What Remains

The emergence of individuals with inhuman abilities changed the world for good. Of course the knowledge of these mutants lead to paranoia and violence. As more people displayed powers, the humans became afraid and the war started. After the first few years, humans realized that they could not win, so they began to pour tons of resources into developing technology that would at least get them on the same page.

The use of graphene, electromag emitters, and zero-point opened up a universe-worth of new opportunities for humanity. They were fighting back, better able to keep up with their inhuman adversaries. The war was brought to a standoff between the two species. Neither side could gain a clear advantage over the other, so a Summit was held and a cease-fire was reached. Officially, neither side would act against the other.

For a time this worked out well. 3rd world countries were modernized bringing them to the equivelant of North America in the late 2040's. 1st world countries became technological paradises. So updated, these countries entered a new era of prosperity. Of course the fighting didn't end completely. There was still plenty of prejudice in the world, and that hatred often spilled out into the street.

The military of the humans, no longer having an official war to wage, turned inward, looking to protect those humans within their own borders. Hatred, of course, goes both way. Prejudice against the inhumans ran rampant, and to make matters worse, they got away with it. Tensions are rising. It's only a matter of time before the strain becomes too much to handle.

Power:

The world's powersource changed in 2031 when it was discovered that earth's resources were nearly depleted completely. To save the species, scientists were able to harness Zero-Point Energy, or ZPE using advanced generators designed to pull the quantum particles from the universe. The same energy is also used to power the human's combat technology.

Human soldiers:

Humans continue to volunteer for service, but because of a shortage of volunteers and the rough conditions under which they labor, soldiers are granted certain benefits during and after their tours, including financial compensation that allows them to lead very comfortable lives, and a drug that significantly bolsters their immune system.

After basic training is complete, every soldier is assigned to a company and sorted by their performance and according to their strengths and weaknesses. From their they are placed in their platoon and their squad, where they will spend most of their time in the military.

RIST:

Short for Resisting Inhuman Strike Terrorism, this anti-enhanced activist group has been in the news quite often since the first appearance of people with abilities. Similar to the KKK, this global gang commits acts of violence and hate against anyone identifying as inhuman. Though their presence can be found across the globe, locating a RIST cell has been extremely problematic, as they use unconventional means to organize meetings and communicate with each other using a secret code that no one has been able to decypher. It is believed that their constant pressure against the inhuman community only fuels the fire be humans and the enhanced, and will one day lead to another, more deadly war.

Legion:

If RIST has an opponent almost identical to themselves, it would be Legion. A group of like-minded inhuman individuals saw their people become targets of hate and misunderstanding, and chose to do something about it. They formed the Legion, a self-described resistance movement comprised strictly of inhumans fighting back against the humans who seek to hurt them. In the beginning it wasn't much of a rebellion, but over time their numbers grew exponentionally, as did their goals. Now aimed to overthrow whole regimes, Legion uses propaganda to lure other inhumans to their cause. Between Legion and RIST, those caught in the middle can't really tell the difference between the two.

Zodiak:

Employing their new technology, the Americans have formed a special elite task force, whose goal is simple: protect human innocents from the war being waged by inhumans. In the beginning, they fought on the front lines and in their own territories, trying to eliminate hostile inhumans when they threatened their human cousins. Just like any other army, much of what they did was good and much of what they did was bad. With the war over, Zodiak has been tasked with keeping the peace within their borders.

Sgt Onyx Griffin:

Onyx is a soldier in Dragon Company. Not just any soldier, but a damn good soldier. As a seargent and commander of his squad Onyx exemplifies and embodies everything Zodiak represents. He is known for his ability to get the job done, no matter what it took. His squad trusts him completely, and have followed him to victory time and time again. Recently, however, there are some that have noticed that he is 'going soft'. No longer is he a ruthless hunter. His squad still trusts him, however.

Army specifics:

Zodiac is considered the elite of the elite, the very best that can be afforded. They are exceptionally well trained, intelligent, and loyal to the cause. Each soldier is given a chemical hormone treatment that elevates their senses slightly and increases their brain power, allowing them to process and store information much more quickly than a regular human. This chemical also extends the life of the recipient significantly by reducing the amount of damage a strand of DNA suffers every time it regenerates. Certainly won't make one live forever, but the life expectancy for a recipient is roughly double the average human lifespan.

Each Company serves the whole, but can very easily thrive autonomously should the need arise. There are standing orders for each one, should the government ever collapse suddenly. These companies are named after the aspects of the Western Zodiac, with the exception of Dragon company, each one containing 240 soldiers when fully staffed. Each Company is comprised of 4 Platoons of 60 soldiers, and each Platoon is made up of 12-man Squads. Squads are commanded by sergeants or staff sergeants, Platoons by lieutenants and an NCO, and Companies by a captain.

Of all the different companies, Dragon Company is considered the best, having competed more missions with a higher success rate and fewer soldiers lost in battle than any other. Greenies fresh out of basic receive both high praises and dirty, jealous glares if they are chosen to serve in Dragon. While the other Companies are very capable on their own, Dragon consistently out-performs all.


Advancements:

A lost has changed since the war. Improvements in the understanding of DNA and nano-technology have skyrocketed the medical community lightyears ahead of where they were, making procedures used in the late 2010's look like sadistic practices from the dark ages. Major diseases that were once death sentences can be treated, occasionally cured. Prosthetics can be made to be almost completely invisible to the naked eye. Construction takes about 1/3 of the time is used to take, as more and more contractors use exo-suits to increase productivity in individual workers. Zodiac functions as a rapid response team outside of wartime, and local police are better equipped to handle hostile situations. Hunger is almost non-existent now. Governments all over the world provide the necessities of life at no cost to the recipient. People are living longer, healthier lives.


Power source:

Clean energy is a reality. We've stopped mining precious natural resources from the Earth and instead looked into cleaner, more efficient ways to power our lives. Combustion engines are a thing of the past, as everything has been switched to renewable and plentiful resources, such as solar power, quantum energy, and the like. We don't have to refuel our cars any more. No longer do people use coal or even wood to heat their main residence. Everything is clean, even in the poorer countries.

Military personnel use quantum-entangled batteries to power their technology. The batteries are small, so they are easy to carry. They are quite stable so far.

Combat:

The days of pushing a button and destroying an enemy base are long gone. The end of the Human/Inhuman war closed that chapter, seemingly for good, simply because the capabilities of both sides have transcended the usefulness of launching a drone strike or launching an ICBM. The inhumans have far more effective means to destroy human targets, and the humans know that launching such strikes would surely be returned by global fire and death. Fighting is done the way it was done in the first two World Wars.

To keep up with their inhuman adversaries, the humans employed the use of rare metals and quantum energy to create weapons and armors. Standard issue armor for a human is a composite set of graphene and kevlar, to create a protective, lightweight battle suit that allows the wearer to move freely while staying protected. Of course it is far from invulnerable, but it is more protective than a Storm Trooper's armor.

The suit is powered by a special energy storage unit built into the helmet. Each suit has a maximum usage time of 48 hours, if all functions are engaged constantly. If the suit is put into low-power mode, it can last an entire week, providing only the mandatory functions as set by the wearer. The suit provides constant feedback to the wearer, providing important information to the user through the helmet or visor.

Full suits are capable of full exclusion, meaning that they can close around the wearer and seal themselves air tight, should the environmental conditions become harmful to human life. This comes at the cost of significant resource usage, so it is advised only to use the full exclusion system as a last resort, and only in short bursts.

Jump jets are mounted to the back and the boots, providing extra lift to propel the user into the air. Flight is theoretically possible, but insanely difficult to control, as there are no wings or flaps to alter balance and direction effectively.

The inside of the suit contains a sturdy structure of graphene bars which enhance the wearer's speed, strength, and durability. Again, not invulnerable, but certainly more resistant to the most common forms of damage.

The helmet/visor provides update information about the user's surroundings, including oxygen levels, gravity, damage to the suit, power levels, as well as functioning as a warning system as threats close into range of the soldier.

Army specifics:

Zodiac is considered the elite of the elite, the very best that can be afforded. They are exceptionally well trained, intelligent, and loyal to the cause. Each soldier is given a chemical hormone treatment that elevates their senses slightly and increases their brain power, allowing them to process and store information much more quickly than a regular human. This chemical also extends the life of the recipient significantly by reducing the amount of damage a strand of DNA suffers every time it regenerates. Certainly won't make one live forever, but the life expectancy for a recipient is roughly double the average human lifespan.

Each Company serves the whole, but can very easily thrive autonomously should the need arise. There are standing orders for each one, should the government ever collapse suddenly. These companies are named after the aspects of the Western Zodiac, with the exception of Dragon company, each one containing 240 soldiers when fully staffed. Each Company is comprised of 4 Platoons of 60 soldiers, and each Platoon is made up of 12-man Squads. Squads are commanded by sergeants or staff sergeants, Platoons by lieutenants and an NCO, and Companies by a captain.

Of all the different companies, Dragon Company is considered the best, having competed more missions with a higher success rate and fewer soldiers lost in battle than any other. Greenies fresh out of basic receive both high praises and dirty, jealous glares if they are chosen to serve in Dragon. While the other Companies are very capable on their own, Dragon consistently out-performs all.


Advancements:

A lost has changed since the war. Improvements in the understanding of DNA and nano-technology have skyrocketed the medical community lightyears ahead of where they were, making procedures used in the late 2010's look like sadistic practices from the dark ages. Major diseases that were once death sentences can be treated, occasionally cured. Prosthetics can be made to be almost completely invisible to the naked eye. Construction takes about 1/3 of the time is used to take, as more and more contractors use exo-suits to increase productivity in individual workers. Zodiac functions as a rapid response team outside of wartime, and local police are better equipped to handle hostile situations. Hunger is almost non-existent now. Governments all over the world provide the necessities of life at no cost to the recipient. People are living longer, healthier lives.


Power source:

Clean energy is a reality. We've stopped mining precious natural resources from the Earth and instead looked into cleaner, more efficient ways to power our lives. Combustion engines are a thing of the past, as everything has been switched to renewable and plentiful resources, such as solar power, quantum energy, and the like. We don't have to refuel our cars any more. No longer do people use coal or even wood to heat their main residence. Everything is clean, even in the poorer countries.

Military personnel use quantum-entangled batteries to power their technology. The batteries are small, so they are easy to carry. They are quite stable so far.