Well-known Concordat groups

On the path we've chosen, we have to be more professional, more ambitious than anyone else! Nobody said it would be easy to reach sanctuary.
Sanctuary

Null Pointer

Null Pointer is a predominantly NetNation/infohacker cell interested in events and politics in Scandinavia. It works entirely through the net, and it is not known if any members are actually physically resident in the region. Null Pointer is monitoring developments there, and sometimes interfering with anti- Concordat plans from the local governments and the EU. It has built a fine reputation for being able to fix forged EU identities or otherwise hack the government databases, in addition to acting as a middle-man for Scandinavian contacts.

The Knights of the Double Helix

The Knights are among the most energetic biohackers, not content to just play in their basement labs but quite willing to risk themselves in daring raids to free the genome. They are involved in genetic espionage, trying to pirate the developments of the large genetics corporations or government projects. When they get some materials they usually sell it to the gene pirates of India, and after a while release it on the net.

Needless to say the Knights are hunted by several powerful groups, especially Genentech and TransLife Corporation, from which they have copied sensitive research files and generally hindered, as well as the European Genome Oversight Organization. They are controversial inside the Concordat too, since several groups claim the Knights are stealing intellectual property, but they also have support by a large contingent who points out that the genetics corporations have already claimed genes that don't belong to them.

The Knights are secretive, but their official spokesnym is DNight, who sometimes appears in Concordat virtuals as a knight in black medieval armor. DNight is known as a fierce debater and skilled diplomat, although it is likely that there are several people behind the nym.

Universal Investments Inc.

UII is an international group of interfacers who invest money and technology around the world. One of their most lucrative ideas is to distribute solar-powered computers and sat-phones in the third world, especially south-eastern Asia. They smuggle the hi-tech into rural areas where they sell it cheaply or give it away in exchange of some simple favors. The locals get access to the worldwide net, the ability to communicate with each other (in itself highly subversive), become part of the growing underground networks and also access to some of the educational materials from the UA. But the computers also act as fairly secure servers for the Concordat - they are outside FOG-controlled territory, kept hidden from the local government by people who have a strong incentive to keep them secret and are practically untraceable. Files can be distributed between several servers (in order to withstand the discovery or destruction of one of them). UII simply sells the access to the rest of the Concordat, earning a healthy profit, a lot of goodwill and credibility. They also invest traditional money into various transport and communications companies, giving the Concordat secure channels and earning even more money.

UII has permanent virtual offices at the Market (where they also maintain some of the transaction archives), complete with helpful agent secretaries and marketers.

Atoll

Where there is love of medicine, there is love of humankind.
Hippocrates
Atoll is one of the most famous underground hospitals in the Concordat. It is reputed to score well even compared with the largest legit clinics, employing several world-class specialists and using state of the art technology (including medical nanotechnology and advanced gene therapy). Its researchers are extremely influential among the biohackers and UA; to many Atoll is a nearly mythical place of medical perfection.

The truth is somewhat more modest, even if Atoll still is quite impressive. The hospital has no fixed location, but is usually somewhere in California -- or anywhere else. Much of the equipment is simply nanofabricated whenever a new location is set up. The essential hospital equipment (MCs, feedstock and larger medical devices such as MRI scanners and telepresence rigs) can be fit into a trailer; packing/unpacking it can be done in a few hours and if Atoll needs to escape much can be left behind.

The medical specialists work virtually: they are never present in the clinic. They access it through telepresence equipment from somewhere else, giving them total anonymity and safety (they can in principle operate anywhere the equipment is set up).

The real strength of Atoll is the tightly knit personnel, a central team of medical specialists and several associated teams of engineers, researchers and interfacers. The cell has no problem hiring the best people for research, security and getting supplies; most of the people involved deal with Atoll through the net and never encounter the physical equipment or any members. In fact, several of the research and interface teams only work together virtually, making them almost completely untraceable.

One reason for Atoll's mystique is its secrecy. Nobody knows its whereabouts, usually not eben the patients themselves, nobody knows anything about the members other than their Nyms (usually names of pacific islands). The spokesperson for the group, "Dr Jaluit", has immense prestige and is a well-known diplomat and mediator; everybody listens to his/her advice or comments on the rare occasions he/she makes it official on SubNet.

Alexandria

Wisdom is the wealth of the wise.
Ecclesiasticus
Alexandria is officially a virtual organization seeking to create a free "universal library", a database containing all the essential knowledge of humanity accessible for all. Their vision is a net- accessible database containing all the classic literature and art, but most importantly all the necessary information in science, economics, history and technology; they want to create the universal library and distribute it to guarantee that whatever happens civilization will never loose its greatest treasures. To this end they gather public domain texts, employ people to write suitable information, education materials and translate into a variety of languages.

Alexandria is actually a partial cover for a cell in the Underground Academy that is indeed involved in building the universal library, but also the "universal manual" and maintaining the Concordat databases. The Manual is a database containing all the nanodesigns, genetic structures or devices that have been released onto the Net, as well as a lot of other research or technical information from the UA. One of its most interesting side-projects is a history of the Concordat; since most cells are secretive about themselves (for security reasons) and the Concordat has emerged as a gradual coalition this project is extremely tricky. Alexandria also maintains huge archives of discussions on SubNet, records of transactions and archived Memory Palaces. To this end they maintain several hidden file servers, most likely hidden across the world or in legit university systems.

Alexandria might be an idealistic organization that allows people to browse most of its files for free, but it makes a tidy profit in the information finding and management field; for a payment it can usually dig up references from its huge databases of tremendous value, and many members are excellent cybrarians.

Ghosts

The Ghosts are a mercenary regiment that often works for the Concordat. In 2014 the leader of the Ghosts, the legendary Colonel Charles F. Cantrell understood that warfare was going to change dramatically. He was also tired of getting paid in worthless money by African and Asian dictators that often tried to skip the payments. But in the Concordat they found a good business partner, their IOUs had an objective worth and the Concordat also gave them access to highly advanced technology that they quickly adapted for their own needs.

The Ghosts are often hired as instructors and advisers to other Concordat groups but sometimes they are involved in direct small scale operations and even open warfare in some rare occasions. The Ghosts do not operate as a regular army, they often use small scale operations even in direct warfare, all soldiers are well- educated specialists and shareholders of the regiment. The degree of technical knowledge required on a modern battlefield is enormous, losses in personnel are very costly, equipment can always be replaced. But the FOG armies still have the 20th century philosophy, especially in the crazed dictator states: force millions of poorly trained and educated young men into a bureaucratic, dictatorial hierarchy give them antiquated and bad equipment and shove them out on the battlefield under poor management and lousy leadership. Losses are always replaceable, humans are for free! That's why the Ghosts are so successful in Third World warzones, a few Ghosts can defeat an entire African army.

The Ghosts have invested in a Mark II MC and other nano equipment which means that they even don't have to bring truckloads with equipment with them. A few raw materials and the Ghosts can build a base camp complete with tanks, artillery, jeeps, computers and aircraft in a matter of days. They can infiltrate enemy territory unarmed and be an effective strike-force before the army has even finished to mobilize. The Ghosts don' t need to have many higher ranking officers, it is better to give greater responsibilities to well- respected, well- educated and experienced NCOs and to have one or two commissioned officers that manage high- level strategical questions and overview on the battlefield.

Kommando Ragnar D.Skjöld

This is a small group in the Concordat. Kommando Ragnar D.Skjöld is an European cell that follows the philosophy of a character in one of Ayn Rand's novels. The Kommando attacks the FOG quite directly all over the world by stealing money from the governments. It particularly tries to stop aid to Third World dictatorships, in doing so it steals away the base of FOG operations, their stolen capital. All capital stolen by the Kommando is then transferred to the Kommando's own bank where it is safe-kept to one day be given back to its rightful owners, all those people that have been robbed by the FOG's taxes.

Other groups regard the Kommando as a bit of a fringe group but they always pay good for services they require in their struggle and they do not break the Concord without paying generous compensations and explaining the philosophical reasons for their actions. The Kommando also contains some of the best interfacers and hackers in Europe and many Concordat members use their bank.

Underground Reserve

It is the international system of currency which determines the vitality of life on this planet. That is the natural order of things today. That is the atomic and subatomic and galactic structure of things today! And you have meddled with the primal forces of nature!
Mr. Jensen, Network
This American Concordat cell has specialized in forging Credcards and printing play money. To increase the number of play money in circulation is part of their economic warfare against the "legal" counterfeiter, the FOG. To make paper currency is quite easy with a Matter Compiler (they have released recipes for low-value bills into the public domain; for making serious amounts of play money they provide a meterware recipe). They often cooperate with the BCCS and Kommando Ragnar D.Skjöld's banks.

The Tong of the Five Dragons

This cell, consisting of five members (named East, West, North, South and Center) is active in the whole Southeast Asia area, and parts of southern China. The Tong is said to be composed of five very respected and wealthy overseas Chinese. They obviously have a lot of clout with the local overseas triads, the Chinese business community, the slorks and their guanxi (Chinese familiar cords) even seems to stretch into the PLA.

The five dragons are very slow and cautious to use their power. They know that the region is dangerously unstable, or are they perhaps gathering their forces for something? The cell is very secretive even for the Concordat and various legends about its origin have appeared on the SubNet: everything from 15th century Buddhist monks over exiled Guomindang (Chinese nationalist party) officers to Macao-Portugese hackers have been mentioned as founders. The dragons just smile when they are presented with such theories, and continue with their mysterious work.

Alidon & Muur Brokerage Partners

An incredibly successful rising star cell, Alidon & Muur invented a way to get large sums of capital to the various foundations in the Concordat. Just donating IOUs might not raise enough funds, so Alidon & Muur helped the foundations to issue bonds, that can give the buyers revenue for investing in the project. Trade with short- term and long-term completion bonds is rising on the Market and A&M are raking in on the arbitrage.

Other Concordat Groups

AHKF
Nanotech foodstuffs, health information and body training.
Archaea
Biohackers, specialized in creating "bacteria on demand" and digging up useful genes in the archives.
BCCS
Banca Clandestina di Credito Suggetivo, an Italian cell that deals with play money and IOU exchange.
Citizens' Intelligence Agency. A Brinist cell running a database on known Concordat enemies, FOG agents and everybody else the Concordat should look out for or keep an eye on. To distinguish from the US CIA (FOG-CIA) it is sometimes called C-CIA.
Cautious and Conservative
Nanohacking and research. The name is an in-joke among nanohackers.
Creod
Encryption and security.
Covers R' Us
American forgery and false identities. Known to be of somewhat doubtful quality.
The Culture
Leftwing cell, working on spreading MCs and other advanced tech to ordinary people to make them self-sufficient, uncontrollable and free. See A Few Notes on the Culture by Iain M Banks for some of the ideas the founders of the cell have borrowed from his books.
Dawn Garden
Japanese activities, especially Concordat recruitment among the youth and underground economics.
Dragan's Cigarette Smugglers
Eurasian smuggling operations.
Genesis Tech
Biohackers, mainly modified animals and reproductive technologies.
Gordon's Groceries
A grocery store for the Concordat, selling everyday stuff for IOUs; the goods can be delivered through the UPS.
Hokusho Society
Japanese politics.
Icon Developments
Agent and AI research.
Key
A kind of Concordat clipping service, sending relevant information snippets to other groups. Manages many of the "official" SubNet bulletin boards.
Look Upwards Combine
Chinese technical development and information.
Malaysian Bell
cell in Malaysia, providing "clean" mobile phones by sneaking them out from the Ericsson plant there.
NanoDream
Nanotech software and recipes.
N Conspiracy
Nanohacking, especially weapons and tools.
The New Savak
Arab-Iranian information collectors and spies.
NMS Brussels
No More Secrets Brussels. Branch of NMS International, brinists observing government using gnatbots and other spy technologies. A major source of inside information and polihacking in the EU.
NovaCyte
Biohackers, produces Maker bacteria and macromakers.
NRG1
Nanotech Research Gruppe Eins, - Nanohacking, emphasis on hidden or spy devices
Nucleus
Biohackers, involved in neurochemicals, genetic toolkits and various biotech tricks.
PKP
Swedish sabotage cell active in the EU. Known for creative and often slightly embarrassing sabotages.
Polygon
a small cell providing rendering, processing and basic nanodesign.
PPL inc
A kind of Concordat internal court/law firm with high prestige, called in to mediate major disputes.
PsiTechCorp
Mental techniques, EEG control, noo, psychology, all forms of augmentation relating to the mind.
The Seed
Economic subversion. Works with other groups to bootstrap unofficial economic networks among ordinary people, paving the way for a new economy. It has "seedlings" in many major population centers.
Seguridad Social
Spanish cell of insurance agents. Through them it is possible to buy various forms of insurance in the Concordat.
Trillicon Arms
Weapon design and nanofacture, overall tending towards rather wild ideas. Generally regarded as mad, suspected as WETF associates. They rent production space on their MC for others.
TTT
Think Tank Ten. US and international political monitoring and advice.
TU TV
Pirate television sent through the net using privately validated footage across the world. An outlet for several brinist groups and activists in the Concordat.
UPS
Underground Parcel Service. Interfacer group specialized in transports, smuggling and circumventing borders.
Vondrak & Co
Cryptographic validation, safehouses and memory palaces.
Wu Labs
Chinese nano- and bio-hackers.
InfoWar