Lasers: Local Solutions for local problems
The Verge and Bleed are big places, and while one might get the impression that they are heavily populated or well-explored places by looking at a map, nothing could be further from the truth. Even the mighty meta-empires rarely control all the space in even their major systems; meta-empire presence is generally restricted to a habitat, a planet, or a planetary network within a system, while the rest of the system may be completely uninhabited and unexplored. Meta-empires don't usually have unified police forces, so it's up to the local police to enforce the law, and while they can usually count on the meta-empire for assistance, this isn't always true, and that's for those habitats that are lucky enough to be associated with a meta-empire. Not all of them are; for those habitats, if they can't manage the resources to handle a problem, then they need outside help.
Making matters worse, this largely unexplored space is the perfect environment for extremists, terrorists, pirates, exhumans, and other threats to hide. An exhuman nest can hide deep in the heart of a meta-empire, but so long as they're on the outskirts of the system, few people may ever know. However, once found, the meta-empire can likely deal with them swiftly. But that same exhuman nest hiding in system where there is only a single planetary government that hasn't been doing very well economically? that exhuman nest can present an existential threat. That terrorist cell can count on never getting caught. Those pirates can raid with impunity. Those extremists can spread their memetic assault, splitting the habitat and preying on the isolation that many habitats experience, further dividing the habitat and making it safe place for them to operate out of. And then there are problems between meta-empires, between stellar nations, and between governments. Criminal agencies don't respect lines drawn on maps and many of them cross such boundaries with impunities; a hacker group in the Monarchy may be engaging in slow-money manipulation in the Verge Consortium using servers stored in the Regency, for instance; and these three meta-empires rarely work together on anything, and their various police agencies can't investigate in the "territories," even though suspicion between them won't let that happen. Someone needs to be able to follow these groups across the boarders and track them down wherever they may be before they can carry out a truly catastrophic attack. There's a lot of room in the vacuum of space, and there's plenty of places to hide weapons of mass destruction. Finally, there are the issues that nobody saw coming; problems that the various aliens may have that relate to human space, issues about mysterious artifacts, new planets, exploration, and corporations that can't spare the resources to find lost colonies or starships that vanished without a trace. Reports of still active nanoswarms that need investigation, rogue AIs that snapped and are stalking the void between the stars, two habitats engaging in war with one another trapping a third in between. Ancient cases of fraud, murder cases that are well past the point that most police agencies care about them, lost goods, forgeries, smuggling - the list goes on and on. In a universe as bag as the Verge and Bleed, small things get to get forgotten; they tend to get overlooked. These are things that the meta-empires and stellar nations can't necessarily deal with; either because they lack the resources, lack the capability, lack the focus, or some combination of the three. The Solar Combine is aware of this; it's all too aware of this, and has been since it emerged from the ashes almost a century ago Earth time to unify the scattered remains of the inner sphere. It's for these reasons and more than the Combine created the LAZR Program - often called the Laser Program. And while the program has seen its share of successes, it's not without its critics. |
What is an "Autonomous zone?"LAZR stands for "Licensed Autonomous Zone Regulator," so naturally the question then becomes "what's an autonomous zone?" In a place as underpopulated and underexplored as the Verge and Bleed that answer would seem to be "everywhere that a meta-empire doesn't directly have its flag stuck," but even that's not entirely accurate. Meta-Empires are not nation-states; they have territory, but for an entity as diffuse as a meta-empire, the concept of "territory" is slightly different. While a meta-empire might claim a whole planet, if it doesn't have the capability to defend that planet with a police force, some armed force, or even a partially automated force, they might as well not even be there. As a result, meta-empires are much less organized than they first appear; places like Bluefall, Gavine, the Zov Tigra, Emerald and Sapphire, and the Procyon Reach are not typically regarded as autonomous zones, since these are capital worlds and stations and thus, are seen as under tight control, with meta-empires willing to expend any resource to keep their capitals safe. But other areas beyond them, even in the home system? There are parts of Paannejää, the Zov Tigra's neighbor, that might as well be lawless, and the outer reaches of Aegis are as poorly explored as the very edge of the Verge and Bleed. Even on the home world, there are places that are underexplored - Bluefall itself has plenty of places to hide, now that the terraforming is complete, and for things like smuggling that go outside of the major city but aren't seen as immediate enough to involve the coast guard, they might as well be autonomous. Thus, the answer to the question of "what is an autonomous zone" isn't so apparent, and it's likely to change given the circumstances and the situation. As a result, a Laser should expect to work anywhere, from the deep recesses of an unexplored alien jungle to the downtown of a major metropolitan area like Regency City-Itapina. |
What Lasers Do
Functionally speaking, Lasers are troubleshooters. And while the famous quip about "finding trouble and shooting it" certainly applies in some ways, this is far from the only thing that Lasers do. They are often involved in investigations and problem-solving, which means the average Laser is often a highly educated individual by necessity, or is at least very smart and quick to intuit the solution to problems, whatever those problems might be. Laser often have wide skill sets and are usually generalists, or if they are specialists, their specialty focuses on a broad area; for instance, an antiquarian might know many different histories throughout the Verge and Bleed, or know the history of the Verge and Bleed on a whole. A physicist with a specialization in astronomy will also know how to navigate and likely have some experience with archeoastronomy. Explorers with broad skillsets make the best Lasers, since they are often trained to survive in a wide range of environments, and are familiar with wide range of skills, but they are far from alone. One can never have too many skills when it comes to solving problems, especially considering a sizeable number of problems that lasers run afoul can't be shot.
Piece together Crime ScenesLasers are often called in to solve crimes; the precise nature of these crimes varies, and often times, they are very old. Sometimes, lasers are called in to solve murders that are too sensitive for the local habitat to solve, because an impartial third party is needed. Other times, they're called in to help the local police track down terrorist operatives. In all cases, lasers benefit from being able to analyze and piece together what happened at a crime scene, and usually benefit from having a good handle on what matters to solving a crime - and what doesn't.
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Solve complex ProblemsRelated to exploring crime scenes, lasers often find themselves having to solve complex problems. This might be tracking down the location of a missing starship, which involves analyzing its manifest, tracking its last known movements, and analyzing data collected by the wormhole network itself. It might involve solving a puzzle that is required to piece together some sequence of events, or it might simply be trying to guess what the intentions of an alien mind are. In all cases, the problems are not easy, and so having the necessary skills is essential.
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Explore the UnexploredMore often than not, Lasers are called in to handle crimes, problems, and the like in areas that are poorly explored. Being able to explore an area is incredibly vital for a laser, whether that be an archaeological dig site on a forgotten world, an abandoned habitat that might have information about the location of a missing individual, or the like. Survival in a wide range of environments, the ability to operate electronics across a wide spectrum, and familiarity with electrical devices, computers, networks, across different tech levels are often useful skills to have.
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Protect themselves and othersViolence is often a final option, after everything else has failed. However, it's surprising how often everything else fails. While lasers shouldn't go into every mission expecting combat, they should not be surprised if combat happens - many of the individuals that lasers chase down are dangerous, and are willing to use violence to get what they want. And, sometimes, the best solution is to just blow the whole thing up; for exhuman hives, terrorist cells, or other problems, explosives usually are the best solution.
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Get into places they don't belongOver the course of their investigation, lasers may be required to gain access to files that they otherwise would not have access too, or places that they can't legally go. For many lasers, this is often the end of the road. For those who love their job, however, find other ways to slip into a habitat. Whether it's breaking into a habitat known to harbor a terrorist cell to save victims or cracking into a corporate black ops site to see just who is behind the problem, getting in, and out, without being seen is a valuable ability.
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Work with local AuthoritiesWhere there are local authorities, lasers are often expected to work with them. Often, local authorities will step back and allow the lasers to lead the investigation, since they're the outside help with the skills specific to the problem that the authorities (who are often overworked and understaffed) are experiencing; other times, the local authorities may simply hand over everything they have to the laser team and allow them to move forward on their own; it depends on the situation and the crime.
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Who Lasers Work For
Lasers cannot work for meta-empires or local governments; rather, they are often said to work for the Solar Combine, and while this is true, it's only true by technicality. Lasers technically work for themselves; they decide when they want to take a mission and how they want to go about solving that mission. They decide where they go and how they get there. They decide a number of things. However, if they don't do missions, they don't get paid. Functionally, this makes Lasers freelance workers for the Combine, and it means the Combine rarely has take responsibility for the lasers, since the Combine doesn't directly oversee them.
There are pros and cons to this. Being freelancers, Lasers can often decided when they want to work (although sometimes the Combine will force them to take a job if the Combine feels that job needs to be handled). Combine simply provides them with information on jobs and places and usually supplies a liaison, and allows the Laser team to handle the problem; this allows the Combine to be politically active in the Verge and Bleed without forcing its presence on the various polities. For the Laser team, this gives them a lot of latitude. However, it also means the Laser team has to provide their own equipment and their own starship, which can often get quite expensive. It also means that if they don't work, they don't get paid. So while Lasers do work for the Combine, the relationship is more complicated than a conventional employer and employee. That said, the Combine isn't totally absolved of any and all responsibility. CLIP: PLPD for lasersOne of the major things that the Combine provides is the Combine Laser Insurance Policy. What this means is that any habitat that sustains damage or experiences loss of life over the course of a laser investigation that was directly related to the laser investigation can expect a degree of reimbursement from the Solar Combine. In this way, Lasers that cause damage during their investigation aren't necessarily on the hook for the damage. This provides a degree of limited immunity to Lasers; they cannot be arrested, they cannot be detained, and they cannot charged, but they can be kicked off a habitat or barred from entering that habitat if the habitat management feels they aren't doing their job and they're causing destruction for destruction's sake.
The CLIP provides up to $100,000 in coverage towards governments or $10,000 in coverage towards individuals; any damage beyond that requires the Laser team to pay for themselves unless they can demonstrate to an auditor that the damage was done in the name of the investigation and is directly linked to solving the investigation in some way. CLIP also protects Lasers from lawsuits and legal action taken against them during their investigation but again, they must demonstrate to the auditor AI that the actions they took over the course of their investigation were tied to the investigation. CLIP usually only matters in highly urban areas or in areas where there is a significant population, like a major habitat. CLIP does not get extended to areas that erupt into a civil war or are already in a civil war, nor is it applied in warzones. This insurance policy does not protect Lasers themselves - those who are injured, killed, or harmed are required to pay for their own medical treatment - it simply shields them from most legal action taken by individuals within habitats. CLIP can apply to criminals, depending on the circumstance, although the Combine is generally judicious about how it does apply this. So a criminal killed by a laser team but who has their cortical stack recovered can charge the Combine with getting a new body, but the result will likely be them getting a new body, promptly followed by them being arrested. As a result, terrorists, criminals, exhumans and the like rarely apply for CLIP. CLIP also doesn't apply in anarchist areas or reputation-based post-scarcity economies; in those, the Lasers are required to use their own reputation scores, which are subject to social pressures. |
The EVeryman skills vs. every laser skillsSince this Horizon Effect is written as a setting that uses GURPS 4e, this means that there are a lot of available skills to select from; a dizzying selection that can sometimes lead to paralysis and wondering if one has the right skills for the job. And while it's impossible to have the right skills for every job - that's why lasers work as teams to solve problems - there are every man skills that are useful to adventurers in GURPS 4e as a whole, and lasers as well:
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Getting a job
The Combine collects jobs at their liaison centers, and when a Laser crew comes looking for a job, the Combine presents the crew with the list of jobs. Each job is rated according to urgency and how difficult the Combine feels it will be based off initial reports from their own liaison in the area, although it's important to note that the Combine can and does update the requirements for completing a job during the course of the mission if the situation changes or the Combine feels it necessary.
In order to obtain a job, the Laser crew bids on the job that they want, with the Combine sitting an initial bid that they have to pay out. If they win the bidding process against other Laser teams, then the crew spends the money to take the job and then goes off to complete the job; once they complete the job, they return to the Combine Liaison on the planet that they took the job from and they receive their bid back, along with whatever rewards there were for completing the job. However, in order to get the best selection of jobs, Lasers are often required to be very close to the Liaison, since the liaison will often give those teams who live close to the liaison the first selection to bid on, and sometimes liaisons will even offer jobs to crews that they trust without the bidding process, since they trust that the crew will get the job done.
Very rarely, the Combine will force a Laser team to take a job. This only happens if the job is high importance, needs to get done now, or nobody else is wiling to take it and the Combine liaison feels that the Combine could benefit from it being done. In these instances, the Laser crew doesn't pay or bid anything, but if they fail to do the job, they lose reputation with the Combine and may not get the first pick of good jobs the next time around.
In order to obtain a job, the Laser crew bids on the job that they want, with the Combine sitting an initial bid that they have to pay out. If they win the bidding process against other Laser teams, then the crew spends the money to take the job and then goes off to complete the job; once they complete the job, they return to the Combine Liaison on the planet that they took the job from and they receive their bid back, along with whatever rewards there were for completing the job. However, in order to get the best selection of jobs, Lasers are often required to be very close to the Liaison, since the liaison will often give those teams who live close to the liaison the first selection to bid on, and sometimes liaisons will even offer jobs to crews that they trust without the bidding process, since they trust that the crew will get the job done.
Very rarely, the Combine will force a Laser team to take a job. This only happens if the job is high importance, needs to get done now, or nobody else is wiling to take it and the Combine liaison feels that the Combine could benefit from it being done. In these instances, the Laser crew doesn't pay or bid anything, but if they fail to do the job, they lose reputation with the Combine and may not get the first pick of good jobs the next time around.
Common ThreatsWhile it can be difficult to guess what kind of a threat that a Laser Team may run into, there are a number of shared threats that Lasers are often best on the look out for. Some of these threats laser can deal with; some of them not. Ahuman AIs: Ahuman AIs are the AGI equivalent to exhumans; designed by humanity, but with no use for humanity and often treat humans as things that get in the way. The precise ideology differs; as with exhumans, most simply want to be left alone, exploring their own inner space. There are Ahuman ASIs - Ahumans who are functionally the equivalent to a God AI, but are not the gods of anything other than their own inner space. While Ahumans tend not to be violent, all of them are profoundly dangerous, have highly divergent ways of thinking that can appear erratic and unpredictable, and Lasers do well to approach ahumans with excess caution. Don't confuse Ahumans with anti-human AIs, like those of the Divergent sect of the Instrumentalist branch of the AI mystery cults; the distinction is that an ahuman has deliberately altered the way they think so it is in a profoundly non-human manner, where divergents still have a human-like means of thinking. Ahuman ASI: As noted above, there are ahuman ASIs - artificial superintelligences. In the event that one of these gets involved and appears openly hostile, lasers are ordered to extract from the mission and call in the local meta-empire, because the situation has become an existential threat to humanity. Aliens: Any case that involves the Frahl, Mechalus, Evrem, Cilia, or Quericans should be treated with extreme caution, since humanity is never really sure of their motives. Similarly, Laser should always approach aliens with caution, since they never know what the goal is. Similarly, Lasers should be mindful of alien artifacts and alien ruins as well, which can present dangerous that they may not be equipped to deal with, such as the aptly named Dimensional Horrors or traps that are left in Glassmaker ruins. Dealing with anything alien is often a crapshoot in terms of outcome. Black Halos: Lasers should never engage with a Black Halo directly. Each Black Halo is an floating planetary extinction event capable of sterilizing an entire solar system without so much as a second thought, and so Laser are well advised to stay far away from Black Halos. Exhumans: Exhumans are individuals who no longer consider themselves human and who have no need for society as humanity understands it. They tend to view humanity as weak and something that needs to be replaced, with exact ideologies differing depending on the "clade" and group in question. Not all exhumans are violent - most simply want to be left alone - but there are enough who do use violence that the group as a whole has earned a reputation for violence, and Lasers should always be mindful when dealing with them. Exhumans who achieve a sort of digital transcendence may look like Ahumans. God AI Tech: This includes nanoswarms, which are swarms of nanorobots that no longer have a direct command and will follow their last order - and if that means converting all the biological material on a planet into a thin layer of cellophane that covers the entire planet's surface, that's what it means. Lasers are to exercise extreme caution around such technology. Terrorists and Criminals: Extremism is very common in the Verge and Bleed, and long lives only allow for individuals to fall ever deeper down the extremist hole. Lasers often find themselves dealing with political extremists, terrorists, criminals, or revolutionaries, not always belonging to one group, either. Some of the most common groups include the Carbon Reavers (pirates), Pax Familia (criminal organization), 14K triad (criminal organization), Free Verge Now (anti-combine terrorist organization/political group), Dark Web (hacker group, terrorist organization, and criminal faction), among others. |
About the Laser PRogram
The laser program as it currently exists is in its second iteration; the first iteration ended almost a decade ago, Bluefall Time, after the Wish Incident and the discovery that the meta-empires were influencing Lasers that were from their territories. The second laser program has explicitly banned government actors from being lasers and is instead focusing on what the original Laser program was designed to achieve: helping the Verge and Bleed.
The Combine originally instituted the program after the Battle of Storm, when it became apparent that the meta-empires would not have the resources to help everyone within their boarders following the violent confrontation with the Black Halo object named Sol Invictus. Lasers were pulled from all walks of life but were expected to be from the Verge and Bleed, with the program marketed as "local solutions for local problems." At the time, the meta-empires were smaller than they are today, and even a decade ago they were still roughly half the size that they are now. The program worked for a while, until the meta-empires realized they could influence Lasers from their polities towards certain aims, especially if those lasers worked in the government of the meta-empire. This honor system failed spectacularly towards the end of the original run of the program, but it was the event at Wish that resulted in the Combine deeming that the meta-empires were strong enough and that the program wasn't needed. The program was cancelled shortly after that.
However, in the wake of the Verge Consortium civil war and the revelation that the meta-empires are not as strong as they outwardly appear to be - the policy of automated mercantilism can make a meta-empire look a lot stronger than it actually is, militarily and economically - the Andromeda Regency managed to convince the Combine to reinstitute the program. The various meta-empires - including the newly rising stellar nations - all reluctantly agreed in some fashion or another, and the Combine resurrected the program. However, this time the Combine was a bit more strict with its policy and who it hired, and imposes slightly more rules on the Lasers, aware that society and the rules have undergone a dramatical change; the present situation, including the present rules, bear little resemblance to the previous rules, and the Combine has adapted with it.
The Combine originally instituted the program after the Battle of Storm, when it became apparent that the meta-empires would not have the resources to help everyone within their boarders following the violent confrontation with the Black Halo object named Sol Invictus. Lasers were pulled from all walks of life but were expected to be from the Verge and Bleed, with the program marketed as "local solutions for local problems." At the time, the meta-empires were smaller than they are today, and even a decade ago they were still roughly half the size that they are now. The program worked for a while, until the meta-empires realized they could influence Lasers from their polities towards certain aims, especially if those lasers worked in the government of the meta-empire. This honor system failed spectacularly towards the end of the original run of the program, but it was the event at Wish that resulted in the Combine deeming that the meta-empires were strong enough and that the program wasn't needed. The program was cancelled shortly after that.
However, in the wake of the Verge Consortium civil war and the revelation that the meta-empires are not as strong as they outwardly appear to be - the policy of automated mercantilism can make a meta-empire look a lot stronger than it actually is, militarily and economically - the Andromeda Regency managed to convince the Combine to reinstitute the program. The various meta-empires - including the newly rising stellar nations - all reluctantly agreed in some fashion or another, and the Combine resurrected the program. However, this time the Combine was a bit more strict with its policy and who it hired, and imposes slightly more rules on the Lasers, aware that society and the rules have undergone a dramatical change; the present situation, including the present rules, bear little resemblance to the previous rules, and the Combine has adapted with it.
Major Ports of call
While almost every major world has a Combine Liaison of some kind on it, these worlds often present the best chance of getting a position, because they're among the most heavily populated in the Verge and Bleed and thus, have a stronger Combine presence.
Future of the Laser PRogram
Since this is the second iteration of the Laser program, many are wondering what is in store for the program in the future. The Combine has not indicated that there are any significant changes that are on their way, but this doesn't preclude something disrupting the stability of human civilization, such as a war between the various meta-empires or stellar nations, which could result in chaos. The program is highly dependent on the Combine and the generosity of the Combine in helping the Verge and Bleed, and the tolerance of the Verge and Bleed towards the Combine, so should anything disrupt that, it would also spell trouble. However, for the present, the Laser program - revitalized and revamped - is back, and with it, a new generation of freelance trouble shooters and problem solvers to help - or exploit - the population of the Verge and Bleed. ∎