The Metroplex Governor Race of '84
Every sprawl needs a local government. The President of the UCAS would happily drone platitudes on the subject. At the same time, no ruled peoples in a rampaging capitalist dystopia optimistically still dubbed a democracy can suffer the same team for too long. Summer 2084 is the time of major elections in Seattle when the citizens with rights to vote choose the governor. Politics, excitement, turmoil and office backstabs - all is permitted in love and war, whereas the opportunity to choose who's going to embezzle public money for the next four years is a traditionally beloved war between the candidates.
Factions
The focus of the metaplot is on various political parties and smaller policlubs in Seattle, but rest assured that other players - mobs, the Draco Foundation and corps - could get involved.
Archconservative Party
The party supports a "return to real, traditional American values". The Archconservatives are roughly pro-business, but their primary focus is on moral and social issues, endorsing what they consider "traditional family and American values". Members are unabashedly Protestant, often with a radical bent, with the majority being WASPs, openly speaking out against magic as "immoral and unnatural", which includes metahumans as a result of magic returning. Humanis and the more radical offshoots love them. There are rumours of ties to the commune of Brother Thomas Nesmith and pariah followers "cleaning" their undesirables up.
Important Members
- Falkner Graves. He's a highly prepared and well trained candidate to act as the face of the Archconservative party. He has high end brain augmentations, speech training and expert level skills as a spokesman as well as a university degree in politics. Born in Washington, he's spoken frequently against the dangers of superstitions and magical thinking in the Sixth World, enforcing that magic is too volatile and undefinable to be safe for anyone's use. He's built rapport with several voting demographics with his values of further magic control, requiring a permit to perform magic for any reason, outlawing magic use in public spaces from any civilian and restricting immigration into Seattle to prevent the more pro-magic NAN populations from getting too close. In that same vein, he's criticised Aztlan and the Tírs for their reckless embracing of future elements and portrays Seattle as "the one light standing against a mad world" which many common masses can unite behind.
Goals
- Have the candidate win.
- Ensure the rival candidates lose.
- Lessen the importance of magic in business and institute laws to restrain it better.
- Attract more followers while simultaneously hiding the skeletons in their closets.
Democratic Party
They lost a lot of ground since the early decades of the Sixth World, so in an attempt to recover the ground claimed by other parties, they've embraced the more liberal and radical factions, such as the Green Party (which they've all but absorbed). Rivals (correctly) accuse them of scrambling to poach any promising politicians, such as their candidate, Carolina Petrovski. They support metahuman and SURGE rights, active government and assorted social programs. As long as it's not inconvenient or too extreme, they also favour ecological initiatives. EVO, Horizon and Aztechnology feature among their key sponsors. The first officially co-organises the annual SURGE Pride Parade.
Important Members
- Carolina Petrovski. The most recent acquisition of the Democrats, this formerly Republican washout runs on the agenda of extreme charity. The Horizon SINner feels like a fish in water in UCAS politics, which Horizon, with the "We Know What You Think" motto, doesn't mind at all. A few years back, she revitalised Renton, currently highly interested in the Redmond Rejuvenation Project. Those who like her stress her attitude towards security and welfare projects, whereas her political opponents point out her Horizon and Humanis Policlub connections, favouritism and the attitude of "Those poor metas can be like us, just start with metatype reduction!"
Goals
- Have the candidate win.
- Ensure the rival candidates lose.
- Hide Petrovski's Humanis connections.
New Century Party
The New Centurists, created when they jumped ship from the Technocratic Party in the wake of the rigged presidential elections scandal of 2057, are progressives and forward-thinkers who believe that the old Technocratic party failed to push the envelope far enough. As they see it, technological and magical resources of the country have to be called upon and teamwork to solve the national woes. The party strongly supports small-business initiative, research and development, innovative thinking and education as key to keeping the UCAS prosperous in the global arena. Thus, their basic ideology calls for a melding of scientific and magical principles to create a happier and more prosperous society. They have a particular distaste for the Archconservatives for being diametrically opposed to them and Renraku Computer Systems (as well as other Japanocorps, Horizon and Wuxing) due to the anti-technomancer attitude.
Important Members
- Angela Darcy. The New Century Party is keen on the plight of Emerged and Awakened, so their gubernatorial candidate being a known technoshaman isn't exactly a surprise. The Matrix Security graduate from Seattle University, now the youngest dean that apartment has ever had, is full of charisma, arguing magic and the Resonance should be explored for the betterment of metahumanity. Often accused of lacking political experience, she's endorsed by Aztechnology and Seattle's academia.
Goals
- Have the candidate win.
- Ensure the rival candidates lose.
- Raise awareness of Emerged plight and combat anti-technomancer prejudice.
Republican Party
With the sudden jumping ship of Carolina Petrovski in favour of the Democratic Party, the Republicans are scrambling to propose a candidate in time. The usual conservative bent and an interest in economic growth naturally push them towards the UCAS Army, Ares Macrotechnology and Saeder-Krupp. They believe in traditional American values, but aren't quite radical to the degree displayed by the Archconservative Party.
Important Members
- Kassandra Hemmingway. Kassandra was once a small girl born to a middle class family in 2036's Seattle and, over the years, has seen a lot of turbulent events in cities and world history unfold before her eyes due to becoming a field medic in the UCAS military during the early 2050s. She served her nation for over 6 years before deciding to settle down and marry one of her fellow soldiers back in Seattle again. She took up a governmental position working for Ivar J. Lindstorm while he was mayor. However due to street violence, her husband sadly was a lethal casualty during a shoot out between the Cutters and Vory, 12 other innocent civilians lost their lives. It was when Ivar showed little to no concern for the matter that she decided to quit, receding into an early retirement and depression. However, recent events have lit up a spark and now she wishes to use that drive to reform and strengthen the streets of Seattle to ensure safety for all.
Goals
- Have the candidate win.
- Ensure the rival candidates lose.
- An agenda of safety and raising pro-army awareness.
Technocratic Party
The Technocratic Party runs on the platform of business development and implementation of new technology to increase profits. They're not exactly afraid of technomancers, but the political connections to MCT and Renraku mean they walk the line of caution. They boast about sponsoring a few scholarships of the IT kind at the University of Washington these days and are a significant presence at tech fairs. Some worry about loss of emolument space for low-skilled labourers to drones they consider capable of work in entry manufacturing jobs. The New Century Party split from them in the late fifties.
Important Members
- Harrison Yuvlicht. The twice-Leónised Regency Megamedia CEO runs for his party with a spry spring in his step perfectly hiding the real age (the Fifth World!). His proponents laud him for values of stability, economic growth, corporate balance and equality. Meanwhile, those who dislike him (correctly) point out his American exceptionalism, privatisation and being part of the one percent of the rich, believing that the gap in earnings serves a purpose - he wants to keep it wide. He frequently hires runners on the downlow to help him and the other Technocrats with "little hiccups along the way to prosperity".
Goals
- Have the candidate win.
- Ensure the rival candidates lose.
- Increase Seattle's importance to Big Tech business.
Scoreboard
This is the mechanism that will determine the victor of the race. Each run in support of a candidate will increase their score, whilst runs opposed to them will decrease it. All runs up to High Threat will raise or lower a score by 1, Deadly and Extreme runs will raise or lower it by 2, whilst Semi-Prime and Prime runs will raise or lower it by 3.
1. Republicans, 13 points.
2. Archconservatives, 7 points.
3. New Century Party, 19 points.
5. Technocrats, 7 points.
4. Democrats, 5 points.
Runs
News
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Darcy Wins! | 10 August 2084 |
| Expose: Kassandra Hemmingway Ordered Civilians Killed | 5 August 2084 |
| Shocking information Leaked about Democratic hopeful | 29 July 2084 |
| Hemmingway Receives Tir Endorsement | 23 July 2084 |
| Wizgangs Menace the Sprawl! | 22 July 2084 |
| A Good Seattle Morning! | 19 July 2084 |
| Exposé: Who Is Harrison Yuvlicht? | 17 July 2084 |
| Report: Republican Campaign Aide Killed In Street Violence Tragedy | 14 July 2084 |
| Democratic Party Campaign Office Vandalized | 13 July 2084 |