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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Hinthas" data-source="post: 2211190" data-attributes="member: 23111">Some story for a "quasi" military organization.ROMAN INTERNATIONAL IncAll good things come to those who wait. Yeah? Maybe if you want to die penniless and destitute. Thank the gods for greed, or at least capitalism. Vigorous capitalism.The very same executive order that gave a wretched birth to the CIA, had also fathered a twin organization. For years, the said organization only had a file number in the Department of Energy and was equivalent to a strategic fund. President Truman inherited the entity and made it his personal hobby gun club. He had seen its importance from his own experience in France during World War I as a captain in the Field Artillery. There was a need for some sort of quasi "off the books" military research. In June 1950, when the Communist government of North Korea attacked South Korea, Truman conferred promptly with his military advisers. There was, he wrote, "complete, almost unspoken acceptance on the part of everyone that whatever had to be done to meet this aggression had to be done. There was no suggestion from anyone that either the United Nations or the United States could back away from it." Now the child had a legitimate purpose. Military advisers had been brought in and were told to design a firm to exploit possible applications and manage "security" projects at home and abroad with upcoming weapons research. To keep this infant alive, he needed a lifeline. Medicinal and Automobile firms were acquired under various War Powers acts for the war effort overseas and unfortunately the title paperwork and deeds for these businesses "disappeared after the war.Then in Eisenhower's administration, the unthinkable happened...The President proposed that the United States and Russia exchange blueprints of each other's military establishments and "provide within our countries facilities for aerial photography to the other country." The Russians greeted the proposal with silence, but were so cordial throughout the meetings that tensions relaxed.Eisenhower concentrated on maintaining world peace. He watched with pleasure the development of his "atoms for peace" program--the loan of American uranium to "have not" nations for peaceful purposes.He urged the necessity of maintaining an adequate military strength, but cautioned that vast, long-continued military expenditures could breed potential dangers to our way of life. And with that, the program was hamstringed and struggled to fend off the GAO for reasons of "redundancy". It wasn't killed though and even managed vague prosperity in some of the pharmaceutical and automobile firms it acquired for this contingency. Granted they weren't the giants like Grumman or Lockheed but they would exercise the strengths they did have. Which was on the ground. Its obscurity let it live through WW2, gained management during Korea, and was allowed to develop in pre-war Vietnam. The agency remembered it had an older twin and the two of them played internally and with other countries. The older firm had in its infrastructure many naval officers, which were combat veterans. Often times, grudges are born in war and they continue years after the battle’s end. Smart officers can hide these passions and did in support of defending the US against the Domino Theory happening overseas. These required many different approaches and the means to support all of it. The agency had learned once making its records available for govt oversight had been extremely hazardous to its health and would NEVER allow it to happen again.The air mobility firm named Air America was born along with good willed subcontracting firms like Doctors Without Borders during this time. They operated in war-torn places like the old French colonies in Vietnam, the    busy port in Hong Kong, former vacation locales in Cuba, and the undeveloped countries of Africa and South and Central America. It seemed like everyone in the CIA at this time was a: Doctor, Pilot, or Advisor. Mysteriously, they’d “ran out” of spies. Someone at one time had jokingly mentioned that the younger agency was bringing civility like the old Roman Empire. And the name stuck, with a slight modification. It would take a page from old and make it new. Roman International, or RI for short, would now be its namesake.  One of the families of a pharmaceutical company owned by Roman International, Quayle, wanted to exert more involvement in the philanthropic efforts of the govt and thought the Doctors Without Borders program was an excellent outlet to do this kind of work. An undisclosed amount of money went into various research programs ran by the company and benefits were reaped for many different projects.              With every large company, manpower is always an issue. Because the twin organizations had different experiences in maturing, obviously there were two different schools of thought on the “right sort” of people for the job. The CIA had its “traditional” folks, the Ivy Leaguers or Old Money, in mind. Roman International felt having a radical approach or think tank was more realistic and focused its attention on Berkley. Many research projects were explored and some even gained public notice like MK-ULTRA. But both organizations quickly flooded the presses with multiple cover stories and vigorously faded off public radar into obscurity. There were multiple conflicts to benefit from.Shortly after his inauguration, Kennedy permitted a band of Cuban exiles, already armed and trained (courtesy of RI), to invade their homeland. The attempt to overthrow the regime of Fidel Castro was a failure. Russians sought to install nuclear missiles in Cuba. When this was discovered by air reconnaissance in October 1962, Kennedy imposed quarantine on all offensive weapons bound for Cuba. While the world trembled on the brink of nuclear war, the Russians backed down and agreed to take the missiles away. The American response to the Cuban crisis evidently persuaded Moscow of the futility of nuclear blackmail. Kennedy now contended that both sides had a vital interest in stopping the spread of nuclear weapons and slowing the arms race--a contention that led to the test ban treaty of 1963 and anti-legislature towards the CIA and RI. The months after the Cuban crisis showed significant progress toward his goal of "a world of law and free choice, banishing the world of war and coercion." His administration thus saw the beginning of new hope for both the equal rights of Americans and the peace of the world. The fledgling Roman International had heard that tune before. Then the axe wielding GAO came courtesy of Eisenhower. It was time to resuscitate some monsters. "What can it do?" asked a Senator from Texas. His ambitions were not too well known at the time. “Whatever you’d like, MR. PRESIDENT. We just need an umbrella for a little time and a place to play afterwards. You will not be mentioned.” And so it went. "A Great Society" for the American people and their fellow men elsewhere was the vision of Lyndon B. Johnson. In his first years of office he obtained passage of one of the most extensive legislative programs in the Nation's history. Maintaining collective security, he carried on the rapidly growing struggle to restrain Communist encroachment in Viet Nam. For a majority of this, RI was right alongside and manufactured many of the various toys needed for these means.Under Johnson, the country made spectacular explorations of space in a program he had championed since its start. When three astronauts successfully orbited the moon in December 1968, Johnson congratulated them: "You've taken ... all of us, all over the world, into a new era. . .. " Many at Roman International wept tears of joy to see some of their products support this patriotic endeavor.Despite Johnson's efforts to end Communist aggression and achieve a settlement, fighting continued. Controversy over the war had become acute by the end of March 1968, when he limited the bombing of North Viet Nam in order to initiate negotiations. This did not go over well in the factories and offices of Roman International. Thousands of employees at RI felt they got the short end of the stick and began open discussions on “follow up” procedures. Johnson startled the world by withdrawing as a candidate for re-election so that he might devote his full efforts, unimpeded by politics, to the quest for peace.“Nixon’s accomplishments while in office included revenue sharing, the end of the draft, new anticrime laws, and a broad environmental program. Some of his most acclaimed achievements came in his quest for world stability. During visits in 1972 to Beijing and Moscow, he reduced tensions with China and the U.S.S.R. In January 1973, he announced an accord with North Viet Nam to end American involvement in Indochina. In 1974, his Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, negotiated disengagement agreements between Israel and its opponents, Egypt and Syria.”All of this was one upset after another for Roman International. Revenue Sharing: Nixon dipped into everyone’s pocket equally. Problem was some departments could afford more than others and again RI was made near lame.New Anticrime Laws: While not “specifically aimed” at Roman International, it managed to target over half of the businesses ran by Roman International and audits came by the truckload.Broad Environmental Programs: RI owned some of the more profitable (yet polluting) businesses in Detroit, the northeast, and northwest areas.Quest for World Stability? End Involvement in Vietnam? Disengagement between Israel and it Opponents?: There was entirely too much opportunity for diplomacy and financial growth to ignore and he was willing to give it up to be a “nice guy”.This would not do. Something HAD to be done.  Within a few months, his administration was embattled over the so-called "Watergate" scandal, stemming from a break-in at the offices of the Democratic National Committee during the 1972 campaign. The break-in was traced to officials of the Committee to Re-elect the President. A number of administration officials resigned; some were later convicted of offenses connected with efforts to cover up the affair. Nixon denied any personal involvement, but the courts forced him to yield tape recordings that indicated that he had, in fact, tried to divert the investigation. As a result of unrelated scandals in Maryland, Vice President Spiro T. Agnew resigned in 1973. Nixon nominated, and Congress approved, House Minority Leader Gerald R. Ford as Vice President. Faced with what seemed almost certain impeachment, Nixon announced on August 8, 1974, that he would resign the next day to begin "that process of healing which is so desperately needed in America." In foreign affairs, Ford acted vigorously to maintain U. S. power and prestige after the collapse of Cambodia and South Viet Nam. This meant that the President understood the necessity of Roman International’s supportive role and would turn a blind eye to the “money making” operations. Anything that did not take away from his budget and occasionally added to it could be forgiven. Preventing a new war in the Middle East remained a major objective; by providing aid to both Israel and Egypt, the Ford Administration helped persuade the two countries to accept an interim truce agreement. This arrangement allowed for RI to turn a profit as well as secured a harmonious relationship with president. Carter worked hard to combat the continuing economic woes of inflation and unemployment. By the end of his administration, he could claim an increase of nearly eight million jobs and a decrease in the budget deficit, measured in percentage of the gross national product. “Coincidentally”, two million folks that had worked for various entities of Roman International had found themselves no longer employed. Hmmm. Turnabout is fair play though.The seizure as hostages of the U. S. embassy staff in Iran dominated the news during the last 14 months of the Carter administration. The consequences of Iran's holding Americans captive, together with continuing inflation at home, contributed to Carter's defeat in 1980. Even then, he continued the difficult negotiations over the hostages.About that time, a short oilman with big ears from Texas assembled roughly a hundred former Roman International employees. The employees came from various fields and occupations and were capable of supporting an “engagement” overseas. Sort of a Prism or Rainbow of sorts. The recommended skills requirement came to the oilman from a friend that was once an employee of RI’s twin agency. As luck would have it, the former employee also had an important future and dynasty ahead of him. Iran finally released the 52 Americans the same day Carter left office. In foreign policy, Reagan sought to achieve "peace through strength." Behind closed doors, the Gipper was incredibly pleased with the overall actions of these “Rainbow” warriors and the funding flowed again in the direction of Roman International. During his two terms he increased defense spending 35 percent, but sought to improve relations with the Soviet Union. Reagan declared war against international terrorism, sending American bombers against Libya after evidence came out that Libya was involved in an attack on American soldiers in a West Berlin nightclub. Some of the American soldiers killed were being sought out by RI to add a fresh perspective and direction on European environments and training.Roman International had materially and doctrinally supported many of the operations performed by its twin agency by providing supplies and researched procedures. On following up on some of these procedures, the intelligence community was able to gain considerable insight on the workings of the Middle Eastern region. One particular insight was how a majority of the Arab world in general was still very resentful about the OPEC situation in the 1970’s. After extreme scrutiny of many intelligence leads, RI deduced that a like situation was soon to happen again. By ordering naval escorts in the Persian Gulf, he maintained the free flow of oil during the Iran-Iraq war. In keeping with the Reagan Doctrine, he gave support to anti-Communist insurgencies in Central America, Asia, and Africa. Just like in the earlier days and again all of this was organized through RI. Then some of our agents got a little careless and suddenly IRAN-CONTRA scandal was a household word. It was again time to flood the presses with a cover story to take attention away from what was really going on.“How about a monkey that bites people and causes a worldwide illness that conveniently gets rid of the immoral and degenerates of society?”“Whose gonna buy that load of crap?”“Who knows? You got anything better? No? Lets run with this then.” In 1980 Bush campaigned for the Republican nomination for President. He lost, but was chosen as a running mate by Ronald Reagan. As Vice President, Bush had responsibility in several domestic areas, including Federal deregulation and anti-drug programs, and visited scores of foreign countries. In an unspoken move, he informed Roman International to clean up their act, severe their Asian ties, and stop marketing heroin. We needed a clean slate now and couldn’t afford any “mishaps” if RI still wanted to be part of the program. Business opportunities were about to fall out of the Middle Eastern skies and just keep our noses clean. One hand washes the other. In 1988 Bush won the Republican nomination for President and, with Senator Dan Quayle of Indiana as his running mate, he defeated Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis in the general election. In other areas of foreign policy, President Bush sent American troops into Panama to overthrow the corrupt regime of General Manuel Noriega, who was threatening the security of the canal and the Americans living there. Noriega was brought to the United States for trial as a drug trafficker. Championing the cause of Kuwaiti freedom and repelling the aged Domino Theory monster, President Bush secured a chunk of the Middle East in about 100 hours. After the big guys, Roman International was the next biggest defense contractor to field toys in the desert.  At the time, many countries believed again the US was following the imperialism concept laid out a while ago by Teddy Roosevelt. Never mind the incidental fact that a majority of the WORLD’S oil supplies is under those very sands. Mere coincidence. Men and Countries feel the most pain in their wallets. Bush Sr is an educated man, former Naval officer, and at one time the director of the CIA. He knows thisDespite unprecedented popularity from this military and diplomatic triumph, Bush was unable to withstand discontent at home from a faltering economy, rising violence in inner cities, and continued high deficit spending. In 1992 he lost his bid for reelection to Democrat William Clinton. In 1998, as a result of issues surrounding personal indiscretions with a young woman White House intern, Clinton was the second U.S. president to be impeached by the House of Representatives. He was tried in the Senate and found not guilty of the charges brought against him. He apologized to the nation for his actions and continued to have unprecedented popular approval ratings for his job as president. In the world, he successfully dispatched peacekeeping forces to war-torn Bosnia and bombed Iraq when Saddam Hussein stopped United Nations inspections for evidence of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons.  REALITY SHIFTIn the real world, this happened. Bush JrThe attacks of September 11th changed America - and in President Bush's words, "in our grief and anger we have found our mission and our moment." President Bush declared war against terror and has made victory in the war on terrorism and the advance of human freedom the priorities of his Administration. Already, the United States military and a great coalition of nations have liberated the people of Afghanistan from the brutal Taliban regime and denied al Qaeda its safe haven of operations. Thousands of terrorists have been captured or killed and operations have been disrupted in many countries around the world. In the President's words, "our Nation - this generation - will lift a dark threat of violence from our people and our future. We will rally the world to this cause by our efforts, by our courage. We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail."In the gaming world:Marshall became president.Lands not governed by the US fall under title of “Foreign Soil” and are deemed accessible by the CIA and other Defense entities (Roman International) to include territories via the Stargate.Much of what’s presented here is borrowed from this site and other open sources. Its up to the reader to investigate fact from speculation. I’ve purposely intertwined the two for a time reference and to add a little “meat” to the tale here. I have also meant to keep this as generic as possible to fit Star Gate or Spycraft. I know some of you guys will pipe up and say to try this out using the Agencies book. Knock yourselves out!This next section has been clipped and piecemealed from a majority of sources on the Alderac Boards. If you recognize your work, consider yourself part author to this effort. (Colossal Thanks to Mouthymerc) I make this available to all that visit here and hope that you get enjoyment from it.</blockquote>

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