Megacorporations, The Big Four

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The Big Four Megacorporations

• Haas-Bioroid
• Jinteki
• NBN
• Weyland Consortium

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Haas-Bioroid


Haas-Bioroid found its beginnings over a hundred years ago as Haas Industrie where it was a leader in supplying the EU nations with robotics and heavy-duty construction equipment. Since, then the company is best known for its work in all things cybernetic, providing a growing market with limb replacements and other artificial implants. The last thirty years of the company were headed by Director Cynthia Haas, an heir to the company created by Jürgen Haas. The heir to the company and her party-loving son, Thomas Haas, remains in the spotlight for other reasons.

The company made their notable breakthrough with the acquisition of the Rossum Group who was developing a technology to record the human brain via brain tapes. Using this model and research, Haas-Bioroid was able to engineer true AI. In combination with its existing cybernetic industry and this research, the first commercial bioroid was created. Haas-Bioroid paved the way for ‘labour solutions’, changing the world with their robotic bioroid creations.

The Bioroid lines started with the Mark-2 model but quickly expanded to fulfill many duties and roles. The Adam model was created for heavy industry, the Ash model is known for its efficient management and the Alix model was designed for financial analysis. The Adonis, Eve, Kevin and Lisa models were created to fulfill companionship needs. The Rex model serves in roles of search and rescue as well as a first responder. The company continues to release new models every year to ensure they tap into all needs, markets, and budgets. Haas-Bioroid still remains a leader in cybernetics today, manufacturing items such as Brain-Machine Interface (BMI) devices for navigating the Network. Their creation of Bioroid artificial intelligence has also been used in combination with cybersecurity. While Bioroids cannot harm humans by action or inaction, Haas-Bioroid maintains its foothold when it comes to military contracts with its NEXT (Network Emergent and eXperimental Technology) laser and other advanced weaponry.

Compared to the other megacorporations, Haas-Bioroid is heavily consolidated to ensure maximum control over its vision and work process. Most of their subsidiaries function as departments, rather than individual companies. The megacorporation’s culture values efficiency and punctuality above all else, remaining stern regarding their policies, and forthright with their negotiations.

Industries: Bioroids, Cybernetics, Experimental Weaponry, Cybersecurity, Cerebral Imaging
Subsidiaries: Cerebral Imaging, NEXT Design, Custom Biotics


Director Cynthia Haas

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Jinteki


Jinteki began its roots in pharmacy starting from the nineteenth century as a conservative company resistant to change. The megacorporation had seen a major upheaval in the last twenty years, the company seeing more change than its previous two hundred years of operation. The company’s change began with the appointment of Chairman Satoshi Hiro, a young executive at the time and was considered to be an outsider at the time. Satoshi Hiro began as a lab contractor and was instrumental in discovering the Accelerated In Vitro Maturation process that would allow the company to produce clones faster and cheaper than its competitors in Haas-Bioroid could manufacture their Bioroids. Within a short amount of time, the company found itself in a tight race with the European megacorporation to dominate the ‘labour solutions’ market.

Another of the drastic changes to the company was moving its headquarters from Neo Tokyo to New Angeles, causing several internal shifts in the company that required restructuring to accommodate its sudden growth. The company would find itself in the Nihongai District of the city, bringing much change to the city itself after its relocation. Those loyal to Satoshi made the move and the others would find their influence in the company drastically reduced.

Jinteki products are used around the world, namely in its genetic manipulation that allowed its crops to be grown all around the world in tall standing agroplex structures. The company advances have also paved the way for modern genetic modification (G-Mod) to become commonplace in the world, allowing for changes both cosmetic and drastic previously impossible in humanity. The teacup giraffes and elephants made by Jinteki have found themselves in the possession of celebrities, making them a hot commodity and sought-after status symbol among the masses. Its core pharmaceutical roots have kept the company at the forefront of medical technology with its production of organ replacements and life-extending supplements.

Thanks to its discovered Accelerated In Vitro Maturation process, the company is able to grow full-fledged adult clones in a few weeks. During the intricate process, its labs are able to make alterations to the clone’s genetics to make them more than human and purpose them for their destined tasks. After clones are decanted from their tank, they undergo strict training and conditioning as well as a thorough evaluation before being released to the public. The Henry line was made for strenuous labour, capable of working in dangerous conditions for up to eighteen hours a day with its heightened bone density and increased muscles as its defining features. The Tenma line was made for driving and piloting, they are 75% less likely to be the cause of an accident compared to a human. Jinteki is also able to create clone lines for the exact needs of their clients and continue to do so to keep up with their direct competitors at Haas-Bioroid. The Molloy line was created exclusively for the Mother Molloy chain of restaurants to ensure the quality of service and their foods remain the same all around the world. Housing, food, and fashion are some additional overheads associated with owning clones but the general populace is more receptive to the more human-like clone 'androids'.

Despite the drastic changes in Jinteki brought by Chairman Satoshi Hiro, much of the megacorporation’s sentiments are still old-fashioned. The company foundation is still rather insular, often favouring seniority when it comes to promotions.

Industries: Clones, Genetic Engineering, Pharmaceuticals, Agriculture, Brain Mapping
Subsidiaries: Harmony Medtech, Industry Genomics, Jinteki Biotech, Chronos Protocol, Nisei Division, AgInfusion


Chairman Satoshi Hiro

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NBN


Formerly known as Network Broadcast News, Net Broadcast Network, and Near-Earth Broadcast Network, the massive media giant is merely known as NBN today. NBN was formerly part of Vertex, a media monopoly that was forced to break apart due to its size. The megacorporation’s defining moment was when the world was plunged into darkness by the Blackout virus. As the world repeatedly attempted to rebuild their former networks, only to be undone by the virus, NBN was most successful with their SYNC solution. SYNC introduced a new communication protocol that would quickly become the Network connecting the world online today. This contribution to the world would also make the NBN a media monopoly.

Headquartered in New Angeles, NBN’s influence has grown beyond Earth and finds several footholds in space. The megacorporation focuses on catering to the public when it comes to news and entertainment. The New Angeles Sol is its most influential outlet but far from the only one the company owns. It would be unsurprising to know the company also owns several media outlets with opposing viewpoints and all parts of the spectrum in order to cater directly to all demographics and sentiments. This includes a broadcast advocating for the independence of Mars, short of violent insurrection, or a news outlet focused on promoting human supremacy.

SYNC has allowed the world to return to the web after the Blackout, now known as the Network. NBN monitors all feeds of information, including those used by governments around the world. There are several watchdog groups concerned about the megacorporation’s influence but NBN maintains that it is a neutral entity. NBN is responsible for entertainment known today, taking form in holographic Threedees and fully immersive Sensies that allow participants to feel as if they were part of their favourite show. The biggest celebrity in the NBN umbrella is currently Miranda Rhapsody, a vast popular pop idol and actress. GameNET dominates 85% of the game market share, where the masses met in reality-augmented spaces and competitive games such as Strikeforce Alpha.

Media mogul Victoria Jenkins is currently the head of the NBN. The culture of the megacorporation is merit-based, public image orientated and very cutthroat. It can be easy to become the next big thing but obscurity is just as easy once the fifteen seconds of fame are over.

Industries: The Network, News, Entertainment, Gaming, Social Media
Subsidiaries: SYNC, GameNET, New Angeles Sol, Azmari Edtech, Haarpsichord Studios, Spark Advertisement Agency, Chaos!Games, The Boswash Times, and countless others


Victoria Jenkins

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Weyland Consortium


Jack Weyland, the creator of the New Angeles Space Elevator, founded the Weyland Consortium. He came from a corporate dynasty and went to Ivy Consolidated only to drop out of school to pursue his dreams. He was able to make the New Angeles Space Elevator a reality, using his lucrative construction contractor and some savvy financial leveraging. The New Angeles Space Elevator today is known as the Beanstalk, in honour of its facilitator. The Beanstalk ensures Earth is provided with mined Helium-3 as a source of clean fusion energy and facilitates humanity's expansion in space. Jack Weyland is currently no longer the head of the company he created and the Weyland Consortium had seceded ownership of the Beanstalk to the Space Elevator Authority (SEA). However, the royalties collected by Jack Weyland’s creation and its solid foundation will ensure the megacorporation will remain successful indefinitely.

The Weyland Consortium logo is rarely seen in the public as the megacorporation is more known for its vast number of subsidiaries. Titan Transnational Bank manages the accounts of all businesses around the solar system and is responsible for the creation of the modern currency, the Credit. Gagarin Deep Space and Jemison Astronautics continue Jack Weyland’s vision of humanity ascending to the stars. The megacorporation is entrenched in many contracting projects around the world as well as government contracts. Argus Security provides security and a private military for those who can afford it while Skorpios Defense System manufactures weapons of war.

The megacorporation is notorious for its predatory practices as it utilizes its vast amount of wealth and power to buy out smaller companies. Its smaller companies will only exist so long under their banner until they are sold, merged, or merely disassembled for all of their worth. Behind closed doors, it is said that the company will utilize any means to see to its goals. The Consortium actively seeks opportunities to make a profit around the world, preying on the unrest of others to make it happen or inciting it to create new needs. Naturally, nothing is ever linked back to the Weyland Consortium directly. These predatory practices are not foreign to any megacorporation, the Weyland Consortium merely excels at them.

The Board manages the Weyland Consortium, made up of several foundational wealthy billionaires who were responsible for the company’s success with a constantly rotating membership within its lower seats. Public relations officer Nasir Ahmadi currently serves as the face of the Weyland Consortium.

Industries: Construction, Finance, Military Contracting, Space Exploration, countless other acquisitions
Subsidiaries: Titan Transnational Bank, Gagarin Deep Space, Jemison Astronautics, Skorpios Defense Systems, Argus Security, Geostrategic Research and Neothermal Development Laboratories (GRNDL), and countless others


The Board


Nasir Ahmadi, public relations officer