Pheligian Falcon: Prison Escape OOC

SETTING: Alternate Real-World


Government: Extreme Oligarchy

Corporations are running the show, and the government is just a puppet. The line between an official military and a corporation's personal army is purposefully drawn to be vague, leading to large-scale conflicts between competing companies. Laws are frequently and openly written in a corporation's favor, effectively giving them control of the lives of the general population.

Corporations: The Big 3

IRONSIGIL: TECHNOLOGY

A long-standing mega-corporation at the forefront of tech development, Ironsigil has employees by the millions and a net worth in the trillions. Run by the Santiago family, it is a major player in the world's geopolitical landscape, and even wages war against other corporations of similar scale. While the reach of their power is not infinite, it only ends where another company's begins, and any action taken in the sphere of their influence is sure to gravitate back to their interests (or be forcefully shut down). As for what they make, they keep the entire Eastern Hemisphere supplied in everyday electronics, cybernetic implants, civilian and military transportation, software and operating systems, robotics, nanodevices, smart weaponry, space launch systems... If it turns on and off again, they probably made it. They are based in the modern-day Philippines.

EVERWELL: HEALTHCARE

Everwell is a healthcare, health insurance, and pharmaceutical mega-corporation with a vice-grip on everything related to human biology and wellness in the Eastern Hemisphere. The mega-corporation was birthed by the Everest and Wellington families: both old-money names with roots in the healthcare industry. After gaining traction through affordable healthcare rates and outlasting competition, Everwell took over the healthcare market and monopolized it, expanding their services and jacking up prices. Now, if anyone's in need of medical assistance, all paths weave through Everwell. Hospitals are funded through them, endorsed by them, and pushed to provide their products. Small pharmacies have been bought out, and life-saving medicines and cures are patented and exclusive to Everwell's system. Based in modern day Austrailia, Everwell stands as the faux face of "human betterment," touting its slogan: Everything. Everyone. Everwell.

THE BLOODLINE: MUTANTS

Mutants are a rare minority. The only human variants (mutants) are carefully controlled, recorded, and "leashed" within the criminal organization "The Bloodline."


History: Mutations expressed themselves in humankind after the devastating nuclear fallout of the third world war, and have since recurred genetically (proving the mutations were altering DNA and passing it down). As multiple cases were identified, an underground organization was quickly formed to "control the outbreak" and "manage" the powers developing in those affected. As a result, any new cases discovered outside of the network are absorbed into it by force or eliminated. All mutants within the network have little to no control over their lives, including procreation, as their abilities have been commodified for consumption to those willing to pay a hefty price on the black market.

The Bloodline is based in modern-day Russia, and its reach is worldwide. It is a criminal organization, a network, and an "accountability system". First and foremost it is a business. People with useful mutations are hired out for their utility. People without "useful" mutations are prevented from having children and are given assignments/roles that qualify as "employment" with very little personal freedoms.


- Accountability: If mutants are discovered outside of the network and they refuse to join or attempt escape, they are killed. If they agree to join, they are given a supervisor and assigned a role, a job, and forfeit their freedoms to The Bloodline.
- Criminal Affairs: The Bloodline finds a lot of legal loopholes to avoid detection and get away with murder. They pay off a lot of people to look away, and are notorious for using blackmail. They are well known for providing "unsavory" services.
- Networking: The Bloodline offers its services to those in power, offering ways to get the leg up on corporate competitors or governmental obstacles. Dirty politicians and CEOs keep them in business, along with many others in need of unique services.

SETTING: The Pheligian Falcon

The Pheligian Falcon:
A few star systems over is a star named TRAPPIST-3, in the Andromeda constellation's region of the night sky. The star, a red dwarf, isn't too interesting in and of itself, and neither are the handful of planets in its orbit: it's barely visible from Earth, even in what little remains of the world's dark skies. However, at the L4 point in one of those planet's orbital paths, where gravity allows for passing space objects to form a stable orbit, a vast cluster of agitated gas and asteroids have given way to what has been dubbed a "space storm". This discovery is the first of its kind and has been the subject of a couple deep space missions, becoming some of the most distant locations humans have traveled; nowadays, because of its reputation for being so far away, it's where Earth sends their worst troublemakers.

Simulations of the Pheligian Falcon's upcoming trajectory have alerted the staff to the fact that the spaceship is soon to pass through this storm in a unique alignment. While it wouldn't be much difficulty to steer it onto a new orbital path, since the ship has the fuel budget for it, the Imperial Union* has examined the situation and determined this is an opportunity, not an issue. Maintaining the ship is expensive, the staff doesn't like being this far from home, and frankly, every single prisoner aboard is a thorn in their side at best and a threat to the world at worst. If the Imperial Union pretend the collision course is inevitable, they can simply evacuate their staff, replace them with AI, let the Pheligian enter the storm, turn off the engines so it's trapped inside, and wait for the ship to be destroyed by the whirlwind or the supplies to run out-- whichever happens first.

Obviously, the "doomed fate" is a lie: not only is there enough fuel to manuever the Pheligian Falcon away, there's enough to escape — at least for the three main characters, but there's only enough for a single escape pod to make it "home". Taking the whole ship would spare them the storm, but leave the ship fuelless in the TRAPPIST-3's system, with no one to come to their aid. This, it seems, was part of the strategic budgeting decision to abandon the prisoners to the storm — it's cheaper to let staff use escape pods to return home than send out a fuel carrier to maneuver the entire floating penitentiary. And, in drawing from the ship's fuel reserves to eject so many escape pods, the Pheligian is now truly helpless. Even if the MC's avoid death by the storm, the ship will starve out of its resources slowly. Can they save the ship? Can they even save themselves?

LIFE ON THE PHELIGIAN: For Inmates

Security Detail:

- Cells are surveilled 24/7 with cameras. They monitor visuals and audio. Alarms go off if inmates initiate any violence or inappropriate behavior.
- Prisoners are confined to their cells 50% of the time.
- Cells don't have "bars" or "doors," instead they are three-walled cells with a fourth force-field wall operated by a control panel outside of the cell blocks or remotely from prison guards' handheld devices on their arms. Voice and facial recognition are required for permission.
- All mutants wear "equalizing" cuffs that suppress their abilities. These cuffs never come off. The cuffs are activated if the prisoner attempts to use their powers and can be remotely activated by guards to tranquilize mutants if they act out.
-"Scrying Eyes" (Security Drones) travel the halls, cafeteria, and recreation areas to monitor inmate activity.
- There are four prison guards assigned to a block on rotating 7-hour shifts. That's 5 shifts per 35-hour period. These guards are in charge of releasing and ushering prisoners to their mealtimes and recreation time on foot through a series of secure hallways with checkpoints.

Environment and Amenities:

- The ship has a sleek, minimalist style, but it lacks all of the appeal of futuristic designs and successfully feels brutalist in design. Windows are narrow slits that look out into a star system so foreign from Earth's that it's undeniable Earth is inaccessible. The lighting feels hospital-like.
- Cells are dressed with the basest amenities: two sets of bunk beds that stick out like shelfs on opposing walls, one moderately thick bed sheet and sheet set, one pillow, and a toilet and sink in the corner. The bathroom area has no door, but does have one wall blocking it from guard's immediate view (like an open cubicle). Cameras, however, monitor everything all the time. Prisoners are provided with standard-issue hygenic supplies across the board. Soaps, shampoos, toothpaste, toothbrushes, the like. All of it is mass-produced and built to last, but none of it is extravagant.
- Prisoners are all issued the same uniform: a one-piece rubber-ducky-yellow jumpsuit with full sleeves and pants. The jumpsuit has a zipper up and down the front and zippers on the legs and sleeves to the knees and elbows to loosen the fabric for cuffing if needed. The In addition, prisoners are given silicone and rubber shoes that lack any and all hard pieces.

Schedule:

- Inmates are allowed out of their cells three times a day: twice for communal mealtimes in the cafeteria, and once for recreational time.
- Meals consist of two options: all-allergen free, and all-allergen full. Regardless, it's all cafeteria food: so it sucks.
- Time is an illusion: it is what the prison makes it. With no "days", the clock the prison runs on is of its own making. Those who are attentive would do the math:
- The prison runs on a 35hr clock:

- Hours 1-12: Cell Confinement/Sleep/Rest.
- Hours 12-15: Mealtime 1
- Hours 15-20: Cell Confinement
- Hours 20-25: Recreation
- Hours 25-30: Cell Confinement
- Hours 30-35: Mealtime 2

The Pheligian Falcon's Features

Ship Organization

Guards and prisoners alike each have identification numbers in the ship's inmate and staff filing system, which includes full files on each individual on the ship: background information, criminal records, health records, etc. These numbers are marked on the back of prisoner's jumpsuits (shoulder blade level) and on guard/staff badges (chest, left lapel).

The ship is sanctioned into four pyramid-like levels. The uppermost level houses the control rooms and storage of all ship materials. The second is where the guard's living quarters, communcal spaces, and amenities are. The third and fourth are the largest and contain the prisoners, their holding cells, and all of their communal spaces.

Ship Design

The ship and its escape pods are capable of near light speed travel: this is only used for interstellar transportation, since it orbits TRAPPIST-3 while burning minimal fuel under normal operating parameters. Currently, at a distance of 1.03 light years from Earth, the journey takes barely over a year (to cut costs, the prisoners arriving on their shuttle ship are placed in a cryogenic coma).

The overall design and architecture of the Pheligian Falcon matches that of most deep space spacecraft: artificial gravity is produced by the ship rotating about itself, and oxygen is recycled by a vast greenhouse/vivarium habitat. Water, although not tightly rationed, is also recycled from waste.

Ship Security

The ship is under constant surveillance. Cameras with audio and visual recording are posted in every space, with very few blind spots. An automated monitoring system flags an suspicious, violent, or innapropriate behavior, alerting surveillance staff in the Surveillance Control Room. If intervention is needed, comms communication can reach staff closeby instantaneously. Every staff member is required to be wired in with a comms earpiece and microphone while on the clock.

From the Surveillance Control Room, surveillance techs can remotely control mutan prisoner equalizing devices using the prisoner's identification number and their cuff's corresponding code. They can be used to tranquilize mutants who pose an immediate and mortal threat to staff. surveillance techs can also control the "Scrying Eye" security drones, which offer a more active and flexible visual/audio experience to explore blindspots or get a closer look at inmate activity.

Guards are posted at all security checkpoints: which includes all entryways, exits, corridors, levels, elevators, and especially the star-ship hangar. The latter is heavily guarded with human guards and built in lazer technology (activated by nearby guards) which blocks exits with deadly forcefields capable of splitting a human in half. All star-ships are surrounded by forcefields of their own which can be lifted by fingerprint or eyeball scans only.

The bridge is the most secure room on the ship, as this is where the guidance controls (with their full-time pilot) are located, as well as a number of ship-wide security controls. However, each floor does have a security module with extra guards where floor-wide security controls can be accessed and operated.

Ship Controls

Not only does the act of piloting require someone with the necessary knowledge/skill, it also demands complete and total incapacitation of the pilot: for a ship this large, manual controls are not ideal for manuevers and course planning. Instead, the method is that the pilot is mentally linked to the navigation system, controlling all onboard systems with mere thoughts, but entering a slumber-like statis state in the process. This is currently some staff member's full time job, and it requires them to be on similar life support to a coma patient. Many other non-guidance related controls (arming/disarming security measures, mental projection of live surveillance feeds, opening and closing access to different areas of the ship, etc.) also require their controller (or hacker) to enter this state, though it is only sustained for as long as needed without external life support.

Without the necessary knowledge of how to infiltrate these systems, any attempt would be quite overwhelming for the user, and the out-of-body experience of one's mind becoming one with the machine takes some adjusting as well. If the link is severed prematurely, which can be caused with interference to or an attack on the vulnerable controller's body while they are not ready to return to it yet, the mental rupture is agonizing and even dangerous.

*The Imperial Union:
The Imperial Union prides itself as an independent entity under the Inter-Galactic Alliance. The latter oversees inter-galactic security, safety, and exploration. The former specifically manages criminal activity, primarily through punitive means. In the midst of the oligarchy's evolution, the IGA birthed the IU with a proposition to expel the world's most dangerous criminals from orbit: ensuring safety on planet earth. Their proposal was approved and they were funded to build their first space penitentiary that orbits the moon. That ship is named CRESCENT 220. When the CRESCENT saw "successful results" in increased rates of controlled behaviors and a decrease in criminal behaviors across the hemispheres, they were funded for their most ambitious projects, The Pheligian Falcon.

After the discovering of TRAPPIST-3's system and the CRESCENT's "success," they built the earth's largest behemoth of a spaceship and sent it into orbit with 2,000 of the world's most dangerous criminals. To this day, they send out a ship of new convicts to add to the number annually, as the journey from earth to the TRAPPIST system takes a year on its own. Now, the Pheligian's total population numbers to 106,342 including staff. Well over half of those are prisoners.