IW: Centrum and Homeline National Governments?

[General Mung Beans]

In the struggle between Centrum and Homeline, are the Homeliners involved in the struggle mostly the Infinity Patrol or have national governments helped them against Centrum? To give an example have CIA and FBI agents been involved in uncovering Centrum spies or have Marines been called in when the going got too tough for just the Patrol? Thanks in advance.

[sn0wball]

National or international agencies will surely defend homeline against outtime intruders. A centrum spy is still a spy, so the national police forces responsible for uncovering spies will chase them as they would chase a spy from another homeline country. At the very least, visitors from outtime are illegal aliens. You don´t know that a given spy or criminal is a Centran until you have him. Once that happens, they probably have to turn him over to Infinity Unlimited, but they might not. The same would be true for some kind of invasion (which I doubt Centrum would do, but Reich-5 would if they could).

As for activity on other timelines, I recall something about Russian spetsnaz supporting Russian partisans on Reich timelines.

I doubt that Infinity Unlimited would ask national governments for help under any but the most desperate circumstances.

[Michael Cule]

Originally Posted by sn0wball

I doubt that Infinity Unlimited would ask national governments for help under any but the most desperate circumstances.

On the contrary I think they would probably try to get any national governments who have an obvious interest in a particular outworld situation on side and operating under Infinity Patrol guidance if only to maximise resources and to ensure that they are 'inside the tent ******* out rather than outside the tent ******* in'.

[arcanus]

Hi,
I think there's also reference to Homeline Nations maintaining their own Out World bases, the overly large French Tourist office in Etheria's Paris, which is run by the French Government not Infinity or Time Tours.

Think I also remember mention of the Homeline FBI having Out World capability, so its safe to assume that most Intelligence/espionage agencies would have various bases of operation.

[oldgringo2001]

Speaking of the Homeline French national government (whatever it is this week), it will always suspect that perfidious Albion is playing a double game with the Anglophilic Centrans. And who knows, maybe the English are, or at least factions in MI5 and MI6.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by oldgringo2001

Speaking of the Homeline French national government (whatever it is this week), it will always suspect that perfidious Albion is playing a double game with the Anglophilic Centrans. And who knows, maybe the English are, or at least factions in MI5 and MI6.

They'd want to take over Centrum (which looks impractical), rather than ally with it; having the whole world ruled by an outtime power is no better than having it ruled by a native one. Of course, they might talk to Centrum under a kind of false flag: making it seem to Centrum that they might be prepared to help, but really doing it so as to learn stuff. They have a proud tradition of double-crossing people.

[arcanus]

Originally Posted by johndallman

They'd want to take over Centrum (which looks impractical), rather than ally with it; having the whole world ruled by an outtime power is no better than having it ruled by a native one. Of course, they might talk to Centrum under a kind of false flag: making it seem to Centrum that they might be prepared to help, but really doing it so as to learn stuff. They have a proud tradition of double-crossing people.

Does add a level of complexity to Infinitys job, running operations of Counter-espionage against MI5/MI6, who are arguably better at the game.

Course then there's the whole can of worms of Centrum infiltrating or turning Homeline agents!

Infinity Spooks V Agency Spooks

[patchwork]

In the FBI, CIA and US Marines, you're talking about three very different agencies, which I think is actually your answer. Infinity has a warm relationship with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and a cool but professional relationship with the FBI; it seems clear that they are comfortable bringing in Homeline law enforcement when it's appropriate. On the other hand, Operation Firefall, while plotted in detail, was ultimately shelved. If Infinity won't use the US Military on Reich-5, that strongly implies they wouldn't even consider it on any lesser threat. There was even a reference in 3rd edition, possibly no longer canon, about Infinity encountering Homeline military personnel outtime and exterminating them to make a point. At the end of the day, the military have too much cohesion and too many other standing orders and concerns - Infinity doesn't and couldn't trust them. Additionally, the book implies that the US and French governments from Homeline are among Infinity's larger headaches.

Those agencies have some parachronic capabilities of their own - but they're not entirely cooperating with Infinity.

[Drifter]

Can you imagine a situation where the U.S. government allows a private corporation to deal with spies, and potential military, threats? Sure. But at a huge cost. Infinity probably directly funds a LOT of Homeline governments and (in keeping with this election season) funds a lot of political campaigns.

Governments naturally want to nose around what a potentially dangerous situation like the IW setting is. Like other big businesses Infinity pays off governments to leave them alone. Sometimes after a disaster, like an oil spill or transdimensional Nazi invasion, the public gets involved, there are law suites, clean up, payments, and wait around a few months before everything gets back to 'normal'.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Drifter

Can you imagine a situation where the U.S. government allows a private corporation to deal with spies, and potential military, threats?

Infinity's ability to keep not just the US government, but all Homeline governments, from interfering with them very much, is one of the intrinsic mysteries of the setting. See p525 of the Basic Set. A campaign that seriously engages with the setting needs to have an answer to this mystery: PM me if you want to know the one Infinity uses in mine.