INQ - Factions 01, The Conglomerate

There exist numerous factions in the post-apocalyptic world of INQ, the following is an introduction to 1 of the main factions.


THE CONGLOMERATE

Wraith Scout Snipers - Concept Illustration

The best way to describe an entity such as the Conglomerate would be 'an alliance of industrial powers in the interests of survival and expansion'. To trace the growth of the Conglomerate, one would have to look back to the pre-war period, when the world was in a state of chaos following the rapid outbreak of the deadly virus, Inquisition.

During those rough years, as the virus ran rampant across the globe, one name became humanity's symbol of hope. TierraHealth, a relative unknown in the field of pharmaceuticals and bio-medicine, became an immediate household name after their announcement of their development of a vaccine for Inquisition. Almost immediately, they found themselves recieving funding of immense proportions, as global support poured in. They used part of those funds to constuct an ultra-modern research and production hub in a rural location within the heartlands of the United States. Originally a farming community, the establishment of TierraHealth's facility led to a massive boom within the region, as companies ranging from bio-technologies, aeroponics, mechanics, to military industries, shifted their centres of operation to be near this symbol of hope. Within a year, the small commune had expanded into a bustling metropolis. The city was named Tierra, after the company which had brough it such wealth.

All this, however, was shadowed by the outbreak of the third World War.

As the destruction of the war, and the nuclear winter that followed, ravaged the world around it, Tierra sat unscathed through it all. As the developmental centre for the cure to Inquisition, China and Russia had aimed to capture the city, securing the vaccine for themselves. Thus the city was spared participation in the war. The city was also held under strict quarantine, brought about by TierraHealth, in a bid to preserve the sanctity of their research. There was an attempt, however, by terrorists to destroy the city with one of the Indian nuclear warheads, but it was shot down by US anti-missle defences. Due to its strategic importance, the city was heavily defended by US forces. As the war intensified, however, these forces were relocated to reinforce frontline units. Thus the defence of the city fell to private contractors, some hired by TierraHealth and the other companies, others being subsidiaries of those companies. The onset of nuclear winter saw Tierra transit from it's reliance on the surrounding farmlands to the production of massive indoor and underground aeroponic facilities. Rapid upgrading works reinforced the heat retention capabilities of Tierra's buildings. As the world collapsed around it, Tierra survived, and prospered.
With no government to lead them, the leadership of Tierra fell into the hands of the rich, influential industrial giants. A high-profile conference was organized to deal with the issue. After a long discussion, it was agreed upon that all the companies in Tierra would ally together as the Conglomerate. The 10 most powerful and influential heads of the companies would serve as the Conglomerate Board members, to be rechosen every 3 years. Their immediate goal would be survival; to ensure their existence in the years to come. And over time, it would shift to expansion, spreading their economic might across the land. Tierra had transformed once again, a bustling metropolis now became the centre seat of a new nation, fuelled by economic growth and military industry.

One of the first tasks of the new Board was to reform their industrial assets for their needs. With survival as their main priority, military industry was top on the list. Arms production was put into full gear, and construction assets were put to work fortifying the city against attack. Instead of relying on a formal army, they structured their forces around the numerous private military contractors in the city. Several were contracted for defence purposes, reinforcing the perimeters, and others would remain on active standby, contracted as necessary when the need arose for their services. And in return for their services, these contractors were given foremost access to the latest weapons in production from the military industry. They also drew a high salary, and were given numerous priviledges not available to the citizenship.

Over time, Tierra grew into a massive military industry. The factories produced weapons for the contractors, who used those weapons to agressively expand, seizing resources and territory for the industry to grow. Supporting all this were the citizenry, working at the factories and farms, handling the administrative duties, fear of the outside world keeping them in line. In 2 years, the Conglomerate held control over a region ten times what they originally had.


[to be completed]