GOVERNMENTS & CORPORATIONS
“I work for the company. But don't let that fool you, I'm really an okay guy.”
—CARTER J. BURKE
BIG BUSINESS, BIG GOVERNMENT, AND BIG LIES
Everyone answers to someone and everybody wants to get paid. In the early 21st century, humanity stood on a precipice. Increased carbon emissions, inappropriate disposal of toxic wastes, limited nuclear exchanges, and overpopulation led to the mass extinction of several species, rampant disease, environmental decay, a worldwide energy crisis, and famine.
While stagnant governments were reluctant to change to meet these threats, multinational corporations headed by innovators like Peter Weyland stepped up and led the charge into the future. As many nations shut down their space programs, the private sector poured money and resources into pushing humanity out into the greater solar system and beyond. While politicians argued over global warming and health care, corporations set about repairing the ozone layer and curing most cancers. Establishing off-world colonies within the solar system, corporations gave humanity new places to flourish rather than wither on a damaged Earth.
As Weyland-Yutani and other companies explored the stars, they established extrasolar colonies before there was any legislation in place to govern them. As these worlds flourished, it was the corporations that made policy. Realizing their technological dependence on companies like Weyland- Yutani to both travel to and terraform these planets in the first place, the governments of Earth had no choice but to play by company rules. At the mercy of these corporate overlords, nations soon found themselves in severe financial debt to them.
Looking to the late 20th century’s formation of the European Union for inspiration, the major countries of the world soon merged to form larger nations. Dire economic necessity coupled with diminishing resources soon led to the unprecedented political merging of cultures that had been at odds in the past. During the last quarter of the 21st century, the Three World Empire was formed. The United Americas and the Union of Progressive Peoples soon followed, and governments began to regain some semblance of their old power. But the military industrial complex, interstellar commerce, and deep space mining all keep the system going, and you need the corporations to take care of that. Without them, the economy would collapse. The current depression on the Frontier is symptomatic of this political and corporate tug of war. Government control is an illusion, and it’s a bad card trick at that. You can be assured that behind every politician is a corporate overlord exerting some form of control.
What follows is a look at both the puppets and puppeteers of the 2180s.
THE COMPANY YOU KEEP: Weyland-Yutani doesn’t own everything, just mostly everything. Below is a small sampling of other corporate entities operating on the Frontier. You can bet that any of these corporations that are not allied with W-Y are on the company’s (s)hitlist.
- ALPHATECH HARDWARE: Major military contractor for the UA and other corporations.
- CHIGUSA CORPORATION: Rival of W-Y focused on colonization, plasma harvesting and mining operations.
- GEMBA SYSTEC: Electronics manufacturing and freight handling.
- HYPERDYNE SYSTEMS: ICSC subsidiary of W-Y that makes high-end synthetics and cybernetic prosthetics.
- JĬNGTÌ LÓNG CORPORATION: ICSC company that is a W-Y and Seegson rival focusing on colonization and weapons R&D.
- KELLAND MINING COMPANY: Deep Space Mining Company known for building massive orbital mining stations.
- KOORLANDER CORP: A company with tobacco farms on several colony worlds. Koorlander is the rival cigarette brand to Balaji Imperial.
- SOUTA CORP: Producers of the beer Souta Dry, a cheap alternative to Weyland-Yutani’s own Aspen Beer.
- LOCKMART: ICSC company that is the premiere builder of commercial starships.
- STEER CITY CATTLE COMPANY: A small company out of Terraform 3 that provides draft animals and quality meat to Frontier colonies.
THE THREE WORLD EMPIRE
The most technologically prosperous of the interstellar superpowers, the Three World Empire has established the most long-term colonies in the territories. Before its formation in the late 21st Century, the UK and Japan had pioneered space exploration and settlement technologies through the British Weyland Corp and the Japanese Yutani Corporation. These two innovative companies were the first to construct colonies on other planets and moons within the solar system. The three worlds the coalition’s name refers to are Earth, Mars, and Titan—the first three worlds to be inhabited by humanity.
HISTORY
The Three World Empire was the first of the conglomerate nations. With the birth of extrasolar colonies, Earth was becoming a smaller place. Realizing a pooling of resources would result in a stronger base from which to colonize the stars, the United Kingdom, Japan, India, and several developing countries joined forces in the 2180s. In addition to the aforementioned countries, member states include Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Kenya, Fiji, and more.
MILITARY AND ORGANIZATIONS
Through defense contracts and treaties, the 3WE Frontier colonies are protected by the United States Colonial Marines. However, the Three World Empire does maintain an extensive navy as well as their own limited military force in the form of the Royal Marines Commandos. While well trained and equipped with the latest in cutting edge hardware, the 3WE-RMC simply does not have the regimental strength or the reach of the USCMC. The 3WE bolsters their military with contracted soldiers from—you guessed it—Weyland-Yutani.
LEADERS
The Three World Empire is a parliamentary social democracy overseen by a constitutional monarchy. Consisting of the former royal families of Britain and Japan now intermarried as one, the Monarchy serves as a figurehead and has little to no real power. The government is headed up by an elected Prime Minister who oversees a Parliament consisting of representatives from each territory and former nation, but none of that will matter much to you out here. On the Frontier, worlds of the 3WE are maintained by a provisional governor, and it’s the policies, taxes, and tariffs set by her office that you will have to contend with.
LOCATIONS
In addition to its holdings in Sol System, the Three World Empire controls most extrasolar colonies in the Outer Veil and Core Systems. They have made a limited push into the Outer Rim and in the Frontier. Combined, these areas are called the Anglo-Japanese Arm. Notable worlds include the Corona Colony, Gorham’s Folly, Fiorina 161, and Linna 349
RELATIONS
The Three World Empire is heavily influenced by Weyland-Yutani—in fact, W-Y is the only non-state to actually have a seat in parliament. Rumors abound that several key members of Parliament have even been replaced with W-Y android duplicates, but none have been exposed—yet. The 3WE has maintained a somewhat peaceful relationship with the United Americas, though the UA is wary of the 3WE’s aggressive expansion efforts and monitors their borders at all times. As tensions rise between the UA and Weyland-Yutani, the 3WE has become caught in the crossfire. Some feel it is only a matter of time before an armed conflict breaks out along the Frontier.
