Things Happening at Tantalus

Datanet Failures

Datanet Blackouts 

Issues:

• Rolling Blackouts
• Data Loss
• Service outages (including comms)

Resolution:

• Restriction of public Datanet to authorised locations (like public payphones, basically)
• Only Military and 'essential' services can access Datanet2

Strikes

Issues:

• Increased working hours and reduced pay
• reduced safety in critical areas (increased deaths and accidents)
• reduced medical coverage
• Job changes (lots of sectors are closing, jobs in dangerous areas like refining and manufacturing increasing)

Resolution:

• Tantalus Authority introduce "Strikebreakers". Dedicated teams of military police units that remind anyone suspected of planning strike action that it's illegal, and the station is under martial law

Sabotage

Ship Part Sabotage Food Sabotage Sabotaged Turrets 

Issues:

• Small acts of deliberate sabotage in key areas are appearing all over Tantalus
• Macrocannon turrets have been sabotaged in several ways
• Ammo for the turrets and other military uses has been sabotaged
• Government facilities have been the target of bomb threats
• Several key people have been killed, this looked random at first, but over the last few weeks a wider pattern has shown it's deliberate
• Hard to distinguish sabotage from maintenance failures and accidents due to overwork. Lots of thigns seem like sabotage, and the custodians lack the resources to investigate fully.

Policing Reductions

Issues:

• Custodians are seeing an explosion of minor crimes (mostly thefts, arguments that lead to fights, etc.)
• All Custodians have been required to work extra hours for no pay since the Truth March, and things are getting worse
• About 20% of active Custodians have quit since then.
• Many remaining are taking bribes to look the other way
• The few "loyal" Custodians left are taking an increasingly hard-line, even taking law into their own hands because they believe the courts have failed.

Fortress Programme

Issues:

• Massive investment in the Fortress Programme is sucking resources from all other places
• Macrocannon turrets and associated guncrew training, etc. is the most public
• Hundreds of new point-defence turrets have been installed around the docking bays
• Munitions production is #1 priority

Martial Law

Issues:

• Seen as a way to oppress the populace
• Breakdown of civilian services as a direct result of Martial Law
• A growing group of voices claim the "Raider Threat" has been manufactured by the Military
• Rumours that 'Freedom Brigade' groups are going to overthrow the government and reinstate the Assembly council
• There's a Draught going on that's not really affected too many yet, but it's likely to increase. Right now only people who are registered unemployed are being draughted.

Sleastatt Alliance

Issues:

• Seen as 'Terrorists from the Graveyard' coming to take over
• Seen as 'Saviours' at a time of great need
• Unexpected allies
• Unknown warmongering scum being droughted in
• Don't need them, can take care of ourselves.

Food Shortages

Issues:

• Basic Food has been getting more and more expensive
• Luxury food is completely inaccessible to normal people
• Rumours that rationing will be introduced soon
• Quality of food has dropped significantly

Supply Shortages

Issues:

• Almost all civilian/Privateer ship parts being given to military
• Smaller projects all over tantalus have seen a lack of supplies
• Chemicals for cleaning, waste treatment, food processing, etc. etc. are in short supply and expensive
• Metals for all types of manufacturing are extremely rare
• Scavenging has become commonplace on a low-level (people steal stuff from existing places)

Technical Collapse

Issues:

• Essential maintenance is not being carried out (or minimally) due to supply shortages
• Many key personnel from the engineering, science, and industrial sectors have vanished
• Shortages in supplies have led to many breakdowns and issues cropping up across all districts, but the poorer areas are worst affected.

Drug Trade

Issues:

• A new drug, Silver, is making a massive impact on the human population
• No-one knows where it comes form, but it's pretty cheap and lots of dealers are pushing it
• It's gaining popularity in many areas since it's pretty cool

Disease & Illness increases

Issues:

• As basic services break down, the rate of illness goes up.
• Particularly noticeable in poorer areas that have less access to medical and good food.

Thunderleague Racing

Issues:

• After many rumours, it's confirmed that the Thunderleague is returning
• Popular racing sport, but this year it's returning in a way not seen before.
• Safety concerns have been raised
• Detractors say it's meant to distract the dumb masses from what's really going on.

Ork Attacks

Issues:

• The Ork fleet is almost here
• Sleastatt ships are starting to arrive to reinfoce Tantalus
• the main fleet won't arrive until after the Orks do
• the ISL Argos being redied for flight, despite not being finished
• Rumours of a suicide mission being planned

Death Sports

Issues:

• Underground death-sports leagues have sprung up
• Seems that wealthy people are betting on the contestants
• Local authorities are being paid to look away, or are actively involved
• The poor and desperate are encouraged to compete to earn big money prizes

Skult Rats

Issues:

• One of the many vermin that inhabit Tantalus
• In the past have been kept under control by exterminators, it's a standard job
• The Themis colonies living in the service areas also massively contribute to keeping the Skult Rats and other pests away from civilian areas (Themis usually sell the meat and hides to food processors)
• Since much of the service areas are suffering breakdowns, the Skult Rats are moving more freely
• The Themis colonies have left or are dead, so the Skult Rats are expanding into new territories
• Smaller Skult Rats have been infesting abandoned areas, larger ones moving into civilian areas too.

Gangs

Issues:

• Crime is increasing rapidly, many low-level criminals are joining gangs or forming new ones for mutual protection
• Gangs organised by crime bosses are expanding rapidly
• Gang crime accounts for a large percentage of thefts and minor crimes
• thieves focus on food and materials (like stealing metal plates from hab block walls, etc)
• Many areas that were once decent are seeing an increase of street gangs, mugging and intimidation is increasing in many districts.

Organised Crime

Issues:

• Existing organised crime rings have expanded massively to encompass black market operations