BioNet (Phase 2)
For an organization so built around changing, the role of BioNet has remained rather the same following the collapse of the Earth Federation and the death of the former ‘leader’, Dr Thanatos.
They remain, as they ever were, a bunch of loosely aligned opportunists and criminals, with a range of goals: wealth, power, excitement and advancing humanity without any of those pesky ‘ethics’.
Following the outlawing of Cyber-Newtype labs in the Earth Sphere after the Singularity-1 Incident, BioNet have found a new market share in keeping these operations running off the books, and BioNet, in addition to their outsized resources, are also now the subject matter experts on a bunch of projects that former Earth Federation nations had to at least make the appearance of shutting down. Certainly, Cathedra and the Grand Glorious Guard knock them down on the regular, but such is simply the way of these things.
The branches of organized crime, science crime, and good old regular fun times crime have some siloing, mostly in the interests of the thieves and mafia getting cold feet due to the whole secret science experiments to make new monstrosities. The various ‘members’ pay ‘union dues’ to the organization in exchange for the protections and resources BioNet can provide.
Perhaps most interestingly, BioNet have found themselves with a lead on the forbidden GUND Format… and with the format coming back into fashion after Shin Sei’s Aerial Gundam made its appearance at Asticassia, BioNet are looking for ways to exploit for their own goals, something Cathedra is hell bent on stopping.
In the end, though, BioNet is still BioNet. The cockroaches of the Earth Sphere have adapted- and it seems nothing will ever truly wipe them out.
Major Characters
Leonard Testarossa - After felling Mithril, causing the dissolution of the Shuffle Alliance, and delivering Amalgam their victory on a silver platter, Leonard Testarossa has decided to dabble in the crime game - and to him, it really is a game. Leonard has no real interest in advancing BioNet’s larger agenda; it’s all rather meaningless to him. But it is an interesting diversion until he fixes this rotten world.
Catherine Vuitton - A woman who wants to be the World’s Richest Millionaire, Catherine Vuitton is the head of the Pink Cats, an all-female organization of thieves. An utterly ridiculous woman with an equally ridiculous taste in machines, Catherine Vuitton provides an interesting diversion from some of BioNet’s worse crimes, presenting the organization with a veneer of ‘fun’ that muddies the waters - after all, it’s hard not to root for someone mostly inconveniencing the rich and powerful.
Grace O’Connor - To all appearances the manager for one of the Earth Sphere’s fastest rising idols, but underneath the exterior lies a woman hellbent on control - be it of the Vajra, of humanity, or of the entire galaxy. Still, Grace is a master manipulator and most adept of the Galaxy Conspirators, and has no qualms using whoever she needs, however she needs.
Julia Ampere - The woman known as the Energy Thief, Julia Ampere is known for a series of high profile thefts of energy sources across the Earth. Noted for sending a warning before every heist and her flamboyant style, Julia Ampere presents a front of simply doing this for nothing more than her own enjoyment… though of course, there’s always the possibility it’s not a front at all.
Juuga - Of the Kaiju Users known as the Kaiju Eugenicists, Juuga is the one most open to talking to others outside their group. An affable seeming man, Juuga is more likely to talk instead of leaping to a fight and work with others. He would rather have others join their cause, than stand against them- but will still fight when all peaceful entreaties have failed.
Key Questions
This Section Intentionally Left Blank
Tension Points With Other Factions
Gaia Sabers: In some cases, the devil you know is better than the devil you don't. While officially, the Gaia Sabers and BioNet are shoot on sight with each other, the quieter elements of both groups can occasionally reach mutual understanding.
Space Assembly League: Officially, the kill-on-sight stance between these organizations is a matter of basic criminality versus the enforcement of law. Unofficially, however, the 'technology as liberation from genetic tyranny' attitude common in BioNet is something that needs to be inherently bad for Chairman Durandal's understanding of reality to work in the long term.
Cathedra: Mutual kill on sight. BioNet is exactly what Cathedra exists to blow up without hesitation.
NERV: The removal of organizations like the Gutsy Global Guard and the Brave Police from NERV's remit has actually cooled down hostilities between NERV and BioNet. There's even a little shared DNA there that might have a chance to blossom now...?
Grand Glorious Guard: This relationship has not changed since the 0070s. Do you think it's going to change now????
Terminal: It's funny how hard it is for "we love human experimentation" to open dialogue with an organization whose higher-ups overwhelmingly either are former human experiments or are emotionally entangled with same.
Dawn of Fold: There's definitely a mutual tech trade going on here. The only obstacle they face is whether their heavily transformative ideas regarding the Earth Sphere are actually compatible.
Satellicon: While there's definitely no love lost between most of Satellicon and most of BioNet... what remains of Amalgam is still a mutual enemy. Despite very different visions of the future, there's a little room to cooperate here, if Satellicon has the stomach.
Anti-Earth Cooperative Federation: Similar modus operandi, similar goals, and similar enemies go a long way toward making allies of convenience. Amalgam remnants hiding in the AECF are a problem, but probably a problem for later.
Yaman Rebellion: BioNet could play ball with the rebellion for a little while to get access to its technology; however, sometimes you just smell the bullshit on the other person too strongly.