The Mail in T2K

[Raellus]

I've been thinking about how troops would behave when they arrived back home from campaigning overseas- in particular, U.S. troops. This got me thinking about the mail- the old fashioned paper mail.

By 2000, most troops on foreign soil (or in another state) wouldn't have received much (if any) news, personal or otherwise, from "The World" since the TDM. Once they return to their home country, a lot of them, I'd imagine, would want to get back to their loved ones ASAP. I, for one, would want to at least know for certain what had become of my family while I was away. For this reason, I think that desertion could become a big problem. Otherwise disciplined, loyal soldiers, would go AWOL to seek out their loved ones.

Anyway, one way to head this off and win over the general public at the same time would be to reestablish a mail service. "Snail" mail is quickly becoming an anacronism, but in '97, e-mail wasn't quite as widely used as it is now and, thanks to EMP and other effects of multiple nuclear strikes the world over, it would become nearly impossible to communicate electronically. So, good ol' fashioned mail would make a comeback. Only the military would have the resources to get the mail moving again.

In the U.S., both Milgov and Civgov would have ample incentive to reestablish mail service. It would help decrease desertion rates and improve the morale of the citizenry. An efficient communications network would also be crucial to overall reconstruction efforts as well as the prosecution of the civil war.

Lastly, escorting mail shipments between cities/states would make for some interesting adventure opportunities for players and GMs.

What are your thoughts on the mail in the Twilight Years? How have you handled mail in your T2K universe?