 1, perception 2,
performing: singing 3,
persuasion: charm 2,
scrutinize 2, search
1, shadowing 2
Strength: 2d6
Climbing 2,
running 2,
swimming 1,
throwing 2
Size: 5
Pace: 9
Delta Points: 3
Quirks: Beautiful +1, delta O,
destined for greatness +5, famous
+2: in regular identity, frail -3,
gullible -2, secret identity O,
sharp ears + I, unregistered O,
voice + 1: soft, wanted -5: for
the death of a Primer
Powers:
Sonic Blast.
Soundproof: The hero
is immune to damage
from sonic attacks.
Tricks: First move, bull's
eye, rattle brain
Gear: A Colt Agent with a spare cylinder
and 40 rounds of ammo, a Kevlar vest, a
Ford Mustang (financed), and $200.
I used to be a pretty d amn good singer.

Well, I've still got a great voice, but I don't
sing in public much anymore. Not since
that club I was doing a gig at in
downtown Crescent City got
caught in a Defiant /
Primer crossfire. I
nearly got killed
that day, but
when that
Primer tried to
use me as a
human shield,
something in me
snapped.
I started screaming
at the man until he
dropped me. Then I
kept screaming until
blood was running
out of his ears. I
don't know what
happened to him in
the end. I didn't stick
around to find out.
I've been on the run
ever since. Every now
and then I do an open
mike at some no
name dive, and I
always bring the
house down. That's
a figure of speech,
of course.
Anyhow, it's not
the same, but
that's my life.
Quote: Do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, DIE!
ARCHETYPS
SHRIMKER
PROfilE
PERSONALITY
Smarts: 2d6
professional: psychology 2, language:
English 2, security 2, tactics 2
Speed: 4d6
Acrobatics 1, dodging 5, driving:
personal vehicle 1, shooting 1, stealth
Hey, you! No, not over there. Down

here! Further down!
Most of the time, people don't look for
another person to be this small. After all, at
just over an inch tall, I look a whole lot like
those miniatures I used to play games with
when I was in college. They're not nearly as
handsome, of course.
Being small has some real advantages,
not the least of which is people
underestimate you. I pack a lot
of power into this tiny
package, and when I want to
kick someone's butt, I can
open a full-size can of
whup-ass no matter how
tall I might be.
Just watch where you're
stepping, all right?
Spirit: 2d6
Bravery 1, perception 2, persuasion:
charm 1, scrutinize 1, search 1,
shadowing 1
Strength: 4d6
barehanded 5, running
2, swimming 2,
throwing 2
Size: 6
Pace: 9
Delta Points: 3
Quirks: Brave + 1,
brawny +3, code
of honor -3, delta
O, greedy -2,
heroic -5, iron
jaw +3, secret
identity O,
sense of
direction +1,
tough +2,
unregistered O
Powers:
Shrinking: In one action, the hero can
shrink down to one inch in height or
return to her regular stature. For each
point of reduction in Size, the hero
adds + 1 to stealth.
Armor: For each point of reduction in
Size, the hero gets armor +2/-.
Tricks: Bull's eye, disappear, first move
Gear: A Derringer with six rounds of
ammo, a bulletproof vest, a taser and
$350.
Quote: Really, size

doesn't matter!
ARCHHYPS
SHIAK
PROFILf
PfRSONALITY
Smarts: 2d6
computing 1, disguise 3, language:
English 2, security 2
Speed: 5d6
Dodging 3, driving: personal
vehicle 1, martial arts:
barehanded 3, martial arts:
blade 1, shooting 3, stealth 4
Spirit: 3d6
Perception 4, scrutinize 2,
search 1, shadowing 4
Strength: 2d6
swimming 1,
throwing 2
Size: 5
Pace: 10
Delta Points: 3
Quirks: Cautious -3,
delta O, destined for
greatness +5, double
jointed +1, light
sensitive O, light
sleeper +1, secret
identity O, self-
righteous -2, sense of
direction +1, sense of time
+1, unregistered O, voice

+1: hard, wanted -5
Powers:
Blend In: Add +5 to
stealth rolls
Nightvision: Can see
normally in the
dark.
Tricks: Bull's eye, extra

damage, in plain
sight
Gear: A Remington
M700 and 50 rounds
of ammo, a Derringer with four rounds
of ammo, a Kevlar vest, a hunting knife,
and $50.
Hello.
I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. I
know it can be a little unsettling when you
suddenly realize someone else is in the
room with you, especially if you
thought you were alone.
That's what I do. I hide. I
disappear. I blend in.
As a Defiant, you can probably
guess how handy this ability is
in my line of work. When
you've got the whole of
Delta Prime hunting for
you, it's important to
just be able to slip into
the woodwork.
Of course, if Delta
Prime can't ever find me, what
makes you think you could do
any better? There's nothing to
stop me from watching you
any time I like. And I will be
watching you.
And if you do something
wrong, I'll stop watching and
start doing.
Quote: Big Brother, I'm watching
you.
ARCHETYPES
TEIIKiMETI(
PROflU
PRSONALITY
Smarts: 5d6
computing 2, criminology 2, disguise
3, language: English 2, telekinetic
martial arts: bareminded 5,
telekinetic martial arts: club 3
Speed: 3d6
Acrobatics 1, dodging 2, driving:
personal vehicle 1, shooting 2,
stealth 3
Spirit: 2d6
Leadership 1,
perception 2,
persuasion:
taunt 1, scrutinize
I, search 1,
shadowing 2
Strength: 2d6
Climbing 2, running
2, swimming 2,
throwing 1
Size: 5
Pace: 8
Delta Points: 3
Quirks: Addiction -1 : caffeine,
alert +3, arrogant -3, delta
O, honest -3, loyal -3,
photographic memory +5,
secret identity O, tough
+2, unregistered O
Powers:
Telekinesis: The hero
can move, hit, or
bend things with
his mind .
Tricks: Fast learner, first
move, mental shield
Gear: A Colt Python
with a spare
cylinder and 40
rounds of ammo,
a Kevlar vest, and $200.
How do I do it? Well that would be

telling, wouldn't it?
Actually, I don't mind. I'm a delta,
you see, and I do this all with the
power of my mind. Really, it's
incredibly simply once you know what
you're doing. Sometimes I wonder why
I wasn't able to do this all my life. Or
why everybody just can't do it
anyway.
I guess I'll never know. I try not
to ask these
questions too much.
I'm afraid I wouldn' t
like the answers. In
the meantime, I enjoy
doing what I can do,
and as long as Delta
Prime never figures out
who I really am, life is fine.
ARCHETVPS
TmpORTER
PROfiLE
Smarts: 4d6
language: English 2, navigation 5,
profession: architecture 3,
security 2, tactics 1
Speed: 3d6
Dodging 3, driving: personal
vehicle 1, shooting 3, stealth 2
Spirit: 2d6
Perception 2, persuasion: bluff 1,
scrutinize 2, search 1,
shadowing 2
Strength: 3d6
barehanded 3,
fighting: blade 1,
running 2,
swimming 1, throwing
Size: 5
Pace: 8
Delta Points: 3
Quirks: Alert +3, brave
+1, code of honor - 3, curious
-3, delta O, gear + 1: night
vision goggles, impulsive -3,
secret identity O, self-confident
+2, softhearted -I, unregistered
O, wise +3
Powers:
Teleportation: With a successful
Easy (5) navigation roll, the
hero can teleport from one
location to another. For
every success the hero gets
on the roll, he can
teleport 10 inches away.
Tricks: Bull' s eye, teleport
friend , teleport foe
Gear: A Colt 2000 with four
clips, all filled with ammo, a hunting
knife, lots of maps of Crescent City, a
pair of handcuffs, and $350.
PERSONALITY
Where'd I come from? Why right over
there, pal. How'd I get past the security?
Well, that's part of the trick. I never really
went past them so much as I bypassed
them.
I teleported over here you see.
Slipped right between two points in
space without crossing the ones in
between.
There's no door that can stop
me. No cuffs that can hold me.
There's nothing that can get in
my way.
Give me that Delta Prime
badge. I can add it to my
collection. Ciao!
Quote: Hi! Bye!
ARCHETYPES
OU6H
PROFILI
PIRSOHALITY
Smarts: 2d6
demolition 2, gambling 2, language:
English 2, security 2
Speed: 3d6
Dodging 4, driving: personal vehicle
I, shooting 3, stealth 2
Spirit: 3d6
Perception 2,
persuasion: ,,~,.
bluff 2,
persuasion:
intimidation
2,
persuasion:
taunt I,
scrutinize I, search I,
shadowing 2
Strength: 4d6
Climbing I, fighting:
barehanded 4, fighting:
club 3, running 2,
swimming I,
throwing 2
Size: 5
Pace: 9
Delta Points: 4
Quirks: Death wish -5, delta
O, destined for greatness
+5, public identity O,
lucky +3, seJf
confident +2,
unregistered O,
wanted -5
Powers:
Armor: 20/
Fast Healer: The hero gets to make a
healing roll every eight hours instead
of once per day.
Tricks: Catch attack, first move, no fear
Gear: A Colt 2000 with a spare cylinder and
40 rounds oJ ammo, a leather jacket, a
baseball bat, and $300.
Let me tell you about me, man. I'm 18

years old, and I'm freaking immortal!
Yeah, I know, all 18-year-olds
think they're immortal, but with
me it's the truth. Here, watch me
stab myself with your knife.
See? Nothing! Well, my
shirt's got a ri p in i.t now,
and the tip
of that's
blade's a
little
bent,
but I'm better than
new, dude!
Nothing can hurt me! It's a
freakin' dream come true!
Quote: Give me your best
shot!
HARD TIMES IN CRESCENT CITY
PArRIOT ON TRIAL
ALWAYS WATCH YOUR BACK
SHAKING DOWN THE WRONG MAN ON THE WRONG DAY
THE (OVENANT AT WORK
ABAD DAY fOR DELTA PRIME
CHAPTER TWO: THE TRUlH Of THE MATTER
(HAPIlR TWO:
THl TRUIH OF
IHl MAIIlR
GUiDIS ONLY
PATRIOT'S JOURNAL
In case you hadn't figured it out

from the big warning sign on page 144,
this part of the book is for Guides only.
If you're a player in Brave New World,
put the book down slowly and back
away.
Or just go back to reading the earlier
parts of the book. It's up to you.
In this chapter, we finally get down
to revealing what's going on behind the
scenes in all the different areas we
talked about in all those sections from
the Delta Times website. Of course,
we're not letting it all out quite yet.
Even Guides need their surprises too,
and you can be sure we'll get around to
revealing all of those in the proper
time.
As a guide, you've got to remember
that it's your duty to keep these secrets
until the heroes learn about them in the
course of play. When that happens, you
get to sit back and cackle, then watch
their jaws drop as they realize what's
really going on.
Patriot's story is all his own, a classic

tale of an all-American kid grown up to
discover that the America he's living in
is nothing like the one he idealized in
his youth. When he finally figures that
out-despite years of living in denial
he decides to take the fight to the
people responsible for the delusions
he's tossed off: the US government.
'S POLiCe
No GOOD DUD GOfS UHPUHISHfD

In the course of his awakening,
Patriot made not one, but two enemies.
The first was Wilbur Jeffries, the
exploding man who was forced to
detonate his whole body for the first
time. Jeffries plagued Patriot time and
time again over the years, until he was
finally stuffed into a New Alcatraz cell
five years back.
Jeffries actually ran into Patriot while
the hero was waiting for his sentence to
be carried out. He tried to save the state
the cost of an execution, but Patriot put
CROSS POUI
CHAPUR TWO: THI TRUTH Of lHI MATTR
THf GRfAT MISTAKf Of '88
the man into the prison hospital for a

few weeks instead. What Patrio t didn 't
know is Delta Prime put Jeffries up to
it, and even though he failed, Jeffries
will be released from jail this fall for his
efforts.
Then there's Jack Billington. Jack
always held Patriot to blame for his
father's death, despite Patriot's account
of how the situation unfolded. He
made it his life's mission to bring the
hero down. In the end, Patriot might
not have fallen at Jack the V's hand, but
Billington was there in the front row at
the hero's execution nevertheless.
Patriot's inside assessment of the

situation is spot on. The general public
believes that G neral Tretyak's attack
was an act of naked, unprompted
aggr ssion, but he really was
responding to an assassination attempt.
The CIA now claims that the agents
w orking with the assassins were
actually working a sting operation.
They say they w ere really trying to
save the Premier, but only the most
dyed-in-the-wool, blinders-wearing
patriots are buying that story.
DALLAS
WORKING fOR THf fAMILY
There's a lot that happened behind

the scenes on that fateful day back in
1963, but we've covered that pretty
well in the Brave New World rulebook. If
you don't know what we're talking
about, pick up that book and start
reading. You're in for the surprise of
your life.
That delta kid that Patriot risked his

life to save rather than turn him over to
the mob is now in his early teens. His
name's Brendan Sain, and you can bet
you'll be hearing from him in the near
future. Patriot kept in touch with him
over the years, and Brendan's just
about ready to pick up where his
mentor left off.
(HAPTER TWO: THE TRUTH Of THE MATTER
THE DUIANT YEARS

In this section, Patriot's actively
downplaying the competence of the
Defiance. This is part of an active
disinformation campaign designed to
lull Delta Prime into a false sense of
security. If Patriot hadn't written it this
way himself, you can bet that Truth
would have edited the piece to read
that way.
In case you haven't figured it out by
now, Truth doesn't always live up to
her name. She's what's called an
"untrustworthy narrator." As one of
the most prominent members of the
Defiance, there's a reason behind
everything she does, and she's more
than happy to lie to further the
Defiance's ends.
As for that patriotic rant that Patriot
goes on, he really does believe all that
stuff. How do you think he got his
name, after all?
PArRloT'S TRIAL
As Patriot says, his time in court was
merely a show trial meant to show the
American public all the horrors the
criminal known as Patriot had
committed. This would have backfired
on the government, had the entire
proceedings not been heavily censored
and edited before being broadcast to
the world.
In case you're wondering, Connor
Darrow's not a delta. He's just a
conscientious lawyer willing to stand
up for what he believes in. There aren't
many good lawyers out there that are
openly sympathetic to deltas.
Keep this in mind if your heroes ever
end up in court. If they need a lawyer,
Darrow's the man for the job-for all
the good it's going to do them, of
course. No one's that good.
)5 pOLIce
DEATH Of AHERO
Is Pa triot dead? Well, he was shot
down in front of dozens of reliable
witnesses, including the governor of
Illinois and the mayor of Crescent City.
If you can't believe them, who can you
believe?
Ah, let's rephrase that.
As far as anyone knows, Patriot's
extremely dead. Of course, the funeral
was a closed-casket ceremony.
Also, a week later, the dirt over
Patriot's grave was found dug up and
replaced again. Some people claim
that's because the man's back from the
dead, but in reality, it happened when
some Delta Primers exhumed the coffin
late one night. But if they found
anything unusual there, they're not
telling.
THE AfTERMATH
Instead of killing off a threat to its
power, the Kennedy government
created a new one. Patriot's life has not
been forgotten, and his death has been
burned into the minds of people
everywhere, regs and deltas alike.
Deltas everywhere are now wearing
black armbands featuring the icon of
Patriot's mask. The same icon is
popping up in spraypainted versions
on buildings, subways, and overpasses
all across the country.
When Primers speak of Pa triot, they
recall their greatest foe with awe. And
they wait for others to take his place.
When deltas speak of Patriot, they
do so reverently, as of a great leader
who has sadly passed away-and as a
great example of how a Defiant should
live and-if she has to--die.
The government was hoping to
make an example out of Patriot. What
they made was a martyr.
CROSS PUUI
(HAPTER TWO: THI TRUTH OF THI MATTER
CRESCENT CITY
So you want to know what really
happened to Chicago? Sorry, we're not
quite ready to talk about that yet. In the
meantime, though, we've got some
other juicy bits for you to chew on.
TRIUMPH, INC
Although he doesn't advertise it, Ben
Archer is actually a registered delta .
He's made himself a deal with the
President, though, to keep himself
permanently out of the draft. Even
though he's getting on in years now,
the Primers wouldn't care. They abuse
deltas of any age.
But the word's corne down from the
highest level. When it comes to Archer,
hands off.
What are Archer's powers? The
funny thing is that no one outside of
President Kennedy and a few select
associates actually knows. It's one of
the tightest-kept secrets in America .
:;s paLlc~
UNDER THE (ITY

When Triumph, Inc., set about
building Crescent City, the architects
took the opportunity to build a
complicated system of underground
tunnels to run beneath the city proper.
These tunnels carry electric, cable,
telephone, and high-speed data wires
there are no telephone poles anywhere
in the city-and various parts of it
serve as sewers, subway routes, and
accessways to the basements of just
about every building in the city.
Everybody knows about the tunnels
that run beneath Crescent City, but few
people go there. In among the standard
urban legends of giant crocodiles and
massive, child-eating rats, there are
rumors of an entire subculture-so to
speak-of the disaffected who live
beneath the surface of the streets. The
rumors are at least partially true, as
several bands of homeless gangs Ii ve
away from the sunlight, but if there's
actually a single ruler of these people,
he's yet to make himself known .
CROSS PULII
(HAPTfR TWO: THf TRUTH Of THE MATTER
THf ALPHA THRfAT
(ODf BLUf
N ew Alcatraz is the finest m aximum

security system ever built, featuring
state-of-the-art delta-power dampers
w ith m ultiple redundant power
systems. So how d es anyone ever
escape?
They d on ' t. Okay, they do, bu t n )t
really.
Th fact is that the warden actually
allows determin ed criminal to escape
from time to time. O therwise, they'd
never be abJ ~ to get out. In fa t, certain
alp has who p romise to work for Delta
Prime on a limited basis are often
gran ted unofficial amnesty at the
com pletion of an ssignmen t-untiL
they're caught again, tha t is.
Loose alphas scare the hell ou t of
people, and when peopl are scared,
they dem and more fun d ing for the
p risons . AI -a, peop le a ren' t so
concerned about Kenn d y' 5 goo ns
routinely iolating innocent citizens'
civil rights w hen their lives m ay be on
the line.
Chief "Heavy H arv" Newcomb is

the only real force for justice il1 the city,
and that's the reason Commissioner
Fleming keeps h im on. Harv 's a
practical m an. H e kn w w ho' in
charge, and he has no illusions about
what w ould happen to him if he was to
take an active stand against it.
Still, he manages to create justice
where he ca n find the opportunity.
New omb's go t a core team of tms ted
officers that a re sp read ou t in d ifferent
positi n throughout the force. Only a
few of these officers have ac tually
publicl y declared their Ie yalty to
Newcomb for fear of r percussions
from thei r les -conscientious partne rs.
THf GOVfRNMIHT
Crescent City is as C n'up t as
Chicago ever was, and tha t's saying a
lot. Mayor Jefferson p retty much le ts
Don Vito Gabriel have free r ign in the
city, as long as he manages to maintain
some kind of control over the les er
gangs.
Vito rules over the criminal elemen ts
of Crescent City with an iron hand . All
gangs pay tribute to him in one form or
another. Those that don't are quickly
exterminated by Vito's personalleam
of delta enforcers. Even Delta Prime
would hesitate to go up against this
powerful bunch of deltas, but since the
Primers' superiors order them not to,
there's not much of a threat of that.
;S PlllCe
UNITED STATES Of ANARCHY

There's a lot going on in the US th a t
Tm th doesn ' t know abou t-or isn' t
ready to hare with the world . Here's
some of it.
THf WASTELANDS
While a lot of peop le were
incinerated in the bom bings in A tlanta
and San Francisco, even more
contracted radi tion sickness and died.
Of course, some of those p eop le
actually became deltas instead.
Word is that A tlanta's where all the
vamp ires came from . The th ory is
they're a bunch of deltas who became
ligh t sensitized by the blast and
somehow all turned into the same kind
of d elta in the same kind of way
Catholic clergy always become
Covenants. Since there have been
similar clans of vampires found in San
Francisco too, there may very well be
some truth to this-or it might be
something even more sinister.
CROSSpuUI
(HAPTER TWO: Tm TRUTH Of THE MATTER
(VIL UNUMITED
This criminal organization has its
fingers in just about every kind of
crime you can imagine. EU avoids the
searchlights, preferring to be the power
behind the throne, so to speak.
EU spends a lot on "active R&D."
Roughly translated: They steal secrets.
The CPR lab at MIT is rife with EU
spies, and more can be found
throughout Triumph, Inc.'s corporate
structure.
Better yet, the EU's actually
supporting the Texan rebels that are
hoping to launch an armed rebellion
against the US to establish an
independent Texan nation. The EU
board of directors doesn't really care
who wins in the conflict. Th y only
know that wars sell devices of
destruction.
With all tha t's going on all over the
world these d ays, Evil U n lim it ~ d is
making a mint. They pas the
graveyard as they la ugh all the way to
the bank, and they never mi a beat.
HOLLYWOOD
As alway, L -La Land is fu ll of all
sorts of machinations which y u
w l-i ldn' t believe if you saw them in a
m vie.
The fact L that Marty Stever" not a
delta, but Brian Selvin is. He" go t
limited mind control powers that h Ip
to convince studio execs that his clients
are d cent Cl ctors. (UnfortwM t ly, his
clients can't seem to convince even
their fa ns of the same thing.) It's no
c incidence tha t Stever is rumored to
have the powers that Selvin actually
has. Selvin arranged for tever ' fall
from gra e. Stever 's due fo r parole
soon tho ugh, and thert the sparks are
re lly going to fly.
jS POLIce
RAVAGED PLANET
It's a big, battered world out there.
!.IBYA
Qadafi has been a thorn in
Kermedy's side for decades, and he's
survived several attempts at retaliation.
In the course of one of these, the Libyan
ruler nearly died and-you guessed
it-became a delta.
Since then, Qadafi has assembled a
vast organization of delta terrorists.
These are some of the people who give
the rest of the Defiance a bad name.
CHINA
To the American public, it seems like
there are barely any Chinese deltas.
The fa ct is the cOl-m tr y's rife with them,
and they're consi dered the people's
greatest asse t. A uch, th e government
i de term ined to keep tbeir ex ist nce of
each delta a secret l-mtil it's necessary to
revea l her powers. Un til then, tJle n tire
country is complicit in keeping q uiet
about the delt 's abilities.
A f w rebels have tried t br ak the
sil nee, bu t even they don' t have
enough informati n to be dangerous.
Only the men in Beijing hav any real
idea how many delta are in their
country, and tiley're not telling.
THE COVENANT
No o ne knows wh y Ca tholic clergy
who become d elta all end up w ith th
sam e se t of p owers . Well, w e d ,but
e're n o t q uite ready to tip o ur hand
ye t.
The Covenan t has spent a lot of
years building a p u blic face that w ould
b acceptable to th leaders of just
about evelY m ajor n a tion , but th re's
CROSS POLII
(HAPTER TWO: THE TRUTH Of THE MATTER

more to the organiza tion than meets
the eye. There's a top-secret cabal that
works inside of the Covenant,
unknown to anyone outside except the
Pope himself. These are the people the
Pontiff calls in when there's a job to be
done that the public Covenant couldn't
risk soiling its reputation by dealing
with it.
The key words here are "plausible
deniability." Some of the members of
the Covenant's Curia have been caught
over the years, but few have been taken
alive, and none of them have talked
at least as far as the Vatican knows.
THE SOVIET UNION

General Tretyak has apparently
survived several assassination attempts
fr m both within an d w ithout his ow n
government. N ot all of them w ere
successful, but the fact is tha t orne of
them were. After the attemp t w hich
sp urred the Great Mistake f '88,
Tretyak ac tually b ecame a d 1ta.
;5 POlice
Tretyak's amazing power is to be

able to come back from the dead . It
doesn't stop him from being killed, but
nothing's been able to permanently put
him down yet.
Every time you hear about the
Russian premier falling ill or
disappearing for a few days, what's
really happened is he's survived
another attempt on his life. Depending
on how badly his body was mangled, it
takes him a while to recover.
THE UNITED NATIONS

In another world, the United Nations
might be this ravaged planet's greatest
hope for peace. It could work to bring
together countries with radically
differing points of view and give them
a venue in which they could talk with
each o th er and bring their problems to
peaceful resolutions.
That won 't happen here. The
coun tries jus t have too m any internal
problems to work with each o ther.
CROSS POUI
THE AUTHOR'S Af~TER=WO=-RD_ __ __
CROSSPOLII
---
THE
AUTHOR'S
AfTERWORD
Hi. This is where I finally drop the
corporate "we" and talk to you directly.
WHAT'S IN AHAM?
Let's get this one out of the way right
away. Brave New World is not named
after the Aldous Huxley novel. The
name is taken from the same place
Huxley found the name for his book:
William Shakespeare's The Tempest.
The play centers around Miranda
the beautiful daughter of the wizard
Prospero-who's been isolated on an
island with her father for most of her
young life. She's not seen anyone
outside of her father and a slave named
Caliban ever since she can remember,
and when she finally has her first
encounter with someone from the
outside world, she exclaims, "0, brave
new world, that has such people in't."
Seeing as how this game's all about
people with wondrous powers capable
of turning the world on its collective
ear, it was just too appropriate to pass
up.
i5 PBl.ICC
WHAT'S TH GAM ABOUT?

If you've made it this far, you've
probably read both this book and the
Brave New World rulebook. You've
probably already got some good ideas
of your own concerning what this
game's all about.
I mean, there's got to be a point to it
all, right?
The easy answer is this: Brave New
World is what you make of it. In some
respects, a roleplaying game is like a
mirror. You keep reading it long
enough, and sooner or la ter you see
your own ideas staring back at you.
And that's fine. Better yet, that's the
way it's supposed to be. After all, when
you sit down to play the game with
your friends, I've already handed the
ball off to you. It's your job to run with
it and see where you can go.
As I wrote in Brave New World, it's
your game. Do with it what you will.
The only real rule is have fun. If that
happens, then I've done my job, and so
have you.
CROSS paUl
TH AUTHOR 'S AfTfRWORD
My THOUGHTS
Okay, so I wussed out on the

question. How very political of me.
Somehow, I think that's appropriate.
All right. Let me tell you what I had
in mind when I wrote the game. Again,
this doesn't have to mesh up with what
you want to do with the game at all. It's
your game, after all.
THE TfRROR
When you're watching the news,
you see a world filled wi th all sorts of
horrible things. Sure, there are the
natural disasters-the fires, the floods,
the earthquakes-but there's nothing
that can be done about those.
The things that really shake me are
the ways we hurt each other, and not
just in the personal ways. It's the
slaughters.
I'm talking about Oklahoma City, the
World Trade Center, Atlanta's Olympic
Park, and-of course-Columbine.
Then there's Bosnia-Herzegovina,
Haiti, Somalia, Kosovo, or even Pol
Pot's Cambodia or Hitler's Germany.
Visit the Holocaust Museum in DC if
you get a chance. The horrors are
unimaginable.
THE RESPONSE
Brave New World concentrates on
domestic terror and how we react to it.
Who do we blame? And what measures
are we prepared to take to make sure it
never happens again?
There was once a time when we
didn't have any metal detectors in
airports much less schools. (Of course,
if you go far enough back, we didn't
have airports either, so that's progress
for you.) Not so long ago disgruntled
students or employees rarely brought
;5 POLICE
out bombs o r g uns to m ake their point.

Those days are gone, and a lot of
people are asking why.
I'm less interested in placing blame
and more in what we're planning to do
about it as a nation. The first reaction
most people have when they're scared
is to crack down on anything out of the
ordinary. Unfortunately, that usually
means trampling on individual rights.
While most of use are usually willing to
make some sacrifices for the common
good, where do you draw the line?
And what happens when you find
yourself part of the group being
singled out to make the sacrifices? Or
simply the target of ignorant hate?
Hate comes from fear, and fear comes
from ignorance.
That's what Brave New World is all
about: exploring what it's like to be on
the other side of all of that and what's
wrong with it.
THE GAME
Also, this is a game about people
with powers, not powers with people.
It's dark and gritty, with a healthy dash
of the fantastic.
You might notice that Brave New
World owes a lot to superheroes and
comic books. I love comics, and I think
it's a great medium for storytelling.
Better yet, the superhero trappings help
divorce the setting that much farther
from reality, making the serious issues
of the setting easier to swallow and
even enjoy. After all, this is a game, and
the whole point is to have fun.
I'll leave you with this. In Brave New
World, you playa person with the
power to make a difference in the
world. In reality, we've all got that
power-right up until we hand it over
to someone else. Use your power
wisely, and never give it up.
CROSS PUUI
THE AUlHOR'S AFTERWORD
SOUR(IS OF INSPIRATION
When concocting something like a
roleplaying game, you draw on a lot of
different influences. There are certainly
more than I can remember, but these
are the ones that spring to mind. I
heartily recommend each of them.
If you've got any sources that
remind you of Brave New World, send
them on in. 1'd love to check them out
myself.
Some of the influences are more
obvious than others, and a few are even
a bit obscure. Believe me, all of them
played some sort of role in the
forma tion of the game.
1984 by George Orwell. (The classic
d ystopian novel.)
60 Minutes. CBS.
Astra City by Kurt Busiek, Brent
Anderson, and Alex Ross. Homage
Comics.
The Bill of Rights.
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.
(For pointing me to the right title, if
nothing else.)
Champions by Ray Greer, George

MacDonald, and Steve Peterson. (I
even wrote Western Hero for this
game system.)
CNN Headline News. Time/Warner.
(I'm a CNN junkie.)
The Constitution of the United States of
America.
The Dark Knight Returns by Frank
Miller, Klaus Janson, and Lynn
Varley. DC Comics. (My favorite
comic ever.)
DC Heroes Roleplaying Game by Greg
Gorden. Mayfair Games.
Deadlands: The Weird West and
Deadlands: Hell on Earth by Shane
Lacy Hensley. Pinnacle
Entertainment Group . (Deadlands:
;SPOI.IC
CROSS POL l{
THE AUTHOR'S AHERWORD
The Weird West was PiImacle's first

roleplaying game, and the influences
on Brave New World's rules are hard
to miss.)
The Declaration of Independence by
Thomas Jefferson.
James Bond novels (by Ian Fleming)
and films (from MGM/UA).
Justice Leaglle of America by various
creator:; DC Comics. (I loved the
Giffen, DeMatteis, Maguire run.)
Kingdom Come by Mark Waid and Alex
Ross. DC Comics.
Marvels by Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross.
Marvel Comics.
Maus: A Survivor's Tale, and Maus II:
And Here My Troubles Began by Art
Spiegelman. Pantheon Books.
The Psycho by James Hudnall and Dan
Brereton. DC Comics. (I was given
the issues to read after I'd started the
game. Dead on.)
Ronin, directed by John Frankenheimer.
MGM / UA.
The Shadow by Andy Helfer and Kyle
Baker. DC Comics.
The Siege, directed by Edward Zwick.
20," Century Fox.
Starman by James Robinson and Tony
Harris, among others. DC Comics.
Star Wars by George Lucas. (Okay, not
directly, but it seems like everything
else that's come out this summer's
got some kind of Star Wars
cOImection.)
Storm Watch, especially Warren Ellis'
run. WildStorm Productions.
The Uncanny X-Men during Chris
Claremont's run. Marvel Comics.
Underground by Ray WiIminger.
Mayfair Games .
Villains and Vigilantes by Jeff Dee.
Fantasy Games Unlimited.
The Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave
Gibbons. DC Comics.
We by Eugene Zamyatin. (The first
dystopian novel.)
)S POLlC~
MANY THANKS
Since I've got the space here, I'm

going to do the right thing and rattle
off a list of some of the people who
deserve my undying gratitude. Bear
w ith me if you can.
If your name's not on this list and it
should be, please be forgiving. It's been
a long road.
To AIm Kolinsky and Marty Forbeck,
my wife and son.
To my parents, H elen Forbeck and
Ken Forb ck. And to my stepmoth r
Nancy FOL"beck.
To all m y sibs, Mark, Kim, and Jody
Forbeck. And all my steps, Susie, Dan,
and Steve Schooff.
And just to get their names in the
book, some of my extended family:
Todd, Murray, and Henry Dunsim,
Lorie, SavaImah, and Delaney Forbeck,
Giovanni Marta, Todd and Jack
Rongstad, and Alyssa Whitney.
To the man who founded Pinnacle,
Shane Lacy Hensley.
To my other partners, Michelle
Hensley, John Zinser, Dave Seay, and
John and Mary Zinser.
To the rest of the PiImacle crew,
especially Zeke Sparkes, Hal Mangold,
John Hopler, Maureen Yates, Marcelo
Figueroa, Leticia Hayler, and Ray Lau.
Sister Cabrini, Bink Noll, and Warren
Hecht for teaching me to love the
language.
To Troy DeIming and Will Niebling,
for getting me into this industry.
To all my other friends in the
industry. There are too many of you to
list, but you know who you are.
Of course, the biggest thanks of all
goes out to you. After all, what's a book
without a reader, and what's a game
without a player?
CROSS POUI
INDEX
Academy 67
Africa 93
Atlanta
75, 151, 156
Aura of
righteousness
120
Australia 94
Dallas 77, 148
Defender 123, 130
Denver 79
Detroit 79
Disappear 126
Divine mercy 120
Kiev 24, 107
San D iego 86
San Francisco
24, 75, 84, 87, 151
Scandinavia 101
Schism 113
Screamer 125, 133
Shatter 126
Shield attack 123
Shield of God 122
hrinker 126, 134
Shrin kin g 126
Sneak 126, 135
Sonic blast 125
Soundproof 125
South Africa 93
South America 104
_oviet
Union 106, 153
Spain 101
Spitfire 125
Stroke of
brilliance 123
Su perior Park 70
Superior Square 70
B
Bicentennial
Battle 20, 104
Blend In 126
Blessed 119
Boston 76
Brainy 123
Bum, baby, burn
125
(
Ca nada 96
Catch attack 128
Central America
104
Chernobyl 24
Chine 97, 152
C s ta Rica 104
Covenant
100, 110, 117,
119, 129, 152
Covenant
crossbow 118
Covenant
martial arts 117
Covenant
powers 120
Crescent
Amphitheak'r 67
Crescent City 150
Crescent City
Hall 67
Crescent City Police
Department 68
Energy shield 123
Europe 98
Evil Unlimited 1 2
f
Fast healer 128
Fast mind 127
Fireproof 125
Flaming ho t 125
France <:i8
G
Genius 123, 131
German y 98
God 's will ] 21
Great Britain 98
Grea t Mis take 148
row th chargE> 126
H
Ho llywood 152
H ong Kong 97
H ot shot 125, 132
Libya 93, 152
Light sensitive 126
Lo:; Angeles 80
Manna 121
Memorial Field 68
Mental shield 127
Mexico 104
Miami 82
Middle-East 101
M ight of God 121
Mins 24
N
New York 83
N ightvision 126
No fear 128
P
Phil delphia 85
Power
packages 109
Prime
Headquarters 69
R
Radar 127
Ra ttle brain 126
In plai n sight 126
India 102
Iran 101
Iraq 101
Irela nd 99
Israel 102
Italy 100
I've got a plan 124
U
United
N ations 107, 153
W
Washington, DC 88
Wastelands 151
Wrath of God 122
Japan 103
35 PIJUCE
Telekinesis 127
Tel kinetic 127, 136
Teleport foe 128
Telep ort friend 128
eleporta tion 128
Tcleporter 128, 137
ough 128, 138
Triumph Tower 71
Turnabout 123
CROSS POLII
WAIT, THERI'S MORf!
Come on, we weren' t going to get you all worked up about Brave New World
and then just leave you hanging. If you liked this book, there's a lot more where
that came from!
BRAVE NEW WORLD:
AROLEPLAYING GAME
This is the book that starts it all! You literally

can' t play the game without it.
This deluxe, hardcover book comes complete
with all the backstory and rules you need to get
your Brave New World saga rolling. If you
haven't got a copy already, be sure to head
down to your favorite retailer and demand
yours now!
Written by Matt "Brave New World"
Forbeck. Cover by Zeke Sparkes.
224 pages, 64 in color!
SKU# 7000
$30.00
POWER SHIELD
THE BRAVf NEW WORLD GUlDf'S SCRHN
N w that you know the game, it's time to

actually play it. N o more fumbling thro ugh the
book looking fo r tha t crucia l table. They're all
her in an easy-t -refe rence forma t on the
inside of this dazzlingly colorful, trifo1 d screen,
the perf ct place to keep your secrets b hind.
Power Sh ield also come with The Ripper, the
firs t Brave New World adventure. It's a great
launching poinL for your v ry ow n Brave New
World saga.
Wri tten by Shane "Dead lands" Lacy Hen -1 y.
48 pages, plus screen!
SKU# 7001
$1 .DO
DUIANTS:
THE DUIANCE SOURCEBOOK
The battle for Brave New World rages n . This

book dra ws back the veil f secrecy that
surrounds the most powerful group of rebels in
America: th e Defiance! L ern th truth about
Truth an d the organ ization she's behind.
Dcfiauce also comes wi th six brand-new
power pack ges for use in your game. No good
Defiant would be caugh t without it!
Written by Matt "Brave New World "
Forb ck, with a hot cover by Brian DeSpain.
128 pages, oj tcover
SKU# 7003
$20.00

Player&#39;s Guide - Ravaged Planet

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RAVAGED PLANET:

THf BRAVf NEW WORLD PLAYER'S GUIDE

Written and Designed by: Matt Forbeck

Editing: Hal Mangold

Cover: Paul Bonner

Cover Background: Zeke Sparkes

Interior Art: Don Hillsman, Michael Phillippi, Justin Long,

Eric Polak, Richard Pollard, and Curt Shoultz

Graphic Design: Matt Forbeck and Zeke Sparkes

Proofreading: Ann Kolinsky and Pat Kolinsky

Pinnacle Entertainment Group, Inc.

PO. Box 10908

(800) 214-5645 (orders only)

Brave New World, Defiants, Defiance,

Bargainers, Patriot, Superior, Truth, the

Yankee, Triumph, Inc., Evil Unlimited,

delta, alpha, ovenant, Delta Prime,

and all character names and likenesses

depicted herein are Trademarks of

Pinnacle Entertainment Group, Inc.

1999 Pinnacle Entertainment Group,

Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Brave New World

created by Matt Forbeck.

WELCOME TO DELTA TIMES .............. 4 LIVING IN AMERICA ..................... 12

Ufe in the Cold ........ ..... 22

REQUIEM fOR PATRIOT................ 48

CRESCENT CITy ............................ 54

Ufe in the Big City ....... 55

The Early Days .... .. ....... 56

The City Today ........ .. ... 58

The Government .... ...... 60

Major Buildings .. ........ .. 67

San Francisco ................ 87

The State of the Union . 90

AWORLD Of HURT ..................... 92

Australia ............ ......... ... 94

Canada ...... ................ .. ... 96

China .... ... .. .................. .. 97

Europe ...................... ..... 98

Middle-East .......... .. .... 101

India .. ..................... ..... . 102

Japan .... .. ...................... 103

South and Central

HEW POWER PACKAGEs......... 109

The Power Packages .. 109

The Covenant .. ......... .. 110

Covenant ... .................. 117

Defender ...... ................ 123

Genius .......... ................ 123

Hot Shot .............. ........ 125

Screamer ........ .... ...... .... 125

Shrinker .. .............. .. ..... 126

Sneak .... .. .................. .... 126

Telekinetic .... .. ... .. ........ 127

Teleporter .. .. ................ 128

Tough ............ .... ........... 128

THE GUIDE'S HANDBOOK ....

THE TRUTH Of THE MATTER .. 141

Guides Only ................ 147

Patriot's Journal ... .. .... 147

Death of a Hero .... .... .. 149

Ravaged Planet .......... 152

AHERWORD .......................... 155

Player's Guide - Ravaged Planet

Player's Guide - Ravaged Planet