FADERs

"Death is only the death of self. As long as the mission continues, we are content."

- Head Researcher

The FADERs are a faction in Wasteland 3.

Background
"We have carried on the finest traditions of the United States military for over a century. Even your Rangers have fallen prey to the decay and rot of the post-America years. My command is not guided by emotion. It is guided by science and long-standing moral right."

- General-3

The Faders are a pre-war super-soldier unit of the United States Air Force specially adapted to surviving in the cold. Each of them is grown in hyper-accelerated birthing chambers beneath Cheyenne Mountain, until they reach an optimal physical age to carry out our duties. We have largely removed the desire for procreation. When a Fader suffers injury or death, they return the genetic material to the replicators and the vats, there to be regrown and redistributed among new 'recruits', and not be a burden to teammates. This is why they have no names - only designations and numbers. In ideal circumstances, Faders recycle all their biological material, if possible.

Faders believe that they are building on the research of the lost American dream. To them, it is clear that baseline humanity is unable to survive in the harsh conditions of Colorado and so they plan to improve humanity through constant genetic modification and adaptation. Of course, this means Bad Things for surface humans: Faders will preserve and harvest promising gene-lines in order to augment their own advantages... And eliminate weak gene-lines through careful breeding. A cull is believed necessary. While Faders do not intend genocide, they believe that steps must be taken.

These steps include the creation of artificial viruses to release into the wild. They carefully develop them beneath Cheyenne Mountain, testing them, verifying that they wouldn't interact negatively with us, and only then proceed to the surface tests. That phase would have been the abduction of more humans, and then releasing them back to their homes to let the virus do its work.

The ultimate goal is the so-called Pacification of the Colorado and creation of a perfect American order (eventually maybe even presidential elections!). So-called throwback humans who survive will be cared for, tended, fed, and in return they will provide genetic material to increase FADER numbers.

Interactions

 * The FADERs would have been found at Cheyenne Mountain, and the adventure seed leading to the would have been Jane Doe, a rogue FADER soldier who escaped recycling at Cheyenne and opposes General-3's leadership. The Rangers would have the option of reconciling the Army they're descended from and the Air Force the FADERs formally belong to, and the outcome would heavily rely on Ranger actions. They could sacrifice Jane and let the FADERs recycle him or - if they identified themselves as members of the military - cause the FADERs to turn on the General, if he ordered the gate guard to open fire.
 * Finally, the outcome would be decided by the fighting with the FADERs, either Jane Doe's rebels or General-3's loyalists, and whether the Rangers destroyed their gene bank or not:
 * "In Cheyenne Mountain, the FADERs faced extinction. When you ruined their gene bank, you destroyed their ability to create more of their kind."
 * "In Cheyenne Mountain, the FADERs cloned a new General and rebuilt their population. Their gene bank was still intact, so it didn't take long to recover from your incursion."
 * "In the region near Cheyenne Mountain, more people disappeared. FADER sightings increased."
 * "In the region south of Colorado Springs, people reported sightings of pale-skinned humanoids. Some called them wendigos, while others believed they were 'ghosts of old America.'"
 * "In Cheyenne Mountain, the FADERs continued to honor your truce, and even to send aid at your request. Still, none of your fellow Rangers trusted them. "

Members

 * Jane Doe, a FADER companion.
 * Soldier 3
 * Researcher 88