Spys like us?

[Project_Sardonicus]

From ancient times one of the oldest professions has been the spy and the end of times is no different. In a world where any sense of law and order tends to come from the barrel of a gun and who has the most guns, then knowing what your enemy is up to is paramount.

This means that Teams may bump into agents of various powers in the world of the future, checking out potential threats, targets or just wear there's a big load of copper wire in some ancient ruins that could be valuable.

A few thoughts.

1 The KFS,

The KFS conversely have the greatest need and greatest problem spying on their neighbours. Their technology is around 1960s or so, so most of their citizens are well fed. Not having any smallpox scars, a loose or just bad teeth is a dead give away (of course the same rules apply to the Project).

The solution is to three-fold. First of all is to have no pretense of secrecy, the KFS has several "Aid caravans" part of their "Project Restart." This is a scheme deliberately designed to resemble the project.

4 or 5 trucks and maybe one small armored vehicle rock up into some first community. Then the smiling, clean, well dressed "aid workers" go about doing good deeds. They've got a doctor (more of a combat medic with antibiotics and morphine), a dentist (looking for suspiciously 20th-century teeth). They also help maybe dig an irrigation ditch or put up a barn. And there's food and fertilizer to go around. They're all ever so friendly, and they ask lots of questions. Apparently, they're part of some bigger project, but they don't talk too much about that.
Of course they tend to be a little to free with the morphine and those they help, may be willing to do pretty much anything to help them, for another dose.
One other thing they like to give out is radios. Some with hand cranked generators or if they're feeling really generous solar powered ones. The KFS has a radio service it broadcasts a few times a week over Shortwave transmitters. Music, news, maybe a little bit of propaganda. The main thing is if you break one of those radios open you'll find they also have batteries, transmitters and microphones and they never turn off. Of course who are they broadcasting to with such weak transmitters?
The people who tend to make up the members of Project Restart are an eclectic mix. Some are the KFS are the aristocratic version of peace core volunteers, some are medical students and engineers doing a work placement. Then there are the older guys, the ones with leathery skin and scars who's eyes see all. They're ex members of the military, too old for front line service. They're very much the equivalent of the CIA special action division experienced soldiers working for the intelligence side of things. They're there for security and "problem solving."

The second part of the solution is "technological reconnaissance bureau" very much the KFS's own NSA. They have radios receivers and even some based on Zepellins of which they have 3 circling a wide track of thousands of miles at all times. Some of these transmitters include captured Morrow models with which they can sometimes crack codes. They even sometimes get transmissions from the few surviving satellites. And as for those zepellins they're listening out for the radio transmitters the caravans have scattered around.

The final one is they just flat out buy intelligence. Slavers, Badges all want some fancy hi tech gegaws. Be it new shotgun shells, or drugs to keep your slaves quiet and anxiety free on the way to market, rubber tyres and batteries (and of course radios, lots of radios). Then the KFS department for trade and external affairs can always do a deal. And the Badge that brings in a real living and breathing Morrow team member, can get a brand new motorcycle with a full tank and the chrome nicely polished.

Of course there is a fourth side to this square, deep within the territory of the KFS exists a small summer camp. A camp with high fences a long way from prying eyes, where those with knowledge of interest to the KFS are perusaded to give it up.