The Institutions and Organisations
featured in Season Two
Clicking on any of the underlined links will take you to more information.
WHAT GOES UP.../...MUST COME DOWN: STA (Space Technology Agency)
Based both in the city and with a launch site in Guyana, the STA is responsible for both government and commercial Shuttle flights. Run by Colonel Stone, the facility is a state-of-the-art centre of advanced technology, with a legacy from less peaceful times in the form of Star Shield (a satellite-based weapon, which is controlled remotely by Zito in his attempts to disable the Excalibur shuttle mission). Security is seriously compromised during the Excalibur mission, with Zito able to lock-out Mission Control from the Guyana Launch Site from an area below STA itself.
WHAT GOES UP.../...MUST COME DOWN: The Global Bank
Financial institution who control the massive debts generated by Kituma, and who offer to settle the debts if the rumours concerning Kituma’s hidden platinum deposits can be confirmed by utilising the RX-44 satellite.
WHAT GOES UP.../...MUST COME DOWN: GNC (Global News Company)
News network who have the only remaining active journalist, Amanda Courtney, reporting on their behalf from Kituma after terrorist factions blow up all other existing lines of international communication. Used by the Bugs team on behalf of STA to communicate with the Kituman Government
BUGGED WHEAT: EAC (European Agronomy Council)
Organisation committed to the development of plants resistant to disease, which own and maintain a number of artificial "growing environments". One such environment is decimated by an unknown viroid, prompting Greenville (a EAC official) to call in the Gizmos team to investigate.
BUGGED WHEAT: Pesticorp
Massive Pesticide Corporation run by Dr. Croll. Spread over many floors of a vast, custom-built facility, Pesticorp manufactures chemicals capable of wiping out 96% of all known pests and diseases. With it’s own refining and distilling plants, and specially constructed storage areas, the company is an impressive example of a modern chemical plant.
BUGGED WHEAT: The Institute of Climatology
Another huge, custom-built facility for the observation and study of climate and weather conditions. Although not seen in detail, it is obviously a large and well-organised building.
BUGGED WHEAT: InsectTec
Company run by Dr Lemon (a rather eccentric individual) capable of the mass breeding and genetic manipulation of insects for specific tasks.
WHIRLING DERVISH: Strate Air
Owned by the charismatic Tyson Strate, the cut-price airline has been causing consternation amongst his competitors by offering competitive flights with in-flight bonuses (shielded seats for laptop use, personal video screens for each passenger). A cartel of it’s competitors lead by Jerome attempt to undermine Strate’s position by "faking" a number of supposed accidents, including the destruction of a Strate Air fuel site.
WHIRLING DERVISH: The Committee for Global Economic Equilibrium
Institution committed to the economic freedom of any individual, and their continued survival against what are often deliberate, negatively engineered market forces. However, Bixon (who claims to be working on behalf of the CGEE) has no such links with the Committee…instead he is working for Jean-Daniel.
WHIRLING DERVISH: Mindscope
Large, independent electronics and computing company with a focus on education. Selena Ormand is the head of their Direct Cerebral Encoding project, which allows subjects to speed learn a number of topics with a binary pulse dent directly into their brains
WHIRLING DERVISH: Air Contingency Command
The Military’s main Airbase. Bixon claims to be transmitting to Ros via ACC, but is in reality working from a deserted warehouse…
BLACKOUT: NRGen Corporation
Developers of the controversial Split Isotope Fusion Reactor, which is taken over by Pascal and her group of terrorists. Claimed to be both safe and pollution-free, the company’s claims are pushed to the limit as the Isotope Triggers are removed from the Reactor’s core, almost causing meltdown and a massive explosion. Despite their claims of increased safety the Station is full of potential safety concerns.
BLACKOUT: The Currency Exchange House
In the heart of the City’s financial district, the Exchange house is the central point for currency distribution. With it’s own failsafe and security system the Exchange is supposedly immune to external power failures, with a system that automatically seals the main vault if interference is detected. However, with a massive power surge from the NRGen Station and some clever modifications at the Currency house the Exchange’s computers are hit first by a massive power surge, and then fooled into automatically opening. Fortunately Beckett is able to prevent Lacombe and his accomplice Max from getting away with any stolen currency.
BLACKOUT: Pro-earth People's Front
Fictitious political group which Pascal uses as a front to hide her true intentions.
GOLD RUSH: The Eastern European Monetary Commission
Large, largely automated institution (protected by JBS Security) responsible for the regulation of a number of Eastern European currencies (excluding the Baltic mark) Their computer system is initially attacked by an airborne virus, which would have proved disastrous if not for the Commissions’ dynamic RAM-based computer memory, which Ed is able to remove seconds before the main computer system is destroyed. The Commission also holds all the Gold reserves of the Eastern European countries it regulates currency for: the gold is sealed in a special vault, protected by a specially designed Threat Analyser. Ed puts the system through a thorough workout when he is inadvertently trapped in the vault himself, and eventually manages to disable the laser units allowing him safe passage out.
GOLD RUSH: Bio Gro
Company recently taken over by Kristo, for whom Pyke is an employee. Developers and discoverers of Thiobacillus Auric Oxidans, a gold-eating microbe.
SCHRODINGER'S BOMB: The Bureau of Weapons [also mentioned, Episodes 9 & 10]
NEWTON'S RUN: SSD (Special Services Division)
NEWTON'S RUN: The Austin Institute
Centre for biotechnological development, where Dr Siegel has been developing and testing his artificial nervous system. Although only in the development stage, Siegel is able to produce a perfect result using a dog called Newton, which becomes the focus of attention for eco-terrorist Alkmaar.
NEWTON'S RUN: Nordic Front
Alkmaar’s terrorist group, responsible (amongst other things) for the deliberate destruction of an Arctic Oil Tanker…
NEWTON'S RUN: Facility 47
Top secret and highly sensitive facility in the centre of the city used for the stockpiling of an assortment of deadly conventional and biochemical weaponry, which Alkmaar intends to destroy.
THE BUREAU OF WEAPONS/A CAGE FOR SATAN: Cyberax
Corporate front for the machine intelligence also known as Cyberax, which is primarily concerned with the manufacture and distribution of bio-feedback units, which allow the Cyberax program to enter a human host. Manufacturers of the WALDO system that incapacitates both Roland Blatty and his staff at The Bureau of Weapons, the interactive control unit that destroys Briggs’ mind at the Particle Accelerator and which infects an unwitting Ros. Cyberax units are also present in every Academic institution in the country, as revealed by Ros’ old college tutor, Talbot.
THE BUREAU OF WEAPONS/A CAGE FOR SATAN: Technopolis
Futuristic super-city, built in the middle of Europe, the centrepiece of which is the Technopolis Tower, containing the single largest and fastest centre of computer processing in the world. Especially built by Jean-Daniel as "A Cage for Satan", he intends to lure Cyberax to the tower and subsequently hold the entity to ransom with the threat of "death" (the loss of the power supply) as his lever. Virtually deserted and underused (with the exception of the Ultimax Prison Facility) the city is a giant folly to Jean-Daniel’s dream of global domination. The local economy seems to depend largely on the growing of beetroot, which is turned into numerous products including a dubious red wine.
THE BUREAU OF WEAPONS/A CAGE FOR SATAN: Particle Accelerator
Massive facility which runs underneath the city, which Jean-Daniel is forced to use when his supply of Niobium 5 is exhausted. The facility and indeed the city is saved from annihilation by Ros, who fatefully sues a Cyberax bio-feedback unit to divert a stream of anti-matter away from the facility and into solid rock.
THE BUREAU OF WEAPONS/A CAGE FOR SATAN: The Ultimax Prison Facility
The cutting edge in modern incarceration, prisoners are kept in a permanent state of de-synchronised sleep, thus eliminating the need for either bars or wardens. Although the process seems inhumane, this method of detention allows the inmates at least to be free in their dreams.