The Geek Squad

wrench me by NeONBRAND

No one really remembers where the Geek Squad got their name, but ever since the Disunion really got into full swing, electronics and machines have been badly in need of people to repair them, sometimes using used parts or completely invented engineering. Anyone with a good head for tinkering can join this network of traveling repair technicians and inventors and make their living trading services for goods. While you can be a specialist in certain popular and practical devices, it's best to teach yourself a variety of disciplines because you never know what a settlement or individual you meet along your travels will need. They also trade extensively with each other as well as regular traders for repair supplies as well as materials like chemicals, metals and minerals, ingredients to produce polymers, etc. The network is used to ferry such specialized supplies across vast distances where regular shipping is not available - often such supplies require specific knowledge just to store and transport them safely. Many geeks also may have medical expertise. Note that there are multiple networks of travelers in the Disunion world, and they may travel alone or in twos and threes or as whole caravans of shamans, tinkers, traders, and so on, and they may even hire guards.

Structure

Network: there is no hierarchy, but people of this profession, traveling or not, are encouraged to meet and help as many fellow artisans and tinkers as they can so that when a problem arises that the available person can't fix, they can get in touch with the person with the right skills or materials to fix it as quickly as possible. There is no central location, no membership fees, though other geeks will check your work, so there is an honor system in place to not screw people over by doing bad work or overcharging (this would be enforced on a case by case basis, but mostly by the settlements being scammed, with the honest geek acting as an expert in prosecuting the con-geek)

Public Agenda

Like all the networks that arose after the Disunion, they come from a combination of supply and demand and the belief that being willing to go out of your way to help people benefits the good of the world as a whole and restores society and people's faith in humanity. They are also a force for the education of the next generation.

Assets

knowledge and skills, access to rare or delicate materials - they also invent stuff; sometimes they share freely, sometimes they trade for designs. They do, unfortunately, have to build weapons, just like blacksmiths and carpenters do, because this is a dangerous world full of wild animals, bandits, and crazy people.

History

The Geek Squad grew organically out of knowledgeable folks all over trading their services as demand called for them. They also protected each other and were protected by guards and militias of smart communities, knowing that "bad guys" could capture engineers and force them to make weapons. The safety and integrity of their work also depended on the quality of work performed by other traveling tinkers, so they made a point to get to know each other, share knowledge, provide constructive criticism, and root out scams and con artists. This created a widespread community and a reputation among settlements across the land, fostering interest in science and tech in the next generation and passing on knowledge so that new geeks took up the mantle and reinforced the culture of the network.

Type

Guild, Craftsmen

Alternative Names

tinkers

Demonym

geeks