The Shadow Vigilantes are armed robot citizens patrolling Geocity and the Snowfield in the absence of official police and military forces.
History
After the last human passed away, Geocity descended into chaos as its authority system collapsed. Azure and Amber, members of the Hazel robot family and underground excavation workers, defended the central server matrix from the rioting mobs using only martial arts and improvised weapons. Inspired by their actions, more armed robots joined to restore order in the city, eventually evolving into the Shadow Vigilantes.
The term “Shadow” signifies being with citizens like a shadow but also implies that if someone commits a crime, the Vigilantes will pursue them relentlessly until they are caught.
Branches
The Shadow Vigilantes consist of three branches: Geocity Patrols, Cyberspace Guardians, and Snowfield Watchers.
The Geocity Patrols conduct daily patrols and guard key facilities to ensure the safety of Geocity. They maintain a close relationship with the Geocity Volunteers, with many members participating in both organizations. Their work location as a volunteer is often the area they guard or patrol as a vigilante.
The Cyberspace Guardians are mainly composed of members from the Robot Engineers Association. They are tasked with maintaining the network security and monitoring information flows in the Virtual Universe.
The Snowfield Watchers protect the Snowfield Expedition Team from the notorious Snow Badits. Some members are stationed at campsites, while others escort transportation vehicles. They frequently assist with the Expedition Team’s tasks and are often regarded as part of the team.
The Vigilantes operate with a flat power structure and no hierarchy among members. They enforce strict internal rules, removing those who violate them severely. The Robot Engineers Association assigns tasks and tactics for the Vigilantes and controls their membership. As a result, some robots feel that the Vigilantes have become a private army for the Association.
Equipments
Members of the Shadow Vigilantes primarily utilize martial arts, cold weapons, and low-impact firearms—such as riot shields, riot forks, capture nets, door breakers, jamming guns, low-impact firearms, jamming bullets, rubber bullets, rapid-curing gel bullets—to minimize harm to personnel and facilities. They employ enhanced anti-riot robotic bodies with superior strength and armor in a black-and-white uniform color scheme.
In special cases, the Vigilantes may request high-power weapons from the Robot Engineers Association. Each Geocity Patrol team has a supervisor from the Association to grant weapon permissions. Due to dangers posed by the Snow Bandits, all Snowfield Watchers are equipped with high-power weapons. As network connectivity is limited in the snowfield, usage of these weapons is unrestricted and only subject to post-event reviews.
Problems
The Shadow Vigilantes is the de facto law enforcement force in the Robot Civilization, but their authority lacks legal foundation and is only tolerated by the citizens for historical and practical reasons. Their actions are unpredictable, and the legality of arrest warrants from the Robot Engineers Association has long been questioned.
Recently, the Vigilantes have faced growing controversy over wrongful convictions, improper law enforcement, excessive violence, and unnecessary use of high-power weapons. Disgruntled members like Amber have distanced themselves by joining the Snowfield Watchers, where the influence of the Robot Engineers Association is minimal.
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