“ | Work to produce. Produce to live. Live to build a new world together. | „ |
~ Commonwealth slogan |
The Commonwealth of America is one of the main factions in The Dark Future: North American Arc, and is the neutral and protagonist faction in the first and second acts of the TDF Trilogy, and the main antagonist faction in the third act.
The Commonwealth of America, the Commonwealth, or the Greater American Republic, CA/GAR or the Colonial States of America is a commercial, civil-military alliance organized in America after the Nuclear War in underground military installations that are closely controlled. A major faction of The Dark Future: North American Arc and home to its protagonist, James Walker, a distinguished member of the Commonwealth military.
In the first half of the trilogy, the Commonwealth appeared neutral and allied with Walker, but when he learned that the Commonwealth was just as corrupt and tyrannical a faction as any other, seeking to gain control of what remains of America and part of the conspiracy responsible for the execution of outsiders and refugees arriving at the Commonwealth's borders. When Walker revealed this, he soon became a target of the Commonwealth who began hunting him. The Commonwealth then becomes the hostile faction of the TDF trilogy.
A coalition of several cities and underground stations, the Commonwealth is the strongest faction economically and militarily in the post-Great War American wasteland. It tightly controls Denver and their American underground bases, facilities and headquarters, so it controls more than ⅓ of the Commonwealth's central American territories.
Overview[]
When the Commonwealth was formed, the military, government agencies and civil servants formed a coalition with the communities of the united municipalities by acquiring the cities and central regions of Denver and Colorado. The Commonwealth quickly rose from the ashes of America and evolved into an economic superpower that became the new civilization of the former United States and the hyper-capitalist utopia of wealthy bureaucrats.
A coalition of several trade factions, groups of municipalities, and other underground station and fallout shelter colonies make up the Commonwealth, which is run by former government officials, local mayors and governors but is mostly under military leadership.
It is one of the few factions that functions as a rebuilt civilization, with public transport, piped water, electric lighting and its own production and infrastructure. They have their own nuclear power plant, producing electronics, electric light and heating that supplies the entire Commonwealth. They have their own infrastructure, factories to manufacture weapons and equipment. They use their own vehicles, powered by their own biofuels.
They also engage in barter trade, doing business with other post-Great War factions such as the People's Republic, the Reich, and may be allied with some such as the American Confederacy and other trade factions, either within or outside the country with a group of neighbouring countries. Some factions were heavily dependent on the resource-rich trade of the Commonwealth.
A highly developed authoritarian civilization, legitimate compared to other factions and they consider themselves democratic and republican, but an extremely capitalist faction, and mostly the high ranking officers and leaders of the Commonwealth have access to most of the currency, while the rest of society and the lower class citizens have much less, but production is constantly increasing. However, they have a functioning and thriving economy throughout the region.
The Commonwealth leadership is under military rule, forming an autocratic but legitimate government. To maintain democracy, a Senate is the supreme legislative body of the Commonwealth government, of which Colonel Richard Sullivan is a member. However, democracy is only a pretense, as the Senate is made up of Senators and military officers loyal to Sullivan who carry out the Colonel's orders and actions in the country. The Commonwealth most resembles the Roman Republic, in that the government proclaims the rights of the Senate and citizens, but in practice power is concentrated in the hands of the military leaders and Sullivan's narrow administration.
The Commonwealth seems to be a more democratic faction, unlike the Reich and the People's Republic, as many citizens want to move to the Commonwealth. The Nazis and Communists do not tolerate refugees and usually both groups kill them, while the Commonwealth often rejects them because they are suspected of being outsiders, Rogues or bandits, possibly Russian spies or infiltrators. As a result, the Commonwealth has a strict border control and immigration policy, usually expelling or executing anyone who tries to cross its borders illegally. On very rare occasions, people are interrogated in their detention centres and their story is used to decide whether or not they can be granted citizenship. They usually have a strict entry and exit policy for non-Commonwealth citizens if they do not have a passport or identification document.
The Commonwealth is the most militarily advanced and organised in the Great American Wasteland. The Commonwealth's military force is highly militarised, and as a result the faction is able to defend its stations and cities from any mutant or hostile group. It achieves this by maintaining tight control of all its territory, borders and stations with its own motorized and motor vehicle traffic and patrols. It has various organised military branches, such as the Commonwealth Army, which is the basic armed force of the faction, and the elite Colonial Army. The latter's tasks include the exploration and occupation of new cities, countryside, underground stations and installations, and the exploitation of the latter. They also carry out special operations and the most dangerous routine missions. To summarise the current balance of power between the three post-war superpowers, the Commonwealth has the best industry, the Communist People's Republic has the largest population, while the Nazi Reich has the most advanced, best equipped military force.
The military also acts as a police force, keeping a tight rein on the Commonwealth's inhabitants to maintain their own order and keep their power stable. Dissenters, criminals and troublemakers are arrested, and those who are dissidents or who try to start a riot are quietly removed, by the Commonwealth's secret police.
In addition, the Commonwealth militias have a pre-war stockpile of top-quality weapons and equipment, which they are expanding by acquiring new territories and manufacturing in their own factories. They are equipped with the best pre-war weapons, such as the HK416 assault rifles and the M4A1 carbines. They have acquired top-quality pre-war equipment such as high-grade bulletproof vests, hazmat suits, biohazard gears, gas masks, and other expendable raw materials and supplies. They have also acquired incredible amounts of technology such as working computers, generators and a nuclear reactor.
The Commonwealth divided their headquarters, bases and territories both inside and outside their borders into several districts and numbered, alphabetical sectors. Examples include one of the most dangerous districts, the Death Sector, and the Dark Zone where biological weapons were deployed during the war. After the Nuclear Holocaust, it became deserted, especially after the most dangerous deadly mutants appeared and took over the city, making it their basic habitat.
History[]
Origin[]
During the global conflict that followed the Third World War, known as the Great War, the world's great powers deployed nuclear weapons, leading to the total destruction of the United States and the entire world. In November 2050, when the air raid sirens sounded in Colorado's major cities like Denver, Colorado Springs and Aurora, thousands of Americans fled for safety to underground shelters, subways and bunkers - As the bombs fell, the US Army, National Guard, police and other authorities fled to the cities' underground shelters, bunkers and subway stations to evacuate as many people as they could.
Later, some of the Pentagon, US military, politicians and scientists who had fled to the Mount Cheyenne Complex (NORAD) formed the national emergency government organization, the United Central Command. They managed, among other things, underground shelters, subway stations and gay bunkers in cities across the state of Colorado. Survivors were kept alive in the hope that the president and his cabinet would help them and rebuild the country. Initially this proved successful, but over the years a sense of despair, fear and claustrophobia took over, leaving communities unable to hold together.
By 2055, the link with the President, NORAD and other centres was finally broken. Supplies dwindled, radiation and the appearance of mutated beasts and monsters from the surface increased fear, tension and despair, causing communities to break apart and anarchy and chaos to break out underground. Armed conflict broke out between increasingly distrustful and hostile stations, which the Command was unable to control and finally collapsed.
Establishment of the Commonwealth[]
The Commonwealth of America was formed after the collapse of the United Central Command five years after the Great War in the ruins of Denver. It was one of the first factions to rise from the ruins of the former United States and eventually become a superpower. Initially the Commonwealth, it functioned as a confederation of surviving factions and colonies around the city of Denver. It was made up of the United States Army, the National Guard, various government agencies, former officials, scientists, politicians and businessmen.
At their head was Brigadier General Frank Wilson, formerly of the United Central Command, who sought to bring together the survivor communities living in the depths of the earth in Colorado. Brigadier General Wilson seized power and declared martial law. He joined forces with remaining military leaders, government officials and local community leaders to restore order, curb anarchy and armed survivalist groups and mutants. They quickly succeeded in forcibly expelling the armed rebels and monsters from the region and bringing the remaining communities together. Soon the city of Denver became a symbol of hope for survival and rebuilding in the chaos. And Brigadier General Wilson was seen as their father and saviour. Soon after, Wilson and other leaders loyal to him officially proclaimed the "Commonwealth of Nations" with Denver as its "capital". Soon Wilson began rebuilding and unifying communities throughout the state of Colorado underground, as well as equitably distributing resources and supplies.
The Commonwealth became one of the most influential factions in the region. Commonwealth leaders saw themselves as the heirs of the United States and their goal was to restore constitutional government. They aimed to preserve and spread the Constitution and American ideals, which they expanded by promoting their policies of reconstruction and centralization. They built up their capitalist economic policies, and in a short time their Confederate trading cities became their underground trade routes and key points of entry for merchants. In a short time they became incredibly wealthy, building and developing their own industry and infrastructure. They also began to manufacture weapons, ammunition, vehicles, equipment, gas masks and vaccines in their underground factories. Soon they contacted post-war factions such as the American Confederacy and the North American Union with which they had formed alliances.
To protect their country, they created their own militia, the "Commonwealth Army", which became the main force of the Commonwealth, made up of the former United States Armed Forces, Special Forces, National Guard and volunteers. New threats have emerged, with various thugs, anarchists and riot factions attacking peaceful city-states for looting and kidnapping. In response, the Commonwealth Army liquidated the criminal forces in the faction territories. Thereafter, the faction was mostly characterised by order and stability. At the same time, the "Stalkers" were created to go up to the surface of cities contaminated with radiation and biological weapons to search for supplies, equipment, weapons, ammunition and useful resources for the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth has focused on reclaiming more and more of the surface and shelter areas.
Brigadier General Wilson's initially militaristic and authoritarian policies were eventually tempered to restore order and security, and a Senate was created, whose members were intergovernmental and military officials. The Commonwealth was then characterised by democracy and freedom. Free elections were introduced and city-states like Polis were established. It wanted to create a reborn nation of peace, freedom, equality and justice.
The Coup d'état[]
Three years after General Wilson was due to launch the search for the NORAD Complex, he died unexpectedly and tragically. His death was caused by a sudden cardiac arrest, but few suspected that he was actually the victim of a coup. He was poisoned by another member of the former United Central Command, Colonel Richard Sullivan, to take control of the Commonwealth. In Tikta, he made a deal with an influential post-war secret backroom power organisation, the "Observers", made up of remnants of the CIA (they want to control US factions from the backroom to maintain the "balance" and drive out the remnants of foreign occupation forces and their spies in the post-nuclear holocaust Great American Wasteland. ) Sullivan's motivation was that if the country was left unchecked and allowed to become a bastion of democracy again, with "weak, corrupt, incompetent" leaders, the Commonwealth would suffer the same fate as the United Central Command and the US government. Sullivan has sought to crack down on his political opponents, rallying those loyal to him and putting elitists, bureaucrats, military and civilian officials at the head of the Senate.
Birth of the Greater American Republic[]
Sullivan, the undercover agent, after seizing power (partly under pressure from the Observers) began to form his own state apparatus. He imposed Spartan order and discipline, and placed the communities of Colorado's city-states (Denver, Colorado Springs, Aurora, Lakewood, Fort Collins) under stricter military rule and control. Later, they sought to bring all the Colorado city-states under one flag for tighter control, and then proclaimed the "Greater American Republic". They considered their own country the true and rightful successor to the United States. Although they retained the Commonwealth of Nations as their secondary name and in the insignia of their flag, their official and recognized new name is the "Colonial United States of America" as the third name of the "GAR". The new republic began its expansionist and imperialist policies and began to colonize cities in states outside of Colorado. The aim was to recapture much of America, to acquire as many resources and supplies as possible, and to become the leading power over what remained of America. Many smaller communities and factions peacefully joined the Commonwealth, which offered stability and protection in return for payment. Other factions, however, were forced to join by military force and refused to join, especially those that did not recognize the power of the Republic.
Restrictions & New Laws and Ideology[]
The new leadership of the Commonwealth has transformed itself from a military democracy into a totalitarian capitalist rule and an oligarchic militaristic deep state. The new government maintains the appearance of democracy and freedom, as long as everyone obeys strict rules and order. They have built up a corrupt corporate system and a strict police state and have also created border guards and customs officers at the trading posts of neighbouring factions. Much of the austerity was put in place because of the emergence and threat of new species of deadly mutants and anomalies. Anyone who defies or speaks out against the Commonwealth government is labeled a "traitor" and arrested. Marijuana and other drugs have been banned, and anyone illegally possessing or selling them will also be arrested. There has been a spate of arrests, imprisonment and executions, with anyone who commits even a minor crime being tried and convicted immediately, and executed for more serious offences or sedition. Strict immigration policies and border controls were introduced, with no one allowed to cross the borders of the Republic in or out without a proper passport and documentation. However, there were some border guards who could be beaten and eventually admitted into the country. However, there have been reports from residents of the Republic of an increasing number of admitted refugees, poor and homeless people disappearing under mysterious circumstances. These people are secretly kidnapped by the Commonwealth secret service and executed in a secluded place. This is due to the fact that the government of the Republic does not tolerate refugees, outsiders, poor and homeless people in their country, considering them "useless" and "parasites of society".
Conflicts[]
Many people rebelled against the totalitarian regime of the Greater American Republic, first starting internal riots and demonstrations, but these were violently suppressed, and then a civil war broke out. Guerrilla fighting broke out in many areas of the Commonwealth, which was defeated with losses of varying degrees. However, with the fanatical soldiers of Lieutenant Colonel Dwight Robinson, formerly loyal to Colonel Sullivan, and Major William Sanders of the Swat unit, they left the country at the end of the war and declared their own nations.
The Republic later, when it got back on its feet, found that it was not alone in its quest to be the heir to the late United States. Two other superpower factions plan to conquer much of the United States. One is the American Reich, a neo-Nazi faction from the north, and the other is the Communist People's Republic of America from the northwest. Soon they had not only ideological differences but also territorial claims, which led to the outbreak of the Second American Civil War. The bloody conflict, which lasted for a year, ended in a ceasefire agreement between the three factions. Although the Commonwealth is in a truce with the other two superpowers, it has begun to make reciprocal deals with both factions, profiting greatly by gaining access to resource-rich areas in the states of Utah and Wyoming.
Establishment of the Colonial Army[]
The Commonwealth government soon created a new special military force, the Colonial Army. It was modelled on the Marine Corps and the Continental Army, made up of elite, battle-hardened soldiers, and designed to explore and colonise new territories both above and below ground. It was Colonel Sullivan who ordered the capture of the NORAD Complex, which General Wilson had wanted to take before his death. The Colonialists were tasked by Sullivan to take the secret defense bunker.
When a new race of hostile, intelligent, humanoid mutants, the "Mind Ones" began attacking the Commonwealth's underground city-states and military outposts, the Colonial Army was sent to the surface to find and destroy the monsters' Habitat. The Commonwealth government will do whatever it takes to exterminate these creatures in the name of humanity no matter what the cost.