Matrix Games

Vic (VR Designs) is hard at work on completing the upcoming Republica DLC for Shadow Empire, an expansion that places politics at the heart of the experience. This series of articles aims to explore each of the 9 political systems that will be playable with Republica DLC. 

The eight entry in the series is: "Tyranny". 

Autocratic Supreme Leaders are seen as an example to emulate at a lower scale by their henchmen, what could go wrong?

Moodboard: Tyranny

A pompous figure adorned in fancy clothing and gemstone jewelry, with a massive governor's chain around his thick neck, stood in front of the main view window. "Damn, damn," he mumbled. His face was as red as a tomato, twisted in fury. "Goddamn, what are those plebeian peons doing in front of our beautiful offices?" ask-shouted Governor Zoomray, known to his people as “the Gov.”

His security officers and police sergeants were blocking the raucous rabble outside from entering the administrative buildings. One of the sergeants reported to the Gov, “They are from the Southern District, and they want their children back.”

“Children?” inquired the Gov, “Which damned children?”
“Yes sir, remember the student protests a few weeks ago? The FEM? The Freedom & Equality Movement they called themselves. About two hundred or so. We took the whole bunch off the streets.”

Zoomray seemed to deflate a bit. “Yes, I remember,” he said, “didn’t I… ehm… personally participate in the… ehm… interrogations?” The sergeant hesitated, visibly uncomfortable, and received an elbow in the ribs from the senior officer standing next to him. The Gov fixed his gaze on the senior officer and snapped, “Holy frack, answer me!”

“Yes sir,” said the senior officer. “For crying out loud,” the Gov hissed, “just disperse them, will you… open fire, whatever! Make them disappear! And do it now!”

The senior officer quickly whispered orders to the police sergeants, and three of them trotted towards their squads at the gates. “Jeesh,” said the Gov to the embarrassed senior officer, “why do I have to do everything myself around here?”

Outside, the shouted orders of the sergeants could be heard as police squads tightened their lines, preparing for offensive operations. The Gov lit a cigar.

“I thought you might have wanted to talk to them first,” the senior officer replied. During this exchange, the junior officers had started inspecting the laces of their boots. The Gov put his hands on his hips and retorted, “Talk? What would you have me say? Your children are gone? I tortured them, killed some of them accidentally, and then dropped the ones still alive in the deep desert?”

He paused, took a deep drag from his cigar, and blew out a large cloud of smoke. “No… better just chase them off. You know that… you all know that!” 

Outside, police squads were now battering the demonstrators, driving a wedge through their midst. Two armored cars rolled onto the pavement. The cries and occasional gunshots were muffled but audible through the thick plexiglass view window.

The Gov looked once more at the officers surrounding him. He sneered at them and grumbled, “Get this done, and I’ll see you all in two hours for the daily staff meeting. Now, where is my damned secretary?” He turned his back on the officers and marched off, without goodbyes, towards his offices in the heart of the compound.

The officers remained silent, exchanging uneasy glances with each other. The senior officer cleared his throat. “This is starting to become awkward,” he said. The junior officers nodded. “Recruitment is not going well anymore,” the senior officer continued. “I also heard from the head Apparatchik over at the civilian side that they’re having similar problems keeping the production lines staffed.”

Benjamin, the youngest officer, asked naively, “How so, sir?”
The senior officer sighed. “Benjamin, why did you sign up for the officer academy?”
“To serve the emperor! To protect my family’s estates from revolutionary rabble like the ones outside, sir!” Benjamin replied promptly.

“Yes, yes…” sighed the senior officer. “That’s exactly why you signed up. Now… tell me… why would that poor rabble over there sign up?”