INQ - Factions 03, The Echelon

Of the 3 major factions in Inquisition, the Echelon is considered the 'youngest'. Their rapid rise to power in the post-apocalyptic landscape is mainly the result of the immense technological advantage they hold over their rivals.


THE ECHELON

As the Nuclear winter raged on, all went well in the Midian fortress as they prepared themselves for the task ahead. But cracks soon began to show in their solidarity, as old grudges began to take form. It was a highly popular Midian belief, although seldom mentioned, that one of the greatest reasons for the downfall of Humans was their over-reliance on science. Midians looked upon science with distrust, and for House Ferdinand, all they could do was to ignore their sentiments.

However, a rumor soon began to spread amongst the Midian populace. The origins of the rumor were unknown, but there are some within the higher circles of authority who believe that it started from some officials in House Friedrich. The rumor was regarding the Inquisition virus, the deadly bio-weapon that spread like wildfire worldwide during those turbulent years. During the years of World War 3, a Midian investigative team had been working to discover the origins of Inquisition. They focused their efforts in Africa, that being where the Inquisition virus was first discovered. After months of investigative worked, they were led to a hidden facility deep in the jungles of central Africa, where they would discover a shocking truth.

The deserted laboratory was indeed where the virus was created. The small, but highly advanced facility had all the equipment necessary to manufacture the bio-weapon. Chemical testing also found traces of the virus all over the area, and large amounts of inquillite ore were discovered locked within a store room. Although the team initially presumed that the laboratory was abandoned, the discovery of several corpses within a safe room changed their conclusions. It seemed that an accident had led to an outbreak of the virus within the facility, during which a lockdown was engaged, and the occupants evacuated to the safe room. However, through some unknown factor, the virus managed to slip into the safe room, killing all within it. Evidence found however, did not indicate that the virus leaked out of the facility, as the lockdown was still in place when the team arrived, and the seals were found to be working perfectly. Hacking into the database also failed to produce any information regarding the origin of funding of the operation. The only clue they had left were the corpses in the safe room.

Using the facility to aid them, they identified all the corpses. All of them were prominent scientists, mostly specializing in the fields of bio-chemical engineering, and they came from varied nationalities. They could find no evidence linking the operation to any nation or group. But there was one more detail uncovered. The scientists were all Midians.

The rumor that Midian scientists were the ones who created the virus spread like wildfire amongst the populace, and soon, House Ferdinand found themselves unable to ignore it any longer. They protested against the claims, saying that no proof existed that showed the rumor to be true. Their protests fell on deaf ears, and the people demanded answers. The Head of House Ferdinand, Kurt Strauss, convened an emergency meeting of the Heads to settle the situation.

What occurred during this meeting has been considered highly confidential, and no details on it have ever been revealed. All that is known is that after the meeting, Head Ferdinand was seen to stagger out of the council room, an intense look of shock in his face. Immediately following, House Ferdinand then shut themselves in for one week, during which little activity was seen to happen within the House. After that, the officials of House Ferdinand, led by Kurt Strauss, called for a gathering in the great hall. There they would announce their self-imposed exile.

The exodus into the wastelands was highly treacherous, and many of them would not make it. They searched for a new home, with little luck, as all they found was devastation and more wasteland. That luck was to change, as on the 28th day of their exodus, they would chance upon an unoccupied bunker. Originally a military installation, it was outfitted with all the necessary requirements for a large number of people to dwell in. Overjoyed at their find, they moved into their new home, Bunker 64.

Once they had settled in, they then began exploring the surrounding landscapes. Some distance from Bunker 64 lay a ruined city, and after some exploration, they made an interesting discovery. Hiding in the basement of the city hall was a group of survivors. Among these survivors were several government officials, who before the nuclear winter, had been on their way to Tierra. They had much knowledge of the surrounding area, but the greatest information they yielded was the location of a government research facility, hidden in the mountains. Having gotten all the information they needed, they saw no need in bringing the survivors back to their Bunker, where they would just be more mouths to feed. The survivors were then killed in cold blood. After that, they sent out an expedition to survery the condition of the hidden facility. When they got there, they found that the facility was still inhabited, the researchers there having shut themselves in during the nuclear winter. Although distrustful at first, the researchers soon began to warm up to the Midian scientists, and they agreed to join them.

Over the next few months, they would consolidate their power. They established themselves as the Echelon, promoting their belief of 'Free Science', or rather, science without boundaries.