Maintaining composure in parties was hard for Brooklyn; yet necessary if she was to do her job right. She had been tasked by Captain Lennies, personally, to carry out the Internal conversion of Gatenoue, and shaking the New Government of Canada’s grip on Ottawa City. Parties provided excellent cover to hold business meetings. The noise and large volume of people added a facelessness to everyone in the house. The noise masked important conversations. While the bosses talked, workers could meet people they were told “we’re on the same team” whatever that meant. The mess associated with parties was not good for Brooklyn’s PTSD. Houses with infected were always disorganized and messy. yet she had to maintain composure; this was an important task. With the times of war several years behind them, former Autumn’s had to look for work that would allow them to re-integrate into ‘regular’ society. The security detail was the leading industry of employment for Autumn’s as they entered this brave new world.
Stretches of the major highways remain in disrepair, or under control of another fraction. Though the difference of fraction control rarely slides into violence, it often comes with heavy tariffs and delayed deliveries. Former Autumn’s get the special privilege, as a mark of respect for their service during the ‘Zombie Wars’. With this as her leverage, Brooklyn was able to earn a name for her self a high-value contractor for caravan security. Access to smugglers channels allowed caravans under Brooklyn’s security to take shortcuts, allowing a faster, tariff-free delivery.
Many businesses that were not big fans of the government frequently employed Brooklyn’s Autumn’s. Paying top dollar, and giving a civilian guise to allow high-profile targets to enter cities, ports, garrisons and Band camps.
Gatineau had grown into a significant player in the New World. Serving as a stabilizing factor for Ottawa, as the ongoing Annexation process tires and frustrates her citizens. This ‘big-brother’ role Gatineau had been playing for the State workers and soldiers during times of protest, rebellion, and panic, gave Gatineau immense control over the city’s finances, and social order. Business, Apartments, and entire industries were falling into the ownership of entrepreneurs and investors from Gatineau. The Zombie Wars, and the ear;y years afterward were not kind to Quebec. Bandits and mercenaries ruled its highways, rivers, rivers, and villages. Many Indigenous bands also chose the East Coast as the Resurgence of independence and cultural rejuvenation. The New Government of Canada, known as the NGC, were far too powerful in what was then Ontario, and anything south of the border.
While most of the southern Ontario had infected outbreaks, rebellions, or mass migration of Americans storming the border; there was no manpower or supplies to supply to northern communities. The GNC also felt that northern communities didn’t require as much aid, as their exposure and threat from the Big Three Factors: Infected, Bandit, or Infiltrator. In times of high crisis in the south, many garrisoned soldiers and outstanding citizens; as well as the undesirable citizens, would be sent, to assist the troubles of the south. This left many Northern communities with a poor labor force and security stretched thin.
Indigenous Bands picked up on this. Guerrilla warfare, Corporate Warfare, seiging, and cultural influence lead to several bands becoming countries in their own right. The New Territories had a primary Clan leading the Territory, while smaller first nations supplemented and existed within the space. The indigenous populations were knocked low after the ethnic cleansing that was the Autumn Program. However their resilience, and ability to take advantage of several key opportunities during the Zombie Wars, not only lead to fall of the Original Canadian Government but also serve as the greatest threat to the GNC.
Though that is a total accumulation of all the accounted for bands. As an individual actor, Jean-Francis Bobounir’s Eastern Trade Empire serves as The GNC’s greatest threat. However the Indigenous resurgence and the rise of Bobounir are much greater stories for a later time. For now, we have to get back on track for the significance of Gatineau. And Gatineau’s significance put simply, came from their independence during the Zombie Wars. Acting as a city-state, Gatineau used it geographical location to pick and chose what bands and colonial towns to support dring the human in-fighting. Gatineau ensured its allies won their desired territory, resource or security, growing its influence, wealth, and military.
Indigenous bands supplied Gatineau with guns, watercraft and security, while Gateniou spent the majority of its efforts de-stabilizing Ottawa, and keeping its own citizens in. Gatineau needed Ottawa destabilized because it couldn’t risk allowing the GNC to assign Ottawa as the nation’s capital. It would have to much a political influence, to much-injected revenue into the local economy, and a multiplication of GNC military units close to Gatineau. Gatineau, which remains rich and independent. No, a potential struggle with a larger, organized military power seemed like a disastrous futur for the city.
Thus espionage was used. The city was kept weak, disorganized and on edge. The Government’s control slipped by the day. The bandit’s and pirates grew more and more present in the area. The people of Gatineau were unsure if they were comfortable with the sudden arrival and occupation by these brutal vagrants.
It was Brooklyn Meyer’s job to get high ranking ‘Pirates’ and ‘Bandits’ into the city of Gatineau to change public opinion. Discretion and subliminal messaging were musts.
