[Forum Game] Fallout Realism Vault 191 Part 2: The People's Commune

[XVG]

On one morning a statement is read out aloud from speakers along one of the streets of Southern Manhattan.

Formation of the Manhattan Popular Council
​

The continuous existence of reactionary anti-socialist militias, the complete lack of order and social chaos in the territories formerly ruled by the Wasps has lead to the revolutionary brothers of Southern Manhattan to come to the conclusion that true order must and will be fully established. We call upon all social and military factions in the Southern Manhattan to co-operate with the establishment and enforcement of calm, peace and socialism within the independent territory. We declare ourselves to be the highest ruling authority of said territories.

 

[aedan777]

Seemingly satisfied with the answers given by the gathered officials, First Citizen Foucalt nodded and gave a final address,

"I am glad to see that the treacherous tentacles of the capitalist bourgeoisie have not infiltrated our upper ranks. There will be no compromise on economic liberalization, and the state will remain the director of the economy, to secure the good of all citizens, rather than just the monied elite. The matter of religious liberalization is more complex however. Extending toleration to the cult of the Atom and the Steadfast was taken as cautionary measures, concerned as we were with the danger of more extreme threats, both internal and external. To roll back such toleration would invite a great deal of disorder, that simply cannot be allowed with the precarious state of the Commune at present. These are deplorable groups nonetheless, and it pains me to allow their beliefs to go about uncorrected, for there is no God, and the only thing worthy of devotion is the state, which serves the People.

But the question regarding liberalization is focused on the Christians. Outdated and misguided though their beliefs are, they are at least more tolerable than those of the Atomists and Steadfast. While they've long been tolerated in an unofficial capacity, officially they remain an illegal faith. Regardless of the degree to which their faith is tolerable in relation to other beliefs, the Christians comprise a substantial portion of our population, and if they are left without official toleration, they might take to more extreme measures to secure their desires. We do not need the instability that would cause. Thus, Christianity will become a tolerated faith within the Commune. Of course, proselytization will remain illegal."

Chief Secretary Kirov scowled through the latter half of Foucalt's speech, evidently dissatisfied. Once it was finished, he regained his composure, and gave the final motion of the Congress,

"Comrades, we thus agree to reject economic liberalization, and further extend religious toleration. With this final matter settled, the First People's Party Congress is adjourned. You'll each be expected to assist in the achievement of the goals laid out here as your position allows you, primarily those of the Reconstruction in the newly liberated districts. That is all, you are dismissed."

 

[baboushreturns]

Former GM Note: Right, if I brought this back from retirement who would be interested in playing again?

 

[Luftwafer]

I'd play

 

[AzagalTheGreat]

You know my answer from my exitement on the IRC.

 

[Mikkel Glahder]

I guess I don't have an actual choice in the matter.

 

[Terraferma]

Like you gotta ask me

 

[aedan777]

Foucalt will continue to lead the Commune to glory.

 

[jeeshadow]

If you insist.

 

[Korona]

I'm down

 

[King50000]

You have to ask?

 

[Corman50]

Yes

 

[Rovsea]

Comrade Coughlan is ready.

 

[baboushreturns]

The 31st Year of Revolution 2326​

In another great spectacle faintly reminiscent of the war trials just two years ago, Comrade Foucalt calls the first People's Party Congress in the history of the Commune. From all Districts and all corners of the state's military and intelligence functions come party officials to take part in this grand, week long event. Held in early April the Congress discusses and agrees to a new economic plan for the state's youngest districts. They also tackle the issue of replacing Soros, which leads to the rise of Jimmy Coughlan as President of the Worker's Council and finally they deal with issues of economic and religious liberalization. At the end they decide to keep their hard line on economic matters while liberalizing on issues of religion. The results of the Congress are soon felt and the news that Coughlan a man with a well deserved reputation for competent governing will rise to take the helm of the economy leads to a new wave of optimism among many Commune merchants. The decision as well to end the suppression of peaceful religions puts much less of a burden on the People's Protection Service.

However there is still a great burden on the Commune, public debt and therefore monetary inflation continue to climb through the year as the government fails to find anyone locally with enough money to keep them afloat. The Commune's reliance on foreign imports for basic necessities begins to put a great strain on their cap reserves and it seems as though very soon inflation might reach an untenable rate. Bread riots become increasingly common throughout the year and the government spending throughout the year does nothing to help improve the situation.

Outside of the Commune the world continues to develop throughout the year, news spreads north from DCC traders that the Confederation has founded a new colony at Cape May, located in the southern tip of New Jersey. A few thousand people are said to live there and it seems clear that the DCC is intent to spread its grip north along the coast of Jersey. Meanwhile in Jersey city itself and across the Bay in Newark the mob has reportedly struck a new deal with the Pitt, helping them to take over the lucrative mines at Franklin's Furnace in return for a cut of the profits. From the lands of the Institute comes word of a great military defeat at the hands of the Kingdom of Springfield which is followed a few months later by news of a rebellion in the Institute tributary of Providence. Finally within New York itself little of note happens throughout the year aside from several interesting developments with the Riker's Island Republic. The first of which is the sighting of two vertibirds and a fixed wing aircraft taking off from Laguardia International Airport throughout the year, the second is the establishment of a new trade post up in Huntington Long Island by the old republic.

Back inside the Commune, First Citizen Foucalt finds himself busy as ever. When he is not running the Party Congress Foucalt is engaged in several high level meetings with the DCC Ambassador Amanda Walker, the purpose of these meetings soon become obvious when a new bilateral trade deal is signed pushing the prices on DCC food imports while jumpstarting the Commune's own exports of weapons and military technology to the Confederation which creates several hundred jobs across the Commune while also cutting the costs for government subsidized food staples. Meanwhile the First Citizen's office is busy with another scheme, plans are drawn up to organize a universal education system for the Commune. Looking over the latest census data Foucalt's team finds that there are about 3,500 potential students, and as of yet only about 1,000 are receiving any type of education. Of those students only a fraction receive a quality education and are considered to be proficient by the Commune's old Vault-Tech standards. Most successful students are of course, Vaulters living in District 1. With all of this aside several plans are drawn up by Foucalt's staffers by the end of the year. Of them two seem to have gathered the most support. One plans to build small school houses in each district, to offer highly focused, district wide education and job training to the students living there. This option would be costly and a large amount of staff would be needed due to the necessity of a professional staff and the duplication of costs over many districts. The other calls for the creation of two or three main schools built throughout the entirety of the Commune. These schools would gather pupils from multiple districts and would be able to offer students a rather broad education in all subjects. The cost for this plan would be considerably lower than the other but also sacrifices some of the quality of the first plan.

[Trade Reopened with the DCC, +10% satisfaction District 5, District 5 economy moves to Expansion, Economy moves to stagnation]

Marshal Daniels spends his year directing community policing actions and counter insurgency actions in the recently acquired districts. The army steps up foot patrols across Districts 6-9 throughout the year and remains on edge for any signs of suspicious activity. Several Chinese agents are caught this way but the undisciplined recruits often are unnecessarily rough with the freed slaves and former Wasps. This in turn helps radicalize some of them but for now at least peace is maintained in these districts more due to war weariness than anything else, however the Commune won't be able to rely on that forever to keep the malcontents down.

[-15% satisfaction in all districts under occupation, +30 GCRIA insurgents]

With his new appointment as President of the Worker's Council, Coughlan takes leave of District 4, reestablishing himself in Soros's old office he spends much of the year going through old personnel files. Many of Soros's old lackey's along with most of his supporters are canned throughout the year and Coughlan ultimately replaces many of them with his old staffers from his days as Secretary General of Districts 4 and 5. When Coughlan is not working on personnel issues he is attempting to stabilize the situation in Districts 6-9. Through his work bureaucrats are brought in or trained to help administer the area and Commune staples like the People's Bank, People's Medical Service etc. open branches in the new Districts. Perhaps most importantly though the Worker's Building Corporation moves its offices to District 6 in late September and using government funds hires hundreds of locals who begin rebuilding the area. All of this helps reduce the tension there but pushes the Commune one step closer to economic ruin.

[Jimmy Coughlan promoted to President of the Worker's Council, +2 Influence, Foucalt inflation moved to High, +10% satisfaction in all occupied Districts]

In District 2 the newly elected and somewhat popular General Secretary Bill de Groot tries his hand at governing for the first time in his career. Realizing a need for better infrastructure to help ensure the smoother flow of commerce across his district Bill orders all of the ancient asphalt roads around the District to be torn up and recycled. The asphalt is replaced by recycled bricks as well as stones bought from the Worker's Scrap Collection Company and many unemployed wasters from the Occupied Districts are brought in to do the job quickly and cheaply. When the project is completed most people are impressed and carts start to pop up all around District 2 using wheels which would have broken in the old potholes of the asphalt roads. During 2326 District 2 also sees another important development. Using land appropriated to them by the General Secretary a congregation of Christians build the Commune's first church. This act earns de Groot much popularity among the mainly Vaulter, community of Christians and it makes District 2 the most important center for the faith within the Commune.

[+1 Influence de Groot, +5% satisfaction District 2]

Within District 5 the famous Seamus O'Leary is nowhere to be found for much of the year. Regardless life in the District goes on without him. Notably the Jerseyite mobster influence there continues to grow, and several drug busts are made in the District throughout the year.

[ @firelordsky ]

Groomfield continues his crusade to free the Commune from darkness throughout 2326, and his engineers complete work half way through the year on another massive fission reactor which is brought into the grid in District 5, after several more months of work there they also get the grid itself up to snuff and by New Years the citizens of 5 are able to enjoy regular electricity for the first time since the bombs dropped. Groomfield also begins plans to research mechanized agriculture however these fail to go anywhere as his team is busy working on Project Dawn.

[+10% satisfaction District 5]

As head of the Commune Security Force in District 9 Officer Taggert faces an increasingly complicated and brutal task throughout the year. Using his limited manpower and resources Taggert has his officers secure for themselves a base in the District. They thoroughly fortify this Headquarters and throughout the course of the year slowly expand their zone of control in tandem with the army all throughout 9. The streets are patrolled in strength and almost no instances of violent attacks directed towards officers take place during the year. This relative calm allows the police to actually do some policing and many smuggling and domestic assault cases are brought to trial over the course of the year.

[Police are being functional...]

Meanwhile in the Wallstreet Republic Chairman Cao makes his move. In late February pro-Caoist locals announce the formation of the Manhattan Popular Council which claims governance over all of south Manhattan. A local freed slave named Daniel Freeman soon rises to run the Council and several prominent local leaders join him. Just 3 months later the Wallstreet Republic comes toppling down amid a coup led by prominent members of the Wallstreet militias who then declare loyalty to the Manhattan Popular Council. With the end of the Wallstreet Republic many more moderate forces pull out of the region and essentially all foreign aid stops which threatens to bring the young Council to its knees. South Manhattan experiences worse food shortages than even the Commune and in all the governmental chaos forget about regular law and order. This in turn leads to a flight of ex-slaves into the Commune through the year and over 100 refugees are detained, it must be decided what to do with them. Cao also attempts to ratchet up the GCRIA's activities in the Commune throughout the year however due to the resources required back south little comes to fruition aside from a grenade attack outside of the old UN building two days into the Communist Party Congress which ends in the assailant dead and two bystanders with minor injuries.

[Wallstreet Republic dead, Manhattan Popular Council established, Anti Communist Block crushed, -25 GCRIA insurgents, 120 refugees arrested in the Commune]

On Roosevelt Island efforts are made by the raiders there to make the place more habitable. Unfortunately this comes to nought however work on the massive brothel on the island is finally completed, yet the place fails to make much money due to a shortage of willing prostitutes, and for many especially when compared to the Brothels in Jersey the one on Roosevelt Island is not really worth the dangerous trip.

In Long Island City, Lazarus continues developing his trade settlement. Serving as a governor for the Elijahns Lazarus serves as a trade stop bringing in merchants from all across the tri-state area. From his little settlement delicacies like chocolate, coffee and tobacco are sold en masse to all kinds of buyers. Lazarus of course gets a cut of all the profits and his small town begins to boom with dozens of new families taking up residence there. However his authority is slowly but surely eroding as the Elijahns take more and more direct control of the settlement as their numbers swell there.

[Long Island City booming, +2 Influence]

GM Note:

Spoiler

So here's the last update that I had half finished, let me guys know if you want the game to go on. http://www.strawpoll.me/12506264

Spoiler

@firelordsky @jeeshadow @Maxwell500 @luc124 @Deaghaidh @lordmichael95 @Luftwafer @MemesOfProduction you guys didn't send orders last turn so just wanted to give ya'll a notification to notify you about this.

​

 

[Rovsea]

Jimmy Coughlan looked down at the pile of his requested books and sighed. It looked like he'd need a couple weeks to go through all of these thoroughly, but he knew that if all went well it would be worth it. Calling to some aides he had waiting outside his office he beckoned them in and gestured to the books.

"You'll be going through these with me for the next few weeks, so clear anything non-essential from your schedules. Anything that looks like it might help us I want you to write down and leave a reference to so that I can look it over as well. Any questions?"

There were a few, such as "Anything particular you want us to look for?", and "Which books do you want us to look through first?" which Coughlan promptly answered. These were some of his best administrators, people who worked within the bureaucracy on a daily basis, and they both understood the problems that the Commune was facing, and were smart and educated enough to recognize a potential solution or two if they came across one.

Reading the spine of a book, Coughlan picked up a tome and got to work, after all, there was no time like the present. The title of the book was "A History of Economics".

 

[Rovsea]

((My IRC isn't working, so please contact me via PM if you want to talk.))

 

[Shebedaone]

Name: Hussain Bin Rasheed Al Maktoum
Age: 24
Political Party: NA
Profession: Shop Owner
Bio: In the years leading up to the Euro-Middle Eastern Resource Wars a Prince of Dubai Hamdan Bin Hussain Al Maktoum fled the UAE to America where he settled down with his family.When the bombs started to fall from the sky Hamdan and his family were evacuated to a nearby Vault.Four Generations later the vault was opened by William Hilbert the Vault Overseer due to food shortages Rasheed (Hamdan's Grandson) decided to venture out of the Vault.The First Non-Vault Human Rasheed ever saw was a a group of bandits whom Rasheed managed to evade continuing on to the New California Republic where he restocked on supplies before journeying East.Twenty years after leaving his vault he reached New York City ultimately deciding to settle in West Side City marrying a Wastelander and starting his own small business.When the commune took over Rasheed was killed leaving Hussain his son to inherit him and to maintain the family business.

 

[baboushreturns]

GM Note: Orders due Saturday the 18th, stats have been updated inflation and state debt stats have been added to help simulate the economic situation more accurately.

 

[Mikkel Glahder]

Name: Xzavier d'Aquirre
Age: 42
Profession: Govenor-General of the Jersey Colony
Bio: Born as eldest son and heir to the superrich Lyndon d'Aquirre, Xzavier has since his birth been within the elite of the DCC society and is often seen as the most immoral from the family with many accusations of corruption, none proven however. His many affairs are well known and he often brags of the many women whom he have bedded. To get him more experience, or get his scandals further away from public view, his father "persuaded" the leadership of the DCC, to grant Xzavier the position of Govenor-General of the colony in Jersey.
After he arrived, it is rumoured that it didn't take him long to contact and make connections with the different mobs around Jersey and New York.

 

[Cleeque]

Maj. Reynold Peyton-Varley
32 years old
People's Party
Major of the 3rd Battalion, of the 2nd Regiment of the People's Guard

Reynold grew up in Vault 199, and, judging by how he describes it, he was on the frontlines of the Revolution, shoulder to shoulder with Foucalt and the other heroes. Though, judging by his age, he did it all while sucking on his mother's breast. Unsurprisingly, he grew up to be the model socialist youth - smart, cunning, and a well read, fervent communist. In reality, he was an introvert and spent a lot of time reading and contemplating everything from how to seduce girls to how to build a socialist paradise. He knew more about Marxism Leninism than most members of the MPP. His parents were of different backgrounds. His father was a member of the Vault Elite, his mother the part of a working class family of engineers with roots in European Russia, the birthplace of the revolution.

And, when the heavy doors of the vault swung open, he was one of the first and explore. At first, he aimlessly travelled around Manhattan, and then ever further into the heart of New York. He learned about the suffering of the ordinary people, which only hardened his belief in Foulcat's revolution. Soon however, he attended a school and after a few years enlisted first into the people's party, then into the PISB. He was ruthless in his actions, something his superiors noticed.

"He has everything a law enforcer needs - a cold mind, a warm heart, and a pair of clean hands."
-People's Party report about Comrade Reynold Peyton-Varley

As the war began and the People's Party called the rightly-guided to the front, he felt it was his duty to answer the call. This would be his first real input towards the revolution and the well being of the working class.

Just like in his last occupation, he did not dissapoint his officers. He had studied military strategy and tactics in the vault, and after capturing half a brigade of Waspmen, he was awarded the Red Banner and promoted to Lieutenant. After being recommended by his men and his officers he was promoted to Major and given command of the 2nd regiment of the 3rd batallion, which, for the first time made him a truely important military and political figure in the Manhattan commune. ​