THE FACTIONS

Government

The government in the time of Sublunary, and for almost as long as history dictates, is a single ruling entity. The times of separate countries and different governments around the world are virtually nonexistent except to those few who are gifted with an interest in history and the ability to find the records. Called the World Government officially, it is currently operating under an educated dictator with a secretive history. This ‘FS’ is known as the president. He has a team of employees under his command, as well as various connections around the domes. Serving under him politically is Dante, the vice president. Dante takes care of the finer details such as budgeting and organization, whereas FS handles the political aspects of the job dealing with rights and freedoms and pursuing scientific studies.
The government has a habit of being very secretive about their workings. This secrecy stems from the pre-GOD government and its actions as well as the reactions many decisions caused. Public knowledge has been deemed to be ‘counter-productive to the efficiency of the dome communities’. Once in a while there may be a broadcast about recent developments or issues that need to be known by the public, but this is very rare and is deemed worthy of only great medical and scientific breakthroughs, great dangers, or the chance for an election (which happens no more than every fifteen years).

RAW

RAW is a group even older than the World Government. RAW, previously Rebellion Against War but now known as Retaliation Against War, was around prior to the third world war, which lead to the formation of the present government. At first they were looked at only as a rebel group, small and inconsequential to the workings of the larger picture, but as time and the world changed, RAW become more focused, more organized, and more of a threat. Through the trials with GOD and the buiklding of the spheres, RAW has` become an organization that can prove a match for the World Government. They have developed schools and training centres for the human ‘New Types’ that have evolved and are the government’s main opposition in many factors. The most important of these factors, of course, is the Government’s quest for a cure to the virus that –though the epidemic has been slowed and calmed- still serves as a threat to the remaining population of the Earth.
RAW’s various contacts (that number almost as many as the Government’s) continuously inform them of dealings inside the political offices as well as the scientific labs and even their own research teams. RAW trusts few people, and this may be linked to their original start as a hunted group of rebels. They have contacts everywhere, watching everything in order to gain control of the Government’s workings. Their quest for the cure has already been long and hard, and a good percent of their budget has been devoted to their own scientific labs that analyze any information regarding the virus that any of their teams can come by. RAW’s entire purpose for discovering the cure before the Government does stems back to the Government’s previous attempts at fairly distributing medication. The Government has a habit of delivering the much-needed health care advancements to those who can benefit them the most. The most adept, most privileged, and most important of their teams by far is currently on the case, but does RAW trust SLATE enough to let them go unwatched?

SLATE

SLATE, or Scientific Lab Against Tainted Experiments, is the most talented division of RAW. Each and every member SLATE has ever had was hand-picked, raised, and trained by the finest teachers RAW’s school had to offer. RAW spared no expense in acquiring the best in every possible field. SLATE’s main purpose is to slow, if not halt completely, the discovery of the cure by the Government or it’s various divisions…mainly COI. SLATE’s mission is not only to serve as an obstacle to COI and the Government, but also to serve as the most serious competition either could ever meet. They have the duel duty of sabotaging both COI’s attempts to clone the young scientist who holds the secret to the cure as well as match COI’s further independent research. If the cloning operation for the young scientist Aster cannot be transferred to RAW or SLATE’s teams of experts, SLATE is to destroy Aster. If COI is discovered to have obtained new information regarding the cure, SLATE is to steal it, or have it already.

COI

COI, Cloning Operations Incorporated, is the main and most heavily funded division of the Government. Their job is the cloning of not only the body of the young scientist Aster, but the mind. The operation of cloning a body is no new technological breakthrough, however, cloning the mind of an individual is full of risks and has never been successfully and entirely completed. With the worlds leading chemist and engineer the only members on the team it may seem like an impossible task. However, the salary is not the only thing motivating the members of COI. Friendship, love, family…all these things motivate the rather small team, and this is why they are making incredible advancements. RAW considers them an enormous threat, the Government considers them a fantastic tool.