Tribe 4 starts with a big bang – the invasion of the Technos – which causes consequences for the entire city in Tribeworld. What is going to happen? This special worldview looks at the invasion of the Technos and the reaction of the city – and what direction Tribe Series 4 may take…
IT’S RAINING TECHNOS… HALLELUJAH?
When the city awoke following the demise of the Chosen, few (if anyone) would have thought that day would bring something unexpected from the skies – the Technos and their invasion.
The arrival of the Technos is quite clearly an invasion – they appeared unexpectedly with no forewarning at all to maximise the impact of their arrival. They were not arriving to deliver presents or exchange gifts. Neither was their appearance a short or one-off attack on the city. No, the arrival of the Technos was planned and deliberated beforehand – they had their objectives, knew where they were going and what they were going to do – it was clearly a sustained and planned invasion to take over the city.
The Technos were not pretending otherwise and under the expert ground leadership of Jay, the Technos used their considerable arsenal of technical gadgets to overpower and overawe the stunned population of the city. This was an intentional move on Jay’s part – to use “fear” to scare the people into submission so they would not contest the Technos seizing control.
This was therefore an invasion – the use of surprise and overwhelming power in a planned campaign to achieve an effect – similar to previous invasions in history (from Napoleon to World War Two and World War One – and you could even say the current activities in Afghanistan are an invasion from outside).
But there is a big question to ask…
THE PEOPLE INVADING – WHAT DO THEY WANT TO ACHIEVE?
Taking control of the city is not a final aim in itself – it is only a first stepping stone to achieving – what?
Do the Technos aim to conduct a peaceful invasion? Is their presence essentially one of “peace-keeping” (much like the United Nations) where they will bring stablity and skills to the local situation to make the city peaceful and prosperous once more? And they only have weapons to defend themselves? They are there as peace-makers? This view could in early days be construed by Jay’s activities – he doesn’t use violence for its own sake, just for self-defense and he tries to calm others who are more aggressive, like VED.
Or… is it not a peaceful invasion? Is the plan instead to use overwhelming superiority in musclepower and technical resources to simply reshape a new city – to literally force people to adapt to a new agenda and a new order despite people’s opinions on the matter. Is it that the Technos are so well armed because they will use fear and terror to make the people cower – and if local people don’t accept their new order, then they will pay the price? Could this be why VED is so aggressive?
Or is it something else – perhaps a combination of the two? This may be the most likely explanation of this particular Techno invasion. RAM said “let the game begin” and he may be using overwhelming power and techno force as a “game” – a piece of theatre, with nothing really substantive deep down to back it up? Maybe the Technos are performing a charade – using the appearance of power greater than they really have to achieve their aim. They’ll co-operate with people if people co-operate with them. But if people don’t co-operate, they’ll be stamped out? Only time will tell…
THE PEOPLE INVADED – WHAT SHOULD THEY DO?
The peoples of the city are very different – they have different beliefs, behaviours, personalities, ages, dreams, religions, cultures – but now, all of them – have something in common. They have ALL been invaded by the Technos. The question is – what should they do?
If we look at previous invasions in history as a reference, when people are invaded they do one of three things – collaborate with the invaders, resist the invaders or try to do nothing – neither collaboration or resistance.
Collaborators – Will some Tribes or people co-operate with the Technos? Maybe they agree with the Technos, are impressed by them, or for their own insecurity, want to co-operate, thinking then that the Technos will not harm them? This happened before, for example, in World War Two when occupied people in countries worked alongside and on behalf of the “enemy”. Will any Mall Rats collaborate and risk being called traitors?
Resistance – Or will some people actively resist the invaders and try to send them packing? Again, using a historical reference, in previous invasions there has led to a “resistance movement” or “fifth column” – a group of people who plan to fight back and topple the invaders by using covert (secret) or overt (open) operations – such as disrupting supply lines, using propoganda. Again this happened in the Roman Empire, the British Empire, Spain’s colonial empire, World War Two. It does seem likely that if any people would create or join a resistance to the Technos that it would be the Mall Rats…
Neither collaboration or resistance – a third way is to not fight or join the Technos but to instead pretend things are normal, to try to lead a normal life and go on before. Again, as with other invasions in the past, some people do this. They don’t fight or join the invaders – they just try to do their best and live a normal life. Might this happen?
SUMMARY – INVITATION TO INVASION?
It seems there are two big developments at the very start of Series 4 – one, the invasion, and two – the reaction to the invasion.
What will the invaders do when they finish their invasion? Are there signs from the invasion that may shape what they will do with the city?
And the people invaded – do they give an “invitation to invasion” by collaborating or will they fight and try to overthrow the invaders?
Can previous invasions in history teach us about what may happen in Tribe 4?
Finally, it seemed the people could control the city with the demise of the Chosen. But now, with only one thing in common – the Technos – we will have to see how the city residents respond – with co-operation, resistance or inaction. There is a saying “united we stand – divided we fall” – what will be the case for the Mall Rats, the Technos, and the city itself?
What would you do?