IN THE PAST
Story typed up by Beyond Games.
People who have the luxury of contemplating the past call the first decade of the twenty-first century the Golden Age of Technology. It's been only fifty years since that decade ended and things began to unravel, yet there is no one left who remembers that time. No one on the outside, anyway. People on the inside live a long time, I've heard, and people in my gang tell stories about how the Insiders all watched the world fall apart like it was some kind of fireworks show. I guess I'm getting ahead of myself, but I like to think about what it must have like to be alive during that first decade. The Chinese used to have a saying: There is great disorder under heaven, and the situation is excellent. I figure it must have been a little like that.

(note: this next paragraph is true factual history) Back in the nineteen fifties, some guy named Reich told everybody that he'd discovered a boundless source of energy; maybe even the life force itself. He called it orgone, and he built these funny boxes called orgone accumulators. Some people bought them and said they cured diseases and made them think more clearly, but most people thought it was a hoax. Scientists wouldn't look at it because Reich was a psychologist, but he went ahead and sold plans for the boxes to lots of people anyway. At the time no one really understood what happened next, but all of a sudden Reich was put in prison and public burnings of his books were held in cities all over the country. Sometime around the turn of the century, people figured out why.

The boxes worked. Anybody could build an orgone accumulator, and soon engines began to appear that were driven by them, although the source of orgone energy was still a mystery. People built generators, cars, heating and cooling systems, you name it. Free energy. By the time the major world governments and the fossil fuel consortiums that controlled them realized the seriousness of the problem, the cat was out of the bag. Most of them didn't even resist handing over the reins of power, and outside of a few skirmishes in the Middle East and the Houston Riots, a bloodless revolution took place. People learned that orgone and other alternative fuels had been deliberately suppressed for years, and that the Insiders, as the corporations and their puppet governments came to be called, had also retarded the development of environmental engineering technology that could dramatically reduce humanity's pressure on Earth's ravaged biosphere. The rhetoric of emerging world leaders capitalized on people's outrage, and hastened worldwide environmental repair. Some of their plans were a little strange, but they were so optimistic, so sure that they were leading mankind back to Eden, that no one really questioned them. After all, there's nothing wrong with cleaning up the planet.

The revolution started by Reich's accumulators and the realization that many such advancements could have been squelched by the Insiders sent people scurrying to their history books to exhume the theories of every eccentric and discredited scientist of the past century. Most of what they found was harmless delusion, but a few discoveries of valuable suppressed technology were made. The theories of the nineteenth century inventor Nikola Tesla gained tremendous notoriety, and physicists tripped over themselves in their rush to reexamine his work. Tesla believed that he had discovered a way to transmit electrical power through the air as easily as radio waves, and envisioned a worldwide system of power stations transmitting free energy. He was proven correct, but the universal availability of orgone accumulators eliminated the need for his invention. Scientists turned to Tesla's more theoretical work.

What people didn't realize was that the Insiders had for the most part escaped the revolution unscathed; people were understandably more concerned with building utopias than with hunting down broken tyrants. The Insiders were never destroyed, they merely sank beneath the surface like Leviathan and waited for their chance to rise again. Furiously researching the technology they had restrained, they found in Tesla's theories an opportunity to resume their thrones.

Tesla was aware that every object has a resonant frequency; a breaking point where an object vibrates in phase with waves that is striking it. This is why a glass will shatter when the correct note is struck nearby on a tuning fork. The glass resonates with the tuning fork, its structure vibrating faster and faster until it shakes itself apart. This was thoroughly understood in Tesla's day, but he took the idea a step further. He reasoned that the Earth itself must have a resonant frequency, and he set out to calculate it. The Insiders were delighted to discover that while he was a little off in figuring Earth's frequency, he had hit the moon's right on the money.

The leaders of the world's emerging new nations, meanwhile, met at the first United World conference in Singapore to discuss solutions to the planet's remaining environmental dilemmas. It was decided that nuclear, chemical and biological weapon disposal was a priority, as was permanent relocation of the toxic wastes and heavy metals generated by hundreds of years or rapacious industry. As orgone-powered spacecraft were now under construction, it seemed feasible to easily and economically store these wastes on the moon, which was not considered desirable for colonization anyway. A corporation called Renewal, Inc. presented this plan, and indicated they were ready to implement it immediately. It's amazing to us now that no one questioned where Renewal, Inc. had come from, or why they were already so ideally equipped for an industry that had yet to be created. Contracts were signed, and Renewal, Inc. was given access to the most devastating weapons a self-destructive species had been able to devise. To universal cheers, they began hauling it all to the moon.

On April 1, 2012, the Insiders began a series of timed nuclear detonations on the poles of the moon. It took several hours before the moon began to resonate and shake apart, and at that point the explosions were stopped. Plenty of damage had been done already, however, and the Insiders now had all of the aces back in their sleeves. The orbit of the moon was disrupted just enough to wreak havoc on Earth; tidal waves destroyed many coastal cities, weather patterns became chaotic, and clouds of fallout and debris from the lunar explosions circled the globe. Within a year, over two thirds of Earth's population was gone. Those who died quickly in storms or were claimed by the sea were lucky.

Most of the survivors developed some degree of the deteriorating skin condition dubbed "Red-6," a legacy of the fallout and the poisonous air. Wealthy Insiders came out of hiding with treatments for Red-6 that only they could afford. When the search for clean water became the focus of most of humanity, the Insiders immediately unveiled a technique mating salt water purification and deep sea drilling to offer life's most crucial need at a "reasonable" price. Competing techniques for the extraction or purification of water spawned an enormous industry overnight, with the Insiders once more at the helm. They constructed domed cities for the wealthy, where corporations such as O2 sold pure metered air at whatever price the market could sustain. "Designer air," a mildly hallucinogenic but very addictive and expensive luxury, caught on among the wealthy as the Insiders in their greed began to prey even upon their own.

Life outside these cities was barely possible. Tremendous storms raged across what little arable land was left, and toxic debris still engulfed the planet like a diseased blanket. By 2060, the weather was somewhat stabilized, but few Outsiders could expect to live longer than thirty years. Most lived near the domed cities of the Insiders, where they could occasionally breathe clean air or drink clean water in exchange for menial labor or participation in grisly entertainments. You see, we don't much look like the Insiders anymore, and we don't think like they do at all. They have come to see us as a separate, inferior species, and most of the gangs on the Outside would probably agree with the "separate" part. The Insiders started BattleWheels gaming about ten years ago, and it is by far the most popular of their diversions. A lot of the Outsider gangs hate each other anyway, and maybe the Insiders think that if we can be encouraged to fight amongst ourselves we won't make trouble. I'm not sure we could make much trouble against their weapons, but maybe that's what they think.

So I guess most gangs are into the games because they know they won't live long anyway, and there's always a chance that someday you might blow away one of the thrill-seeking Insiders who occasionally join the games. Or maybe it's because there are some Outsiders who have become legends in the BattleWheels arenas, and live on the Inside now. Some gangs just like to watch things die.

I don't need a reason. Let the games begin.

IN THE PRESENT
Story typed up by Xanarki. NOTE: SPOILERS AHEAD.
It has been 6 years since the earth stabilized itself. The Insiders are comfortably sitting in their domed cities, while The Outsiders are comfortably eating each other alive. Some Outsiders are simple civilians, doing heavy industrial work just to buy some food and a bed. Some Outsiders represents other more fortunate corporations, scrounging the lands for whatever advantage they can find. Some Outsiders are deep in the ranks of a gang, as it provides both protection and stability. Some Outsiders just like to be alone, inhaling dystopian air with no regrets.

Jantro Kree was the latter. He lived in a rundown shack on the outskirts of a faltering village called Stadium City. Due to the sport stadiums of the old days, it was a perfect place for a band of Outsiders to settle down inside. He had participated in a few BattleWheels tournaments, and had built himself a passable-yet-simple battle rig. Although a gang like The Company would have been a good fit due to their similarities of being level-headed, Jantro didn't stick his nose in other business.

Usually, Stadium City was protected by The Company. The small town would pay an amount, and they would patrol the area. The other 3 gangs in the area (The Sixers, The Lepers, and The Templars) didn't have the same morals or approaches as The Company did, and all 3 of those would gladly grind over a pushover town like Stadium City without hesitation.

That scenario came when nobody spotted a Company vehicle for days. Rumors were abound that either Stadium City's leaders couldn't reach a compromise, or the gang simply lost the turf to a rival. Soon after, multiple Red Sixers decided to attack Stadium City. The Sixers had gotten their name from a disease called Red 6, in which their skin turns red, their brain slightly melts, and their appetite is fueled by human flesh. In the worst cases, their body is doubled in size, and they literally become animals, sometimes attacking each other. This disease was caused by exposure to negative orgone energy, along with a mix of the poisonous air from the fallout. The Sixers were led by a monster named Rant. Just like the other worst case victims, he was massive in size and had hideous features, but yet, retained his intelligence and the ability to interact. His weakness was that he still craved human flesh, if not more excessively than normal.

Rant and The Sixers attacked Stadium City, slaughtering and eating anyone in sight. Rant personally approached the radio station, and decided to spin the records himself. With no one else around, Jantro decided to rise up. He used his custom-built rig to plow through numerous Sixers, all while hearing the taunts from Rant over the city's sound system. Once Jantro reached the rooftop of the radio station, he battled Rant while avoiding his powerful orgone cannon. Once Jantro got enough shots in, Rant had wisely retreated, claiming that he "lost his appetite"; however, he did admit the skills of his enemy. Shortly afterwards, a Company scout by the name of Bork showed up at the footsteps of the radio station. He was impressed at Jantro's actions, and invited him to The Company's outpost.

Jantro introduced himself to The Company's leader, Liddy, and his lieutenant, Mitchell. Although Liddy was impressed by Jantro's slaughter of The Sixers, he wanted to put him through a test "in the field" before allowing him into the ranks. He paired up Jantro with Mitchell to scout a nearby abandoned town that hosted various orgone accumulators. The town would normally pay The Company for protection, but out of nowhere, they stopped. Liddy had sent another scout, Dean, to investigate, but he vanished. Liddy wanted the men to destroy the town's accumulators as punishment, and to figure out what happened.

Shortly after entering the town, it was discovered that it was being overran by a gang called The Lepers. They were distantly-related to a form of aliens, and were also obsessed with technology, welding anything onto everything. They were led by a beast known as Golem, known to be resistant to most weapons. Jantro and Mitchell had gotten ambushed right away, with the entrance being blocked off by a semi. During the battle, Mitchell's vehicle exploded, as it seemed The Lepers had the upper hand; however, Jantro fought them off, and continued his mission alone. He dismantled two accumulators, getting closer to the core. Eventually, he found The Company scout that had gone missing, Dean. He too was ambushed and locked up in a cell, on the verge of being interrogated, or worse. Once at the core accumulator, Jantro destroyed it with haste as Dean fended off the attacking Lepers. The two then escaped unharmed, and continued back home. Jantro had become an official member of The Company.

During the ordeal, another member of The Company had some internal issues, and had tried to leave the gang. He was punished, but not before stealing Liddy's Company Tank. The Company Tank was outfitted with both energy and ballistic weapons, and was the size of 3 normal vehicles. The dissident had driven it to an outpost ran by The Templars. The Templars were a gang that thought old 20th century monster movies were real, and worshiped the old films heavily. It was also rumored that their leader, Archmagus, had paranormal powers. The Templars may had been strange, but they had numerous members, and advanced weapons.

Liddy had sent Jantro to retrieve his rig. After he had gained access to the outpost, Jantro descended to the basement, where he saw the Company Tank behind bars; however, The Templars had managed to create their own Prototype Tank as well. Jantro used various techniques to destroy the clone, and safely retrieved the Company Tank. Jantro's next mission consisted of visiting an old orgone plant which The Sixers had taken over. Liddy had wanted them out of the plant because their unpredictable nature could have led to serious consequences on the nearby areas. Jantro used a Company Van outfitted with an explosive bomb for his mission. After dropping the contraption into the core of the plant, he bolted away on-foot, barely escaping the large blast radius.

Although The Company was a powerful gang, their rivals had some advantages over them. One of those was access to a weapon called the EMP, which would eject a driver once shot at; thus, grand theft auto in the wasteland. Liddy learned of a meeting between a group of Insiders and The Sixers at an old airport, in which they were to sell the EMP technology to the gang. Jantro infiltrated the airport, and waited for the Insiders' plane to arrive. Once they did, he quickly shot it down with a turret, and retrieved the EMP. Liddy had then learned due to the attack on the Insiders, their allies would air-bomb the entire area. Jantro used his new weapon to escape the attack, and made it home safely with the new technology.

As an official member of The Company, Jantro had accomplished 3 important missions for Liddy, mostly alone. This had put him in consideration as becoming the new lieutenant of The Company, since Mitchell had recently died and the position was vacant; however, Liddy was concerned of Jantro's arena reputation. He had only proved himself to the gang, and not to anyone else. Liddy then signed him up for a tournament at a place called the Freakway, which consisted of 3 areas. The first area was "on-foot only" battles. The second area was "vehicles only" battles. The third area was a mix of both. Jantro went up against the other gangs, being the lone representative of The Company. He had survived the first two areas, but once he got to the third area, he was ambushed by The Lepers, whom had forced their way into the area. Although he was outnumbered at first, Company scout Bork appeared, and helped Jantro win the fight.

Due to helping Jantro at the Freakway and for being in the gang longer, Bork had wanted to become the new lieutenant of The Company. Liddy stated that they wanted to "settle it like family", and pitted the two men against each other, with the winner being whomever had a car left standing. As Jantro started to get the upper hand on Bork, The Sixers emerged and attacked. Bork then revealed that he was the one that sent The Sixers to Stadium City, and that he was the one that sabotaged Mitchell's vehicle. Liddy then grabbed his Company Tank, and helped Jantro fight off The Sixers. Jantro then killed Bork, but due to the outpost being compromised, they ran off to The Company's main HQ.

Situated in the middle of the desert at an old military base, The Company's main HQ was outfitted with the best defensive technology and numerous tunnels. The base's leader was another high ranked member, Halderman, as she escorted Liddy and the new lieutenant inside the installment. Liddy then assigned Jantro an extremely important task, as it was revealed that a serum for the Red 6 was discovered. An Insiders entity known as the O2 Corporation had developed the serum, but they were attacked by The Templars, and the serum was stolen. Jantro ventured to the middle of a large city, as he fought with numerous Templars. Once he reached the center, he retrieved the serum by destroying a large spider-like contraption which held the serum. As he made his way to the exit, he was confronted by The Templars' leader, Archmagus. Archmagus had the ability to not only transport himself at will, but he also was able to use his wand to shoot orgone orbs. Jantro managed to kill Archmagus on a rooftop, and made his way back safely. The Company decided to sell the serum to another Insiders corporation for a hefty sum.

The Company then used some of the money to buy a surplus of ammunition. It was to be a routine pickup; however, it was revealed that the sellers were from the O2 Corporation. They were angered that their Red 6 serum was stolen and sold to a rival, and wanted to extract revenge on The Company. They welded Jantro's vehicle shut and secretly placed a bomb underneath. Jantro raced to the nearest Company outpost, and they managed to unweld him just in time.

Liddy then discovered that near their HQ was a crashed UFO ship, and a sealed entrance to a tunnel. The HQ's radar revealed The Lepers had emerged at the site, and they were trying to gain access to the tunnel. Liddy sent both Jantro and Dean to eliminate them. As they gained access to the tunnel, Dean spotted Golem, a large monster that led The Lepers. Jantro followed Golem up an elevator to a computer terminal, and killed him with explosive weapons as normal weapons proved to be useless. Jantro then used the computers to retrieve a glowing weapon that would spit out a deadly burst of goo. It also opened up a hole in the middle of the facility. Dean jumped into the hole, and encountered fast-yet-powerful aliens. He stated over the radio that his weapons wouldn't kill them. Jantro followed, and killed as many as he could with his newly-acquired Alien Goo Gun, but they continued to spawn rapidly. Back outside, Liddy and Halderman spotted a signal on their radar at the crashed UFO ship. Jantro emerged from the ship, as he had barely escaped the aliens; however, Dean was nowhere to be found.

Due to the events, Jantro had accidentally set off a signal which exposed The Company's location at the main HQ. The Sixers had picked up on it, and Rant decided to rally his gang together. A part of his plan was taking over a nearby orgone facility which housed large orgone cannons, as the range on the cannons could easily reach The Company. As Liddy prepared the defenses at the main HQ, he had sent Jantro to destroy the orgone cannons. Jantro entered the facility and blasted his way through many Sixers, while up above they continued to lock-in on The Company haphazardly with the orgone cannons. He emerged at the top of one of the cannons, and used it to destroy the other ones. He was then airlifted out of the facility, and sent back to the main HQ.

Liddy put Jantro in charge at the HQ as he went after Rant personally, as he stated "I want Rant's head on the hood of my car". Jantro manned a turret at the entrance of the HQ, while another Company member manned the second one, and other Company members would gradually emerge out of the base. Numerous waves of Sixers attacked the base, although they were easily eliminated by Jantro and the others. Eventually, the second turret was destroyed, leaving Jantro as the main source of defense. After a long battle against attacking Sixers, a member of The Company emerged from the field in a nearly-destroyed Company Van. He radioed Jantro, telling him that Rant used an EMP to eject Liddy out of his tank. Jantro took the Company Van and made his way to the field.

Jantro reached the field, but was too late. He had found Liddy's lifeless body, and was eaten by Rant. Rant also had possession of the vicious Company Tank. Jantro fought off numerous waves of Sixers, and had to use the surrounding scraps of vehicles to survive. He eventually came out on top, and had killed Rant in the process.

After the battle was over, Jantro assumed the role of the new leader of The Company. Halderman briefed Jantro on the aftermath. The Sixers became aimless without their leader, and started to disperse throughout the wasteland. Another gang called The Jokers had started to emerge, but they had not yet encountered The Company. Halderman then revealed that The Company had repaired the tank and also installed the new "hood ornament"; thus, they fulfilled Liddy's wish of putting Rant's head on the hood of his car.

(note: the main character of Redline was not given a name and was implied to simply be "You", but based on older stories and data, the main character's name was revealed to be "Jantro Kree".)