Canada

Zephyr - Confidential Report - Canada and the Great Lakes Bubble

Do not distribute to any employees below elite executive staff under penalty of irrevocable mutation.

Section 1 - Canadian Overview

When P-Day struck, Canada was not a primary target, but given its proximity and extended border with the US, it was also dealt with in much the same way. It was also subject to the same emp-like effect that took out most technology and had a few nanite bubbles form over four key Canadian areas. From west to east, they are Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal and Halifax/Saint-John. The effect of these were enough to largely destabilize the country and further isolate North America (and thereby isolate the US) from outside interference. Each of these will be discussed briefly in turn below as part of the Canadian Nanite Bubbles (see Section 2). Zephyr has taken little direct interest in Canada at this time, though some smaller offices have been established, both to monitor the situation and look for opportunities for business growth. Similarly, RSX has refrained from much activity in this area. There is growing concern from our Canadian offices that the Promethean cult is growing in strength among the Canadian mutant population. They are not yet a threat to operations, but may become so in the future if left unchecked.

Even with its infrastructure down and several of its major cities disrupted, its population has fared better than most. Being further away from the central disturbance in the US and being less urban overall has permitted the population outside of the cities some ability to survive. Having large sections of land largely free of mutant rampage that are able to support agrarian, forestry and fishing lifestyles able to sustain its population slowed the country's decline, allowing the overall standard of living in the post-P-Day Canada to be better than the US average. The number of mutants among the general population is significantly lower than in the US.

The political status of Canada during the years after P-Day remained in turmoil despite the lesser damage its suffered from P-Day and has been a key factor in keeping Canadian involvement in US operations at a minimum. In the wake of the breakdown of technology and the influx of mutants, many coming from the Northern US and Toronto, the French Quebec separatism re-surged with the blame being thrown at the anglophones (English-speakers, i.e. everyone besides them) and took to violent isolationism in an attempt to "preserve our unique Quebec heritage and very humanity in the face of this clearly anglophone problem." Citing the fact that the US and more English parts of Canada seemed to have been the primary points of outbreak to support this mindset, they intended to let the other parts of the North America deal with a problem they believed not to include them. This isolationist Quebec then sought to conquer territories, hoping to expand to "take back what was stolen from us generations ago by the [redacted] English!" The northern portion of New Brunswick, already a traditionally French area, was quickly annexed by Quebec and Labrador shortly afterwards. They then turned towards Ontario in a quick land grab, but were slowly pushed back since, resulting in civil war between French Canada and the rest of the country.

It is difficult to get agents into Quebec due to their xenophobic reaction to any English-speaker they encounter. Even agents who can speak French are often insufficient, as possessing an English or American accent while speaking French is grounds for suspicion. They seem to make some effort to turn back those infected, but those infected who seem sufficiently French are allowed to pass and accepted as their French brothers and sisters. Canadian offices have been advised to watch for agents who gain 'French' infections which may allow them to pass into the territory, but also may make them security risks. Due to their isolationism and the active nanite bubbles along the rest of the Saint Lawrence Seaway, Quebec City has remained closed to the outside world.

The prairie provinces in Western Canada were cut off on the west (Rocky Mountains and the increasing number of creatures living there) and the south (the US creatures and bubbles), but maintain connection with Ontario. Still producing substantial grain and beef supplies, they helped feed the remains of the central portions of the country. Newfoundland is almost entirely cut off from the rest of the mainland. Separated by the Gulf of St. Lawrence, they are almost entirely cut off from the mainland problems, but are also sustained almost entirely by their fishing and have no access to outside supplies. Some infected gulls and small outcroppings of pirate rats coming from the nearby mainland bubble have begun breeding with the island population in a few remote towns, but otherwise the island portion of the province is without infection.

Events Update: Chinese Invasion

With the arrival of the Chinese forces moving south from Alaska, they swept easily across much of Western Canada. With the Canadian Forces engaged on the Quebec front, the rest of the country was left largely unprotected save for the limited forces stationed around Vancouver. This allowed for the easy capture of the beef- and grain-rich Prairie Provinces. Doing so has greatly increasing the invasion forces' ready supplies during the more difficult campaign across the US without relying on their own country's distant and strained food supply. Without it, the invasion would be not be able to operate nearly as quickly or as effectively, so they are holding onto it tightly as the remains of the Canadian Forces turn their attention from the eastern front to the western one. No further attempts to capture the rest of Canada have been made at present. The Chinese seem focused on their primary goal of US invasion before dealing with the minor task of completing the conquest of Canada once their success in the US is assured.

During this time, most of the activity within the Canadian bubbles has gone unchanged with the exception of the Vancouver bubble. It has seen an upsurge in its existing Asian-influenced forms and a decline of most of the others from the Chinese soldiers trying to subdue that infection hotspot.

This has subsided with the dwindling of the Chinese forces, leaving Canada largely as it was.

Section 2 - The Canadian Bubbles

As mentioned in section 1, there are only four bubbles based over Canada. Some small sections at the border of the country are covered by American bubbles, but much of the territory is free of direct nanite influence. With most of the population of the country localized at the US border, substantial destabilization has still occurred. Estimates place anywhere from 20-30% of the country's populace to be covered by the nanite bubbles. The Canadian bubbles are larger than most others, with the one based in Toronto being the largest city bubble due to its extended transmission range, resulting in the formation of the Great Lakes Bubble. Each of these four bubbles will be discussed in turn with further elaboration on the Great Lakes Bubble in section 3. As a trend, the Canadian bubbles tend to promote culturally-influenced infection forms, though there are several strains in each of the bubbles that do not meet this categorization.

Bubble 1 - The Vancouver Bubble

The smallest of the Canadian bubbles, it covers the city of Vancouver and some of the nearby cities and suburbs. Its strains tend to have a mix of infections based on wildlife from the nearby Rocky Mountains, Native American heritage and Asian-influenced infections. Being close to Seattle, many of the strains formed there can also be found in Vancouver as well. The creatures formed by this have largely been contained to the west of the Rockies, though some of the more mountainous ones have appeared in the eastern half of the province.

As a related matter, there have been increased sightings of the Ogopogo (a mythical creature like the Loch Ness Monster) in nearby Okanagan Lake reported to our agents in the area, but no substantiation of these claims has yet occurred. As such, it is unclear whether these are just rumours, a spontaneous mutant taking on the characteristics of this cryptic, an actual creature brought into activity by recent events or even some mystical being returned to the lake. Given the limited personnel in the area, a full investigation has not yet occurred, but has been recommended.

An incomplete list of observed forms distinct to the Vancouver bubble include:

• Burly Lumberjack: a muscled woodcutter with meaty arms and a hairy chest.
• Ski Bunny: Similar to many lapine strains, but with a love for skiing. These mutants, even the feral ones, make repeated trips out of the bubble to the mountains for skiing and chalet sex before returning to the city.
• Wood Raven: A raven-made made of wood.
• Totem Man: A strange wooden being formed of multiple parts in a tower.
• Kodiak Bear
• Mighty Wolf
• Eastern Dragon
• Plump Panda
• Canuck: An orca often seen in hockey gear, possesses a heavy Canadian accent
• Football Lion
• at least two distinct, but unclassified, cougar strains

Bubble 2 - The Toronto Bubble

While discussed further as part of the Great Lakes Bubble (section 3), it is again noted that this is the largest city bubble in existence. This is due to the use of the CN Tower, once the tallest free-standing structure in North America, as a transmission tower. The nanite control computers, housed deep under the tower, use not just the transmission equipment atop the tower, but even the huge steel cables running continuously through its over 500 m height as a giant antenna. This unexpectedly resulted in the Toronto bubble suddenly surging in size a few days after its initial formation, engulfing a huge territory that encompasses pretty much the entirety of the Golden Horseshoe (the urban cities around Lake Ontario) on both the Canadian and US sides, an effect which cascaded to cause the Great Lakes Bubble.

Another factor related to the CN Tower is the apparent hijacking of the Weather Dominator system atop the CN Tower (an imperfect meteorological measurement and control system). While the exact nature of what has occurred here is unclear, it seems the Weather Dominator, without continued human input, has begun accepting input from the nanite control computers to affect weather within the bubble. While the effects of this activity spreads well beyond the bubble, direct influence only occurs within the bubble itself. Data has shown that some of its effects can be activated anywhere within the Great Lakes Bubble, but they are predominantly localized around Toronto. The weather around the area is much more active than is normal for the region, with sudden and unpredictable changes happening from hour to hour. It is uncertain why the weather is being influenced so radically, but it may be linked to many of the mutant strains populating the bubble.

Due to this added meteorological influence, many of the strains in Toronto have weather related forms or powers. While only limited testing has occurred, it seems that most of these powers are only usable within the Great Lakes Bubble where a combination influences can bring about their effects. A few minor abilities may be usable in any bubble, but most seem to require the added power of the Toronto Bubble to function.

The most powerful creature witnessed within the Toronto Bubble is the Storm Dragon, a huge lightning powered creature. It is among the most dangerous and powerful beings on record. Drawing energy from the nanite bubble over time, it has the ability to store large amounts of electrical energy which can then be released along arcs formed by airborne nanites. As well, this creature seems to be able to call storms and lighting from the sky through the Weather Dominator system itself. This being is very powerful and all agents are advised to seek immediate shelter when it is seen.

An incomplete list of observed forms distinct to the Toronto bubble include:

• Rain God: Macintosh wearing man able to call down localized rain
• Snow Plow: A machine-man with a plow blade on one arm. Snow falls often around clusters of these creatures, regardless of the time of year.
• Frost Bear: An ursine with freezing abilities
• Sun Spot: A dalmatian with yellow spots and a love of playing in the sun.
• Hoser: An astonishingly unfriendly Canadian who won't share his beer.
• Pride Bunny: A gay rabbit with boundless energy.
• Beaver Beaver: A female beaver form with a large tail and lesbian tendencies.
• Red Raptor: A red velocirator.
• Blue Batter: a blue jay, invariably wielding a baseball bat
• Leafs Fanatic: A violent hockey hooligan whose loyalty to his team is as undying as his erection.
• Goth Squirrels: Black squirrels with goth sensibilities
• Mall Rats?: Reports of possible mall rats infesting the Eaton Centre and downtown PATH system of interconnected shops and malls.
• The Storm Dragon: possibly unique

Bubble 3 - The Montreal Bubble

The Montreal bubble is also quite large, based atop Mount Royal, it extends to cover the surrounding cities and suburbs for over a great distance, effectively covering much of the most urban section of Quebec. This has completely cut off access along the Saint Lawrence Seaway from this point and cutting off traffic to the Great Lakes by ship. Before P-Day, Montreal had an above-average English population than the rest of the province, contributing to the mistaken impression that this is an 'anglophone problem'. Unlike the other Canadian bubbles, the Montreal bubble in under an imperfect military cordon, with the Quebec forces seeking to protect the rest of the province from corrupting influence. While this bubble does not extend far enough to encompass the capitol of Ottawa, it is fairly close, adding further disruption to the already tense conflict between Canadian and Quebec forces.

Montreal's unique strains often come with French influences, sometimes even making someone infected become French. People suffering these effects often lose the ability to speak in English or have heavy French accents. In the worst cases, their loyalties may become compromised and willingly join the Quebec side of the conflict. Other strains include those influenced by the city's strong sex industry (sex clubs and topless bars being common in a major district of the city).

An incomplete list of observed forms distinct to the Montreal bubble include:

• Separatists (Les Séparatistes): Human-esque French fanatics who seek to spread discord between English and French when not spreading legs.
• Bonhomme: A snow-man like creature with a happy disposition. (google: Bonhomme Carnaval)
• Ski Bunny: It is unclear if these are somehow the same strain as the one seen in Vancouver, but their behaviour is the same, proceeding to the many ski hills in Quebec as soon as the snow starts to fall.
• Lapdancer: A nude dancer to puts on shows to entice her prey.
• Cathy-Lady: An over-sexualized streetwalker form found in the sex district of St-Catherines.
• Bucheron: A French logger with less muscled build than his Burly Lumberjack counterpart. Checked shirt, black tuque, often smoking.
• Laughing Cow: A red bovine with a hearty laugh and infectious milk.
• Maple Syrup Woman: A syrupy, sticky sexpot with a sweet disposition.
• Beerling; A liquid-goo creature with a heady beer scent and able to form appendages. Commonly lurks in bars.
• Green Imp: Large, green tricksters who love good jokes and playing pranks.

Bubble 4 - Halifax-Saint John

While Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal and their surroundings are major metropolitan areas and enclose a significant fraction of country's population just in those three, the last seems to represent a purely strategic target. With Saint John (New Brunswick) and Halifax (Nova Scotia) both having major ports into Canada and the ready resources and skills to resume 18-19th century sailing in short order, the bubble over them closes them off as a means of access into and out of Canada (and thereby the US). Being overall rural areas with large focus on fishing, forestry and agriculture, their infections reflect this. This bubble is centred somewhere between the two to encapsulate them both, as well as most of Nova Scotia and southern New Brunswick. While expansive, it covers a much lower population than most other bubbles, resulting in an increased change in the local wildlife.

Forms within this bubble have strong animal, maritime and/or historical influences upon them. This causes them some of them to spread out along the coast outside of the bubble, where most of the remaining population resides. Halifax itself is guarded by a large contingent of cannoneers who have taken up residence in the fort atop Signal Hill, guarding the harbour from outside intruders. The waters of the Bay of Fundy outside of Saint John are guarded by giant whale-men who live in the bubble-enclosed bay. Between that and the pirate rats, access to North America through this area is very difficult.

An incomplete list of observed forms distinct to the Halifax-Saint John bubble include:

• Cannoneer: An iron cannon body that fires its cannonball head. Head always somehow returns, even rolling uphill to do so.
• Whale Man: Giant man-creatures formed from the cetaceans living in the Fundy Bay, they patrol the waters within the bubble.
• Pirate Rats: Taking over the sailing vessels and using the Bluenose II historical schooner as their flagship, these rats roam up and down the coast, looting, pillaging and breeding more rats at any fishing town they attack.
• Chipmunk: Nimble rodents with considerable numbers in the wooded territories of New Brunswick.
• Angry Fisherman: A tempermental fisherman with scaly skin.
• Garter Snake: A slender female snake in garters.
• Lobsterman: An armoured but tasty behemoth.
• Mighty Moose: A huge moose warrior.
• Acadian Dog: A canine with a French accent and a persecution complex.
• Seagull: A dirty bird with a bad disposition.
• Battle Beaver: 17th century musketeer beavers.
• Unconfirmed reports of numerous other aquatic forms yet to be verified.
• Unconfirmed reports of several more creatures living in the bubble-enclosed forests.

Section 3 - The Great Lakes Bubble

The Great Lakes Bubble was formed in a cascade effect brought that began in Toronto. As mentioned above (Section 2-2) few days after the Toronto Bubble formed, it surged in size. This is presumed to have occurred when the nanite control computer began using the entirely of the CN Tower as a half-kilometre tall antenna, greatly expanding its output range. This explosion in size caused it to encompass a huge area, expanding the past the smaller bubble at Buffalo and reaching to the Detroit and Cleveland bubbles. This resulted in an unexpected growth of each of these, though not to as strong an extent, allowing the outer edge of Detroit to make contact with the larger Chicago Bubble. All now interconnected, they form an amorphous series of bubbles that covers the southern half of the Great Lakes and allows for travel between them all without exiting the nanite bubble.

There seems to be some transference of data possible within this set of bubbles, allowing some effects which would otherwise be localized to spread there. The most documented of these are the minor weather-themed abilities of Torontonian creatures and their use of the ambient nanites to cause strange effects. The more powerful of these abilities seem to be weakened when in one of the other Great Lakes cities zones of influence, but are still active. They do not function well or at all outside of the Great Lakes Bubble. It is unclear if the largest scale effects are limited only to within the range of the Toronto Bubble, but the weather in that whole region has been greatly disturbed since P-Day, so opinion from the limited testing done is split. There are also rumours of seeing forms intrinsic to one of the other cities in the combined bubble to arise within another, though credible confirmation has not yet been obtained. The more mechanical of Detroit's creatures also have difficulty surviving outside of the bubble, though they seem to do fine within any city of the Great Lakes bubble. It is uncertain at this time if they could survive if rapidly transplanted to another bubble outside of the region.

While the individual cities within the Great Lakes Bubble have their own strains and characteristics, the theme of following culturally-influenced infections seems to be common to them all. It is uncertain whether this is due to the influence of the Toronto transmissions or if it is coincidental. Chicago has a propensity for 1920's era mobsters, show girls, flappers and bootleggers. There are also bulls, bears and other animal infections. Detroit has a lot of automotive-themed infections, from assembly robots, car monsters, crash test dummies and mechanical animal versions of popular makes and models names as well as a strain of tigers and lions. Some sentient cars have even been encountered and can sometimes be cajoled or tricked into giving rides to others as a means to travel quickly around the Great Lakes Bubble. It should be noted that Cleveland has a mix of its own creatures, including its own strain of tigers (larger and burlier) separate from the Detroit version (sleeker and faster). It is uncertain at this time if the Buffalo Bubble is even still in effect though are some localized variations as one approaches that city intermixed with those clearly belonging to the Toronto Bubble. Whether these are the descendants of those first formed or the result of the still-active bubble is unclear at this time.

With such an extensive and continuous series of bubbles in the area, the Great Lakes region, especially in the US, has a high infected population outside of the bubbles. There are communities and smaller cities which try to maintain order, but the region has largely been reduced to chaotic bands of mutants for a considerable distance all around. This has made operations in the area more difficult and limited our ability to make a comprehensive report at this time.

Report ends.

Chief Executive Officer - Zephyr Inc. (Canada)