and its activities. Security begins at the entrances and exits, which usually have fingerprint or retina scanners, code-key or code-card systems, pressure plates, and/or closed-circuit television cameras to foil intruders. (See pages 105-06 of Champions for some sample security devices.) Most entrances have at least one or two agents on guard at all times, with standing orders to call for help rather than try to fight invaders by themselves. Nests with para- noid leaders consider sewer connections, power and phone conduits, and the like as “entrances” and secure them accordingly, knowing superheroes often have unusual ways to gain access.
Inside the Nest, security usually varies from area to area, depending on the competence of the base’s Security Commander. Sensitive areas, such as the computer and data storage room, laboratories, the Leader’s chambers, and the like have security measures similar to entrances, and often armed guards as well. Other areas may have few or no security precautions, though most Nests at least maintain a series of closed-circuit cameras to watch all major parts of the base.
Particularly powerful or crucial VIPER Nests may have even tighter security precautions. Using VIPER’s high technology, they can set up anti-tele- portation or anti-intangibility fields, anti-psionic zones, brainwave scanners, or just about anything else their fiendish minds can conceive of. Nests which frequently fight specific superteams or heroes often devise special security precautions for those supers.
Especially vicious, ruthless, or cruel Nest Lead- ers sometimes include lethal traps as part of their security. While such traps may backfire or cause casualties among the Nest’s membership on occa- sion, Leaders who use them find those risks accept- able. From simple, tried and true traps, like acid- filled pits or crushing walls, to automatic blasters and similar weapons, to more esoteric methods like triggered teleporting bombs or psionic feedback generators, these devices spell trouble for anyone who dares to beard VIPER in its lair.
Last but certainly not least, any superhumans assigned to a base may provide security for it. In many cases their mere presence helps to defend the base from enemies, but some VIPER supers have powers they can use to make their home bases harder to find or enter. For example, Delusion, of the Miami base, uses his unique holographic tech- nology to supplement the base’s normal security measures with various illusions and confusing images.
FACILITIES
Though every base is unique, most of them have certain facilities or resources in common. UTILITIES
First, a Nest has to have a way to provide power, telephone lines, ventilation, sewer connec- tions, and the like. In most cases VIPER simply taps into the existing utility services clandestinely and siphons off whatever it needs. But some Nests,
particularly those with large laboratory or manu- facturing facilities, need so much power and other resources that they would attract attention if they “fed off” standard utilities. These Nests usually supply their own power or other needs with gen- erators and similar technology. VIPER’s research and development labs have created some amazingly small and efficient devices to service its Nests. LABORATORIES
All but the smallest VIPER Nests have at least a laboratory or two. While VIPER has bases devoted exclusively to scientific research and invention, each Nest needs its own technologi- cal resources — a place to develop a new weapon for use against the pesky local superheroes, or to analyze the device Squadron Alpha just stole from Cambridge Biotech. In some Nests, the agents themselves use the labs; larger Nests usually have a dedicated staff of technicians and scientists to assist the field agents.
COMPUTERS AND DATA STORAGE All VIPER Nests (or other bases for that matter) have a room devoted to computing (includ- ing the base’s connection to VIPER’s ultra-secure Serpentine Network) and data storage. Inevitably one of the most heavily protected rooms in a Nest, it usually has self-destruct mechanisms designed to keep any information about VIPER from falling into the wrong hands. Most agents are not allowed to take data storage media out of this room; this prevents them from losing it (or selling it), and ensures that the self-destruct system eliminates all of a base’s data.
See page 117 for sample VIPER computers. TRAINING
Most Nests have facilities for training agents. In smaller bases, this consists of little more than a gym and a soundproof firing range. Larger or more technologically advanced bases may feature computer simulation and/or virtual reality training rooms, “war rooms” for planning crimes, so-called “danger rooms” for creating a wide variety of real- danger training scenarios, and the like.
MANUFACTURING
Some of the larger Nests have small manufac- turing facilities onsite, where trained agents make or repair weapons and other equipment. However, VIPER does most of its manufacturing and repair work at dedicated facilities far away from the prying eyes of law enforcement (often in Third World countries).
RECREATION
VIPER expects a lot from its agents — hard work, loyalty, and a willingness to engage in an extremely dangerous occupation. In return it com- pensates them handsomely, not only with money and training, but with recreation opportunities. Rather than let agents leave the Nest frequently, which runs the risk of attracting attention to the base, VIPER prefers to provide the means for rec- reation onsite. Even the smallest Nest has a “rec
SNAKE BEER
One of the “perks” of VIPER member- ship is plenty of free beer during recreation periods. VIPER has its own brand, Snake Beer — the Beer With Bite! It comes in distinctive yellow-gold cans with a green serpent and let- tering (or bottles with a similar label). Collectors value the containers, since VIPER goes to great lengths to make sure it destroys them so they don’t reveal the organization’s presence in an area. Despite the risks, VIPER’s leader- ship regards Snake as a morale-booster and keeps supplying it to Nests (some agents sus- pect it contains drugs or brainwashing chemicals to improve their perfor- mance, but no one’s ever offered any proof). The quality of Snake varies, since VIPER doesn’t actually brew it. Instead, it has Nests hijack shipments of legitimate brands of beer, then puts the beer into VIPER’s own cans and bottles.
room” featuring food service equipment and a wide-screen high-definition television. Larger or more advanced Nests provide a lot more than that — small-screen theaters, game rooms, jacuzzis, res- taurant-like cafeterias, even harems.