A Different Kind / ADK

2015 A.D.

In the Beginning
Beginning in 2015, in the never-ending effort to develop interesting games for members and expand sources for funding, the gaming community ADK gradually forms a section of game testers for large-scale open beta projects, then converts that to a service for internal beta and alpha testing as numbers and expertise easily support the scheme. ADK becomes a large and growing off-site jobber for non-in house game testing, and then QA.

2025 A.D.

The Age of the Glyph (Reference: Virtual Retinal Display)
Large scale testing leads to fee-based pilot programs for testing other technical innovations initially associated with gaming. Significant among these are successors to AVEGANT’s Glyph. The Glyph pioneers retinal projection (no screens) and virtual environments that are projected directly into the human brain. This leads to advanced forms of embeds and neuro-transference technology like the Avegant Nest and Nestor that the ADK AB (alpha-beta) Group becomes increasingly exclusive for as the testing and white-paper QA/ProvingGround advisor.

2093 A.D.

First Troubles with Security
By 2051, having become a testing giant, membership now requires testing activity, and upper tier specialists now dominate a wide-ranging layer of fully-paid associates who are members for life. Separation is not permitted after 2067. Any member is a PAID member.

Subsequent to 2082, disappearing members become high-profile news and remain unsolved cases. Growth of technologies associated with neural embeds and spaceflight result in increasing security and tight vetting and control are the norm by 2093. High security, threats, kidnapping and corporate espionage are daily considerations, and gaming is a hobby – long forgotten as the organization’s original focus.

2140 A.D.

Isolation and First Starship
Synthesizing ideas from successful programs, as well as projects whose ideas were ultimately not allowed to proceed, ADK has become a source for technologies in its own right, and has R&D and other corporate assets in direct competition with some of its former clients. High levels of demand for its members’ participation in projects both military and private lead to a series of conflicts and legal proceedings that threaten the member-for-life and other programs that make the organization attractive to its membership. While some compromises are allowed (basically forced upon ADK)) stemming from the Brubaker vs Avegant case, by 2140 ADK has begun shutting its doors to the very outside organizations that had originally given birth to its corporate existence.
ADK’s first official starship is purchased – Zeus. It has been rumored that ADK owned an illegal prototype before this, but this has never been confirmed.

2157 A.D.

Caste System
No longer allowed to join other organizations or participate in military projects without special dispensation, ADK members are employed only by internal project and sub-organizational wings. Others become entrepreneurs that serve… unofficial demands…internally. These are ignored unless they become officially embarrassing or diplomatically awkward. Laissez-Faire commercially, the ongoing threats from outside organizations (known and unknown) cause an increasing reliance on only internal services.

Service specialties, titles and positions become semi-inherited, and a semi-caste system develops.

2212 A.D.

End of the Caste System, Rise of Ghosting
The caste system is abolished officially by 2194, but in its heyday the development of ‘Ghosting’ or creating a ‘continuous consciousness’ from one life to the next has created a competitive advantage for inheritors to remain in the same station as their ancestor.

By grafting the life experiences and most of the memories of the predecessor onto their heir’s consciousness, wisdom and education become exponentially compounded and give obvious informational and skill advantages. The process becomes a required tenet of ADK policy shortly before the end of the caste system, and executors are required to have any member’s successor designated prior to official duties being taken up by anyone. Expansion into the stars and the exponential increase in information required to deal with increased complexity renders the capability of persons educated through ghosting a blessing, and just in time.

Illuminatus Informatio,

The use of information from previous life-experiences includes the extended application of doing so right up to the moment of death whereby some knowledge is now garnered where persons have otherwise had a life extinguished by foul play or in situations where the author of the death blow would have otherwise remained unknown. Whilst the process is not perfect, it does lead to at least some information being possible to recover and is a known technique that leaked out from ADK II Security developments and is now in general use throughout UEE space and beyond. The utilization of collectivized ‘death-memories’ as they are referred to, in matrices for charting and collating suspicious or unauthorized deaths, is a specialty of the II, and not universally adopted or recognized.

2525 A.D.

Extension of the II and ADK Security Operations
ADK’s flourishing empire of commercial activities is always and systematically accompanied by significant and even paranoid concern with security and the ability to be self-sufficient in those areas that concern protection. The success and eminent size of the ADK security arm by 2300 is remarked upon by Gytre Rex-Pohl in his “Barbarian Idles” (2322, Aspet Lexus, Xi’an; Terran translation 2327, Cotre E-Dat ):

“The panoply of Terran security foible and accoutrement is evident in the ADK consideration and treatment of maneuver and planning for the ‘Stockholm Operations’ along the Perry Line in 2311. Were it not for the paranoid attention to even the most unreasonable potential risk, the template for understanding risk and reward for the period were possibly best epitomized by the planning of the ADK’s II for potential scenarios. It is, of course a known factor that these hairless monkeys are paranoid by nature, but brought to its pinnacle by the ADK II, it is a popular subject for Xi’an ribaldry”.

By 2523 ADK security arms are recognized as a reasonable and significant option for small operators and special operations. By this date, the II places restrictions on its use, hire, and dissemination of methodology.

By 2525, Security operations are subdivided into multiple activities and their operations are no longer made public.

Illuminatus Informatio,

The term Illuminati Informanti is first used in texts relating to Saleuri and his experimentation with historical mapping of long-cycles as predictive economic behavior for financial gain, but it is gradually adopted as a honorary title to cover most members of the leadership class, and even leading lights in the non official, but commercially successful civilian classes.

The II becomes the official organization hierarchy of the controlling interests in the organization. Family vote, and ancestral veneration are sometimes reported. Rules are established for becoming a member family or leaving a membership seat. Specific controls are placed on II

2715-2792 A.D.

Rise of Internal Stresses: Ancestor Veneration and the Luddites
Results from the long history of ghosting and inherited from some Terran belief systems gives rise to some strains of Ancestor Veneration. Particularly after the revelation in 2701 that Mio Ryuku of the II has publically referred to the practice, belief in Joss, and the extensive use of Joss paper becomes a significant if minority behavior.

In 2732, Luddite sympathies are ignited when some families are pressed into financially difficult conditions by shrinking economic realities and the result of several wars with the interplanetary consequences for supply. The Vanduul having begun their depredations the century before, by 2739 have caused serious economic dislocation. Combined with the results of failed ghosting procedures and failed cryo-recovery of poorer members without permissions to facilities (determined by precedence and credit contribution), causes a backlash against not only inanimate machinery, but direct confrontation with elements supporting Ancestor Veneration (as a result of their support of the status quo). Internal strife is periodic between 2739, and 2792. Gradual internal ADK suppression of the movements and the revolution on Terra resulting in the change in the Imperial family in 2792 extinguish this feud and the economic rebirth following the 2792 events keep them submerged.

Illuminatus Informatio,

There are entries that clearly point to the fact that the II favored the Joss faction and while the practice is not unknown in the II, it is not widespread. The general understanding one will received from the Informatio is that the status quo which included the II structures we see today were supported by the Joss faction, and revolution advocated by the Luddites was definitely not popular amongst those who were in the position to lose the most.

2795 A.D.

The Fair Chance Act is ratified with ADK support.

2867 A.D.

Creation of SecFor
Continued incursions from the Vanduul and tension with private organizations in the perimeter systems cause the expansion of the Security arm to include a paramilitary operating wing that includes volunteers from all departments. It is supported by the wealthy and manned by all, and gains the informal name SecFor. While this is popularly thought to derive from ‘Security Force’, it is originally from the Department name (in the 29thcentury these were referred to as ‘Sections’) “Section Four”.

2944 A.D.

Current Day
Operation Pitchfork is a very real Possibility.
ADK’s SecFor is at a crossroads. It can grow or remain a temporary Minute Man operation.
The rest of the Organization is at several crossroads as well. Internal taxation versus payment for services and contributions based on performance or merit, diplomatic ties versus continued isolationism. Rigid expansionism by defined goal or freeform growth based on freelancer historical behavior.
The Sky is not the limit. The sky is where we come from.
ADK’s horizon today, is the edge of the Galaxy, and our prospect, Type III on the Kardashev Scale!