Bern
The places where the Cold War runs hot
Bern is the capital of the Swiss Confederation and one of the principal meeting places between the Hyperpowers. Its cobbled streets, old buildings, and clock towers house diplomatic institutions, banks, and discreet services for the elites of both blocs. Its neutrality is maintained by consensus among the powers.
Neutrality and espionage
Armed forces are prohibited, with the exception of the city guard. An attack on Bern could trigger an international crisis with worldwide consequences. This protection allows conferences, treaty negotiations, and permanent representatives from both blocs.
The grand hotels accommodate diplomats and ambassadors while foreign agents keep watch on one another. Hidden microphones, remote cameras, and intelligence services are part of everyday life in a city where discretion has a price.
Midnight Tower
The original headquarters of the International Institute of Atomic Security, IIAS, occupies a three-towered brick building that also served as the Second-Men’s first base. The Institute holds its quarterly meetings there. The facade of the central tower publicly displays the Doomsday Clock.
When one minute remains until Midnight, alarms trigger security protocols and the transfer of key individuals to private bunkers. The Atomic Academy maintains a permanent representative in Bern. Its neutral consortium with the IIAS allows the two bodies to share analyses and synchronize their clocks.
Caesar & Sons
The bank’s headquarters occupies an old, palatial building overlooking the Midnight Tower. IURR oligarchs and leaders of Columbian megacorporations maintain secret accounts with the institution and travel to Bern to meet its executives.
Its custody of fortunes and secrets makes the bank one of the city’s centers of influence. Its business depends on the trust of clients whose interests span both blocs.