Información contable

OVERVIEW

People United for the Protection of Peaceful Extra Terrestrials (PUPPET) is a public organization interested in learning about and making peaceful contact with alien races. Once it has con- clusive evidence in the form of downed craft, alien corpses, and eyewitness accounts, it wishes to “blow the lid” off the govern- ment cover-up and show just how badly abused extraterrestri- als really are. While PUPPET’s assets are spread through civilian and non-federal agencies, the goal of the group is to hunt down whatever snippets of information the government fails to cover up. This is done by monitoring criminal channels, media net- works, and the scientific community. Whenever incidents arise that warrant investigation, small teams are formed with media equipment to observe, record, and if possible procure alien activities and artifacts, while avoiding the government opera- tives covering them up.

HISTORY

PUPPET was formed approximately thirty years ago during the heyday of the Cold War, although by whom is not clear. It was obvi- ous to them that extraterrestrials existed on Earth and were not being properly represented. The idea caught on, and soon a core group of approximately twenty people started hunting for others who shared their views. Investigative journalism and police detective work turned up the most solid leads to new members. Thus PUPPET began infil- trating these areas, where today it holds its strongest grip.

MOTIVES

The foremost goal of PUPPET members is to establish peaceful relations with extraterrestrials. They are convinced that forces at work in the government are trying to keep the aliens oppressed and hid- den from the public, trying to further their own agendas. The American people are being kept from experiencing the utopia that could be created with interspecies cooperation, and whoever is keep- ing the truth hidden must be stopped. When enough information is gathered, the truth will be exposed. This will encourage peaceful diplomatic relations between the government and the extraterrestri- als, since the government will have to comply with what its con- stituents want. The politicians who do not cooperate will be blitzed by a PUPPET-sponsored media campaign. However, there is some dis- sention on how much evidence is required before the story is revealed. Some groups want to do so immediately and others want to wait for a more solid case. Along these same lines, members of PUPPET have varying views on researching extraterrestrial involve- ment on Earth. Some believe that research is critical to compiling a strong case against the government cover-up, while others believe that alien artifacts are all that is needed to show the citizens the truth.

MEMBERS

PUPPET is a public organization and is constantly looking for sym- pathizers. Curiously enough, a sizable number of abductees believe that cooperating with the aliens would stop the epidemic of abduc- tions that occur in the United States. Conspiracy theorists are also willing to join PUPPET, just to expose government actions. The pri- mary leaders of PUPPET do not advertise their positions, partly out of paranoia and partly out of humility. The members of PUPPET have grass-roots origins, and the organization’s leaders do not want to adhere to a hierarchical structure like the government’s. While being part of PUPPET requires active recruiting, meetings and investigation, a stigma is attached to being part of an organization of “believers.” Therefore, while members do not hide their identities, PUPPET groups do not have public rosters either.

PUPPET’s goals are to help humanity enter peaceful relations with the extraterrestrials whom they know are on Earth and the govern- ment is hiding. The way it intends to do this is by exposing the gov- ernment’s ruthless oppression of our otherworldly visitors with evi- dence retrieved from crash sites and given to it by sympathizers in the government. So far, PUPPET is biding its time and building its case. What PUPPET’s leaders have not told the main membership is that they have several artifacts which they know are of alien origin.

The leaders of PUPPET do not enforce rigid policies on its members; a level of trust is required and maintained in the group. PUPPET is split into six groups, with a North and South “committee” for each of the West Coast, Midwest, and East Coast. PUPPET’s leaders keep in touch with the various groups throughout the country, and a lot of communication goes on through Internet forums. Dead ends are weeded out, while dis- coveries and positive leads are reported and distributed to the other committees. The pop culture surrounding aliens in the last ten years has really boosted membership. Fifteen years ago, membership was under 100, but today’s membership is nearing 750. Roswell’s 50th anniversary alone brought in fifty new members.

Agents in PUPPET are constantly on the lookout for poten- tial new recruits, but many are screened out due to lack of credibility. Background checks are almost always conducted, and every effort is made to verify that personal experience, logic, and discretion are strong characteristics. Once it is veri- fied that a recruit is mentally stable and can keep a secret, she is inducted into the group for a trial period. After successfully completing two or three investigations, recruits are usually given official membership. While this process is not very secure, it also does not risk much more than public informa- tion, and PUPPET needs manpower and resources more than secrecy on almost every front.

PUPPET: PEOPLE UNITED FOR THE PROTECTION OF PEACEFUL EXTRA TERRESTRIALS

PULLING STRINGS

AREA15

1-POINTPULLINGSTRING

Named as a self-mocking parody of “Area 51,” Area 15s are a series of facilities maintained and run by PUPPET. Numerous facilities are spread throughout the country, and each one consists of a runway, a hidden hanger, at least two aircraft work- shops, and a good quality lab. Besides being connected to PUPPET, these facilities are “lent” out to any group supportive of aliens that makes a request through the right channels. These facilities are usually used to study the odd bits of alien technol- ogy that have been recovered over the years. To book a week’s time requires successful Intelligence and Bureaucracy Tasks, modified by the agent’s Influence Quality, and D6(3) hours notice. These areas are intended to be short term boltholes or com- mand centers until more permanent locations or solutions can be obtained.

CHARACTERISTICS

Alien Collaborators: Universal Information Liberation: Territorial Investigation: Universal

Research Institutions: Territorial

PROFILE

Group Identity: Public Leaders’ Identities: Normal Members’ Identities: Normal Group Goals: Public

Structure: Territorial

Territory: Multiple Entity (Country) Membership Size: Medium Membership Loyalty: Dedicated

INFLUENCE

Paranormal: 3

Restricted Resources (Paranormal): 3

CONTACTS

Intelligence: 1 (Minor) Science & Research: 1 (Minor) Law: 1 (Minor)

187

Even though the organization does not have a rigid hierar- chy, PUPPET is a close-knit group. The members know that they have to work together both to expose and defend against the conspiracy. A lot of members dedicate their time to reading up on possible “contacts” and looking for new recruits. Almost all members are willing to give up their livelihoods for the sake of the cause, even though most are not willing to give up their lives. Some of the more extreme members are willing to martyr themselves to let the truth be known, however.

RESOURCES

If PUPPET focuses its resources anywhere, it is in the arena of investigation. If there is anything agents clamor for it is a clear photo, video, or taped confession. To that end, all agents have access to resources from intelligence contacts across the country. PUPPET teams conducting investigations are supposed to have at least one skilled photographer or cameraman.

While PUPPET scrounges for the truth about our alien visi- tors, it generally ignores the supernatural. Even though agents come across supernatural phenomena, they are not concerned with those. As a result, no occult or psychic resources are avail- able to PUPPET members. A few resources stemming from alien crash sites are listed below, but PUPPET’s leadership cur- rently believes they are far too valuable to release to agents for use. This keeps the organization’s paranormal resources to a minimum; obviously PUPPET is trying to change this. A long- term goal is to gain control of something valuable of alien ori- gin to attract the “visitors’” attention, to open lines of commu- nication. So far that goal has yet to be met.

Resources obtained by the law enforcement sector of PUPPET’s membership are a useful defense. The group has no other real access to offensive or defensive capability. A Kevlar vest and a semiauto pistol allow agents a modicum of force when it comes to competing against fully equipped government agents. Resources from this SoI are primarily available in urban areas. While a wide variety of scientists provide equipment for analysis of alien paraphernalia, none of these sources provides the highest quality and most expensive pieces. Many PUPPET contacts in the science field are academic outcasts (see Drawback, p. 62 of the core rulebook), which limits their access to high-quality science resources, but whatever resources can be procured are available to everyone.

PUPPET attracts parapsychologists looking for answers to the questions posed by the stars. These members and contacts have not only revealed some explanations for UFOlogy events, they have also given some insight into the supernatural. For the most part, PUPPET obtains information through paranormal contacts. The intelligence field holds the juiciest contacts for PUPPET, as many individuals would love to get their hands on a breaking story about a government cover-up of massive pro- portions. If PUPPET obtains valuable information, members usually try to make this information known to the public. On the other hand, CSICOP itself often runs interference by targeting PUPPET-sponsored articles for debunking.

PUPPET has access to some odd resources, including a large fragment of a biological, coral-like ship that is in its possession; its alien nature still defies analysis. Another “artifact” is a preserved limb of a reptilian alien, which PUPPET fears would be deemed a fake if aired on TV or published in the papers. Its opposable thumb leaves no question, however. At one time, PUPPET had an complete corpse of one of the enigmatic “Greys”, but a well organized team of government agents infiltrated the storage area and stole it. This has not only heightened the paranoia of PUPPET’s leadership, but also forced it to increase its resources devoted to background checks and internal security. The one thing they know for sure is that the conspiracy is still going strong, and they have to fight ever harder to stop it.

Of special note is “Area 15,” PUPPET’s network of facilities used for analysis and storage of alien artifacts. These sites are dotted across the country and are well disguised, often appear- ing as an old runway and run-down barn. Inside, however, are equipment and resources that have been built over the years with PUPPET’s civilian and science contacts. Several mid-sized research firms have provided equipment for labs, while a con- struction company run by a sympathizer took the contract to maintain the actual facilities (and keep them hidden). Security is an important consideration in Area 15 sites, but PUPPET is usually willing to risk other alien collaborators using “15s” in exchange for information they gather. While only the most influential members of other groups can use the facilities for more than a week or two, the arrangement has so far proven beneficial for all parties.