North Oak

The home of the NorCal Military Base, NorthOak is Night Citys closest neighboring city. Smaller than Night City, NorthOak’s towering structures and ship-superstructures can be seen across the bay from the East Marina. NorthOak is still a military city, most of its shops sell to military servicemen or their families, and the majority of it’s population is in some way or another associated with this huge military complex.

In the light of vast post-war funding cutbacks and the rise of the Free States, the Pentagon fell back to the concept of core bases; large, well-defended installations which would protect a regional area, and support units from all four branches of the military. NorCal Military Base was established as part of the deal which allowed Northern California it’s titular independence from the Union as a Free State.

NorCal Military home ports Navy ships (the carrier John F. Kennedy and cruisers Ticonderoga and Washington, plus assorted support frigates and destroyers), a small Air Force squadron of F-36 Jaguar fighters, and a U.S. Army Armoured battallion with its own AV-7 and AV-4 support vehicles.

The city of NorthOak is currently in major administrative transition. Up until reintegration it was almost entirely federally owned and operated. The “Mayor” was the commander of the base, and of the twelve man city council, eleven were, or had been in the military. NorthOak was no longer even considered a Californian city—M.P.’s patrolled the streets instead of police, and all justice was handled in a military court under a military version of the Uniform justice Code. Firing Squads were very much back in fashion.

Since reintegration in 2026 North Oak is being integrated into the political structure of Night City, this is causing all sorts of tensions since in general the military hates the corporations and is fighting tooth and claw to keep it’s nice little suburb: if it ain’t broke, don’t try to meddle with it.

At the moment, any military base and immediate surrounding area remains under the jurisdiction of the MPs (and justice hasn’t changed from above), the small corporate areas have been seeded to Corpsec, and anything else comes under regular civilian jurisdiction and the police (who consider a NO posting to the the cushiest beat in Night City). In practice, the military is maintaining patrols on any “intervening” spaces between its different facilities, “for base security reasons”, which has resulted in at least one shoot out between MPs and Corpsec.

Politically the base council is still in charge, though it is scheduled to get more civil (read corporate) representatives this year. Services and facilities, formerly provided by the federal government are being transitioned to the corps via a bidding process that is proving very popular.

Living on NorthOak’s wide, oak-shaded streets can be quite agreeable. The homes are pleasant, pastel-coloured bungaloes with identical numbered curbs. Schools are excellent (and until recently suffered far less corporate tampering with the curriculum, you just had to deal with military tampering) and the Base Hospital, Theatre, Officers and Enlistedman’s Clubs and the Base Exchange shopping mall will provide almost anything you might want. If you like life in or around uniforms, this is the place for you.

North Oak and You

For the cyber-revolution, the chaos of the transition, and that one party (the military) is extremely unwilling, gives a fertile breeding ground to either sew chaos, or use the chaos and admin nightmare to get out of dodge by blaming the other party. The revolution is avoiding pissing off the military (if for no other reason than because they will shoot first and not ask questions). It is also a good place for anti-corporate PR – the residences here had (comparatively) very good government run services so it serves as proof that the old government model can still work.

Map Locations

1. The Oaks

The Oaks occupies a unique position among beavervilles; adjacent to the massive Military presence of the city itself, the Oaks have become a suburb for retired military officers and enlisted, as well as a few civilian personnel associated in some way with the Base (Base Exchange clerks, secretaries, contractors, teachers, etc.). The Oaks have transitioned to civilian law enforcement, but the militaries influence remains and they have an orderly, well-regimented flavour to them. It is unlikely to change in the near future, seeing as one of the first concessions the military demanded was that access to housing remain restricted to prevent those on the federal paycheck being priced out by “overpaid corporate yuppies”.

2. Headquarters, CINC-NORPAC

Headquarters, Commander in Chief, Northern Pacific Task Force 384. Basically, the Navy headquarters for the seven ship task group operating out of Del Coronado Bay.

3. 157th Tactical Air Squadron / NORCAL ADC (Air Defense Command)

Headquarters and ops building for the F-36 fighter squadron operating out of the Night City region. The 157th patrols south to San Luis Obispo and north to San Francisco Bay.

4. 223rd Armoured Battalion HQ

The local Army battalion, with about 100 tanks on ready status, plus support troops and vehicles. The 223rd was brought into play during the Separation War between Nor and SoCal in 2013, primarily to keep hostilities from escalating out of hand, and has remained here ever since.