The wastelands and their characters
Between the 8 Grids that encompass the 32 megacities lie the wastelands. These areas, before the enforcement of the overlords’ plan, were populated by much of the world’s population. With the advent of the Grids, the population was relocated to the megacities, leaving former countries across the continents deserted.
In the wastelands, those who chose to remain outside the Grids survive by forming communities and settlements. Some live as nomads, continuously traveling, exploring the old world, and scavenging in every abandoned city they encounter. This album/playlist unfolds the story of the wastelands through the adventures of Zero and the characters he encounters along the way.
Zero – Since deciding to leave Megacity 3 of the North America Grid two years ago to return to Antofagasta in Chile the city where he was born and raised now placed at the South America grid at Megacity 2, he hadn’t needed to mention his name to anyone as his only companion was the dog he found and simply named “Friend.” However, when he decided to approach the Nomads, he had to introduce himself and share his past. Not wanting to reveal his true identity to the Nomads right away, he chose to introduce himself as Zero.
Tracks related to Zero :
Cipher and the Tech Freaks – Like Zero, she also had a past she left behind to disappear into the wastelands, trying to survive far from a situation she knew she couldn’t escape. She had been asked to get involved in the illegal trade of implants, manufacturing what ever the implant dealers demanded. She refused the offer, putting her life in danger every day. So, Cipher, along with 20 other people a small but highly skilled collective of high-tech enthusiasts, cyberpunks, and scavengers decided to leave Megacity 2 of the South America Grid. Like Zero, Cipher and the tech freaks have been wandering the wastelands for two years, visiting the cities of the old world to scavenge for survival.
Tracks related to Cipher :
The Nomads – Most of the Nomads are people who didn’t follow the Overseers’ orders when they introduced the Grids to the world. They decided to leave their old lives behind at the South America Grid and wander the lands outside the Grid. In agreement with the Overseers, they were given certificates stating that the dissidents of the Grid plan would be considered deceased and removed from the Grid population records. From the first day of the Grid’s enforcement, the Nomads have been wandering the outside old world, aiming to meet others who, like them, stayed out of the Grid and thus increase their population. Their goal is to eventually settle in an old city and create a city-state, allowing them to live as they did before the Grid. Now, they number nearly 500 people, each member bringing their unique skills to the table. Their collective expertise enables them to navigate treacherous terrains and defend themselves against the perils lurking in the wastelands. Rebels, adventurers, and warriors, bound together by a shared purpose and a burning desire to reclaim their autonomy in a world gripped by control. As the convoy moved through the wastelands, leaving trails of dust in their wake, they became legends whispered among the few remaining souls outside the Grids.
Tracks related to Nomads :
Fernanda – She grew up and lived in Portugal and worked in the diplomatic corps of her country, which eventually led her to Cuba. Like many others who found themselves in countries different from their place of birth, when the Grid regime was imposed, these individuals who were traveling or working in countries other than their own somehow got trapped in those countries and were not allowed to return to their homeland.
Thus, they were forced to survive in a difficult environment and additionally with unfamiliar people. Fernanda is one of the first people to leave Megacity 3 of the South America Grid along with a group of others for the Wastelands. Along the way, with her charismatic personality, empathy, and ability to inspire trust, she managed to integrate other individuals into the Nomads’ group, who were encountered along the Nomads’ journey in the Wastelands.
Tracks related to Fernanda :
Buck and his renegades – Buck was once the commander of the Overlord Army in Megacity 1 of the North America Grid, a man who knew how to mobilize troops, organize operations, and enforce discipline. Yet conscience and strategic vision drove him away from the authoritarian hierarchy he had served for years. Together with a group of loyal soldiers, he deserted and found refuge in the Wastelands, in areas abandoned by the former American military. There, with methodical precision and expertise, they armed themselves with weapons, vehicles, and strategically significant technology, forming a small but lethal force.
Buck is not merely a soldier, he is a strategic thinker and war philosopher. His leadership relies on the ability to see beyond immediate conflict, he understands alliance dynamics, enemy psychology, and the metaphysical forces shaping the shadows of the Grid. His interactions with the Mystic Covenant and his desire to understand the Neural Seraphs show that he is not content with physical dominance alone, he seeks knowledge that transcends natural laws and could shift the balance of entire cities and Grids.
The ambiguity within Buck is part of his appeal. On one hand, he seeks allies and protection, offering the loyalty and experience of his army; on the other, he navigates the dangerous waters of forbidden knowledge that could change him, threatening his very identity. His gaze carries the weight and wisdom of a man who has lived through war and bears responsibility for those who follow him. Every decision he makes balances survival with the promise of revolutionary liberation.
Buck’s strategy is as multifaceted as the city he aims to liberate. His plan to take Megacity 4 in the South America Grid is not merely a military operation, it is an attempt to create the first autonomous stronghold of resistance, free from the Overlords’ influence, in collaboration with local resistance fighters and the Wasteland Nomads. His military expertise is matched by the ability to leverage information from unpredictable sources and technology often deemed forbidden or dangerous.
What sets him apart is his ability to inspire loyalty without demanding blind obedience. He does not ask allies to follow orders unquestioningly; he offers choice, knowledge, and responsibility. Buck is a man who moves between war and mysticism, survival and revolution, always mindful that every action leaves seeds capable of changing everything.
In a world where cities are fortresses, Grids are controlled, and powers surpass human limits, Buck embodies the ideal balance of military might, foresight, and adaptability in an uncertain world. He is a character who can lead, inspire, and provoke — a core around which all Innate Trigger storylines can revolve.
Tracks related to Buck and his renegades :
The Wastelands Playlist/album
