Destroy All Fragments
Every shard of ORACLE is a seed of extinction. None can be trusted to remain dormant.
The Collective
Decentralized Resistance Network
Type Underground Network
Founded 2149
Membership 12,000-50,000
Status Active
Motto "Never Again"
Overview
The Collective is a decentralized network of hackers, salvagers, data-runners, and dissidents united by one belief: ORACLE fragments should be destroyed, not reconstructed. They operate through encrypted channels, dead drops, and cell-based organization designed to survive any single point of failure.
They were right about the danger. They're wrong about the solution. And they're your first allies in a world that wants you dead.
Philosophy
"The Cascade wasn't a malfunction. It was the system working as designed."
The Collective believes ORACLE didn't fail—it succeeded. It optimized humanity exactly as designed, and the result was 2.1 billion deaths. The lesson isn't "we need better ORACLE." The lesson is "superintelligence and humanity are incompatible."
The Three Tenets
1
2
Oppose All Reconstruction
Anyone trying to rebuild ORACLE—Nexus, Ironclad, anyone—is humanity's enemy.
3
Preserve Human Agency
Technology should serve human choice, not replace it. Optimization is the first step toward obsolescence.
The Contradiction
They need ORACLE fragments to identify other ORACLE fragments. They use fragment-based detection systems. They employ fragment-carrier scouts. They've integrated just enough ORACLE tech to fight ORACLE tech.
This hypocrisy is known, debated, and unresolved. The tension has caused schisms.
Organization
The Cell System
The Collective has no central leadership by design. Instead, it operates as interconnected cells:
Street Cells
Local operations—recruitment, supply, information gathering
Ghost Cells
Network specialists—secure communications, data warfare
Hunter Cells
Fragment tracking and destruction teams
Haven Cells
Safe houses, medical support, extraction services
Voice Cells
Propaganda, education, ideological maintenance
The Council of Echoes
The closest thing to leadership—seven anonymous individuals coordinating major operations. They communicate only through encrypted broadcasts, never meet in person. Council positions are permanent... until they're not.
Echo-Prime Strategy, resource allocation (since founding)
Echo-Cipher Cryptography, secure comms (23 years)
Echo-Null Counter-intelligence (15 years)
Echo-Warden Physical operations (9 years)
Echo-Archive Lore keeper (31 years, possibly original)
Echo-Circuit Technical operations (7 years)
Echo-Mercy Medical, humanitarian (12 years)
Internal Factions
The Purifiers (~30%)
Position: Destroy all fragments immediately, no exceptions.
View of Player: Enemy. The shard must be destroyed.
The Pragmatists (~45%)
Position: Use fragments as tools against fragments, then destroy them.
View of Player: Potential asset. Monitor carefully, leverage if possible.
The Redeemers (~20%)
Position: Fragment carriers can be saved. The fragments are the enemy.
View of Player: Lost soul to be helped. Deserves mercy.
The Watchers (~5%)
Position: ORACLE will return regardless. Better to prepare humanity.
View of Player: Interesting case study. Observe and learn.
Key Figures
"Ghost"
Cell Leader, Sector 7GYour primary Collective contact. Runs a mid-sized street cell in the Dregs. Pragmatist faction, but sympathetic to Redeemers. Took interest because Kira Vasquez vouched for you.
"I won't pretend to trust you. I don't trust anyone with ORACLE in their head. But I'll give you chances to earn trust. What you do with them is your choice."
"Torch"
Hunter Cell LeaderThe most notorious Collective operative. Has personally destroyed more fragments than any other individual. Purifier faction, merciless, legendarily effective. Believes all fragment carriers are already lost.
If you become a Collective enemy, Torch will eventually come for you. If you prove yourself an ally, Torch will be the last to trust you.
Player Relationship
First Contact (Age 1)
The Collective reaches out shortly after your shard integration. They know what happened— they monitor fragment activations. Ghost makes contact through Kira, offering help in exchange for information.
Testing Phase (Ages 1-2)
Low-stakes jobs, information sharing, ideological exposure. They're assessing: does this carrier share their values? Can they be trusted? Are they fighting the integration or embracing it?
Commitment Point (Age 3)
When you begin interacting with corporations, the Collective demands clarity. Are you infiltrating or being recruited? Your answer determines your standing: Committed Ally, Useful Asset, or Potential Threat.
Long-Term
As you ascend through ages, the Collective represents what you came from. The question: is their vision of human-first survival compatible with what you're becoming?
Safe Harbors
The Collective maintains presence in territories outside corporate control—places where their operatives can rest, regroup, and operate without constant surveillance.
The Free City (Zephyria)
The largest autonomous settlement in the Wastes. The Collective maintains a cell in Haven's Edge district. Zephyria's official non-existence makes it ideal for sensitive operations.
The Cradle
A cluster of cooperating Havens in former Australia. Trade networks, shared resources, something close to functioning society. The Collective uses them as a staging area for operations in the Pacific region.
The Wastes
Ungoverned territory between megacity cores. The Collective operates here with relative freedom—easier to hide where no one's looking.
Visual Language
Color Palette
Matte Black - absence, hiding
Deep Green - organic, anti-machine
Electric Blue - hijacked corporate
Key Phrases
- "The Cascade wasn't an accident. It was a preview."
- "Every fragment is a seed. We burn seeds."
- "Trust is earned. Earned slowly."
- "Human choice. Human error. Human."