# The Setting

## Contemporary World, Hidden War

Break Escape takes place in a contemporary world—our world—where cyber security threats have become the primary battlefield for international espionage and criminal enterprise. The year is the present day, the technology is current, and the threats are real. But beneath the surface of legitimate business and government operations, two secret organisations wage a shadow war that most citizens never know exists.

### The Surface World

To the average person, this is a normal world:
- Businesses operate as usual
- Governments provide services
- Technology companies innovate
- Security consultants audit systems
- News reports occasional data breaches

Nothing seems unusual. Most people worry about forgetting their passwords, not about international cyber-espionage networks.

### The Shadow World

But to those who know where to look:
- That "security consultant" might be a SAFETYNET agent
- That corporate merger could be ENTROPY's corporate espionage
- That power grid maintenance might be preventing an attack
- That data breach might be just the beginning of something larger
- Those strange server room rituals might be... best not to think about

### The Balance

The world teeters on the edge of order and chaos. SAFETYNET works tirelessly to maintain stability, while ENTROPY seeks to accelerate entropy (as their name suggests) and push society toward disorder. Most cyber attacks are stopped before the public ever knows they were attempted. Most ENTROPY cells are dismantled before their operations reach fruition.

But some get through. And when they do, the consequences are real.

---

## Aesthetic vs. Reality

### Visual Style

The pixel art aesthetic and occasional retro spy tropes serve as **stylistic flourishes** that make the game visually distinctive and tonally playful. Think of it as the "camera lens" through which we view this world—a deliberate artistic choice that makes the experience more engaging and memorable.

**Visual Elements:**
- Pixel art environments and characters
- Retro computer interface aesthetics
- Classic spy movie visual references
- Comic-book style cutscenes

### Grounded Content

However, the **cyber security content, threats, and technologies are firmly grounded in modern reality**. This is not a world of "hacking magic" where typing fast makes the code appear faster. This is a world where:

- Encryption keys matter more than skeleton keys
- Social engineering is as dangerous as physical infiltration
- A well-crafted phishing email can be more devastating than a poison dart
- Privilege escalation requires understanding system permissions
- Network segmentation actually matters
- Zero-day vulnerabilities are valuable and dangerous
- Password policies exist for reasons
- Multi-factor authentication saves lives (literally)

**Real-World Technologies:**
- Actual penetration testing tools (Kali Linux, Metasploit, Wireshark)
- Real cryptographic systems (RSA, AES, PKI)
- Genuine network protocols (TCP/IP, DNS, HTTPS)
- Authentic security frameworks (NIST, CyBOK, MITRE ATT&CK)
- Current programming languages (Python, JavaScript, SQL)
- Modern cloud and infrastructure (AWS, Docker, Kubernetes)

---

## The Cyber Security Battlefield

### Why Cyber Security?

In the contemporary world, cyber security has become the primary battlefield for several reasons:

**1. Digital Dependency**
- Critical infrastructure runs on computer systems
- Financial systems are entirely digital
- Personal information exists in databases
- Communications rely on networks
- Even physical security uses digital access controls

**2. Asymmetric Warfare**
- A single skilled hacker can impact millions
- Attacks can be launched from anywhere in the world
- Attribution is difficult and time-consuming
- Defense must succeed every time; offense only needs to succeed once

**3. Dual-Use Technology**
- The same tools used for security testing can be used for attacks
- Legitimate research creates exploitable vulnerabilities
- Security professionals and criminals use similar skills
- The line between defender and attacker is about intent, not capability

**4. Economic Motivation**
- Data is valuable and sellable
- Ransomware is highly profitable
- Corporate espionage worth billions
- Crypto-crime difficult to trace

### The Stakes

The battles fought in the shadows have real-world consequences:

**Infrastructure Failures:**
- Power grid attacks could cause blackouts
- Water treatment compromises could poison cities
- Transportation system hacks could cause crashes
- Healthcare system ransomware could cost lives

**Economic Damage:**
- Corporate espionage destroys competitiveness
- Market manipulation causes economic chaos
- Ransomware extorts billions annually
- Trust in digital systems underpins modern economy

**Social Harm:**
- Disinformation erodes democratic processes
- Privacy violations expose vulnerable populations
- Identity theft destroys lives
- Surveillance enables oppression

**National Security:**
- Classified data breaches compromise defense
- Supply chain attacks undermine security
- Foreign interference threatens sovereignty
- Insider threats penetrate sensitive systems

---

## The Unseen War

### How SAFETYNET and ENTROPY Clash

The shadow war is fought in:
- **Server rooms** and data centers
- **Corporate offices** during "security audits"
- **Research facilities** with sensitive projects
- **Dark web marketplaces** where vulnerabilities are sold
- **Conference rooms** where insiders are recruited
- **Government networks** where classified data sits
- **Critical infrastructure** that society depends on

### Public Awareness

Most people don't know about SAFETYNET or ENTROPY specifically, but they're aware that:
- Cyber security is important
- Hackers are a threat
- Companies get breached
- Nation-states conduct cyber operations
- Consultants help secure systems

What they don't realize is how organized and pervasive the threat is, or that a secret organization works to counter it.

### The Cover Story

Both SAFETYNET and ENTROPY hide in plain sight:

**SAFETYNET agents operate as:**
- Legitimate security consultants
- Penetration testers hired by companies
- Incident responders called after breaches
- New employees at companies under investigation
- Freelance security researchers

**ENTROPY operatives operate as:**
- Legitimate business employees (at controlled corporations)
- Embedded insiders (at infiltrated companies)
- Underground criminals (in dark web markets)
- Corrupt officials (in compromised government)
- Unwitting accomplices (recruited through deception)

---

## World Boundaries

### What This World IS

- **Contemporary**: Present-day technology and society
- **Realistic**: Actual cyber security concepts and tools
- **Grounded**: Physics and logic work normally
- **Educational**: Technical content is accurate and instructive
- **Engaging**: Wrapped in an entertaining spy narrative

### What This World IS NOT

- **Futuristic**: No science fiction technology beyond current bleeding edge
- **Magical**: No "hacking magic" or impossible feats
- **Supernatural**: Eldritch Horror elements are ambiguous and atmospheric, not confirmed reality
- **Cartoonish**: Despite pixel art style, consequences are real
- **Cynical**: Despite dark subject matter, heroes can make a difference

### The Quantum Cabal Exception

The **Quantum Cabal** cell introduces an ambiguous element: are they actually summoning eldritch entities through quantum computing, or are they just delusional cultists with advanced tech?

The answer is deliberately unclear. The atmosphere is Lovecraftian, the rituals are real, and the results are unsettling. But whether actual supernatural forces are involved or it's all explainable through quantum physics and psychology is left to interpretation.

This allows for:
- **Atmospheric horror** without breaking the grounded setting
- **Player interpretation** of what's "real"
- **Tonal variety** from other scenarios
- **Ambiguous evidence** that could go either way

---

## Timeline Context

### When Is This?

**Now.** The present day. When you're playing Break Escape, that's when it takes place.

This means:
- Current technology is available
- Recent real-world attacks can be referenced
- Contemporary culture is relevant
- Modern political context exists (but remains apolitical in content)

### A World in Flux

The cyber security landscape changes rapidly:
- New vulnerabilities discovered constantly
- Attack techniques evolve
- Defensive tools improve
- Regulations change
- Technology advances

This dynamism is built into the world. SAFETYNET and ENTROPY both adapt to new developments, always seeking advantage in the latest technological shift.

---

## The Hidden Infrastructure

### SAFETYNET's Reach

Though most people don't know SAFETYNET exists, its influence touches:
- Major corporations (through "security consultants")
- Government agencies (through "contractors")
- Critical infrastructure (through "auditors")
- Research institutions (through "grad students")
- Tech industry (through "bug bounty hunters")

### ENTROPY's Infiltration

Similarly, ENTROPY has quietly spread:
- Controlled corporations operating openly
- Sleeper agents in strategic positions
- Recruited insiders in key organizations
- Compromised officials in government
- Technical specialists in research labs

### The Balance of Power

Neither side has overwhelming advantage:
- SAFETYNET has legitimacy and resources
- ENTROPY has initiative and unpredictability
- Battles are won and lost by both sides
- The war continues without decisive victory
- Skilled individuals (like you, Agent 0x00) can tip the balance

---

## For Scenario Designers

When creating scenarios in this setting:

**✓ DO:**
- Use current, real cyber security concepts
- Ground threats in actual attack vectors
- Reference legitimate tools and technologies
- Create plausible covers for both sides
- Balance serious content with tonal levity
- Make the world feel lived-in and consistent

**✗ DON'T:**
- Invent magical "hacking powers"
- Use technobabble without meaning
- Break established physical laws
- Make attacks too fantastical
- Lose sight of educational mission
- Contradict established world rules

---

## Further Reading

- **[Core Premise](core_premise.md)** - Who you are and what you do
- **[Tone & Atmosphere](tone_and_atmosphere.md)** - Balancing serious and comedic
- **[World Rules & Tone](../05_world_building/rules_and_tone.md)** - What's possible in this world
- **[Technology](../05_world_building/technology.md)** - Tech levels and capabilities

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*"The world is more fragile than people realize. Every system, every network, every digital infrastructure sits on a knife's edge. Our job is to keep it from falling into the abyss."*
— Director Magnus Netherton, SAFETYNET briefing
