New Reykjavik (CVnU Empire)

Reykjavik Resurgent

A brief history of New Reykjavik, excerpted from the official Government Report:

Following an unprecedented act of global aggression undertaken by the once-great United States, Iceland found itself in uncertain waters, the decimated and demoralized populace crying out for protection and guidance. With reconstruction funding from other, sympathetic countries around the world, as well as the assistance of Knightfall Systems Incorporated, Reyjkavik was transformed from a desolate wasteland into a luxurious, green paradise for the survivors of the States' attack to reside in safely. With new fortifications and a revamped political ideology, Iceland stands triumphant in the wake of the terrifying attack by the genetically engineered States superweapon.

Government

After the attacks on Reykjavik, emergency powers were granted to the Prime Minister, and the Icelandic Protection Bill was passed, granting him the ability to assemble a newer, more streamlined Parliament to aid him in running the country. The New Parliament answers directly to the Prime Minister, who withholds the authorities to declare war, establish a state of emergency, and regulate trade. Members of Parliament are elected by the citizenry, who vote in polls every six months. The Parliament then takes a vote to see if the Prime Minister is fit to remain in office.

Economy

The New Icelandic economy is a blossoming self-cycling system that relies on supply and demand, taking in money from the citizens and using it to produce new goods. Competition between said brands result in higher quality and decreased prices, as well as consistent employment rates and high-functioning educational systems. Iceland's profitable trade with countries around the world have resulted in rising growth rates for the stock market, as well as an increased production of goods and services. Iceland's natural geothermal energy vents provide nearly inexhaustible energy for the country, harnessed by massive reactors located around the country. Iceland does not trade with the United States, having enacted an embargo following the attack on Reyjkavik.

Religion

As always, religious freedom is a cornerstone of a democratic, free society, and the same is true of Iceland. Citizens are free to practice whatever creed they desire, and the government takes no role in determining or emphasizing the details of a particular sect. As it stands, most Icelanders (80%) are members of the Lutheran State Church. Another 5% are registered in other Christian denominations, including the Free Church of Iceland and the Roman Catholic Church. Several reports indicate that the Cult of Scientology is attempting to establish itself within Iceland, but has as of yet been met with consistent failure.

Society

After the attacks on Reykjavik, preventive measures have been taken to ensure the safety of every remaining Icelander. As it stands, most Icelanders are pro-mutant, due to the notable role they played in repelling the American attack. According to a recent census, 14% of Icelanders possess a mutant X-Gene. It is estimated that an additional 10% have parahuman qualities of some sort. Icelanders are in favor of costumed heroes, being that they were responsible for preventing the country's takeover by the States. Immigration to Iceland has been popular, and it boasts a rapidly rising population. Urbanization will soon become necessary for some parts of it, but there is no doubt that the country has the resources to sustain such exponential growth.

Following the attacks on Iceland by the United States of America's bioengineered superweapon, tension between the two countries has never been higher. 93% of Icelanders mistrust Americans. A further 50% of that 93% are in favor of severing all ties with the nation.

Education

Public education is readily available to all Icelanders, with a curriculum unique to each school. Colleges adorn the coastlines, each ready to serve the public through the education of students. Private schools reserved for young Icelandic Parahumans have been established in order to create a safe learning environment for those with emerging superhuman abilities, as well as keeping them separate from those without.

Security

In the aftermath of the Reykjavik travesty, security has become a paramount issue in Iceland. Never before had the nation experienced such a horrifying threat, and thus, steps were taken to ensure the individual safety of every Icelander. With help from both Grailtech and Knightfall Systems Incorporated, automated security networks were established in order to monitor the populace and scan for potential threats. The citizenry may decide, through annual vote, whether or not the measures are too extensive. Should they be deemed extreme, Parliament would immediately abolish them. The primary security measures are as follows:

The Stratospheric Energy Dome:

Maintained using the same technology that protected Reykjavik from the U.S. superweapon, the Stratospheric Energy Dome, or S.E.D., protects Icelandic airspace from unauthorized access, projecting a massive particle field over the country. Rather than be powered by orbital satellites, like the prototype, the S.E.D.'s projectors are located within the country itself, a total of ten nodes projecting constant streams of energy to maintain atmospheric control. Unlike the prototype, which gave off massive feedback when stimulated by a certain energy frequency, the S.E.D.'s shield is nonreactive to electromagnetic radiation and physical attacks alike, repelling any and all attacks upon the country. The shield can be opened in various places, in order to give aerial vehicles and sailing ships access to the harbors and airstrips.

Automated Authority Assistance units:

A legion of networked drones, maintained by Grailtech and Knightfall Systems Incorporated, are in place to aid the local police force. On their command, the drones activate, moving in to provide support to biological police officers in the event of an emergency. They are capable of instantaneously relaying information across the security network, scanning targets and providing information about them to their operators. Each drone is comprised of several layers of carbon nanoclusters stacked upon each other; economy in mind, they aren't extremely advanced, existing only to provide support to local police forces. Their offensive capabilities are outshined by their usefulness as supports; they can apply first-aid under duress, shield wounded men, and evacuate civilians from a danger zone practically without effort. They are capable of subduing most mundane threats without much effort.

Notable Extranormal Activity

Advanced Science Commission / Supervillain Rehabilitation:

Following the introduction of official sovereign protectors "Percival" and "Orpheus," both of whom participated in the defense against the States, scientific achievement became a mainstay in Iceland. Funded by the corporate duo, advanced experimental technologies emerged, testing taking place in a massive Science Complex outside the capital city. One of the more revolutionary programs included the rehabilitation of many so-called "Mad" scientists, including a cadre of former supervillains, now reformed and provided residency in Iceland. They are on probation, not allowed to leave the island; constant reports and inquiries by the public ensure the safety of the program.

Superhuman Public Defense Squad:

Following the massive rise in public approval for costumed vigilantes as a result of their valiant defense of Parliament during the U.S. Invasion, the government actually endorsed the establishment of a training program for superhumans, along with a public payroll for those who elected to join the new "team." As of right now, a team of about fifteen novice superhumans are in training to act as defenders against any further invasions. Treated as celebrities by the public, they contribute to the wide approval rating following the invasion. They can and will be scrambled to handle any extranormal threats to Iceland.

@percival

Did TH get labeled a genetic super weapon? Well part of that's true =) just not the US part.

Allow me to be the first to congratulate you, fellow supervillain!

Ohhhh a new superpower on the horizon? Stay tuned.....

Indeed. We're going to be releasing a smear campaign that blames you for everything. Sorry man :1

Thanks lol. It was a team effort, though. I've got six others behind the scenes helping me out, couldn't have done it without them :)

Very nice. I like how nice it is. Like, it is an actual Utopia.

Y U LYIN'?

You work fast, mano. Well done on a successful takeover. Looking forward to what you do with this.

@maverick_6: It'd be more feasible to do it with a small country like Iceland, especially with a tragedy propelling them forward. It's all built on a lie, sure, but people will believe what they want. We know that there's going to be Dox-style leaks pointing to us as the secret rulers, but nobody's going to believe those, of course ;)

You're kidding, right? I don't think I've ever seen a successful Solo Claim work. Every member of the team had a hand in planning, executing, all that. Even those who were absent due to IRL stuff during the actual fight contributed beforehand. Ideas flow so quickly when you're working in a group, and the drive from everyone else keeps the idea alive. This is all thanks to them.

@percival: I know. Gallus is my alt LOL

@percival:

I'm hunting you, don't forget that.

Well...I figured people a few years from now wouldn't know that right away, so...clearin' things up for them?

Thanks for all your help :)

F I G H T (ง ͠° ͟ل͜ ͡°)ง B O Y S

@percival:

Sly dog.

@percival: Skillful and humble hehe.

@maverick_6:

@the_shogun: Don't mention it please :1

Was a team effort.

@percival: Would it be cool if I stopped by here soon?

@percival:

Since you guys aren't anywhere else right now, mind if I slip on in to cause some pestering?

W E D I D I T B O Y S

@shawn_savage: Go ahead! Just keep in mind, the American government is blamed for the deaths of around 50,000 innocents (ballparking there, based off of Zex's post), so there'll be a lot of scrutiny, at least by security. Iceland is now closed off by force field; entrances are heavily guarded, but by no means inaccessible. You can legally enter the country with proper documentation, but I wouldn't recommend coming covered in weapons.

@termporal_hound: Well, keep in mind that you're universally hated here. You'd be faced with full-on military assault if you revealed yourself in any way. It'd be another international incident against the U.S. Also, thanks to our falsified documents (coming in a later blog, I promise), everyone in Iceland sees you as U.S. property and a weapon. They won't believe anything you tell them, no matter how much logic you shove in their faces :)

@percival: No worries, this should be fun to explore.

And thus propeganda war begins.

@orpheus_knightfall:

Have to know where I am first.

@argus_: Well, we're good guys on the surface. The only real cause for suspicion would be the supervillain rehabilitation program, which is basically just government funded mad science. BUT, it's nothing illegal or even evil. No human testing or anything :)

@orpheus_knightfall: Percival's got no good intentions. He's just dicking around lol

@percival:

He's not worried about his reputation or America's diplomatic problems. Mostly he'll be phased out of the normal time stream and when he does appear, it will be for the specific goal of causing mental anguish. If people hate him, he's fine with that, he doesn't really care. He's not a hero, he's a weapon. He just hates to see children suffer or people killed for no reason at all.

@argus_

There should be a crap load of evidence out there that the Temporal Hound is in fact, not a weapon made by the US. I'm sure you can find it =).

Like many others I wish to pay you a visit!

Perhaps that is what new Dox would do. Try to hack you or something of the sort.

But I'm not new Dox or old Dox :)

This was superb!

@percival

The Temporal Hound slipped through Ice Land's shield in much the same way it had several months prior. Its intention now was different, it was here specifically for the sake of the hunt. It was going to begin delivering on its promise. It would not destroy any of them, not yet...but it would begin to embark on its campaign to pester, annoy, worry and terrify. They sure have changed this place since I was here last. The city looks nothing at all like it did before. Helps getting the corpses out of the street. The smell of decay is reduced...buried bodies never smell as strong. I wonder...

The Temporal Hound stopped in the center of the city and listened, filtering out the various signals that flitted through the air on a daily basis. It saw the way they had altered film to make people think of it as a super weapon and shook its massive head. Wrong origin, right idea. The Great Beast considered its options and resumed its walk. There were a plethora of drones in the area, various networked security devices. The city had become very noisy.

There were a number of possible targets to choose from but he decided on one in particular. The figure named Percival. He chose him for no particular reason, only because it was the name that first came to mind upon consideration. He made his way to the Parliament building since he lacked any information on specific housing for each of the individuals. He bookmarked that issue, already aware of a possible solution for later. The Great Beast smiled a little as it paused at the front door that was no where near large enough to allow its entry. The Temporal Hound decided to do nothing terribly showy for its first reminder that it was hunting them. It simply placed both of its front claws at the door and pressed them down against the pavement until the pavement cracked and the shape of its front claws was left permanently indented in the ground. Ordinarily it would shunt its presence to the future but this time it wanted them to appear in the present. The result was two massive claw prints suddenly emerging in the cement at the door to Parliament.

The Temporal Hound left that location and made its way through the city again. It waited patiently until it detected the Temporal Line of the one known as Percival, also filtering through the background noise of the city for any communications directed at him, coded or otherwise. He had one more reminder in mind, one that would be more personally directed at Percival. He did what he was good at, he waited quietly. He could wait for years, generations even, but it wouldn't take that long.

@orpheus_knightfall:

Mind if your most attractive employee drops by?

@temporal_hound:

His mask was down, artificial breeze passing over his face. He was alone, as he always was when he cooled his skin; the mask was an essential element of his identity, preserving his secret, maintaining the illusive air that kept him five steps ahead of any potential threat. He was standing far up on the balcony of his personal spire, inhaling the wind gently through thin nostrils. Unfiltered oxygen, clean in a different way than the strained supplement that coursed its way through his nanomesh mask. He glowered out over the utopia he and his allies had teamed to create, greenery clearly visible among the dozens of shining streets. Above him glowed a translucent shield, a stratospheric energy layer that encompassed the entirety of the country. It was unimaginable, that they had created such a thing; their patent on the product made it unique, the only country in the world surrounded by a protective layer. It could withstand an orbital bombardment, according to its designer; he was responsible for the shield, Knightfall. Percival had expressed interest in the fact that the shield could theoretically be adjusted to filter out oxygen, suffocating the entire country at once. Just something to keep in mind.

But for now, he merely enjoyed the cool breeze, letting the air pass over his face and rustle his hair, a breeze that would not be enjoyed by tens of thousands of Icelanders. He placed his knee on the railing, gazing out over at the rebuilt streets. He'd physically removed his ability to feel regret, all those years ago...and thus, all he could express was distaste. That wasn't authorized, was all he could remember saying. He scoffed.

"Unauthorized." That's all I had to say.

He was indifferent, lacking the necessary brain function to truly feel guilt. He'd taken it out long ago. His disgust was more with his response to the unwarranted massacre; a stronger leader would've found a way to discipline the man. But then, they were a team of leaders, each one desiring control, possessing the qualities found in a figure of authority. No sympathy. No humanity.

It's overrated anyhow, he thought, stepping down from the balcony. With a mere blink, he rematerialized his cowl, feeling the familiar nanomesh creep up his neck and crawl around his eyes, scrambling over his hair and filling his nose and mouth with his own techno-organic creations. With a mere inhalation, he was once more the semisynthezoid, the Silicon Serpent, his organic center sealed hermetically from the cruel world surrounding him. His milky eyes darted back and forth underneath the lenses, instantaneously filled in on the daily goings-on in their city of tomorrow.

Markings on the door of Parliament.

The weapon, he realized. For a fraction of a moment, he was surprised, and he had a mind to alert his teammates; but then, once more, he was relaxed, nonchalant. It would come to him. And he would be prepared.

I feel like I should gear up to do...something here.

@arquitenens: No regime toppling now! The good people of Iceland have suffered enough already :1

@orpheus_knightfall:

Gale Xanders left the helicopter and looked around the newly rebuilt city. So...this is what Humans call a Utopia. Interesting. She wasted little time in making her way to Orpheus's headquarters in Iceland. She could have presented the Jurassic World report over the internet but felt like a personal visit was more in order this time. They had not parted well on their last meeting because of her decision to hire Maverick. There was not much of a transportation time between the airport and his office. Xae kept an eye on things as she moved, more out of habit than anything. Everyone seemed fine...but she knew how societies could be. The shinier the surface was, the more cracked the foundation.

Unlike a number of others in the world, Xae did not judge Orpheus and his colleges for seizing control of Iceland, Human politics were human politics and they could do what they wanted. She would intervene if Terra itself were threatened or if massive amounts of innocents were in danger. Unfortunately she had no idea about the people that had been killed to take Iceland or who had killed them. Eventually Gale Xanders arrived at the Knightfall's office. She knocked on his door quietly and waited, casually reading over the Microsoft Tablet in one hand while she waited.

@percival: You're the one who assumed something bad. If you're not openly baddy, you shouldn't have anything to worry about.

Okay, you might anyway. Sometimes I get in a weird way. But maybe not!

Also I just got an idea and I kinda wanna bring Vitriol here. This talk of bioengineered superweapons and junk...

@arquitenens:

Going to try and study T Hound?

@percival:

New Reykjavik. It looked a lot like the old Reykjavik, minus a whole bunch of people, the Shogun thought as she walked down the stairs of her private jet. But the day is young.

Behind her trailed a collection of advisers, personal assistants and bodyguards. They all wore dark business suits, the Orochi distinguished by their red ties and the katana's hanging from their belts and the bow cases in their hands.

Skysword walked at Ivana's left, rattling off data points on natural resources and trade routes that Ivana filed away in her mind. The technopaths right arm had been replaced by a cybernetic prosthetic after she was caught in the psycho-technic backlash of Aphasic's quantum virus. The effect had been so sever Skyswords x-gene had been fully activated.

A certain blue mutant was missing.

Ivana pushed the thought out of her mind as they crossed the tarmac, she was here to meet the leadership of the worlds newest country and see if there was a deal to be made.

@the_shogun:

Light on his feet, the slender black figure stepped from the door to one of New Reykjavik's many airstrips, striding with confidence towards the cadre of Orochi, and their supreme commander, the Shogun of Venezuela. He'd received the call earlier in the day, immediately granting access to the jet, the order granting authorization to pass through the S.E.D readily given. In truth, Percival didn't respect much; he was by no means an anarchist, nor a nihilist, but his general self-serving attitude towards life made him less inclined to give thought to others. But there was an audacity, fierceness that came from the mutant nation of Venezuela that he saw reflected in himself. They had seized their destiny, despite the challenges set in their path, at any cost. All in all, their worldviews were quite similar.

The Silicon Serpent himself had elected to make himself more presentable for the occasion, his Nanotech Epidermis smoothly sculpted to resemble a two-piece business suit. The thin layer of micromesh that constantly covered his face was less pronounced, with more curves than angles. The unwieldy antennae that typically protruded from the sides of his head had retracted, his techno-organic coated scalp smoother than a blackened pearl. He was alone, unlike his guest, walking smoothly down the tarmac to meet his potential ally.

As he approached, he scanned them up and down, his hyperreactive mind processing every detail with excruciating precision. To the left of his visitor was a young-looking blonde. His preliminary scans revealed a cybernetic limb, as well as what seemed to be an artificial eye. Surrounding the two, weapons at the ready? A collection of Orochi warriors. He'd heard of their prowess, of course, but never seen one in person. Red ties distinguished them from mundane business advisers, along with their lethal-looking weapons. From the way they were grasping them, they were prepared to use every last one of them with enough precision to give even the Encoded Cobra pause.

And then, of course, was the Shogun herself. She strode forward with authority, the gravity of her position commanding a mixture of absolute respect, and in Percival's case, caution. But it was not mistrust that drove this caution, but rather a mutual respect for her combative prowess. He'd witnessed her abilities first-hand in the Shadow Wars, but that was not a fact he cared to reveal at the moment. They both moved with that lethal edge, the capacity to kill both ingrained in their subconscious. They'd both ended lives. Percival could always tell.

The black-clad semisynthezoid performed a short, almost imperceptible nod of his head, acknowledging the Shogun respectfully as they met. He extended a lithe hand (talons retracted, of course), offering a handshake to Ivana.

<"Welcome to New Reykjavik,"> he began, slightly synthesized, tinny undertones accompanying his smooth voice. <"I trust your passing through the energy field was smooth,"> he continued. He had elected not to disguise the true nature of the Icelandic government from the Shogun; they certainly had a way of finding things out in Venezuela, and moreover, even the silver-tongued synthezoid wouldn't feel entirely...comfortable lying to the woman before him. He felt himself analyzed in turn, only by sharp blue eyes, not milky synthetic ones.

<"I am Percival, one of the architects of this...>" he gestured lazily with his hand, searching for the proper word. <"...project. Would you, perhaps, care for a drink?">

The game begins in earnest.