The original United States of America – divided by bitter internal conflicts and stretched apart by dissident forces – finally collapsed into a potpourri of warring states and sprawling, abandoned territories. But when the dust finally settled and disaster became the new normal, the old dreams of unity and national pride were once more united under a new-and-improved star-spangled banner, behind which stands the New United States of America (NUSA). Rosalind Myers, the Union's incumbent president, is hell-bent on bringing the rest of the country in line, no matter the cost. Myers's government is supported militarily by Militech, so much so, in fact, that it's hard to tell where the state ends and the corporation begins. In that respect, not much has changed.
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The Unification War, sometimes referred to as the Metal War(s), was an armed conflict between the New United States of America (NUSA) and an alliance of seceded states known as the
Free States. The war started in January 2069 and ended in June 2070. At the end of 2069, the newly elected NUSA President,
Rosalind Myers, presented a unification program to extend federal rule over the rogue Free States under the pretense of strengthening the nation. Most of the independent states opposed unification. Councilman
Lucius Rhyne was worried the conflict would soon reach
Night City, and through his contacts and connections pleaded for the
Arasaka Corporation to return and protect them from the invasion. At the dawn of an impending invasion of Night City, Arasaka arrived in time with a supercarrier in Coronado Bay forcing the NUSA and
Militech troops to retreat.
Following Arasaka's intervention, the NUSA and the Free States signed a treaty known as the Treaty of Unification in Arvin, South California, ending the Unification War. The treaty ensured the Free States would remain autonomous but would have to participate in the new federal government and hostilities among themselves would have to cease. President Myers agreed to this treaty because she feared Arasaka's increasing involvement could escalate the conflict into one the New United States could not afford. Both sides claimed victory; the Free States preserved their independence and the NUSA believed they were closer than ever to the reunification of America.
Although the Unification War was officially ended, leading AI analytics software predicts another "hot war" will likely to break out by 2080 with a 74% confidence rate.
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The Gang of Four was an
American political cabal comprised of the NSA, CIA, FBI, and DEA, formed at some unspecified time in the mid-20th century. During its existence, the Gang of Four amassed boundless political and military influence, operating in an extrajudicial manner and with no congressional oversight.
It was largely responsible for the
collapse of the original United States, causing a crescendo of political, social and economic instability due to its dubious involvement in both local and foreign affairs.