OUR ENEMIES
Carrien
Of obvious Darknight creation, these animals are every Shiver's nightmare. Walking nights on the Wall, you can hear the screamed communication of too close families of the fierce creatures. Occasionally they will make a direct try on the wall, leaping about like fleas, vicious in their resolve. Lead, steel, and explosives do their part to keep the nightmare at bay, but believe me, the men and women who man the wall perform heroic feats every day. For the carrien are cunning, and each day brings them closer to breaking us all. We are at war, and most of Mort thinks it is just great TV.
There is no doubt in my mind of the intelligence of these beasts. Operative reports outline sometimes hive-like behavior; others, savage tribal structure, or none at all. They are fearless, remorseless, and ruthless. Bands of the monsters that get through the Wall can wipe out an entire block before they are spotted and the B.P.N.'s are issued. Unfortunately, they are sometimes more subtle, become fortified and prey on the citizens at their leisure.
And types are just as diverse as their ways. While we can generalize them into five groups, the number of subgroups is quickly becoming hard to track. Named for their attack strategies, they are easily known. The Horde is known by it sheer numbers, who can come wave after wave, rely on brute strength, and are seldom seen retreating. Shadows are rarely seen at all, choosing prey carefully, rising out of the darkness behind you. The Insane
are known by their erratic behavior, general disorder in patterns, and are the only carrien that will eat their own. Retreaters rely on the brave hardy and foolish, for those who follow, ambush awaits. The last and most deadly are the Reapers. They are not easily known, as they pick and chose their methods on whim, or with near genius intelligence. Blessed are we, for they are the fewest.
Human
Sometimes the scariest things we face are ourselves. Along with petty criminals of every type, there are murderers, serial killers, the insane, and those who want to destroy it all. With every act of violence shown on the great entertainer, it becomes easier for those people who wouldn't normally do that kind of thing. Luckily we have two things on our side, operatives and gangs.
Operatives are, of course, the ones who commit most of the violence we see on TV, but generally they are on our side. And while we don't get much training, they are trained to peek performance, and capable of handling most of the really dangerous situations we can come up against. Believe me, it is a whole lot easier cleaning up after a Manchine, than actually taking one out.
Gangs, believe it or not, are our second most effective countermeasure against crime. Most of us have our roots in gangs, and still have ties, which sometimes come in handy. Try tracking a serial killer though Downtown without a serious network of informants. Gangs are also mainly into petty crime, and turn on their own when they go to far. Hell, who can fault them for wanting to have a little fun?
Contrary to popular rumors, there are no gangs involved in Skin Trade. In fact, most information points to Soft Company agencies. These companies are very hard to track down, even harder to catch. No one knows who the customers are, or what becomes of the children. More and more go missing each day, with no end in sight. Undercover operatives are becoming better at stopping the criminals, yet are still not enough.
Aliens
Fortunately most of the aliens on Mort are operatives. There have been on occasion rogue Ebb users, who can do a lot of damage before they are stopped. But generally the Preceptor takes care of these renegades. Criminal Shaktars are very rare indeed, due to their system of honor, and those who break it usually draw unwanted attention from their own. Wraith Raiders are known to take pot shots at Shivers, never fatal; most believe they are simply having fun.
Imported viruses and diseases are our most damaging alien. This problem is being addressed by the Management, which is due to release more effective measures at the New Year.
Back to the front.