Palace of Sparrows
RED BLOC
Institute of Psychotronics · Institut Psikhotroniki
The Palace of Sparrows, officially the Institute of Psychotronics, studies the human mind, its relationship with the body, and the brain’s psychotronic patterns. It develops mind-control techniques and trains agents with psychotronic abilities. It has its own leadership and operational autonomy within the state structure. Its headquarters stands in Vorobiovy Gory, the Sparrow Hills, southwest of Moscow.
Research and cover
The Institute operates publicly as a psychiatric hospital. This cover conceals its psychotronic research and agent preparation programs. Its role as an intelligence organization is not publicly acknowledged, although it forms part of the IURR state structure.
People convicted of opposing the Party are sent to its facilities with diagnoses of mental disturbance and subjected to experiments in hypnosis, susceptibility, and behavioral control. The Institute studies psychotronic abilities and their possible relationship with brain mutations, although their origin remains without a conclusive explanation. It also develops electromagnetic weapons capable of altering behavior.
The Sparrows
Sparrows are the clandestine agents created by the Palace. They include field agents with psychotronic abilities assigned to espionage and infiltration, who maintain civilian professions and may pursue genuine careers as part of their cover.
In addition to psychotronic agents, the Palace uses masters of hypnosis and mental conditioning to train double agents, the Ptichiki (“little birds”). Thanks to them, the Union possesses the world’s largest espionage network.
Leadership and operational command
The Institute’s leadership retains authority over the entire Palace and its scientific, training, and operational activities. It concentrates on psychotronic research and the creation and preparation of agents. However, the VKKB directs all Sparrow operations: their espionage networks, agent deployments, missions, and the intelligence obtained. The Palace’s network of Sparrows and Little Birds forms part of the Union’s response to a nuclear crisis.
The Palace and the Atomic Academy
The Palace maintains ties with the Atomic Academy and has participated in joint research in the Dead Zone, interested in radiation’s strange effects on psychotronics, both in acquiring powers and in their destruction by radiation.