SteemHeroes Episode 0-3: The Splintering
As more OPS began to emerge from the shadows, they typically either sided with The Council if they wanted to maintain peace and civility or the Martyrs if they sought vengeance or personal gain from their new abilities.
The Council
The Council is a rigid organization, which is evident thanks to its creation as an underground wing of the US military. There are strict rules, regulations and consequences for those who overstep the authority they’re granted by The Council. OPS can openly use their abilities in public, but collateral damage and injury to civilians is grounds for severe punishment.
The head of The Council is General John Hastings, whose experience with guerrilla warfare in hotspots around the world is essential to commanding well-organized responses to similar tactics being deployed on US soil by rogue OPS. As long as you follow the rules, the Council is a great opportunity for OPS to turn their newly acquired skills into a steady (and sizable) paycheck from Uncle Sam.
Many OPS signed up to join The Council thanks to the government-sanctioned use of their abilities in public and the lavish lifestyle the income of a Councellor provides. While no solid figures are available, its been rumored that base salary for new Councellors is $360,000 plus a wide range of benefits like a company car, pension and full medical, which is a huge selling point to people who would otherwise rack up astronomical medical bills as human anomalies.
Martyrs
On the other hand, the Martyrs aren’t much different. At least, how the organization is structured. Instead of a bureaucratic system of authority and law, the Martyrs are more like a dictatorship. Commanded by the charismatic telepath Cyren, the lure of the power and riches the Martyrs promise is definitely an attractive option for OPS who feel tossed aside and taken advantage of by society. While they don’t get the security of a steady paycheck, the potential income for Martyrs is much higher as they engage in organized crime, racketeering, smuggling and other nefarious activities.
While Martyrs are pretty much free to use their abilities as freely as they like, the structure of command is sacred to the group. Moles, traitors and defectors have a habit of disappearing overnight. Any perceived threats towards leaders within the Martyrs or coup attempts are also treated with extreme measures.
This arrangement worked well for a while, keeping OPS neatly organized into two different organizations that were easy to keep track of, however eventually members of each group started to resent the control imposed on them by both systems, and each side fractured in two -- those willing to work within a strict set of rules and those who wanted to write their own.
// To be continued in episode 0-4: The rebellion
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The SteemHeroes Story
Prologue: