Rifts(tm) Alaska

[Aramanthus]

You have to remember it was called "Seward's Folly" after the US purchased it from Russia. It has tremendous resources. It would make a great new world book. And at the very least it could make a net book.

[taalismn]

Plus you could have some high-tech Russians setting up an enclave...
Or go all-out and have a landbridge re-emerge connecting to Siberia(it will play merry havoc with ocean currents, but we already have Atlantis, so why not?)

[LostOne]

IIRC the coasts were taken out by tsunamis when the Rifts came. Isn't 99% of Alaska's population on the coast? So it's probably all D-bees with a small population of eskimos.

[Vrykolas2k]

IIRC the coasts were taken out by tsunamis when the Rifts came. Isn't 99% of Alaska's population on the coast? So it's probably all D-bees with a small population of eskimos.

I'd say closer to 80%.

[Aramanthus]

There are military bases on the interior of Alaska. That area does have quite a bit of potential for development.

[LostOne]

There are military bases on the interior of Alaska. That area does have quite a bit of potential for development.

And those military bases are 100% reliant on outside sources for food. The soldiers don't hunt and kill polar bears up there, or farm. So getting suddenly cut off, depending on how remote they are (I know of a couple bases that are so remote they don't even see wildlife for weeks at a time), there could be some starved dead soldiers.

[Todd Yoho]

Which is perhaps to the good, but to answer in order:

Yes, about %80 of the population does indeed live in 'coastal areas', but by the same token, many significant areas don't. Fairbanks, a major city, is more than 1,000 miles from a Coast, smack in the middle of the state, with significant military bases (Eilson AFB, etc.) Indeed, as Fairbanks experiences -30 to -50 degree weather regularly, they would be more self-sufficient than most. Out in the Bush (rural Alaska) we have the highest proportion of private, small-plane pilots in the world, and susbsistence hunting and fishing is alive and well for tens of thousands of residents.

As to the bases not being self-sufficient...no military base in the continental US *is* self-sufficient. All bases have stockpiles of materiel and supplies, and all or nearly all have emergency power, water, and other resources for emergencies. However, there is- to my knowledge- no military facility who has Farmers or Ranchers on staff to provide food in case of being cut off from supply for a century. Alaska, being a major training area for Arctic and wilderness survival *and* transshipment point for light infantry rapid response forces means having significant stockpiles and caches of equipment on hand, *and* personnel who are (no offense to a number of other areas) a lot better trained on how to deal with emergency and wilderness survival situations than, say, a common Clerk in San Diego.

Add in NEMA, which would almost guarantee a much closer relationship with Canadian and US military forces on a strategic and logistical level, and one virtually guarantees the existence of hardened military facilities (supply depots and sensor/electronics outposts if nothing else) to have existed and likely survived. Add in being the northernmost State bordering Canada, and having been an early-warning post against the Soviet Union since before it became a State, and it is extremely likely that any number of military facilities in the wilderness- or near production facilities such as the oil production in far northern Alaska- would have survived.

I don't want to seem like I'm off on a rant, but having lived here for decades I've been in a position to see the 'real Alaska', not the stereotype that pervades the common consensus. Looked at from the future perspective of Rifts, it's inconceviable that every non-Native Alaskan would simply be wiped out and the state turned into an empty wilderness which holds nothing of interest.
Simply extrapolating from current models, by the time of the Rifts Alaska would be likely to have ten to fifteen million residents, and considering the quest for available resources including mining for MDC material requirements, Alaska is likely to have become a 'boom State' during the Golden Age, to say nothing of its use by the military for rough-terrain survival training. Biological companies, oil, mining, even military contractors would be attracted to the huge available land (perfect for security, when the rest of the US is crowded more and more) the resources in plenty (no water shortages, etc.) and the fact that 'no one knows much about Alaska' (perfect for Military Security.)

The subject is something I and other Rifts players up here have talked about for years. The things discussed really came to 'what everyone knew' and what the reality was.

Major Points:

"It's Cold!"

Yes it is- but the major population center (Anchorage) actually has lighter winters than many places in Montana, Michigan, and other northern States (and a lot of Canada.) In addition, let's look at how the pre-Rifts technology would have made environmental concerns a joke.

Inexpensive Nuclear Plants. By the time of the Rifts, a nearly fool-proof, not terribly expensive nuclear plant replaces any wind, coal-fired, or oil-fired power plant. It's smaller than a car, can be moved if needed, and on average lasted 10 years. With power so cheap, it would be *easy* to conquer any environment. Cold? Electric heaters. Need water? Filtration plants run by said power plant. Heck, I'm sure villages and towns across Alaska would cannibalize the power plant from a truck to run their entire village, for more or less free, for the next decade.

Hydroponics. Even today, the Matanuska Valley region (north of Anchorage) is well-known for greenhouses and farms- the growing season may be shorter than other states, but the concentrated sunlight due to the latitude extends yields to compensate. Now, take this into the future, where nuclear plants make inexpensive energy a reality, and look at how easy and cheap it would be to set up acre after acre of enclosed, heated, *productive* farms.

Independence. One of the most pervasive elements of Alaska is a sense of independence. I don't denigrate other states or countries, but Alaska isn't known as 'The Last Frontier' for nothing. In Alaska, most residents don't think anything of sinking their own well and using an outhouse in order to have a cabin in the middle of nowhere. Outside of major cities, people stockpile essentials because it wouldn't occur to them not to. Carrying a firearm in the wilderness is not just expected, but goes without saying. The environment doesn't let people lose much self-reliance, especially the farther north you go.

In the end, I don't think Alaska should necessarily have an entire supplement dedicated to it, by any means- but I think it does the overall Rifts world a disservice to more or less ignore it. A supplement of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska is in my opinion a good idea, to round out the Rifts description of the United States and Canada, and it needn't necessarily be something huge or bring in Giant Superweapons of Doom.

You have a very good start, at the least, on a solid Rifter article here. The canon and non-canon are sparse on the subject, and you seem like an ideal candidate to add to it.

[Aramanthus]

Great point Deacon! Thank you for the clarifications. And I should have been more specific on my previous point. The military trains specialized units for arctic survival. Those units might be able to provide some security after the coming of the Rifts. And I know the environment makes the native alaskan a lot tougher and more reliant than most of us continental citazens. There is a fairly new show on Discovery called "Tougher in Alaska". It might be good research for those of us down here to see how different life is up there. I've known a couple of people who lived and worked in Alaska over the decades. Just my opinion on things.

[LostOne]

I don't want to seem like I'm off on a rant, but having lived here for decades I've been in a position to see the 'real Alaska', not the stereotype that pervades the common consensus.

I did not take it as a rant. Truly, I'm glad you posted this. I've never been to Alaska so all I have to go off of is what I remember from TV/movies.

I'll second the Rifter article. It would be best coming from a native than someone like me who has never even been there.

However, no matter how well trained the military survivalists are, the local sportsmen that hunt and fish, there will need to be a significant human population loss, or else they will overhunt and overfish all local food supplies into extinction within a year. I'd bet on it. There's a difference between hunting for sport or animal population control and hunting to feed a town of 1000+. Game will become scarce in the area, forcing the hunters to travel farther away to hunt.

[taalismn]

As for the autonomy and self-sufficiency of military bases, time and time again in Rifts we see Golden Age military facilities with surprising independence, most likely as a result of the sudden arming as paranoia began to oevrcome the sunny optimism of the Golden Age..Fusion power +nanotechnology+whatever else, plus NEMA seems to be fond of suspended animation facilities, automated factories, and big stockpiles...diet might be a little montonous, but with the fusion powerplant to crack hydrogen or power biofuel synthesis, power and fuel's not a problem...

[Aramanthus]

I think you can check in the Rifter Forum. I believe that their is a stickied thread for suck thoughts about submitting articles. I think it would have the potential of becoming far more than just an article. The area is huge! With enough potential for a world book eventually. (My Mom and Dad traveled there in late July of 2001 and got back a few weeks before 9/11 occurred.) I've seen their VHS footage and pics of that trip. It is a truly beautiful place to live or visit.

[taalismn]

Make it so..
Save me a free copy...

[Aramanthus]

Until someone actually gets an article or world book done every GM should do some serious research on the area. It has a rich heritage from just the native americans who live there. I've heard of several legends from Alaska, but they are only thru books and not from natives. It has a very rich find from that prespective of myth. It has a lot of potential that should be exploited.

[Kakuma]

There is a Pre-Rifts American Military Base staffed by Native Americans inside a glacier.



... and Tundra Rangers are in the area.

Which is perhaps to the good, but to answer in order:

Yes, about %80 of the population does indeed live in 'coastal areas', but by the same token, many significant areas don't. Fairbanks, a major city, is more than 1,000 miles from a Coast, smack in the middle of the state, with significant military bases (Eilson AFB, etc.) Indeed, as Fairbanks experiences -30 to -50 degree weather regularly, they would be more self-sufficient than most. Out in the Bush (rural Alaska) we have the highest proportion of private, small-plane pilots in the world, and susbsistence hunting and fishing is alive and well for tens of thousands of residents.

As to the bases not being self-sufficient...no military base in the continental US *is* self-sufficient. All bases have stockpiles of materiel and supplies, and all or nearly all have emergency power, water, and other resources for emergencies. However, there is- to my knowledge- no military facility who has Farmers or Ranchers on staff to provide food in case of being cut off from supply for a century. Alaska, being a major training area for Arctic and wilderness survival *and* transshipment point for light infantry rapid response forces means having significant stockpiles and caches of equipment on hand, *and* personnel who are (no offense to a number of other areas) a lot better trained on how to deal with emergency and wilderness survival situations than, say, a common Clerk in San Diego.

Add in NEMA, which would almost guarantee a much closer relationship with Canadian and US military forces on a strategic and logistical level, and one virtually guarantees the existence of hardened military facilities (supply depots and sensor/electronics outposts if nothing else) to have existed and likely survived. Add in being the northernmost State bordering Canada, and having been an early-warning post against the Soviet Union since before it became a State, and it is extremely likely that any number of military facilities in the wilderness- or near production facilities such as the oil production in far northern Alaska- would have survived.

I don't want to seem like I'm off on a rant, but having lived here for decades I've been in a position to see the 'real Alaska', not the stereotype that pervades the common consensus. Looked at from the future perspective of Rifts, it's inconceviable that every non-Native Alaskan would simply be wiped out and the state turned into an empty wilderness which holds nothing of interest.
Simply extrapolating from current models, by the time of the Rifts Alaska would be likely to have ten to fifteen million residents, and considering the quest for available resources including mining for MDC material requirements, Alaska is likely to have become a 'boom State' during the Golden Age, to say nothing of its use by the military for rough-terrain survival training. Biological companies, oil, mining, even military contractors would be attracted to the huge available land (perfect for security, when the rest of the US is crowded more and more) the resources in plenty (no water shortages, etc.) and the fact that 'no one knows much about Alaska' (perfect for Military Security.)

The subject is something I and other Rifts players up here have talked about for years. The things discussed really came to 'what everyone knew' and what the reality was.

Major Points:

"It's Cold!"

Yes it is- but the major population center (Anchorage) actually has lighter winters than many places in Montana, Michigan, and other northern States (and a lot of Canada.) In addition, let's look at how the pre-Rifts technology would have made environmental concerns a joke.

Inexpensive Nuclear Plants. By the time of the Rifts, a nearly fool-proof, not terribly expensive nuclear plant replaces any wind, coal-fired, or oil-fired power plant. It's smaller than a car, can be moved if needed, and on average lasted 10 years. With power so cheap, it would be *easy* to conquer any environment. Cold? Electric heaters. Need water? Filtration plants run by said power plant. Heck, I'm sure villages and towns across Alaska would cannibalize the power plant from a truck to run their entire village, for more or less free, for the next decade.

Hydroponics. Even today, the Matanuska Valley region (north of Anchorage) is well-known for greenhouses and farms- the growing season may be shorter than other states, but the concentrated sunlight due to the latitude extends yields to compensate. Now, take this into the future, where nuclear plants make inexpensive energy a reality, and look at how easy and cheap it would be to set up acre after acre of enclosed, heated, *productive* farms.

Independence. One of the most pervasive elements of Alaska is a sense of independence. I don't denigrate other states or countries, but Alaska isn't known as 'The Last Frontier' for nothing. In Alaska, most residents don't think anything of sinking their own well and using an outhouse in order to have a cabin in the middle of nowhere. Outside of major cities, people stockpile essentials because it wouldn't occur to them not to. Carrying a firearm in the wilderness is not just expected, but goes without saying. The environment doesn't let people lose much self-reliance, especially the farther north you go.

In the end, I don't think Alaska should necessarily have an entire supplement dedicated to it, by any means- but I think it does the overall Rifts world a disservice to more or less ignore it. A supplement of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska is in my opinion a good idea, to round out the Rifts description of the United States and Canada, and it needn't necessarily be something huge or bring in Giant Superweapons of Doom.

If I remember correctly isn't there an International genetics/seed repository located somewhere in the great northwest? It would make an interesting start off base for survivors.

[Rimmerdal]

Food Solution:
I can see alaska being used. Mysterious alien plants (or plants made by humans) that growin winter. You'd have trappers telling stories of fields of corn growing in the north...

For non-alien plant/Geneticly enhanced plant fans...green houses in those military bases could provide a reliable and extensive supply of food if big enough they are vegitarian.

[taalismn]

Food Solution:
I can see alaska being used. Mysterious alien plants (or plants made by humans) that growin winter. You'd have trappers telling stories of fields of corn growing in the north...

For non-alien plant/Geneticly enhanced plant fans...green houses in those military bases could provide a reliable and extensive supply of food if big enough they are vegitarian.

Sounds good..."'Alaskan Citrus'?! Heh, Clem, what kinda an idjit do you take me for?!"

[Aramanthus]

Sounds like a very workable technology as long as the green houses aren't destroyed by some nasty creature from some rift.

[Balabanto]

Heh. Considering that in my game, South Jersey is run by "The Twelve Families" and everything is Mafia Culture, I really can't argue with a clear and reasoned view of Alaska.

[glitterboy2098]

i think alaska can get by on it's own in a book. remember, alaska is the size of texas, california, and montana combined and has more coastline than the rest of the united states combined.

if one book can suffice for Texas, i think one book will suffice for Alaska..

besides, California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho are basically the same size, and deserve more attention than you could give if they shared a book with alaska.

heck, alaska and the american and canadian west coasts cover more area than Europe. you'd need more than one book to even scratch the surface.

[Aramanthus]

That is very true GB2098! It is a vast area in desperate need of exploration of a series of World Books. It has vast resources and a potential area for campaigning in a new section of Rift's earth that has only been barely scratched for potential.

[Aramanthus]

You could easily power the whole set up with an advanced solar cells. By the time before the coming of the Rifts the solar cells might be just perfect for the set up of the facilities for your aquaculture.

[LostOne]

You could easily power the whole set up with an advanced solar cells. By the time before the coming of the Rifts the solar cells might be just perfect for the set up of the facilities for your aquaculture.

Hopefully they have made huge improvements by then, because today's solar cells are not anywhere near as good as they are made out to be.

[erc1971]

There are military bases on the interior of Alaska. That area does have quite a bit of potential for development.

And those military bases are 100% reliant on outside sources for food. The soldiers don't hunt and kill polar bears up there, or farm. So getting suddenly cut off, depending on how remote they are (I know of a couple bases that are so remote they don't even see wildlife for weeks at a time), there could be some starved dead soldiers.

And this too has some potential use in Rifts

Eric

[Aramanthus]

I know they do. If they advance everything at a fast rate maybe it'll something that will be extremely widely distributed.

[Rimmerdal]

How much wind up in Alaska? Wind turbines might also work.

[Princedarkstorm]

I also see as a haven for Vampires and other types of beings that hate sunlight.
On the plus side Alaska has alot of resources to use .

[Library Ogre]

I also see as a haven for Vampires and other types of beings that hate sunlight.

What about the months where there's nothing but sunlight?

[Princedarkstorm]

Very true.
Anyone care for 30 Days of Night?

[Lucas]

i liked it, i could see a whole army Of nema soldiers up there waiting in cold storage

[Princedarkstorm]

Good idea !

[Aramanthus]

It would make for a nice treasure. It's vast enough to hide a lot of facilities. Maybe NEMA carried out those sort of operations.

[Princedarkstorm]

True, Maybe even PreRifts tech to rebuild the next Golden Age of Earth !

[Aramanthus]

With it's shear size it would be too easy to hide whatever sort of facility up there. Including an underground submarine shipyard!

[Aramanthus]

A ley line wouldn't, but a ley line nexus/ Rift would lead somewhere else.

[Princedarkstorm]

Very true .
On Earth or off world .
Here is a thought on the Alaska topic mdc Polar Bears ?Or Giant Walrus ?

[Aramanthus]

There are always demon bears! I can't remember the real name, but I know there is something from American Indian Mythology.

[AlanGunhouse]

They are in the Rifts Canada book.

[Aramanthus]

Yeah that is right. Thanks for the reminder. Along with the Windego. But there are plenty of other Native American myths to include. It just takes a little research.

[Princedarkstorm]

They are in Rifts Canada ,Old friend .

[Aramanthus]

I know. I was using it as an illustration. Not every Native American myths haven't been touched yet. I'm sure we can actually actually dig enough old ones out to fill at least a part of a world book for Alaska.

[Aramanthus]

I personally don't think that should be part of the book.

[Aramanthus]

LOL Now that I could see. We could make you look like an oscar and put it on the corner. And upper corner. Say the upper right one.

[Princedarkstorm]

Agreed.

[Princedarkstorm]

Perhaps finding a race of cold using humans in the region or even a new type of WArlock that uses ice/cold type spells as well.

[taalismn]

cool it sits right above my PC.

Eskignomes?....

[Princedarkstorm]

I guess so .

[AlanGunhouse]

Perhaps finding a race of cold using humans in the region or even a new type of WArlock that uses ice/cold type spells as well.

It would not be a Warlock, as there is no "element" of Ice. It would be more like the Opposite of a Russian Fire Sorcerer or the equivalent of an African Weather Maker, one who specializes in Snow and Ice powers rather than fire or normal storms.

[Library Ogre]

Perhaps finding a race of cold using humans in the region or even a new type of WArlock that uses ice/cold type spells as well.

It would not be a Warlock, as there is no "element" of Ice.

*whistles innocently*

[Princedarkstorm]

Well,Mark?
Cause I think I read somewhere that the Warlocks were to gain new areas right?!

[Aramanthus]

Cold could be created thru effect of water and air. Maybe that is the type of warlocks up there above the arctic circles.