PAIN
Para-reality Assessment & Investigation
"When some poor nation's in trouble,
And can do nothing, son,
That's when the United Nations meets
To decide that nothing can be done."
And can do nothing, son,
That's when the United Nations meets
To decide that nothing can be done."
Founded in August, 2013, the UN's Para-reality Assessment & Investigation task force is the supposedly neutral organization that handles unexpected reality intrusions and oversees trans-universal conflicts. It is occasionally useful in the former role, at least if the event occurred outside the borders of the UN Security Council's member nations or their favored proxies; it is as useful in the latter role as the UN usually is.
History
PAIN appeared and was organized and staffed with remarkable speed for any government organization, more so for the UN, to the point where it seems credible there was something smaller, and probably more effective, operating for years or decades, which had been forced to become more public as the number of incidents multiplied and no amount of "swamp gas" or "gang war" or "pipe explosion" could cover them up. If it did exist, the fact not a single late-night talk show host or YouTube ranter ever suspected it says much about their reliability regarding the conspiracies they do believe in. For a year or so, while they were the only game in town (that could operate quasi-publicly), they gained a reputation as top-flight super-agents confronting the paranormal. This reputation still attracts many skilled, talented, and idealistic people -- particularly breachers to apply, rather than supporting "nationalistic" organizations like Breach or assorted corporations.Logo
The logo for PAIN is the UN "earth" image, with four smaller "earths" surrounding it and slightly overlapping it. Each "alternate" has a symbol in it: A swastika, a stylized dinosaur head, a mushroom cloud, a biohazard sign. All are crossed out. The meaning is that PAIN protects Earth, and the UN's presumed ideals, from para-reality threats.Current
PAIN operates under a tight budget, constrained by countless treaties and local rules, and is often frustrated by the degree to which the places they enter will resist them, fearing that they might lose some potentially-exploitable paradimensional phenomenon, even though random, uncontrolled breaches are usually neutral and often deadly, and, if left unchecked, pose great risk to the local area and eventually the world. This is inevitably frustrating, and made more so by the constant pressure from competing administrators to acquire knowledge for their home nations or business partners before it can be properly shared. Efforts to stop this by mandating mixed groups of PAIN operatives, so that there's less chance of several agreeing to work together and conceal information, have had mixed success at best. Corporations and governments compromise individuals easily, and if there's tension between the home nations of agents, that tension can lead to catastrophic failure in situations where they must trust each other with their lives moment to moment.Structure
PAIN is led by a Director nominated for a four-year term based on rotation of the permanent members of the UN security council. The nomination must be approved by a majority of the full council. All nations in the UN may assign one deputy to respond to, and report on, breaches in their nation; this person is usually based in their nation's government offices and oversees a local department or ministry.
Culture
PAIN attracts, chews up, and spits out an endless stream of people who want to study para-reality phenomenon for its scientific, cultural, historical, etc., value and/or who recognize the risks of uncontrolled breaches (and uncontrolled travel through them). Those who stay for a long time tend to be either cynical and corrupt, looking only at how to parley their work into a comfortable high-paying job or profitable consulting gig, or cynical and incorruptible, knowing they're fighting a losing battle but refusing to quit. At the top,the knowledge the threats to the future are very real is constantly at war with the knowledge that threats to the present, and their careers, are also real.
Public Agenda
To respond to reports of para-reality phenomenon, especially in areas without broad-scale stabilizers; to assess threats; to contain them; and to seek out and confiscate, or destroy, any dangerous items, with a particular focus on those which might not destabilize rapidly.
Assets
Few, and getting fewer. A number of national governments, non-profits, and corporations have made "donations", but all come with explicit or implicit strings attached.
History
PAIN appeared and was organized and staffed with remarkable speed for any government organization, more so for the UN, to the point where it seems credible there was something smaller, and probably more effective, operating for years or decades, which had been forced to become more public as the number of incidents multiplied and no amount of "swamp gas" or "gang war" or "pipe explosion" could cover them up. If it did exist, the fact not a single late-night talk show host or YouTube ranter ever suspected it says much about their reliability regarding the conspiracies they do believe in.
For a year or so, while they were the only game in town (that could operate quasi-publicly), they gained a reputation as top-flight super-agents confronting the paranormal. This reputation still attracts many skilled, talented, and idealistic people -- particularly breachers to apply, rather than supporting "nationalistic" organizations like Breach or assorted corporations.The Director from 2013-2017 was Dr. Tian Chun, a physicist who was an early researcher into para-reality behavior. He had a reputation early on as a committed scientist, but over the course of his term, became increasingly nationalistic, especially as governments created their own organizations in competition with PAIN.
In 2017, Marley Mills, a British Army officer seconded to BREACH and who had distinguished herself in field operations (and who had a few connections in the House of Lords) took the Director's chair. Her term has been marked by pragmatism and a mandate to prioritize PAIN's limited budget towards threats and incursions over mere curiosities.
"When the choice is between investigating a dodo sighting or a dinosaur sighting, look for the dinosaur."
Protection From Possibilities
Founding Date
August, 2013
Type
Governmental, Department
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