SOTF U: The Setting

[Shiola]

This thread contains relevant information pertaining to the setting of SOTF: U.

Table of Contents

1. Premise
2. The World
3. The University of Cascadia
4. Janus-Hayes

[Shiola]

The Premise

In this universe, Survival of the Fittest is a clandestine research project, facilitated by an unscrupulous team of academics and scientists who work for Janus-Hayes, a powerful corporation who secretly bankrolls and facilitates the entire project. Decentralized, powerful, and with tendrils in various governments and non-governmental organizations, the company operates with near-impunity and answers to no one.

Rather than a terrorist plot, or an exercise in state terror, SOTF is a heavily documented experiment on human test subjects.

Participants are students of the University of Cascadia, who have applied to a multidisciplinary retreat to a remote research facility in the Bering Sea. The two-week, all expenses paid program is presented as a means to earn easy credits and work experience, as well as a networking opportunity. The nature of the program’s selection process isn’t public knowledge, but it is offered to any and all students at U of C, regardless of academic standing or discipline.

The students are given a rough outline of their course of study shortly before embarking, all of which is a complete fabrication. They are told they are headed to an island in the Chukchi Sea, an abandoned former Soviet research station that has been restored by Janus-Hayes and U of C.

The island, known as Severniy Norin, is one of two islands discovered by Russian explorer Casimir Norin in 1780. The site was largely unexplored until large deposits of valuable minerals and gold were discovered on the site in the early twentieth century.

During the Cold War, the site was a suspected support station for Soviet submarines operating in the Arctic. After the fall of the Iron Curtain, the Russian government abruptly closed the village of Serensk and evacuated all but a few personnel. Shortly thereafter, it was purchased at a bargain by Hayes Aerospace in 1998, and was briefly used as an aeronautical testing ground for autonomous weapons systems. While there were once nearly one thousand inhabitants of the village, much of the island’s infrastructure has now fallen to ruin, and is off-limits to visitors.

Students and faculty are told that they will be provided with new, prefabricated dormitories and access to the few pre-existing facilities that have been maintained since U of C has taken control of the site. As far as anyone knew, the staff there were performing everything from meteorological research, to isolation studies for missions to Mars. Promotional materials had been fabricated to depict a number of fictional staff on the island, and many of the students in the program may have already corresponded with them.

The students board the NRV Frontier, a nuclear powered research vessel, to begin a four-day journey to the island. During this time, they will have the opportunity to mingle and relax on the ship before they reach the island. This is the Pregame; they are being extensively surveilled and documented.

The kidnapping occurs on the final night of their journey on the Frontier, after which the nature of their predicament will be revealed to them.

[Shiola]

The World

The World of SOTF: U is similar to our own, with a few key differences. First, similar to other SOTF AUs, prominent political figures are to be replaced with facsimiles as they are in Main and other universes. This can be done on an Ad Hoc basis.

While the COVID-19 Pandemic did occur in this world, it was far less severe. Janus-Hayes was one of the companies that rolled out a mRNA vaccine for the pandemic, though it was far less restrictive with its patent protection than its competitors. This was a calculated move to buy it much-needed public support and to act as a smokescreen for its more nefarious activities. As a result, by the time the version has rolled around, life has (mostly) returned to normal in developed countries. In mainstream political discourse, Janus-Hayes is seen as one of the “good” corporations, even though most critical voices feel they’re just as untrustworthy as a company like Google or Amazon.

In this universe, BR-style fiction exists but has not taken off in popularity to any greater degree to our own world. This will be the first full-scale iteration of SOTF to take place, although there was a previous test run that also remains unknown to the public at large. Nothing like this has ever happened before.

The Participants arrive on Severniy Norin on October 17th. The game follows most of the standard rules of SOTF-Mini, with key differences detailed where necessary.

[Shiola]

The School

The University of Cascadia is a public research university that was established in the 1950s. Springing from a small private research facility, U of C was established initially in affiliation with the United States military. Its first governing board was mostly ex-military personnel, and many of its older facilities were partially funded with Defense Department grants.

Initially focused on applied sciences, the University gradually broadened its focus over the decades to become one of the top ranked research universities for both undergraduates and graduates on the west coast, often absorbing smaller institutions as it grew.

It ranks highly in most STEM disciplines, and manages to pull its weight in the humanities and arts as well, being considered a hub for a progressive, politically-active student culture. While it no longer has official ties to the United States Military, it is often criticized for its historical ties, as well as existing links to the intelligence community, Janus-Hayes, and Silicon Valley.

U of C offers generous scholarship packages, and is considered particularly accommodating when it comes to financial aid, with over ninety percent of students qualifying for some kind of assistance.

The campus is located just outside of Tacoma itself, with satellite campuses located within the city proper. The original University of Cascadia was located within nearby Steilacoom, a small seaside town noted for its strong ties to Joint Base Lewis-McChord, but it has since outgrown its original footprint.The new campus is just over 100 acres with over 60 unique buildings including an on-campus medical facility, built right up against the shoreline of Puget Sound.

[Shiola]

Janus-Hayes

Janus-Hayes was established in 2008 following the merger of two large multinational corporations: Janus Biotechnologies (rebranded in its final years as Janus Biotech) and Hayes Aerospace Corporation.

Established in Frankfurt in the early 1960s as an offshoot of a Weimar-era chemical company, Janus Biotech GmbH was once seen as a pioneering enterprise in pharmaceutical research. The company had something of a radical pedigree at first, founded by a group of chemists whose primary interests were the medicinal applications of psychedelics. However, following the launch of the US-led War on Drugs, the company pivoted to more conventional pharmaceuticals. Of particular note were its extremely successful forays into antidepressants; these provided them the necessary capital to absorb a number of smaller companies, growing into a prosperous multinational corporation throughout the latter half of the twentieth century.

Hayes Aerospace Ltd. was founded in 1924 as the North American Engineering Company (NAECO). The firm initially established itself as an electronics manufacturer and innovator, as well as a small business manufacturing surplus parts and ammunition for small arms. Shortly before the Second World War, NAECO had acquired a small electronic aviation parts manufacturer, and rebranded itself as Hayes Aerospace after the recently deceased founder, Charles M. Hayes Sr.

Expanding rapidly both during and after the war, Hayes Aerospace rose to become one of the United States Government’s largest and most trusted defense contractors. Hayes is a name one often encounters in the defense industry, with their technical fingerprints on everything from handheld GPS systems to Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles.

Due to some poor financial decisions on the part of Janus Biotech, the company nearly went bankrupt during the financial crises of the late 2000s, and was bought out by Hayes Aerospace in an unprecedented merger. Having dabbled for a time in medical hardware R&D, the board of Hayes Aerospace saw an opportunity to expand their reach and diversify their business model.

As a result, Janus-Hayes was born.

Through its inception in the late 2000s to the present day, Janus-Hayes continues to grow rapidly and is among the largest and most prosperous corporations in the world. Though not completely eclipsing their competition in sheer size, their reputation as an engine of innovation is second to none, with their various Research and Development divisions drawing in talent from all over the world.

Though still often regarded as a wing of the Military-Industrial complex by various critics, Janus-Hayes has managed to carefully craft a reputation as more socially responsible and progressive than its peers.

While this often takes the form of polished corporate propaganda, Janus-Hayes does receive praise from many non-governmental organizations for its inclusive hiring practices and global allyship. The company has taken a notable stand in the last decade against systemic racism, undergoing an extensive audit of its hiring practices as a result. It frequently sponsors Pride events, and is regarded as a Global Ally by several international LGBTQ+ organizations. Furthermore, the company invests heavily in green technology, and frequently leases its flagship research vessel, the NRV Frontier, for use by researchers and conservationists.

All of these actions have drawn ire from activists as “Rainbow Capitalism” and “Greenwashing” its more nefarious activities. Fringe elements on the right wing have also accused Janus-Hayes of being heavily involved in various global conspiracies, mostly stemming from their ties to the DoD and their leading efforts to develop a COVID-19 Vaccine.

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Janus-Hayes was one of the first companies to begin work on a vaccine. Having previously worked on developing mRNA vaccines, they completed trials on a vaccine for SARS-Cov-2 in November 2020. This was then released to the public; unlike their competitors, Janus-Hayes waived patent protection for their vaccine.

While the company claimed this was a moral imperative, critics have argued that this was undertaken as a PR coup against Janus-Hayes’ competitors. Whether intentional or not, it worked - criticism of the company in mainstream circles seems to have evaporated overnight.

It has a close relationship with U of C, having sponsored several initiatives at the University and often exchanging talent with the institution.