Wasteland Rules: Kill or Be Killed (The World After Book 1) (27 page)

1.
     
Kill
or Be Killed

2.
     
There
are only Friends or Enemies

3.
     
Don’t
leave an Enemy at your back

4.
     
A
gun is the great equalizer

5.
     
Don’t
Waste Ammo

6.
     
Mind
your Own business

7.
     
Always
Pay Attention

8.
     
Water
is Life

9.
     
Take
everything you can carry, you never know what you might need

10.
 
Always
watch your back

11.
 
If
you can’t fight, run; if you can’t run, hide; if you can’t hide, fight

12.
 
The
safest looking place is always a trap

13.
 
The
weak serve the strong

14.
 
Never
sleep in the open

15.
 
Always
be prepared

18.
 
You
can never have enough ammo

The Aftermath – The chain of events following the
Collapse that led to the virtual destruction of the planet as we know it. It
started with an exchange of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons; and
ended with violent storms and climate change.

Bikers – Gangs of traditional one-percenters (outlaw
bikers) that ride the highways looking for victims.

Burners – Small gangs of young men on performance
bikes. They are multicultural in make-up.

C.C.A. – Confederated Cities of America – Sometimes
referred to as the Second Confederacy. It is a loosely affiliated group of
southern cities. They share economic and military ties. It was formed after the
U.S.T.G. conquest of Cincinnati. They are loosely allied with the New Republic
of Texas.

The Collapse – The collapse of society and
civilization brought on by a crop virus that wiped out most of the world’s food
supplies. Wars and rioting resulting from the famine caused the collapse of all
the world’s governments. It was followed the Aftermath.

The Collective – They are an insular group of
technologists that control part of the West Coast. They make heavy use of
cloning and cybernetics.  They are very advanced technologically and not altogether
human. They are connected into a semi-hive mind by the LINC. It is controlled
by former software billionaire Stefan Doors.

Drinker – Large mutants that appeared in the
Aftermath. They get their name from the fact that they drink human blood for
sustenance and their mouths are often stained red.

Drone – A human being implanted with a computer chip
in their brain that makes them little more than a robot. Often they are clones.
They were created by the Collective. Used for labor and as soldiers.

Express Station – A fortified gas station and
convenience store. One chain is run by Texas.

FedPol – Federal Police – The national police force
of the U.S.T.G. They are the only law enforcement in the U.S.T.G and are a
combination of the FBI and local law enforcement.

Freehold – A free town located in the wasteland.

Hauler’s Guild – Formed from the remnants of the
Teamsters Union, almost all long haul truckers belong. They provide protection
for their armored trucks and are a powerful political force. The threat of
cutting off shipping to any faction usually wins concessions for the Guild.
Based in Indianapolis under the “protection” of the U.S.T.G., they are still
generally politically neutral.

Humek – A human being who underwent radical surgery
to have cybernetics implanted in them. They are the most loyal followers of the
Collective. They do have some free will.

LINC – Layered Integrated Neural Connection – A
wireless network that connects the members of the Collective into a semi-hive
mind. Users with total access can see anything any connected member sees or
access any connected members sensory memories.

Merks – A generic term for mercenaries. They are
general considered unreliable but willing to do anything for money. They have
no overall organization.

New Republic of Texas – N.R.T. – Often just referred
to as Texas or the New Republic. New Republic dollar or NRD is their currency.

Night Children – Also called Children of the Night –
They are families of cannibals that existed underground before the Collapse.
They now operate more openly, trapping and eating travelers in their
booby-trapped lairs.

The Order – A well organized group of Neo-Nazis that
have taken control of large parts of Louisiana and Mississippi.

The Outfit – A large and well organized group of
merks. They have their origins in the private military companies that were
prevalent before the Collapse. They are well equipped and only take on large
well-paying jobs. Their biggest customer is rumored to be the U.S.T.G.

Raiders – They are gangs of criminals that attack
travelers and settlements. They are organized into a clan structure and mark
themselves with tattoos on their foreheads.

Reapers – The remains of a European Union invasion
force. Infamous for their cannibalism, they ravaged the remains of the East
Coast.

Regulators – A slang term for the Brotherhood of
Justice – It was formed by former law enforcement officers to protect their
communities. Later multiple smaller groups merged into the larger organization
that is spread across the wasteland. It is headquartered in Texas and receives
some financial assistance from them. They pay bounties for criminals and often
perform basic law enforcement duties in unaligned towns.

Roadhouse – A fortified compound housing at least a
hotel and restaurant. They are usually built up around hotels at key road
junctions like interstate exchanges. They are well fortified and well-guarded.

Technical – A pickup or SUV armored and armed with a
heavy weapon like a machine gun.

U.S.T.G. – United States Territorial Government –
The remnants of the old United States of America It is a single party state run
by the former Vice President Rickard Channing and the Neo-Conservative Party.
It is a very structured and controlled economy and culture. Very expansionist,
they lay claim to the entire continent of North America.  It is a repressive
police state. The U.S.T.G. dollar is their form of currency.

Wrecker’s Guild – This is a loose organization of
tow truck drivers and wreckers. They retrieve broken down vehicles and scavenge
damaged or abandoned ones. They drive armored tow trucks and are generally
unmolested.