Invisible Inc. #1: In the hands of Megacorporations

The year 2074: the world is ruled by megacorporations that have divided their influence. They have occupied entire continents, subjugating nations with their endless financial resources, deals and advanced technologies. For several years they have been deciding the fate of every individual. Only a few are resisting them, including our organisation Invisible Inc.

The war against corporations

The authorities of the states did not stand a chance in this clash. When war finally broke out, they were already on the losing end. They let the enemy get too close, giving them sufficient access to vital information and resources. They gave up control without even realising it. Politicians, hitherto convinced of their role in global power arrangements, suddenly realised that in reality they held no bargaining chips. When they woke up, it was too late for them to do anything as puppets. The earth was already ruled by corporations.

Greed has brought empires down for a century. Mankind has never learnt its lesson. The 21st century and the New Deal have changed little in this regard. The corporations that have conquered entire continents have set boundaries of influence to theoretically stay out of each other’s way. Under the guise of mutual understanding and respect, however, from the very first moments they began to act to the detriment of their competitors. The ambition to occupy more territory, to take over resources and technology, was too tempting. Officially, there was peace. Behind the scenes, however, a dirty game was being played, in which only victories mattered, no matter how costly.

The intelligence organisation Invisible Inc.

It was in this world that the private intelligence organisation Invisible Inc. skilfully manoeuvring between different principals and carrying out various missions for often hostile parties. Trained agents stole information, infiltrated secret research facilities and took over projects, gaining the means to develop Invisible Inc.’s structures and artificial intelligence – Incognita.

However, the corporations learned one key lesson from the earlier war. They knew that vipers were easy to raise on their own breasts, and it would only take a moment’s inattention to end up little better than Julius Caesar a dozen centuries earlier. And they were not about to lose the position they had gained through hardship. So when they saw the rapid growth of Invisible Inc. they decided to destroy it. But first, they had to track it down, which proved extremely difficult. Alone, none of them had a chance to react quickly and forcefully enough to eliminate the new threat.

Surprising cooperation

Then, for the first time since the global conflict that changed the balance of power on the globe, they began to cooperate. Powerful data centres began transferring hundreds of gigabytes of data between them, narrowing the search profile. Even the most mobile and experienced spy agency would not stand a chance. Invisible Inc. was detected.

The soldiers broke into the headquarters with specific orders – kill and destroy. Inside the corporations no one were interested in taking over anything, they wanted to crush the growing threat in the bud. The organisation did not stand a chance. Many agents died, and a few survivors were captured and taken to detention centres to be brutally tortured and brainwashed.

The commanding “Central” managed to escape by taking out the base Incognita module. She was rescued by Decker and Internationale, sent earlier in the mission. Stripped of their equipment, with camouflage that would be able to render them invisible for a maximum of seventy-two hours and an artificial intelligence with a basic set of modules, they had to devise a plan without flaws. Only this way did they have any chance of escaping the clutches of the corporation. The fight for survival had begun.

Seventy-two hours

With the support of an informant and black market trader, Monst3r, the corporation’s information sources were identified. Invisible Inc. had been tracked down and infiltrated as the great companies that ruled the world collaborated and pooled their technological resources. So to escape their clutches, it was necessary to prevent them from continuing to work together. This would allow the agents to escape the radar for long enough to begin rebuilding themselves. Only the Incognita were able to do the appropriate damage from within. To take control. A plan for a counter-attack was formed, in which a single accurate and deadly blow would be delivered.

But executing it required men and technology, and these the wounded Invisible Inc. did not possess. It had barely three days to build sufficient facilities. A race against time in which every wrong step meant death and destruction.

Decker and Internationale

Agents Decker and Internationale were directed first to Mexico City, where they gained vital information on a couple of the corporation’s facilities. More targets meant more opportunities. And there weren’t enough of those in the current situation anyway, so Headquarters didn’t hesitate in deciding on the first operation.

The next step involved targeting facilities where weapons, cybernetic implants and modules for artificial intelligence could be obtained. However, the new data also pointed to a detention centre in China, where a prisoner described as level “ultra” on the importance scale had been taken. This had to be someone from the ranks of Invisible Inc. Despite the shortage of equipment, an immediate decision was made to launch a rescue operation.

Decker and Internationale had worked together in the field for years, so they were able to complement each other perfectly. He, still living with thoughts and principles in the twentieth century, dealt with infiltration and elimination of threats. She, moving smoothly between the real and virtual worlds, was responsible for managing her power and harnessing Incognita’s capabilities. In the brig, they both ended up armed with meagre stun guns, which would not have been able to cope even with a guard equipped with a basic layer of body protection. So every step required double caution, and planning attacks a step-by-step approach to every enemy they encountered.

Equipment needed

So far, operating efficiently and quietly had worked out flawlessly for the two operators, but Decker knew the corporations were on heightened alert. They also needed weapons. So he didn’t think twice when he found a pistol with three bullets in the detention nanofabricator. He had spent almost the entire stock of credits left in the Invisible Inc account on it. It was a reflex, a hunch, the result of years of collected experience. Decker had not anticipated that he would have to pull the trigger twice on this mission, eliminating two guards. But the situation demanded it. Pulled from his cell, Shalem-11 was weakened and vulnerable, and the Internationale protecting him was equally exposed to any attack. There was no time to consider the consequences of firing.

The three agents managed to teleport at the last moment, when the floor was already beginning to be combed by the Enforcer. They reached the exit only thanks to Incognita, which disabled the scout drone for a few moments, allowing them to safely cross the largest room. They were close to death, but they won an important victory in this battle.

The three of them now had much more leverage. With only two days left until the decisive mission, Invisible Inc. was faced with a new problem – a lack of equipment and credits to buy it. At this point, the cost was generated by everything – weapons, implants or cyber training to develop the skills of agents and modules for artificial intelligence…

Invisible Inc. is an intriguing cyberpunk tactical game where stealth mechanics play a key role. Facing the powerful megacorporations controlling the world of the future, we try to execute a plan thanks to which it will be possible for our organisation to survive. You can read an account of my adventure in Invisible Inc. in future blog coverage episodes. Don’t want to miss the next episode? Follow the blog!