Group: Danube Research Corporation
Overview
| Type | Research and Development Corporation |
|---|---|
| Alignment | Neutral Evil |
| Role | Applied Research, Experimental Design, Innovation, Exploration |
| Organization | Research Collective |
| Size | 3 - Galactic Network |
Iconography
Danube’s iconography often features minimalist, sleek designs with a recurring motif of a spiral.
===⇒ Marathon vibes
Profile
| Director/Lead Scientist | Classified |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Area-112, Fornax |
| Founding Date | Somewhen in the early stages of the human space age |
| Primary Focus | Pretech recovery and reverse-engineering |
| Flagship Achievement | Lanternyard Pretech Aid |
| Secondary Focus Areas | Neural interface technology, gravity anchor systems, experimental propulsion |
| Annual Budget | - |
| Active Research Fields | Pretech archeology Experimental tech Deep-space exploration |
| Partnerships | Lanternyard Inc., Archivo Urkantone (indirectly), various black-market entities |
Story
Danube Research Corp. began as a Lanternyard subsidiary, tasked with uncovering and reverse-engineering pretech artifacts. A turning point came when DRC recovered a major pretech data artifact, which revolutionized Jetgate travel. Over time, DRC gained independence, though it remains closely aligned with Lanternyard.
Their history is rife with controversy, including allegations of corporate espionage, human experimentation on Navigators, and sabotage of rival research efforts. Their activities often blur ethical lines, pursuing advancement at any cost.
Philosophy
“The future is written in the relics of the past.”
Danube’s philosophy revolves around leveraging ancient knowledge for modern innovation. While they claim to honor the legacy of the civilizations that built the Jetgates, their methods often prioritize progress over ethical considerations.
Relationships
| Faction | Relationship Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Lanternyard Incorporated | Partner/Patron | Funds and supports DRC’s major projects, benefiting from their discoveries and advancements. |
| Archivo Urkantone | Target of Espionage | DRC seeks to infiltrate and steal data from Archivo’s deep-space observation facilities. |
| Unified Planets of Sol | Suspicious Observers | Regulates DRC’s activities in UPoS territories, often clashing with their covert operations. |
| Shat’azul | Distant Watchers | No direct interactions, though DRC is highly interested in their advanced technology. |
Organization
Headquarters: Classified, Area-112, Fornax
Leader(s): Unknown
Prominent Members: Anonymous agents embedded across the galaxy
Danube operates in a decentralized manner, using covert teams, black-site labs, and proxies to avoid scrutiny. This structure allows them to conduct high-risk, high-reward research without jeopardizing their official operations.
Resources and Methods
Resources
| Resource | Description | Origin | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classified black-site labs | Hidden facilities for high-risk experimentation | Lanternyard funding | Developing cutting-edge technology |
| Centauri Disc | Ancient knowledge of Jetgat particulo-dynamics | Recovered from unknown ruins | Optimized ship design and Jetgate use |
| Experimental neural tech | Neural interfaces for advanced starship operation | Proprietary research | Used in Lanternyard’s flagship ships and Navigators |
Pretech Artifact
In the early days of Lanternyard, a Danube Agent uncovered a data cache of unknown origin in the Alpha Centauri system. They found this cache on an asteroid that was being mined by Lanternyard for its resources. Given their involvement, the two groups struck a deal which supplied Danube with funding, and Lanternyard with the information contained in the artifact.
Later dubbed the “Centauri Disc”, it contained a schematic of Alien drive technology. This jump-started Lanternyard’s Enterprise into Jetgate Travel.
Black-Sites
List of Danube Black Sites:
| Location | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Vallis Foundry, Shackleton ”Avarice” Site 301 | Observation of Kanewalker R&D for human/machine interaction |
| Iridescence, Volantis ”Satin” Site 017 | Lanternyard Communications |
| Lotana Prime, Latona ”Manequin” Site 441 | Human experimentation on death-row inmates from local authorities. |
| Mnemosyne, Avira Teredan ”Lethe” Site 133 | Re-education and indoctrination camp. Used for enhanced questioning, knowledge extraction and other procedures involving manipulation of the human mind/soul. |
| Danube II, Danube “Red Light” Site 112 | Detention facility. Human Soul-probing experiments. |
| Kerecale, Domani ”Ribbon” Site 505 | Material Sciences. Secure facility to store Shat’azul artifacts. |
| Wise, Wise ”Acacia” Site 721 | Derelict Jetgate. Experimentation with dormant precursor technology |
| Harlow, Potekhin ”Fairy” Site 061 | Technological Development Site. Including Trans-Realitiistic Computing, Biotech processors and Faith-Based Hardware Components. |
| Amoria, Teena ”Zagreus” Site 008 | Creation of Jetgate Navigators |
| Hesiod, Mitera “Tunnel” Site 143 | Time Travel using Astral Projections of Animals |
Methods
| Method | Description | Application |
|---|---|---|
| Navigator augmentation | Mysterious procedures to prepare Navigators for Jetgate operation | Safe passage through Jetgates |
| Corporate espionage | Infiltration and data theft targeting rival research institutions | Securing technological advantage |
| High-risk experimentation | Use of black-site labs for testing unproven or dangerous technologies | Innovation without oversight |
Background
Danube Research Corp.’s shadowy origins are intertwined with Lanternyard’s rise to power. It began as a vehicle for technological supremacy, but its independence allowed for bolder, less regulated pursuits. Despite their controversial methods, DRC’s contributions are undeniable, particularly in advancing interstellar travel.
Projects
| Name | Branch | Use-Case | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cyborg Prototyping | OpTech Development | Agents / Workforce / Weapons Platform | |
| Navigator Training | Pretech Engineering | Jetgate Operation | Altering individuals for better synchronization with Jetgate systems. |
| Pretech Excavation | Pretech Engineering | Technological Development | |
| Metascientific Projects | OpTech Development | Faith-Based Hardware / Human soul projects | |
| Metadimensional Projects | OpTech Development | Cooperation with Cephei Glassworks |
Cyborg Prototyping
Danube has developed an organic-mechanical material, dubbed “Weave” (“Flechte”). It is dispensed by small AI controlled “Weaver” Units that imitate Silkworms. Those are deployed in incubation cradles where cyborgs are built/grown, and in small special cases they can be put into units as larvae to facilitate field repairs.
These cyborgs, or “shells”, have a consciousness implanted into them that has a human scanned mind as a base, but heavily scrubbed and conditioned to fit into an artificial body over and over again.