The Breach

The Quad was once a thriving area within San Francisco under the direction of Travel Corp, a megacorporation known for gathering rare resources and bringing those resources back to Earth. In a greedy effort to find ways to transport their off-world colonies to new locations as one whole entity, the Board of Travel Corp (TC) invested billions of dollars into experimental trans-dimensional technologies. They hoped to cut costs and ramp up production time by moving existing settlements from unprofitable planets to ones creating better profits.

However, corporate espionage led their future in a new direction.

In an unscheduled test, Travel Corp's trans-dimensional technology landed The Quad far away. Now, Travel Corp's sin still taints The Quad with the ruins of their tower. The structure is untouched mainly due to the radioactive waves emitting from its husk. It is now a black, unlit reminder towering above the tallest structures, even after losing its top half. Many who were near the tower when the test occurred, what is now called The Great Breach by The Quad, died not long after from exposure. Worse still, the Quad was now at the bottom of a crater, and every night, a fog drifted into the city, bringing creatures of unspeakable horror into The Quad's outer edges. Occasionally, the crater's wind pushes tendrils deeper into the streets to areas it usually does not reach, creating what the residents of The Quad call "The Creep."

Five years have passed, and the people have had a hard life rebuilding what was once a thriving metropolis. There are still pockets here and there within poorer districts that had no means or resources to claw their way back and rebuild. Destroyed cars, buildings, walls, skeletons, and even military equipment may be found long abandoned in these areas.

In the rebuilding, the megacorps secured their own districts, interests, and resources before building the Great Wall. In their shadows, people formed governments to re-establish law and order. Each district now acts as its own micro-city under the influence of its betters, the megacorporations. Together the Megacrops and government representitives form the Syndicate working to guide the whole of the Quad. For survival, each micro-city begs, borrows, and trades valuable resources with one another.

Now, the public network runs on the large radio towers broadcasting spiderweb data from the tallest buildings. Citizens of the quad can access the general internet, TV, and radio, which are all still available. However, corporate data centers and servers are more localized and do not touch this public network for fear of hackers.

The streets are plagued with gangs, law enforcement blockades, the private military of the megacorps, and operators who are all trying to scrape by. Because of this, many citizens only travel within their district, venturing out as needed or when work becomes available. It is not uncommon for citizens of The Quad to have no idea what is going on with the opposite side of the city unless it makes the news broadcast.