Feb 28, 2012

Alright, other than sci-fi, out of curiosity, what genres do you think you would place ITC in?

Aside from the nanomachines, the AIs and the aliens, ITC is a relative modern fantasy and a military fiction.

Ah, military for the win, at least I hope it is fiction. It may be cool, but its quite scary.

Me being myself, I felt that it was appropriate given the circumstances involving Trinity. As stated in the profile on Trinity itself, its acknowledged presence nearly sparked an international incident.

There's also more to ITC than what I have in my gallery too - I recently allowed SlingBlade87 to write about the affairs of a North African nation, that exists by 2032 in ITC, called Numidia. Just look for Numidia Rising.

Well that's interesting, but it's always nice to let others delve into your world like that. And yeah, I can see how something like Trinity could cause an international incident, dangerous business that stuff can be.

Indeed. It's the exact reason why TTF1 is an international unit.

And as for the whole thing of being an international unit, not that'd I'm familiar with how they'd work, but couldn't that be problematic as well, with every country in the world tugging at them in some way?

From what I already have planned, TTF1 as a whole answers to the UN when called for; otherwise they remain attached to their home unit. Of course, that doesn't stop certain nations from searching for loopholes, or its UN-delegated bureaucratic chief from making himself look good at the expense of his subordinates, and it's something that Major Patterson has to contend with from time to time.

So if they're dubbed Trinity Task Force One, was the name chosen due to the assumption that a second task force would be formed at an unknown point future or other reasons? I can also see how skewed things could be with the media too.

Trinity Task Force One was chosen for the former reason. The unit itself was more or less a test-bed to see if such a unit could be organized.
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Feb 29, 2012

Ah, what does TTF1 deal with as an international unit anyway?

Its roles are wide and varied, from peacekeeping QRF (quick response force) to counter-terrorism. As a general rule of thumb, if there's a need for intervention on an international scale, TTF personnel are likely to be found there amongst the regulars.

Since they respond to the UN is it possible for a member nation to not allow TTF1 to operate on their soil?

It's possible, depending on the nation in question. Nations that are hosts to TTF1 personnel are obliged to permit TTF1 as a whole to operate within their borders however.

As far as I've written, the only exception is when it is not possible to keep the peace as hinted by a reference to a possible second Korean War, which also implies that South Korea is a host nation.

I've also put thought into what would happen if two host nations wage war on one another or if another world war breaks out, and it will be covered in the story at a later time. However, I will say that TTF personnel are internationals first, nationals second, and that one of their responsibilities involves Trinity.

Ah, so then it's entirely possible in that respect for nations to attack them during outright. Another thing, being an international unit would a country have to go through a process before becoming a host nation? Inspection, checks, the providing of a base?

The only requirement that a country must adhere to when becoming a host nation is to permit access to military personnel records on demand for TTF1, as it recruits via invite only, and only from the reg force - no spec ops or reserves. The process by which a candidate is selected is akin to a university scouting out players amongst high school sports teams.

TTF personnel wear two cap badges so to speak; that of TTF1 itself, and that of their "home unit" - the unit that they were recruited out of. It is only fitting that TTF personnel are stationed with their home units and conduct training with them, all the while keeping their responsibilities to both camps separate.

Also, would it be possible for a country to change their mind about being a host nation if they are already one?

Host nations that decide against hosting TTF personnel would have to discharge all resident TTF personnel from national service in the process of opting out. It's not a likely possibility, but then again I've only scoped out the first five years of TTF1's existence.

You really did think all of this out. Although I'm quite curious, do you think it would be possible for a host nation to deny TTF1 the right to invite any of its forces during wartime? Since, many countries try to keep their numbers up, and the sudden death of an invited person(s) would likely be awkward.

It depends on how much international support has been invested in the region and who the belligerent is, and it's not always up to the host nation in question to make the final call.
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Mar 1, 2012

So would TTF1 buy their own weaponry or would those also be supplied by host nations?

In its founding years, TTF1 was reliant on the weapons and equipment supplied by host nations, which had its problems tagging along with it - notably, lack of standardization. As much as universally-distributed equipment would benefit the unit however, it was an uphill battle against the bureaucracy within UNISC (UN International Security Council).

Ah, yeah, well the UN itself has always been a pain in the ass in all of its branches, that's the problem when you have groups like that. But that's humanity for you.
Is TTF1 a large unit?

By 2040, it has comparable manpower to a very large battalion and then some - roughly 1500-2000 personnel. Individual platoons - 30-35 personnel each - are associated with one of the 42 host nations at the time.
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Mar 2, 2012

That's quite interesting actually. You've really thought that world out haven't you?

I'm sure there are some aspects that I haven't touched yet, but you could say that.

On a side note, when it comes to fiction I'm always looking for ways to make it seem plausible in the real world. Depending on how things go in the next 20 years ITC could either be an alternate timeline or a reality. That's how I look at it.

I'm sure there would be some aspects of ITC that would be better off staying fictional, but it can be good when fiction and reality match up of course.

But yeah, obviously there are some aspects of it that you haven't touched, it's an entire world that you have to think about and I'm sure that can be hard on the brain sometimes.

Agreed, although it's not like the world we live in is all sunshine and lollipops either. In terms of the setting, it's mostly just our world 20 years from now. All that really needs to be thought about is what has changed in that period of time and what has resulted from that change.

In line with this, ITC is all about causality with Trinity being the catalyst. I personally hand wave the fantastic elements of ITC by invoking Clark's third law and by fluke of chance of course, but that's not the important part - it's the chain of events that happen as a result that I've focused on.
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Mar 14, 2012

Is it possible for Trinity to be effective by means other than injection, such as exposure to wounds and/or consumption?

Amusingly enough, I've already got that planned out for future chapters. To clear up any doubt however, injection isn't the only vector but it's by far the most reliable - Trinity merely requires iron or previously-dissolved biological compounds to remain stable, so transmission via exposure to open wounds is plausible.

As far as consumption goes, it would have to be of sufficient quantity to survive being broken down in the gastrointestinal tract before entering the bloodstream and stable Trinity in solution is a weak alkali.

Alright, I was quite curious about that, since Trinity is obviously a substance that would have to be kept under careful observation, although that brings up a few other questions. Despite injection being the most reliable and since open wound exposure is plausible, wouldn't that mean Trinity is a substance that could essentially be used in biological terror attacks?

As far as I've revealed, I can neither confirm nor deny the possibility of Trinity being used as a possible nanotechnological weapon. The one thing I have to say about it is that it wouldn't be all that effective - at most, it would merely incite panic amongst the locals as those afflicted start turning into anthropomorphic animals, and the overall reaction depends on the disposition of those afflicted. Nevertheless, if it involves Trinity, no matter the intent or who is involved, it will not be taken lightly by TTF1 for very personal reasons. It is in fact the only time TTF1 may deploy in force regardless of outside authorization, deploying proportionately to the scale of the event.

Another curiosity is other military alliances, TTF1 is a international military group, which I understand and I know you mentioned major countries had an interest in using Trinity as well, but would multinational groups like NATO and the EU have an interest? As I'm sure many other parties would be interested in military forces under the banner of alliances like that with Trinity as well as the nations of the world.

TTF1 was formed in order to avert what had almost become WW3, which had almost started because of that prospect. Given enough time and enough members from its host nations and it might be possible for TTF1 to branch into national units that still answer to the UN collectively, but not at its current strength. The thought hadn't really occurred to me about multinational groups, but the most I can say is that since military operations conducted by multinational groups are through coalitions as opposed to through a single unified army, TTF personnel can only be treated as a task force detachment.

Another factor I was curious about too is the technology. The starting date is 2032, but what exactly is the world like in terms of advancement?

By the start of ITC, the level of technology used is patchwork, much like it is nowadays. Railguns and direct energy weapons are being employed on military vehicles and vessels (propellant-based small-arms are still in use), the biotech industry is making a killing off of bio-petrol and prototype terraforming procedures with transgenics, sentient AIs for medical purposes coming online, nuclear fusion powering much of the developed world, and permanent lunar colonies mining uranium since the mid-2020's. In terms of electronics, hard drives with memory space measured in petabytes (or even exabytes) are commercially available along with optical computers. LCD and plasma screens are still in use, but interactive hologram projectors are in the running for business and commercial applications on the market.
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Mar 15, 2012

Being a UN sanctioned group, if enough member states voted in favor of it, would TTF1 have to give samples of Trinity to selected groups? In this case I'm meaning if UN member-states came to a majority vote to get TTF1 to actually give it to certain groups, would they have to accept that decision?

Straight off the bat, institutions dedicated to research are given the clearance to have access to Trinity for research purposes only and only under direct supervision. I can understand that it's not exactly foolproof - I'm sure a furry assisting a university professor on a research project might attempt to procure a small sample for personal use later - but it's the only way for TTF1, and through them the UN, to permit access to Trinity while simultaneously keeping it locked tight.

As it is, programmable nanotech is a relatively new field of study for humanity by 2032, and many of the same fears we hold today about "Grey Goo" scenarios are still prevalent at the time - very much to the point where any form of nanotech is treated like weapons-grade plutonium. Similar fears, mostly Luddite in nature, are expressed about genetics and cybernetics to varying degrees, even though the latter two have been available in the public domain for some time.

Although I'm sure if someone actually took a sample of Trinity at all, they could be punished heavily. After all, since you said that programmable nanotech is a new field of study, theft of research materials would likely warrant a heavy punishment. Even more so if they went out of their way to use it on themselves or someone else, although honestly I could see for many people, whether or not they had a furry/anthro obsession, that anyone with the choice to use such a substance would be faced with a test of humanity as the change can't be reversed.

Indeed. With regards to the latter point about using/abusing Trinity, I'd also like to point out that the final decision to become a member of TTF1 requires a lot of conviction when choosing between the proverbial blue and red pills.

Of course, "research purposes only" I assume would just be for study and understanding it further, because under a vague term like that many scientists could research how to weaponize it and simply take notes elsewhere or report back to others than who they work directly under. So, I'm not going to even ask how good the supervision is, because I assume it'd be good enough with those circumstances.

You're correct on the assumption, for one logical reason - as of 2040, Trinity's programming and its relation to its subsequent properties are relatively unknown, and it would be rather foolish for someone to attempt research on how to do anything with it without first understanding the actual programming.

Also, being an international force, would that mean they could be deployed to areas as a peacekeeping force,(Not essentially non-violent as NATO as shown many people by getting involved heavily and in some cases units donated to the UN forces), in areas that are experiencing conflict?

TTF personnel may be deployed on peacekeeping operations, more so as part of a force rather than being the main force at its current strength.

Other than that I like how much thought you've put into everything so far, and I can imagine that TTF1 would be the source of not only political, but religious tension as well (in fiction and real life unique groups like that tend to be targets of media or militant political-religious groups, but I'm sure you're quite aware.)

It's to no surprise, even if people have a habit of thinking that way. Personally, I'm sure conspiracy theorists would have a field day if TTF1 were to exist in our universe.
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Mar 23, 2012

Does TTF1 have any personnel that haven't been exposed to Trinity and are just there for things like desk jobs or other aspects? Or is the unit just composed of various types of soldiers? [Meant to say just those who have been exposed to Trinity instead of soldiers. Basically wondering if the unit is 100% Trinity.]

It is something I will cover in the story at a later time, but the least I can say is that the entirety of TTF1's fighting force are Trinity hosts and that recruiting hasn't turned out well in terms of support trades (intel, logistics, medical, technical, ect) for the few short years after the unit's formation.
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Jun 03, 2012

This is purely a what if here, but if another military force were to acquire and and subject some of its own members do it (voluntarily in this case) would there be any action taken against them for this by the UN or TTF1?

The unauthorised use of Trinity alone will invoke action by TTF1, regardless of the intent. The usual result for this particular case is an enforced cease and desist order upon which the home nation must release all info on military members to TTF1 as if it were a host nation, but it may vary on a case-by-case basis. Refusal is more or less considered an act of hostility.

And what would happen to the members of said group that have been subjected to Trinity if they were to cease as ordered and release the information to TTF1? Would they be subjected to any sort of punishment as they willingly went along with it?

As the damage is already done, there's not much that can be done in terms of actual punishment beyond disciplinary and/or administrative measures of the ones who illicitly authorized Trinity use. Probation and/or quarantine of affected personnel and/or populace is mandatory for a set period to mitigate further use or contamination.
Afterwards, the unit might either be inducted as part of a TTF or completely remustered as a new TTF, without home unit designation, depending on the size and level of the unit.

In regards to that last one, if the organization chooses to deny the peaceful option and openly admit hostile intent after they have used Trinity what would be the procedure?

And would the soldiers be punished then if they had decided to follow orders and resist along with their superiors as well? Assuming that they are alive if conflict occurs afterwords.

Should all other options fail, TTF1 may very well have to be deployed in force to engage and defeat the unit, if not apprehend the commander who ordered without authorisation. At certain levels, it's possible that entire nations could end up at war. Should the volunteers choose to follow their commander willingly, Trinity on Trinity is unavoidable and the unit will be condemned and disbanded upon defeat.

Now, what about when it comes to TTF members wanting to retire? After all being a military organization, even if one is not in combat it can be stressful, so are there any rules than differ from standard groups?

Retirement is an odd subject for TTF members, as Trinity-induced immortality, if yet to be exactly proven, has the potential to cause more than a few headaches for national governments when handling pensions. Due to this same fact however, it's just as likely that members will have much longer service lives in the profession of arms. With that in mind, it's recommended that members retire from national service no later than the maximum age of service (here in Canada, it's 65). It is also encouraged that they find themselves meaningful post-retirement employment. They may be called back into service by their assigned TTF if they're short on personnel however.

Regarding nations, or even small political regions and large organizations in military and government. What were to happen if a country, region of one or a large multinational group that dealt with military and government issues decided that it did not want to comply with the rules/laws set forth regarding Trinity?

With the UN being what it is, this is where the loopholes start. The UN as a whole holds no administrative authority over any individual nation, region or multinational group, and while it alone is responsible for all things relating to Trinity, it has to delegate its member states with security and research grants. You're bound to encounter states that are more than a little discontent in that kind of scenario. Multinational units provide a more difficult situation that could easily lead to a global conflict if intervened.

As I've brought up before, the world of ITC isn't sunshine and lollipops - what helped prevent a version of a world war may have helped spawn another in the unforeseeable future.

Since the story of ITC is set in the future what would you say the economic state of the developed countries is compared to what it is now?

The world as a whole is still recovering from the energy crisis that spanned from the late '10s to the mid-'20s. Not unlike the events that followed the Great Depression, global crises provided most of the driving force behind the recovery.

Now, on a similar subject that to that of retirement, what if a member of TTF wanted to just outright quit the organization and not be a part of it? Reasons varying from person to person of course.

In all practicality, full-fledged members are members for life, whether it's actual service or by merit. Circumstances vary between cases, but meritious members - those who no longer desire active duty within a TTF - with no criminal history are free to return to active duty if they change their minds.

Is there anything major that can get someone expelled from TTF? Or things that can heavily bar them from becoming part of the organization?

Criminal acts are treated no differently from national forces, but crimes against humanity, including violation of the Geneva Conventions, is considered treason, as is unauthorised Trinity distribution and/or application. In terms of the initiation, competition in physical fitness and personal administration can lead to close calls that may or may not include a high drop-off point.
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Jun 05, 2012

As a member of TTF how much freedom would one get in comparison to military personell in other countries? Such as leave, or what they're allowed to do in comparison to normal military forces?

Even as an international unit, members are still subject to the policies laid down by their host nations, including leave. TTF1 in particular wasn't exactly the most uniform of military units in the first place, and UNISC is, well... UNISC.
The UN Declaration of Human Rights pretty much outlines any additional freedoms that might not be present within some host nations, however.

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Jun 24, 2012

Since TTF was essentially caused by aliens, not directly of course, but with Trinity and all... Would they have any authority when it comes to dealing with first contact of another species coming to Earth or would that be left solely up the the UN and the governments to deal with?

A first contact scenario hasn't been officially considered, but should the possibility arise it will likely be dealt with by governments should they [the aliens] be positively confirmed as the "we come in peace" kind, possibly with security provided by TTF if not by some other security detail.

Of course an invasion, open or covert, would definitely invoke TTF's involvement in the conflict at first notice, no holds barred combat-wise.

And if TTF presence was requested by said visitors during first contact?

At this point there is only one species that would make that specific request should first contact come about with them, and that's because they were directly involved with the development of Trinity and its subsequent introduction to humans. I have yet to reveal whether or not Eric makes public the agreement he made with HAL, but it wouldn't be a big surprise if the Twelve volunteered themselves should an entity from the same species make that request. Other than that and a communication barrier, it really just comes down to conventional diplomacy.

Now in terms of command structure are the twelve in charge of TTF when it comes to the internal workings of the organization?

More or less, although the majority of them are actually in support trades.

Infantry: Eric (Officer), Brendan (Officer), Carlos (Soldier), Vanessa (Soldier)
Engineers: Vance (Electrical & Mechanical Engineering Officer), Patricia (Vehicle Technician), Rebecca (Officer)
Intelligence: Drake (HUMINT Officer), Madelena (HUMINT Officer), Sara (Information Operator)
Medical: Jessica (Officer)

Eric and company are more than aware of the consequences of personal relationships within the unit and have gone to extreme lengths to avoid conflict of interest. Thankfully, their chosen professions differ enough to prevent couples from being in the same chain of command at different levels, although O-groups within TTF1 may become less formal the longer they carry on.

And how would the twelve of them feel about the concept of another sanctioned 'anthro' unit? Not with Trinity of course, just hypothetical [likely a seperate species altogther].

That will depend on the nature of the anthro unit. Are they transgenics? Are they a separate species altogether? Do they have any affiliations and with whom? What methods do they use?

In any case, it's very likely that the twelve will keep a wary eye on said unit, even if working cooperatively. One affiliated with the UN or at least one host nation might be better off though.

And then there's the personal impact it might have of individuals. The Twelve are largely indifferent with the exception of a few.
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Jun 25, 2012

So as long as said unit wasn't using Trinity or have done anything to give cause for hostilities, TTF would have no reason to have to combat them?

Pretty much.

Whats the world's status with population? I know as of Halloween 2011 it was estimated to be seven billion, but in ITC, what do you think it would be by 2032?

When the teen members of the Twelve were nine years old, there was a worldwide pandemic due to weaponized Ebola - no-one really knows who unleashed it - that killed two-thirds of the global population at the time. By 2032, it's likely that 3-5 billion people make up the global population.

Another goes for space exploration two, I know China and Russia wanted to put stations up in orbit over the next twenty years and apparently there was a space elevator due for construction between 2020 - 2040 (the start of at least), curious how you would say humanity's journey to the stars has advanced.

The 2020s was a time when lunar colonization began taking hold, thanks to the rejuvenation of lunar exploration by the Chinese at the end of the previous decade. On to top of that, it wouldn't be unfeasible to think that manned missions to the Red Planet would have happened or are in progress by the start of the novel. Beyond news bulletins that may pop up at times in the novel however, space exploration will merely be part of the scenery at best for now. ITC's timeline is based off of our own, so it's safe to assume that such projects occur in ITC.

Between now and the beginning of ITC how much would you say the world has changed on the map? Political borders and all that. Not asking for an extremely specific answer, but would you say there have been developments of new nations and the fall or division of old ones?

Numidia Rising is probably the best example of some of the changes that have happened by 2032 in ITC, and that was only North Africa. The nation-states of the 1st-World haven't significantly changed borders, but it's quite substantial amongst the developing world.

With the drop in the population, was the strain on the world's resources lessened any?

As the pandemic struck particularly hard in heavily-populated urban centres, it has alleviated some of the strain, but not necessarily in the places it's direly needed.

What areas of the world would you say the pandemic with the weaponised Ebola affected the most?

Heavily-populated and well-travelled cities were the most affected, especially where medical provisions are not sufficient. India, China and the US were particularly hit hard by this, and even into 2032 they were still blaming each other for unleashing it. And that's not to say that Europe, Canada and Latin American nations weren't affected either.
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Jun 26, 2012

So if lunear colonization is starting up then how are the advancements in flight technologies?

Scramjet-propelled sub-orbital planes are more commonplace by 2032, but it's still a turbine-dominated sky. As for spaceflight, scramjets are also used to ferry passengers and cargo to and from the surface to orbital relay stations, where the standard rocket-fuel propulsion systems are used for the remainder of the voyage to the moon. As much as ion drives are being developed, they're still a ways away from exiting experimental stages.

What about naval technologies? Any changes there?

Railguns, magnetic propulsion and vector-manoeuver jet systems pretty much sum it up. Some coastal nations are even making use of catamaran and trimaran hull designs.

And advancements in communications?

Satellite phones have replaced regular cell phones for the most part. If you have the money, claytronics (suggest you look it up) is also available in a stationary capacity. The Internet's the Internet as always.

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Jul 18, 2012

Out of curiousity, what is the nuclear policy for countries when ITC begins in 2032? Especially for Canada.

Weapons - very little has changed here. Canada still has its policy against WMDs, and the nuclear giants are still holding onto their stockpiles out of paranoia. That said, a few fission reactors are still running towards their end of commission, or are being built by developing nations (fusion reactors are ridiculously expensive during construction), with a few producing byproducts for medical or, less frequently, military use.

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Oct 28, 2012

In terms of naval craft in the ITC setting would there be anything remotely like the Helicarrier from The Avengers or would it just be all the regular sea-based stuff?

Given the technology level of the setting, it's entirely possible for such airbourne vessels aside from regular zeppelins to exist. It would take quite the infrastructure for something the likes of a Helicarrier mind you, but with the right stabilization one might more likely see close equivalencies to the frigate-sized Titans from Battlefield 2142.

Even so, the only issue with them is not whether they're possible, but rather whether they're practical. Only a handful of nations - including Brazil, China and Numidia - have tested their effectiveness, the result of which has thus far condemned the vessels to one of two roles: patrolling over difficult terrain with VTOL escorts, or delivering large quantities of supplies to disaster-stricken or otherwise isolated locations - tasks that can usually be done by conventional aircraft instead.

In the end, naval craft of the 2030s are mostly going to be maritime vessels with the few exceptions already mentioned.

Alright, what about the opposite? Crafts being able to submerge and taking on the dual role of a surface craft and a submersible like a sub?

Submarines are and will always be an integral part of modern maritime navies that can afford them, especially attack subs and boomers for their tactical and strategic value respectively. Unfortunately, subs with surface capabilities, especially submersible aircraft carriers, would run immense development costs, let alone the fact that they would have such a limited niche to work in. All in all, and I do quote Wikipedia on this: "...it is unlikely that any navy would consider their construction worthwhile."

That said, I'm not denying the plausability that a sufficiently funded navy could design and build such maritime craft for service by 2032 or any time thereafter, given the fact that a handful of designs were actually built and fielded during both world wars (Japan's Sen Toku I-400 class subs for instance).
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Mar 20, 2013

what's with the huge increase in the number of furries?

We've only encountered four people so far who are confirmed to have associated themselves with the furry fandom, of which only one individual - Jessica - is among the twelve who were experimented on. As for the twelve themselves, it has to do with the nanites and how and to what extent they interact with the hosts.

Why does everyone take it so calmly? I'd expect massive melt-downs in people seeing a goddamn dinosaur walking around.

That is the kind of question the twelve are asking themselves, in response to individuals like Sabrina.

Generally speaking though, it wouldn't be too much of a surprise if the mainstream public acknowledges the furry fandom as a mere subcultural fad, regardless of stigma. As such, people are currently assuming that the ones who were experimented on are furries in suits, and the twelve haven't given them much reason to think otherwise yet outside of immediate family, medical practitioners and a handful of others.

Daniel's case is unique to say the least and is enough to warrant its own chapter later on though.
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Mar 21, 2013

Furries aren't that well known as a 'group' in today's society yet in your setting they appear generally accepted and acknowledged, if only to the point of being tolerated, not liked. That indicates a huge surge in popularity of 'furry'-ness, which hasn't happened here. Any reason for that, or is it just natural increase?

Taking into account the Internet, it's safe to assume that a significant number of working adults by 2032 grew up with at least some exposure to furries, just like how the previous generation was with the punk subculture.

If you have any questions about ITC, leave a comment below or in the ITC thread on SpaceBattles and I'll get to you as soon as I possibly can.