This is keyed to the Alaska entry in the Morrow Project Travel Guide.
As the former capitol of Alaska, Juneau is a city alive with determination and an unparalleled tradition of the American can-do spirit. Emerging from the ashes (literally) of the horrors of the fall of civilization, by 2139, the Principality of Juneau is a quiet beacon of what a determined population working toward a common goal can accomplish. In November of 1989, the nuclear missile meant for Juneau malfunctioned soon after leaving the submarine and spiraled off into the sea, sparing the city and assuring its place in the new world. The Soviets captured the city in 1990, but abandoned it soon after, choosing instead to march south on Vancouver and Seattle. Behind them they left a lot of smoking wreckage for the surviving locals to clean up and rebuild. Although severely damaged by street fighting (destroying half of the city), Juneau is now a prosperous city that serves as the center of the trade and culture in the region.
In 1991, the USS Daniel Boone (SSBN-629), having previously launched the last of her Trident missiles (and unable to raise anyone on the radio) was looking for a place to end her cruise. Naturally, they first tried Bremerton in Washington State and found it nuked. They then tried the whole west coast and found the same desolation over and over. Next they tried Anchorage, saw Soviets everywhere and started traveling south when they came upon Juneau, which the Soviets have just left, coincidentally. The isthmus between Juneau and West Juneau is deep enough for a sub, and although the sub crew had 50 years worth of electricity, they were almost out of food. They landed, said howdy and quickly worked out an agreement to trade electricity for food. A partnership was formed as they each could fulfill the others needs. There was some natural resentment at first, what with their being a ballistic missile submarine, but this was eventually overcome.
At around this time, Morrow Project Science Team AK-4 was clearing their bolt hole. Their mission was to travel to Anchorage and assist the inevitable recovery efforts. Finding the city nuked and murderous Soviet soldiers shooting everything that moved, the Team Commander immediately abandoned his mission and decided to go south. The plan was to travel to British Colombia where there was sure to be survivors. Packing their vehicles to the gunnels with all the food and bullets they could carry, they made the arduous journey south. 2 weeks later, they got snowed in outside of Skagway. As the starving locals were moving in for the kill, they were rescued by a most unlikely source. TEAM 5 of the Canadian Red Berets came to their rescue, having heard their cry for help over the radio. The Red Berets were a Snake Eater type program of the Canadian Government and their Unit was recently activated in the White Horse area.
After extricating the Science Team from their doom, the Red Berets asked to hitch a ride with them as their Snow Cat was out of fuel and their supply cashes had been looted. Squeezing in where they could, the two teams caravanned south. The Red Beret Leader (Captain Arthur Slater) suggested they pull into Juneau as they might be able to trade with them for information and supplies. Upon arrival in Juneau, they found a deplorable situation. Half the city was burned by the Soviets who had just left and 20 Soviet deserters were raping and killing the survivors. The Red Berets eliminated the deserters, peace was restored and the Science Team went to work. A partnership was formed that day that would lead to the resurrection of Juneau.
Working with the remaining Native Inuit population (horrendously slaughtered by the Soviet invaders, for no apparent reason) and the city�s survivors, the immediate task was electrical power for heat. The Science Team leader (Dr. Nathan Beckworth) was then introduced to Capt. Arthur Makin, Captain of the Daniel Boone, tied up at the docks. It is said to this day that the Dr. Beckworth got a wild look in his eyes and instantly formed a plan. To call it ambitious is a vast understatement. It was ambitious for a modern day city, but in this time and place, it was all but absurd. Nevertheless, he poured over his technical manuals, carefully surveyed the city and listed every possible resource they had available. A week later he called a town meeting and every citizen available met at City Hall. He then unveiled his plan. Some laughed, some scoffed and he was hit with at least two fish. Nevertheless, he was quite serious, and he made a tremendous presentation. As the community had always survived by working together, they had nothing to lose and everything to gain. They started work immediately.
Using the fusion power packs from their vehicles as a premise, and the electric power from the Daniel Boone, rebuilding the city commenced. The Morrow Team Leader was a Physics Professor at Wisconsin State University until he was recruited by the Project. He was a maverick in his field and scoffed by his peers, but his genius was just what the Project needed. Among the rules he passed down was that the University of Alaska (posthumously renamed Beckworth University) was to be kept open as the cornerstone of the recovery. In those very labs were discovered the reverse engineered secrets to fusion power, Textiles from fish, bio diesel, high capacity photo electric solar cells, advanced metallurgy, high endurance batteries and advanced medical pharmacology. The paths to discovery took decades, and the work was long and intense, but the community pulled together and worked for the common cause. The Inuit�s would fish and supply the city with food while the community would build infrastructure, houses, factories, and supply everything else.
By 2090, the Industrial base was fully operable and there were enough surpluses to trade, but with whom. Their only trade ship (the ancient coal fired SS Murphy that docked in Juneau shortly after the war and was used to trade with the outlying communities) was shot up when it went north to trade with Valdez, and Anchorage has nothing to trade anyway. Besides, there is no one to the south (everyone firmly believes the US is a dead zone). The Pacific Rim must have survivors and where there are survivors, there is opportunity. Unfortunately, The USS Daniel Boone was converted to fusion power 40 years ago when the fission plant ran down and they converted the missile area to power generation plants. The operations and traditions have been handed down over the decades (courses are even taught at university, among others, of course), but it was soon realized that the old sub was now 130 years old and would not survive a trip out of the harbor, let alone open seas. The only option was to build more. Surface ships were too vulnerable, use too much power and they have no experience with open sea operations of a Ship.
BUT, they did know how to use submarines. Subs require a fifth the power to travel underwater, crews can be very small, and they are free from attack from everyone. Also, as the newly formed Principality of Juneau has almost no weapons, munitions reserves, manpower, experience or know how to build and man conventional warship (of any size) subs are the logical solution. For their present situation, resources available, technology available and distances to be traveled without the aid of any advanced weather prediction, a sub is by far the most logical choice. Besides, the environment is wrong for surface ships anyway. Subs travel under storms, waves, uncharted seas, and Ice, whereas ships must push through it. Finally, it was realized that ships pulling into and out of port draw a lot of attention, but subs come and go as they please and no one knows they are around until they surface. As to recon, that is what periscope mounted radar is for.
The current population of the city and surrounding villages of
the Principality numbers roughly 22,000 with a city population of
16,000, making it by far the largest population in the state. This
was achieved slowly and painfully through hard work, community
spirit and the never say die philosophy of their forefathers. The
Principality includes the City proper of Juneau, West Juneau, Thane,
Douglas, Hoonah at Port Fredrick, Kake and Sitka, their western most
outposts. The primary language spoken in the Principality is
English, although everyone speaks Inuit as a matter of course.
French is rare but known and recently Vietnamese is being heard
around town, though mostly by the Trade folks and their families.
Speaking Russian openly will get you killed, but it is taught to the
Military and Encounter Teams. Per the Project�s designation, Tech
level of the community as a whole is a B+, with the re imagined
capitol an A. The Juneau municipal breakdown is as follows:
400 are military and support (300 Red Berets, 100 training, supply
and technicians).
3,000 Industrial and Scientific: (production, synthesis,
manufacturing).
1,500 Support services: (plumbers, electricians, doctors, fireman,
police, city workers).
1.000 Administrative: (school staff, leadership, church, academia,
merchants).
4,000 Food Production: (greenhouse workers, fisherman, canning,
protein extraction, geneticists, bio medical specialists, molecular
biologists, marine studies, etc).
5,000 General Population: (all other jobs, caretakers, children, old
folks, "others").
1,000 Merchant team: (Sub crews, technicians, shipyard workers, tug
crew, and train crew).
100 Encounter Specialists: Personnel trained to encounter outside
cultures and verify trade possibilities as well as threat
assessment. The High Endurance Long Range Recon Teams are among
these dedicated specialists.
Each home is made of stone and wood, is powered by high efficiency solar collectors with Battery power storage (Pioneered by the physicists at the University of Alaska in 2055) for non dependence on a general power grid. This way, severe weather does not take out the whole grid in one shot. All homes have a fireplace for emergencies and as a backup. Municipal buildings, hospitals, greenhouses, and public facilities are powered by photo electric solar power, with high capacity batteries for night time power storage and bio diesel generators for back up. Presently, the University is investigating the practicality of fuel cell technology.
See THIS PAGE for game stats on PJ vehicles
By bicycle and electric Trolley in the city, Range Rovers and dog sleds in the country areas. The only vehicles produced are bio diesel powered Utility Vehicles (Range Rovers) and a few Heavy Trucks for Industrial needs (built as needed) and bicycles. All families have at least one Range truck, but each family is responsible for their own maintenance (no more "which one is the dip stick"). Bio diesel fuel is made and stored at the Port only. There was some talk early on of each citizen making their own, but this was viewed as an unnecessary burden. There is also a single narrow gage bio diesel locomotive with eight flatbed cars and two boxcars for transporting goods and materials from the sub pens to the city and to and from the industrial facilities in Juneau and Juneau Island.
Tech is circa 1990 AD. All homes have a PS1 type desk top PC that connects them to the community ethernet for interaction (during inclement weather), schooling, current events and entertainment. There is a low power FM radio station for music and news. Indoor plumbing, individual sewage treatment, heat and AC are standard. Water services are public, but most homes have a cistern as a backup for emergencies.
The Principality of Juneau is a representative democracy based loosely on the former US Government. There is a President (dubbed Prince, hence the moniker of Principality, an inside joke), Vice President, Secretary of State, Secretary of the Interior, Secretary of Industry and Secretary of Commerce. There is a 12 person Congress and a 23 person house of Representatives. Secretary positions are appointed and all other offices are elected. The Current President is Lucas Williams and his wife Jewel is the Secretary of the Interior. The Congress and House of Reps meet once a week to discuss and vote on new and existing legislation. Elections are by popular vote and once a year there is a no confidence vote among the general populace. If 52% or more of the population as a whole vote no confidence in the current leadership, the president is immediately removed from office and the Vice President assumes his or her duties until the next election. Elections are every 3 years and suffrage is universal at 16. While most people have come around to calling Juneau the "Principality", there are a small minority of right-wingers who still insist on calling it the State of Alaska, though normally just while drunk.
Education services are free, of course, and degrees from the University are common. Literacy is 100% as everyone attends grades 1 � 10. Degree programs include Electrical worker, Plumbing, Agriculture, Aquaculture, Bio Medical programs, Physician specialties, Dentistry, Podiatry, Pediatrics, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Physics, Advanced Physical sciences, Engineering, Marine design and Metallurgy. Students are still expected to work a full shift while in school (with the obvious exception of grade school). Music and Arts programs are also available to those interested.
Eight large greenhouses grow the vegetables and fruit so imperative to the Principality of Juneau. Vertical greenhouses are also used on a smaller scale, though it's quickly becoming apparent that they might provide more food per acre in the long run than traditional greenhouse plans. The canning factory has been modernized and expanded and provides the bulk of the processed fish provided by the fishing fleet. The fishing fleet consists of 60+ assorted small fishing boats and five large, bio diesel trawlers. Most are manned by native Inuit, as that is the tradition, but private vessels do exist. Curiously, pleasure craft are very rare. They can be built, but there is no interest.
Fusion Power is utilized for heavy industry, manufacturing and submarine power only. The tech to make personal fusion plants exists, but is deemed an unnecessary use of their limited resources. Fusion power is reserved only for absolute necessities. 16 miles south of Juneau there is a small oil well that produces all the city�s oil. The oil is utilized for plastics, textiles and pharmaceutical production. Industrial lubricants all come from synthesized fish oils. A closely guarded secret is that the well is running out of oil and the city is scrambling to locate a new oil field. Juneau has three fusion powered fabrication factories, the large modernized fusion powered pre war fish cannery and a large, specialized fusion steel mill that produces the customized submarine materials, weapons and equipment of the Principality. There is a glass factory, plastics production center and a small pharmaceutical production center that makes the medications and vaccines of the Principality. It doubles as a tiny CDC, and is located in the east wing of the Juneau Memorial Hospital.
There is also a small electronics facility adjacent to the University that produces the submarine sonars, radars and marine radios for the fishing fleets, as well as the simple PC�s for the community at large. This is the only facility that operates 24 hours a day, as spare electronic parts are always in short supply and fabrication of them is a time consuming process.
The third merchant sub (The Ontario, named after the home providence of the Science Team leader) is just finishing her sea trials and will be ready for her first trip this summer. The other two vessels (The Florida, named after the home state of the captain of the Daniel Boone and the Quebec, so named after the home providence of the Red Beret Leader) are presently away on trade missions to Melbourne and Vietnam respectively.
Trade Subs are built on the German Dolphin Class in size and dimensions, but are effectively unarmed (each has but a single torpedo tube for defense and signaling). They have a crew of 32 each. They are equipped with modern sonar and periscope mounted radar. The USS Daniel Boone was scrapped 25 years ago and lives on as trade fleet. Although the hull was too ancient to be reused, the entire vessel was painstakingly disassembled and blueprinted. The metallurgy of her hull was instrumental in the building of the Orca and the design was duplicated (where appropriate) for the building of the Trade subs, along with builders plans of the German Dolphin class from the University of Alaska Engineering Department.
The fusion powered trade fleet subs are 62 meters long and have a beam of 12 Meters. Each has a useful cargo capacity of 1200 Metric Tons and has 1 loading bay forward and aft of the conning tower. A small collapsible loading crane is located in each hold. Onboard consumables allow for an un-replenished range of 34,000 nautical miles or 60 days. Cruising speed under water is 25 knots. The fusion plant will provide power for about 20 years of continuous power.
The ancient, coal fired SS Murphy, now 200 years old, was re plated and the boilers were replaced during a yearlong overhaul 40 years ago. She continues on as the transfer ship between Juneau and Sitka. It is the only �ship� available to the Principality. Several other ancient freighters formerly tied to the piers were long ago scrapped and melted down into the trade fleet, but the Murphy is viewed as akin to the USS Constitution, and as such, her future is assured. (See here for a detailed history of this ship)
The submarine pens are located on West Juneau a quarter mile south of the docks at Douglas. A naturally occurring sea cave was painstakingly dredged and enlarged to accommodate a future fleet of four submarines. A small coastal tug was retrofitted to fusion power (due to exhaust issues in the sub pens) for turning the subs in the Sub Pen/Base. A 30 foot wide tunnel was dug from the interior of the pen out to the Douglas docks. It contains a single lane road and train tracks for the train. The locomotive house is located in west Juneau.
Trade with the Pacific Rim has been a godsend to Juneau. Common items everywhere else were all but unknown in Juneau until trade was opened up. Rice, wheat, coffee, bread, bamboo, sugar cane, cow�s milk and chocolate are among the most sought after items, but the most needed commodity is rubber. The synthetic rubber dreamed up at the University works ok in Industrial uses but deteriorates quickly as tires and gasket material. The Michelin Plant in Hanoi was refurbished 50 years ago and now produces pre war quality tires. The second sub from Vietnam was stuffed to the gunnels with tires and production rubber compounds. The Vietnamese want Inuit woodworks, electronics and machined tools.
Trade with Australia is also booming. They also need machined tools, electronics and high capacity photo electric tech, and provide livestock, fruit and finished goods. The third trip from Australia carried 30 Guernsey cows and 200 chickens (it was a very interesting crossing). A number of sailors have taken wives in their various travels and have brought them home to Juneau to raise families, further refreshing the gene pool. Surprisingly, the Inuit�s LOVE the Vietnamese and welcome them warmly on sight.
The Kensington Mine provides the majority of the metals and mineral resources for Juneau. The mine produces various strategic metals (including large amounts of Silver and Gold) as well as iron ore and magnesium. Mining around Juneau proper provides building materials and slate. Unfortunately, the process of extracting these resources is very time consuming and Juneau's consumption is starting to exceed production capability.
Actually, there is none. Aircraft require too much fuel and maintenance to be practical, the area is wrong for them and they draw too much unwanted attention when they are aloft. The technology to produce them is readily available, but there is no real need and resource limitations are utilized in other areas. There are, however, three ultra light float planes used by the Fishery Commission for fish spotting and rescue coordination, but their open construction make them very unpopular to fly and they are only used when absolutely necessary. Being a pilot is viewed as someone who made a serious error in their career path.
Again, there is none, per say. The Orca is the only true naval warship available, and it spends 75% of its time in the Sub Pen. There are two crews, (Blue and Green) with one always on duty at the Sub Pen. Training is continuous and alerts are common. An emergency scramble will allow the Orca to put to sea in10 minutes flat.
There are three Coast Guard �cutters� of 45 foot length but these are used for marine rescue and fishing dispute resolution. They are effectively Marine Patrol vessels and although unarmed, the crews are trained and equipped with military small arms for self defense. On the sea, their authority is absolute, but disputes can be taken up with the local magistrate as necessary. The Red Bird is stationed on the leeward side of Sitka, away from prying eyes of visitors, but always at the ready. One is stationed at Port Fredrick and another is stationed at the Juneau Docks. Each is equipped with a powerful, long range marine radio and there are two dedicated channels to the Orca for emergencies.
See THIS PAGE for game stats on PJ vehicles and weapons.
The "Army" consists of 300 Red Berets (ceremoniously named after the first Red Berets of Canadian origin, but Green Berets in training and skill) and 100 support personnel. The Army is led by a Colonel (at present Col. Andrew Cavanaugh). They are equipped with 8 APC's and several Armored Range Rovers. The APC�s are large 8 wheeled vehicles armed with a turreted 30mm cannon and dual quad pack anti vehicle (4) and anti personnel (4) box missile Launchers. The missiles are patterned after the Project�s Maverick. Red Berets are equipped as US Heavy Infantry with full body thermal armor similar to Resist Weave, but somewhat superior (AR 40) and a helmet (AR 20)
Side arms consist of Mk 2 pistols Firing 5 mm case less, and Mk 3 SMGs (G11 type SMG) firing 7mm case less. Case less weapons were designed as brass is in very limited supply and was deemed too wasteful for weapon cartridges. Sniper rifles are patterned after the Grand Alaskan in .458 and is also a case less round. Heavy weapons consist of the re engineered 30mm firing API and HE case Less, but it is only available mounted to the APC�s in its independent turret. Mk 7 type fragmentation and Mk 9 white phosphorous grenades are available but rarely issued.
The 30 man police force carries whistles, stun guns and batons. They patrol in two person teams and use bicycles for transport. Four Range Rovers are available for special situations.
Pre war weapons (mostly deer rifles) are still fairly common among the general population and most homes have a simple reloading system to accommodate their dwindling brass supply. There are no real gun laws except that you cannot carry them on your person within the city limits unless you are transporting them for a hunting trip.
Written by Karl Zohler and used with permission.