Ένας σύντομος οδηγός της UNATCO σχετικά με τις παγκόσμιες απειλές που καλείτα να αντιμετωπίσει.
Ο πρώτος τόμος ενημερώνει σχετικά με τις οργανώσεις NSF, Silhouette, Triads.
Know Your Enemy -- NSF
The National Secessionist Forces (NSF) remain a very real and increasingly widespread terrorist threat. Ten years ago, in response to the Sporting Weapons Act of 2042, splinter groups from nearly every state militia refused to surrender their rifles, grenades, land mines, and other "collectibles" prohibited by the Act. Unified under the charismatic leadership of Leon Woods, these isolated fanatics eventually formed the NSF with Woods assuming the rank of General. Their intended goal: the "liberation" of Washington, Montana, Oregon, and Northern California.
While Woods died during his infamous "last stand" in 2045, his war machine continues what can only be termed an occupation of the United States, aided by an encrypted network designed by dissident computer scientists from San Francisco and Seattle. Currently, the UNATCO Cryptography Division has had minimal success in cracking their communications, requiring more direct intelligence gathering techniques to be utilized.
The U.N. has declared war on the NSF.
Know Your Enemy -- Silhouette
Famous for inserting 20th-century style commercials into the Net broadcast of the World Cup in 2050, Silhouette favors "feats of spectacle" over violence.
"Printed circuits, part of this nutritious breakfast," the announcer told children in one of the World Cup commercials. "You ain't mech 'til you eat mech. [A mech boy chews a memory chip.] Boys who eat organics get stomped by their posthuman classmates. [Mech boys in UNATCO helmets and metal boots take turns kicking another boy.]"
Despite their numerous pranks, these intellectuals, artists, and labor organizers pose a serious threat. They are well-armed and have been linked to the murders of numerous European politicians and journalists. They will not hesitate to use lethal force.
Know Your Enemy -- The Triads
UNATCO surveillance of Hong Kong is currently a high priority given the renewed threat of Chinese organized crime in the form of the Triads. Despite being a model of prosperity and technological leadership for decades, Hong Kong persists as a haven for organized crime. The Triads, namely the Luminous Path and Red Arrow, vie for control of the ten-trillion credit shipping business, much of which supplies greater Asia with pirated technology, illegal drugs, and weapons.
Most disturbing of all, the Triads preach an ethic of technopiracy that has found enthusiastic support among small shopkeepers and businessmen who often aid the gangsters and buy their bootlegged software. Gullible and greedy, this army of middlemen remain insensitive to how their violations of intellectual property and copyright laws damage the global information economy.
Know Your Enemy -- Other Threats
UNATCO operatives have identified over 1250 terrorist organizations active in the world today, some too small to currently present a serious threat, but all eager to see one or more governments topple.
Groups such as the Templars (Europe) and "X-51" (Western U.S.) will be dealt with in subsequent volumes of "Know Your Enemy."
