IST San Angelo

[Mark Rand]

I've always liked the International Super Teams universe that Steve Jackson Games created for the GURPS (Generic Universal Role Playing System) Supers book. I'm going to use the timeline IST author Bob Schroeck created that takes the universe through the 1990s. However, since I'm dropping the IST into the San Angelo universe, aliens aren't known to exist.

The International Super Teams are the U.N.'s metahuman police and take the place of UNTIL. During President Carter's Administration, the UN outlawed military super teams as a destabilizing force and unveiled the IST. Since the UN, at that time, had control of the hot-fusion electrical generating system, most nations were willing to go along with it. Jimmy Carter signed the IST pact as an executive order. One year later, the U.S. Government unveiled the DMI, or Department of Metahuman Information, a superhero sanctioning body.

Quoting from the timeline on Bob's site, in the 1990s, the America First Movement began to take wing.

In 1996, Singapore officials announce that the U.N.'s secret hot-fusion process has been duplicated.

In 1997, during hisinaugration speech, President Patrick Buchanon denounces the U.N.s ambitions to be a world government. Laterthat same year, he announces that the United States would no longer pay its U.N. dues.

In 1998, when the U.N. threatens to shut down its power plants in the U.S. if the dues aren't paid, President Buchanon announces that the United States has its own hot-fusion power plants. Later that same year, after theIST partially thwarted a U.S. bombing of Cuban military bases in retaliation for Cuba's attempt to being a Cold War-vintage 1 megaton nuclear weapon into Miami by cgigrette boat, President Buchanon threatened to evict the U.N. and IST Supreme Headquarters from New York City.

In this campaign, he did so in 2002. After much debate, the United Nations began construction of a new complex for itself and the IST in san Angelo, California. Local developer and power broker Benjamin Morgan, who hates metahumans, isn't happy.

[Derek Hiemforth]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

President Buchanon threatened to evict the U.N. and IST Supreme Headquarters from New York City.

In this campaign, he did so in 2002. After much debate, the United Nations began construction of a new complex for itself and the IST in san Angelo, California. Local developer and power broker Benjamin Morgan, who hates metahumans, isn't happy.

Why would Buchanan allow the U.N. to build a new IST HQ in the U.S., after kicking them out of New York?

[Agent 13]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

Why would Buchanan allow the U.N. to build a new IST HQ in the U.S.' date=' after kicking them out of New York? [/quote']

I'd like to know how he pulled it off, considering that not only is the UN HQ international territory, but, thanks to gifts from John D. Rockefeller and the city of New York, they own the building and the lot. It's not like he could pull their lease or something.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

I'd like to know how he pulled it off' date=' considering that not only is the UN HQ international territory, but, thanks to gifts from John D. Rockefeller and the city of New York, they own the building and the lot. It's not like he could pull their lease or something.[/quote']

The United States, and all cities, have the power to sieze privately-owned land for the public good. With public, and government, support for the U.N. at an all time low, he could've pulled it off. The timeline, located at http://www.eclipse.net/~rms/ist1990s.html, does say that he threatened to do it, and I don't think he would've without some way of making sure he could.

[Agent 13]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

The timeline' date=' located at http://www.eclipse.net/~rms/ist1990s.html, [b']does[/b] say that he threatened to do it, and I don't think he would've without some way of making sure he could.

Well, promising things you'll never be able to deliver is something of a tradition in politics...

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

Well' date=' promising things you'll never be able to deliver [i']is[/i] something of a tradition in politics...

Good point. Perhaps I should just have them open an embassy in San Angelo, which, according to R. P. Miller, of Gold Rush Games, is near Sacramento.

[Lupus]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

The United States' date=' and all cities, have the power to sieze privately-owned land for the public good. With public, and government, support for the U.N. at an all time low, he could've pulled it off. The timeline, located at http://www.eclipse.net/~rms/ist1990s.html, [u']does[/u] say that he threatened to do it, and I don't think he would've without some way of making sure he could.

Only if that land is American territory. They can't seize embassies, because embassies are the territory of that county, and the UN is international territory.

 

In the case of embassies, I believe they /can/ cut off diplomatic ties, give the staff time to leave, and THEN seize the land. Similarly, there may well be some mechanism for revoking the grant of land to the UN. It isn't quite so simple as exercising.. what's that power called over there? Eminent domain?

[Rapier]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

what's that power called over there? Eminent domain?

That's him.

[Rapier]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

what's that power called over there? Eminent domain?

That's him.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

My idea of having the U.N. and IST Supreme Headquarters in San Angelo is a bust. However, the embassy there will have 20 supers. Under IST regulations, only two can come from the same region the embassy's in, in this case, the Western United States.

Right now, I have, under construction, for female supers under construction. Here's a small biography of each.

Paladin calls Boston home. In civilian clothes, her blonde hair is as long as Joan Lunden's. In her heroic identity, her hair falls below her shoulders and she wears golden scale mail, a black tabard with Waterdeep's insignia on it, a black hooded cape, black leather boots, gloves and sword belt. On her sword belt are a knife and a long sword and she carries a shield with Waterdeep's insignia. For transportation, she can summon her warhorse, a white pegasus.

Spirit Cat comes from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In civilian clothes, she has red hair. Her costume consists of a black ninja night suit, with gloves. Various ninja devices are carried in the costuymes pockets and on a web belt.

Voltron looks like Princess Allura, from Voltron 3D, in her civilian ideniity. Her costume looks like the Lion Force Voltron, and she has yet to master all of its abilities.

Warder is the team's mage. She wears a bkack and gold costume and her familiar is Midnight, her black cat.

Paladin and Spirit Cat have amulets that let them change into their costumes in an instant. Warder uses magic to make her change, Voltron's change takes 12 seconds.

Paladin and Spirit Cat, both expert swordswomen, are training Voltron in armed combat and Spirit Cat, the team's best in unarmed combat, is helping her fellow heroes learn hand to hand combat.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

A few minor notes from Washington, D.C.

James Collingsworth is the President of the United States. He's an easygoing man who smokes a pipe and likes ice hockey.

His wife, Andrea, is an opthalmologist that, much to the dismay of the Secret Service, still has her private practice near George Washington University Hospital. Like her staff, and, probably, the Secret Service agents protecting her, Andrea wears navy-blue scrubs with the practice's name in gold.

Their daughter, Holly, has been married for three years, is an insulin-dependent diabetic, and has been an aerialist on the Ross Brothers Circus for the past five years.

Robert Kinsey is the Vice President of the United States.

Evelyn Baker Long is the Chief Justice of the United States and Presiding Justice of the United States Supreme Court.

Alex McGregor heads the United States Secret Service team protecting the President and other top executives. She has no problem working with superheroes, as long as they're either sanctioned or employed by a law enforcement agency and willing to put themselves under her command. Occassionally, she'll ask her husband, Grant Coleman, a corporate adventure specialist and former Colorado River guide for assistance.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

Snowy Falls, Colorado is a town that's too small to show up on most maps. Just outside of town on the site of the Tipsy Q Ranch, is the Tipsy Q National Wildlife Refuge. What makes it so special is the fact that the only herd of unicorns in the world live there.

Samual and Libby Quarrels Coldpony, the ranch's former owners, now manage the refuge for the Department of the Interior and hunting isn't permitted in the refuge.

Of all the unicorns, only Phyllis, a sturdy mare, sleeps in the barn and hangs out with Sam and Libby's horses. The others stay near the trees and mountains..

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

here's more stuff that's going on in the world.

Navada's Perfection Valley is home to a sterile white graboid known as El Blanco. The valley floor is also covered with Mix Master, a chemical that let's non-human DNA combine.

Santa Barbara, California's Nelson Institute of Marine Research is home to the submarine Seaview. Former Seaview commanding officers Admiral Lee Crane and Vice Admiral Chip Morton now head the institute that was founded in the 1970s by the late Admiral Haiirmon Nelson. Chip's son, Captain Robert Morton, is the current captain of the Seaview. Lee's son, Commander David Crane, is his executive officer.

FBI Special Agent in Charge Thomas Huntley is trying to find, and arrest, the crew of a black helicopter that, he claime, has been carrying out missions for the CIA without proper approval. According to him, the helicopter, which is 50 feet long, 40 of which is the rotors, is called Angel by the people at Edwards Air Force Base and The Ghost of the Coast by Camp Pendleton.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

Said helicopter could break the sound barrier and was invisible to both military and civilian radar.

Among his team members were Special Agents Daphne "Danger-Prone Daphne" Wyeth and Parthenope "Addy" Addison. SAC Huntley was, in public, praising them for singlehanddely capturing a terrorist that the IST had caught when Addy, who was in the middle of correcting Huntley, morphed into a cougar. Daphne looked completely shocked as Addy lunged at SAC Huntley. He backed up, falling over the edge of the platform, then, as Huntley was reaching for his weapon, the cougar-that-was-Addington relieved herself on him before sprinting away.

"Wyeth, look at what your partner did to my suit!" Huntley roared.

"After we made our last arrest, the perp told us that a Coyote owed him a favor. Obviously, we were cursed. I want to find my partner and get the curse lifted."

"Go ahead!" he roared. "Once she's cured, you two can work with the freaks you two like so much."

Daphne and Addy showed up one week later. "Report!" he roared.

"With some help from a friendly spellcaster, we managed to contact Coyote and talk him into helping us," Daphne said.

"With this choker, I can control my shapshifting, and, when I do shift, I'll still have my human intelligence and emotions," Addison said. "Daphne's ring let's her communicate with me when I'm a cougar."

"I'll have an assignment for you two, soon." HUntley said. "In the meantime, I want you two to continue looking for that helicopter."

"The IST might not approve to two metahuman women working for the FBI," Daphne said.

"I don't give a @#%& what they think!" Huntley roared. "Get to work."

Since then, they've resigned from the FBI and are now in the IST Academy.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

Eighteen months ago, Sunnydale, California crumbled into a crator. The area around it is now Thhe Sunnydale Crater State Park. In the park, behind a chainlink fence is a yellow schoolbus that, according to the sign on the fence was the last vehicle to leave Sunnydale.

Yes, there are vampires, demons, Hellmouths and Slayers. A;though not officially sanctioned by any law enforcement agency. including the DMI and the IST, the Slayers are treated like they were. All IST offices have telephone numbers to contact the Slayers in their area.

Six months ago, the Los Angeles office of Wolfram and Hart, a well-known law firm, broke apart at midnight.

Mythbusters, a program on the Discovery channel, is operated out of M5 Industries, Inc., a San Fransisco special effects company.

The Monteray Bay History Museum has an exibit about The Queen of Swords, a vigilante that operated in the Spanish California town of Santa Helena. The exibit includes replicas of her weapons and a dummy wearing a replica of her costume.

Boeing has created, using its 747 design as a base, America's first single-stage-to-orbit craft. The ship's designers claim that it can easily travel throughout the solar system. Although the ship is, as of yet, unnamed rumors are circulating that it will be named after a shap from a television science fiction program, a made for television science fiction movie, or a regular science fiction movie.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

After an explosion killed Harry Broderick, Chip Carmichael and Melanie Slozar, the people that took over Jettison Scrap and Salvage Company decided that they didn't want The Vulture, the ship Harry and his team used for space missions, and the gear associated with it. They sold all of it to an out of town collector who then donated the whole lot to the University of California at San Angelo's Wells Planetarium, which now has it all on display.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

I bought the GURPS IST book through ebay and it arrived yesterday. In it, I found, among other things, a floor by floor description of IST New York and maps for three of its floors (1, 3, and 6) I'll be using the IST New York embassy as the basis for IST San Angelo.

[Just A Guy Name]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

I bought the GURPS IST book through ebay and it arrived yesterday.

After all your posts referring to the background, I had assumed that you already had that book :\ It's a great setting, and I have fanciful hopes that Bob may yet write an updated version for GURPS4E

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

After all your posts referring to the background' date=' I had assumed that you already had that book :\ It's a great setting, and I have fanciful hopes that Bob may yet write an updated version for GURPS4E [/quote']

I had the book once, then sold it. Big mistake. I was relying on my memory of it, plus info in GURPS Supers, which I still have, plus stuff from Bob;s page.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

Boeing has created' date=' using its 747 design as a base, America's first single-stage-to-orbit craft. The ship's designers claim that it can easily travel throughout the solar system. Although the ship is, as of yet, unnamed rumors are circulating that it will be named after a shap from a television science fiction program, a made for television science fiction movie, or a regular science fiction movie.[/quote']

Anyone want to guess what the shap's name will be?

[Just A Guy Name]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

Anyone want to guess what the shap's name will be?

Oh.. I don't know... SATAN?! Or, maybe Enterprise?

 

What did I win?

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

Oh.. I don't know... SATAN?! Or, maybe Enterprise?

 

What did I win?

On or about noon on Monday, November 22. 2004, I will announce the right the right answer and tell everyone who the first person to guess correctly was. Hopefully, someone will send that person a cupie doll.

[Powerhouse]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

As impressed as I am by the work that was put into the GURPS system, I never liked the liberties (decidedly liberal ones) that the author took with history:

 

1. Carter got a second term because the US super team saved the hostages which ignores a ton of bad economy indicators that also pushed him out.

 

2. Reagan, one of the most popular presidents of all time, was a one term President.

 

3. Martin Luther King was saved from assassination. Now admittedly, this would have been a wonderful thing though the author then has him unseat Reagan for the presidency which made me roll my eyes.

 

4. South Africa gets invaded by supers wanting to end apartheid. When S. Africa responds by invading the countries (rather bloodily and efficiently) that the supers staged their attack from, sanctions are imposed on South Africa but no penalty was noted for the invaders or those who supported them.

 

I'd love to know the justification for putting Buchannan into office.

 

In general, the very pro-UN and anti-US theme (UN troops preventing the US from invading Panama) always made me gag even as I applauded a more real take that superbeings might have. I also thought it ignored how the UN would really work. The UN become a super power in fact on the basis of:

 

1. Discovering hot fusion and black-mailing other countries into toeing the line or not get in on the tech. I can't see how the US or any other permament member of the Security Council would not veto such a power grab

 

2. A vast super team from many countries that would supposedly act as neutral force. Being able to create such a force in secret, in a world that actively used psi and tech to spy, was rather unbelievable.

 

Also, the UN is presented as an exceptionally benevolent organization when in reality we see its problems (composed of many countries that actively oppose the UN's principles, food for oil, etc).

 

As noted, I felt that the GURP IST world was exceptionally well-done, I just didn't like certain liberties that it took since it reflected a certain world view.

[Agent 13]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

You killed the crew of Salvage-1?!

 

My mom says we can't be friends anymore.

[assault]

Re: IST San Angelo

 

As noted' date=' I felt that the GURP IST world was exceptionally well-done, I just didn't like certain liberties that it took since it reflected a certain world view.[/quote']

 

Yeah. My first encounter with it was IST Kingston. The "apocalyptic Castro" thing was a bit bizarre. On the other hand, I was most amused when I reread it recently, and realised that the US and Australia are currently in the top category on the "threat to world peace" scale it included.

 

I guess it's like every similar world: it's a combination of what the author thinks would be interesting and "possible", with an inevitable touch of the author's prejudices.

 

Overall, the "strong UN" aspect would be the bit I would have the hardest part accepting. Even with the aid of supers, I can't see it ever being able to develop a support base independent of the permanent members of the Security Council, and particularly the US. Making the change from rubber stamp to independent force is a big step.

 

I have enough problems accepting the existence of UNTIL!

 

Still, if I could learn to ignore this problem, I could use it happily enough. And the "apocalyptic Castro" nonsense could actually be fun, in a twisted way...