NationStates Jolt Archive

Televisions several regions away from the Empire crackle and fizz with static, giving way to the image of an unkempt young man. The transmission interrupts favorite shows on prime-time network television, as the dingy and overtly paranoid individual on the screen introduces himself:

"People of the world; my name is Aegis Van Grimm, and I am a dead man. Once the authorities find I have cracked the communications viel and sent this transmission outside of Total Distopia, the Peacekeepers will be here to see to it I am...re-educated. I don't have much time, so please pay attention."

The image of the scared young man dissolves, and is replaced by a tall, lanky individual standing behind a ornately decorated podium. A crest with a golden fist entangled in the crushing grip of a python can be seen on the podium's front, as well as on the backdrop behind the lanky man. The man is grinning, but there is no joy in the smile; only malice. A shock of purple hair shoots in random directions from the top of his head. Text scrolling across the bottom of the screen identifies him as Psy Peterson, Undisputed Ruler of the Empire of Total Distopia. When he speaks, his voice is soothing, but undertones of hatred and insanity can clearly be heard.

"Greetings loyal people of Total Distopia. I speak to you today to help quell your recent disquite. I realize many of you believe you have not been treated fairly by my government, and for that I am truly sorry. I know it has been a hard time for our Empire; failing crops due to the drought in the southern regions; increased crime rates due to increasing poverty; war and famine in the norther regions where we still do battle with Omni Psychotian insurgents; and the recent Compulsary Consumer Act.

As I can understand your eagerness for a new governing body who can be of a greater help to you, I have petitioned the aging Normand Carrier-"

The picture changes to show a delapitated cargo ship over fifty years old and then returns to show Peterson with his maniacal grin.

"-to take on dissenters and political criminals alike and help them...find a better home. In two months this ship will be filled to bursting with the aforementioned traitors to Total Distopia, and set afloat without fuel or supplies. The betrayers on board will have two choices: find a new home quickly, or perish at sea."

He then throws back his head and cackles.

"Let it be known that this fate...and worse...awaits any who oppose my rule; physically, mentally, or emotionally. Together we are strong; a force for progress. Divided we are weak; welcoming imperfection. I will weed out this weakness in every last man, woman and child."

He then tips an imaginary hat and winks at the camera.

"Goodnight, and remember; I'll be watching."

The screen goes black and slowly fades back to the disheveled Aegis Van Grimm with the panic in his eyes.

"Please...it gets worse everyday. Psy Peterson is a psychotic dictator, who rules with an iron fist in the name of power and progress. I don't know how much longer our people can-"

A banging noise is heard off-camera and Aegis turns to his left. Before he can utter even a sylable in protest, a gunshot rings out and his head disappears from the top of his eyebrows upward. A muffled voice calls out for the equipment to be smashed, and the picture proceeds to go dark.

We now return you to your regularly schedualed programming.

OOC: This is just an intro to my new country. I haven't been here in years (Omni Psychotia and Mind Sickness were my nations), and just thought it would be fun to get back into it. Anyway, it's good to be back!

Psy Peterson leaned back in his chair and laced his over-long fingers behind his angular head. Although some theorized that Peterson was anything but human, the truth was his appearence matched that which lived inside him; evil, corruption, and a gleeful attitude toward it all.

His grin widened as his thoughts drifted toward the fate of those aboard the Normand. Giddy with unquenchable bloodlust, Peterson fantisized about the starving passengers. He pictured violent brawls and eventual cannibalism, all the while silently cursing himself for not installing cameras aboard the ship.

None could say why Peterson turned out the way he did. Before his rule, Total Distopia was known as New Hope. It was a beacon of resurrection for the old Omni Psychotian Empire, which nearly reached the pinnacle of enlightenment and peace before the barbaric nation of Mind Sickness started it's suicide invasion. All that history aside, New Hope was a new step forward for the Omni Psychotians.

That is, until Psy Peterson was elected Prime Minister.

He was a benevolent ruler then; full of charity and hope, and the polar opposite of the monster he had become. He brought peace and stability to the land, all the while never rasing a single fist in anger or vengence.

The change happened gradually, starting with the re-institution of the Stalwarts; Omni Psychotia's Secret Service. The Stalwarts had a history of violent solutions to minor problems, and their reemergence in society raised quite the number of eyebrows.

"We need to preserve the stability we have achieved since my election, and the only way to prepare for violence is to hold violence in reserve."

The people, wary of questioning the will of their saviour, let the matter be.

Only when other members of the ruling administration fell under the same eerie shift in behaviour, and when military spending increased drastically, did the people begin to voice their displeasure in the path New Hope was taking.

Peterson silenced those voices with a violent coup, one for which the government was ill-prepared, which lasted a mere three week period. Once total control of New Hope was achieved, it became Psy Peterson's dream, and the people's nightmare: Total Distopia.

There is wild speculation among those brave enough to speak out against Peterson and his regime. Most believe Peterson was playing them for fools, and only showed benevolence in order to bring about his vision of maddness and malice. However; others believe Peterson is under some sort of outside influence which guides his heinous actions.

Unfortunately, all those who even come close to enlightenment on this particular matter end up dead. Or worse.

So as the Emperor lounges and thinks his evil thoughts of starvation and butchery; and as the people sit in perpetual misery, attempting to construct a valid excuse for existing as they do; an old vessel slowly floats out into the open ocean with a cargo of the not-yet dead.

All aboard have given into their fate, some ending their lives before the elements or their neighbors can do it for them. All except one...

Aegis Van Grimm was not a bad man. His actions in the past might not lend credence to this assesment, but the guilt he harboured for these actions belied the evil others saw within him.

Sometimes we have to do horrible things in the name of the greater good.

He recited this mantra over and over in his head; hoping it would banish his sorrow. Aegis believed this fate fitted his actions, but his training and unyeilding survival instinct refused to let him give in like some of the others had.

He sat alone, almost in a world of his own, on the port side of the ship's main deck. Others milled about toward the starboard side of the ship, giving him as much distance as they could muster without pitching themselves overboard. The deck was strewn with the bodies of the dead: Omni Psychotian rebels, full of righteous fury at one time, had all taken cyanide pills to end their journey on this Earth together; some of the political prisoners were given pistols with payloads of a single bullet each ("Since you fight me with words as a cowards," Psy Peterson spat at them as they were sheparded aboard, "You can take the coward's way out."), and many of them had already made use of their guns; others had simply faded away, as starvation and the elements took their toll.

Aegis had been the last to board the ship. Peterson eyed him coldly, his trademark grin absent from his face, as Aegis made his silent ascention aboard the Normand. One of the Stalwart guards had slipped a package into his pocket as Aegis passed him at the end of the gangplank.

"I didn't give you anything. If you survive this, sir, please come back to deliver us from this madman."

Aegis stared at the contents of the mysterious package he was given. It was a .50 Calibur fully automatic Bluette pistol; a "hand cannon" to some, but to Aegis, it was more of an extension of himself. The Bluette had recoil compensators to make sure one wouldn't breaks one's arm while firing on full automatic, and the thrity shot extended clip comically stuck several inches out of the butt of the monster pistol. A cumbersome and unweildy weapon for everyone.

Everyone but a top-level Stalwart Agent.

Aegis sighed; would he have to kill these people when the maddness set in? Would he too have to feed on the flesh of his countrymen in order to survive long enough to find the tools to construct a sutible enough craft to make it to the nearest landmass? He thought hard about the answers to these questions.

The last thing he expected was for someone else to answer them for him...

"You're supposed to be dead."

Aegis started and wheeled on the woman who had snuck up behind him. His Bluette Hand Cannon leveled on her head as he spoke in his slow, deliberate drawl.

"How the fuck did you do that? No one sneaks up behind me." The fridgid glean in his eyes gave way to a fiery passion for a breif moment before fading back to that cold, unfeeling look.

"Some of us have...talents...much like yours, Mr. Van Grimm." The woman, strikingly beautiful for her age (Aegis pegged her at a young-looking 50), slowly revealed a Wraith badge from the left sleave of her ratty overcoat.

A Wraith, his thoughts were spiked with bitterness, I should have known.

Wraiths were the division of the Stalwarts to whom missions of secrecy and espionage were given. Wraiths toppled governments with single bullets, stole top secrect information from heavily secured facilities without being seen, and were generally looked upon as bloodthirsty assassins for Psy Peterson's insane ends. Why a Wraith would be aboard this ship was anyone's guess.

"I know what you're thinking, Van Grimm. How could you not think it? A Wraith - loyal subject and willing executor of the Emperor's will - on a doomed ship full of political criminals and rebels? It is a bit much to believe, I know. On the other hand, what is a manufactured killing machine with no will of his own doing on that same ship, hmm?" She smiled, but her eyes remained alert; she knew better than to drop her guard.

Aegis clicked the safety of his Bluette into the off possition, "Don't get cute with me, assassin. They gave me orders to do something I refused to, and now I'm on this ship as punishment. End of story," he raised an inquisitive eyebrow, "Now, what was this about me being dead, supposedly?"

She did not talk back to him, whether out of fear or respect was unknown (it is nearly impossible to read Wraiths, masters of body language and speech that they are). With the same speed at which she showed him her badge, she removed a small video device from the folds of her overcoat. On the screen was a scrubby looking young man with a deep fear peering from the depths of his eyes.

"Agustus." Aegis said nothing else for a few long minutes, emotional turbulence raged within him, but he kept it in check like only an elite Stalwart can.

Finally, it was the Wraith who broke the silence, "Your brother-" he glanced at her sharply, "-and don't look at me like that, Stalwart; I'm a Wraith, remember, and we have our ways with information," She relaxed slightly when Aegis' gaze once again rested on the image of his brother, "He was claiming to be you while transmitting Psy Peterson's address to the nation to every region within the next thousand miles." She played the video and Aegis watched as his brother first introduced himself as Aegis Van Grimm, and then broadcast Peterson's transmission over the open ocean. Aegis was not surprised his brother had accomplished this; he was a genius with electronics.

The Wraith stopped the video as it came to its climax, sparing Aegis the final grizzly scene. He gripped her wrist tightly, almost crushing the bones within, "Show it all. I can take it."

She shrugged and complied, noting the single tear which fell from Aegis' right eye (the one which was still real).

"I thought this, more than anything, would get a reaction out of you. I hope this will spur you on and drive your will to survive. We need you, Van Grimm. Someone has to stop Peterson from completely destroying everything Omni Psychotia was before the fools errand of New Hope, and the travisty of Total Distopia."

"It hasn't spurred me anything," Aegis quipped and lowered his weapon, "I don't know who you are, or why you're here, but I know what you are and what you're capable of. For all I know you're just making this garbage up so that your master can have a laugh riot while watching this from his office."

"That, my friend, is where you are wrong," The woman then did something so totally unexpected, Aegis nearly put a round in her head. A shimmering field of barely visible energy wavered for a few moments, then dissapated starting from her feet upward. Her clothes remained intact and unchanged, but the woman's appearence changed drastically: her age decreased to that of a woman just barely in her thirties, the limp gray hair springing to life and turning a fiery red; her bossom rose and separated on her chest, as well as shrank several bra sizes; finally, her face changed from that of a woman strikingly beautiful for her age, to the anglular and scarred visiage of a battle-hardened warrior. The left side of her face was partially burned at one time, causeing heavy scarring. Her left eye was milky white; blinded by the heat of whatever fire had robbed her of her once-great beauty.

Aegis recognized her at once.

"Mila Stevens. Rebel leader extrodinaire," He risked a quick glance behind him at the scattered bodies on the deck, "I should shoot you and piss on your corpse out of pure principal. Here you stand while your loyal followers lie dead by their own hands. What kind of leader are you?"

Aegis' snarling contempt was silenced by the first sign of real emotion in this woman before him; a deep, genuine saddness revealed the hidden torture within her. He had hurt her with his words, and hurting a Wraith with words is akin to hurting an elephant with a pocket knife.

"I would rather my followers die by the barrel of their own guns than starve to death for Peterson's amusement," Now she was the one to shed a single tear, also from her one good eye, "However; I must survive, if only to help you."

"Help me do what?" Aegis' skeptisism remained, but the truth in her emotional slip-up helped ease it slightly.

She took one shuddering breath, "Save the world."

Aegis gaped at her for a moment, "Isn't that a bit grandiose of a term to be using here? I'm not exactly saviour material."

"It must be someone, and right now you are the person with the most skill and knowledge regarding Psy Peterson's inner governmental workings. As a Wraith, I was never allowed access to the classified files in our databanks-"

"Never trust a spy, even your own." Aegis quipped.

Mila continued without acknowloging the interruption, "-However; you, as a top-ranking Stalwart, can gain access to the old parliment building. From there you can sabotage the Economic, Military, and Police Department computers, effectively brining the contry to it's knees. Centrist control will finally work to our favour," a murderous grin spread across her face as she spoke her next request, "Also, you must do away with Peterson once and for all."

"Hold it hold it hold it. You're assuming I still have access to those systems, let alone the building itself. I'm a war criminal, Stevens. They aren't exactly going to welcome me back with open arms." Aegis admired Mila's spirit, but he was beginning to think she had lost a few of her marbles when her followers offed themselves.

"Peterson will welcome you back, when you present him with this," She tapped her temple twice, "My ID Node. Lay it at Peterson's feet and he will embrace you like the son he never put to death."

"Don't you have to die for that to be removed?" Mila nodded silent acknowledgement to Aegis' question, "I don't know about this. I've been responsible for too many deaths already. I'd prefer not to add you to the list."

"It is inevitible. Do this for your country, Aegis Van Grimm; our people need you. Lead them to freedom in my stead." With that, Mila Stevens placed two fingers behind her ear and activated the device which ejects her ID Node from her skull. As evidence of this leathal process, the front left side of Mila's head blew outward in a shower of gray matter and bone splinters. Aegis, slightly surprised at the turn in events, felt a small metal object strike him in the chest and clatter to the deck.

Picking it up, Aegis noted the registration number of the long ago deactivated ID Node: 978457-2; Mila Stevens; Wraith Class E. Aegis scratched his head in the place where his own ID Node was held.

"Well, for the sake of our people I hope you're right," he stepped away from the body and melded into the shadows, "Even though you didn't ask me, you knew I wanted the same as you: an end to the maddness. It took a lot of guts to put so much trust in me with the history I have, but I won't let you down."

Gripping Mila's ID Node tightly, Aegis dove into the interior of the ship, searching for an emergency life raft (or at least the materials to make one) which may have been overlooked. After hours of serching, Aegis brought together enough raw materials in order to fashion himself a decent raft. Aegis closed his eyes and thought deeply, communicating with the various machines which were implanted in his body upon completion of his Stalwart training.

As the top of his class, Aegis Van Grimm was the perfect candidate for the 'living computer' mod; originally designed by Omni Psychotian scientists before the Mind Sickness invasion. Along with the basic nano-tech which increases all of Aegis's natural abilities ten-fold (senses, strength, speed, dexterity, etc), Aegis was given an implant which allows him to manage his thoughs, memories, skills and knowledge as if they were data-banks in a run of the mill computer. Aegis now accessed stored files regarding the construction of a life-raft, as well as star charts of the area to help with navigation.

"I may not get home first, but I'll get there eventually. Until then, anywhere is better than this tub." And with that, Aegis Van Grimm slipped away from the Ship of Death during the cover of night, and into the vast unknown. He could faintly be heard whispering a silent eulogy for those left aboard...

Geography

Total Distopia is a massive, temperate Island nation with many small satalite islands which were once sovereign countries themselves before being forcibly added to the former Omnipsychotian Empire.

The coasts are made up of treacherous cliffs and jagged mountains on all sides save a vast beachfront which stretches across the entire southern coastline.

The inner valley houses roughly 87% of Total Distopia's population, while the remaining 13% of the population is distributed among the smaller Islands surrounding the mainland.

Rolling plains make up most of Total Distopia's mainland, with a few large, dense hardwood and softwood forests. Total Distopia's greatest resourses are minerals, as the huge mountain range running along the cost is rich in many ores including iron, tin, gold and silver.

Brief History

Total Distopia has had many names. 1,274 years ago, the barbarian hordes of Mind Sickness launched a suicide offensive from the surrounding islands to the mainland of Omnipsychotia, effectively toppling the socially benevolent empire. It was a great blow to the region, as the two countries whom inhabited this area clashed in an epic, 37 year war which ended with both nations crippled and dying.

The next few centuries passed with the population dwindling due to famine, disease, and radiation poisoning. This was a feudal time for the former Omnipsychotia, as the lands were split into various serfdoms. This wasteland feudal system lasted the next thousand years.

In the Omnipsychotian Calender year of 3562, on the millenial aniversary of the Mind Sickness invasion, Roland Auxly risked his life to spread the word of unification across the broken nation. His efforts brought the serfdoms of the nation together once again under a democratic republic, dubbed New Hope. For a time, things were peaceful, and the old ways of Omnipsychotia were born again.

However, 74 years ago, in the Omnipsychotian Calender year of 3762, a smiling man by the name of Psy Peterson charmed the nation with his promises of a better New Hope.

"As much as our country has grown since the days after Omnipsychotia, with dicipline and the right frame of mind, New Hope can be something much more." Peterson is quoted as saying during one of his many speeches.

Peterson was elected in 3763, and his first two years of his seven year term were dedicated to the strengthening of New Hope's economy. However, in 3768, Peterson shocked the nation by re-enstating the Stalwarts: a para-military organization of mercenaries and spies which was used as Omnipsychotia's military and police force in times long past. Historically, the Stalwarts were seen as brutal and unnessessary extensions of an otherwise benevolent government.

With his newly instituted Stalwarts, Peterson organized a coup which overthrew New Hope's parliment. On March 13, 3768, Total Distopia was born.

Present Day Society

Today, Total Distopia is a madman's playground: children are abducted at birth based on inherent genetics to be trained as Stalwarts; the upper class sits in the lap of luxury, while the lower class wallows in abject poverty; citizens routinely disappear off the street and are labeled dissidents or political criminals; and Peterson (who, oddly enough, has not appeared to age since his transformation from kind ruler to psychotic dictator) torments his subjects for his own perverse amusment.

Currently there is a rebellion raging in the northern lands, as a band of freedom fighters known as the 'Children of Omnipsychotia' (more commonly referred to as The Children, or Omni-Kids) stage a guerilla war with their opressors.

Time will tell if these brave men and women are successful in their fight.

Technology

Total Distopia's technology is largely based on the advanced, space-faring tech left behind by the former Omnipsychotian empire. Though much lost during the feudal times, Total Distopia has since caught up to Omnipsychotia's former technological greatness.

While Total Distopia has yet to master interstellar flight (as they have yet to perfect FTL travel), its military tech has advanced to be one of the top fifty most advanced nations within the hemisphere. As a large protion of government funds go toward expanding the armed forces, other scientific departments have suffered greatly.

Social Attitudes

Total Distopians are, for the most part, fiercely xenophobic. Foreigners are either ejected from the country or executed on sight (diplomats and other such political figures are simply refused entry onto Total Distopian soil; instead, all summits with other nations are conducted on one of the outlying satalite islands).

Total Distopians are also, for the most part, defeatist in nature. The opressive and malicious government makes life in the country a living hell, even (at times) for the rich elite. The 'Children of Omnipsychotia' are looking to bring an end to this aura of saddness which has blanketed the nation, but have so far met with no success.