Twa-ts'uk-men Incident: Difference between revisions
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The ''' | The '''Twa-ts′uk-men Incident''' (朱鳥門案) was a {{wp|terrorist}} attack on the [[Twa-ts'uk-men Station]] in [[Kien-k'ang]], [[Themiclesia]]. It was perpetrated by a cult that believed that the station was a safe haven in a coming nuclear holocaust, which would see the [[Monarchy of Themiclesia|Themiclesian emperor]] emerge as the ruler of the world or a deity. Its members took control of the station initially trapping thousands of travellers and shoppers, but the cultists did not hold them as hostages, and most were able to leave the station unnoticed and unharmed. | ||
The lack of complete maps of the station's multitudinous tunnels and stairwells, and their opaque layout, greatly handicapped subsequent police action and generating casualties. Cultists laid traps in ventilation shafts, abandoned passageways, and staff areas, also removing handrails and lighting equipment. Several attemps by the Metropolitan Police to surprise the cultists were foiled. After ten days the cultists had exhausted their food supplies, and the police was able to locate their centre of operations, where gunfire was exchanged for several hours. Most cultists involved in the station hijacking were apprehended, though numerous absconded abroad. | |||
==Background== | ==Background== | ||
==Subway empoisonment== | |||
==Takeover of the site== | ==Takeover of the site== | ||
===Establishing control=== | |||
Over 100 cultists arrived at the station, emerging from chartered busses, with firearms and other weapons close to 9:00 AM on December 30th, 2003. Four busses parked at the Metropolitan Omnibus Terminus, while two entered the arcade of the north façade. Their weapons were concealed in suitcases and duffle bags and not detected by passers-by. Having gained entry, the cultists united with each other in the mezzanine level and forced themselves into the ticketing office. Their leader, or the "field director", asked to see the stationmaster and demanded he make a broadcast announcing the closure of the station; when refused, the cultists revealed their weapons and pressed their demands. The station master complied and broadcasted that "the station is immediately closing due to unanticipated electrical faults". The ticketing clerks were ordered to turn customers away and pull down the curtains on ticketing windows. | |||
Initially, there was confusion over the meaning of the broadcast, as the physical station was shared by no fewer than six operators. Many travellers were uncertain which service was closed to the public, and others tried to leave the station through its connections to nearby buildings. Still others, receiving word of the sarin gas incident, believed that the announcement merely asked passengers not to approach the Metro platforms and remained in the building, believing that the well-ventilated concourse remained open. Additionally, many passengers were still filing into the station from its dozens of ingresses. | |||
After the broadcast, the stationmaster was taken into the custody of the director's deputy, and the bulk of the cultists formed a party to seize the station's three operation control centres: National Rail's centre regulated traffic on the conventional railway and high-speed railway, Inner Region Railway's, the local {{wp|suburban railway}}, and the [[Kien-k'ang Urban Railway]]'s, the Metro system. These three facilities were located in areas off-limits to the public and were not near each other, but with the compelled guidance of the station staff, they were rapidly located and placed under the control of the cultists. National Rail's office buildings, which was in a building adjoining the station, was also subject to the seizure of the cultists. | |||
===Police probes=== | |||
After the cultists secured the station, the police began to probe other access points, which included all the railway tunnels that led to the station in all directions; however, the cultists had anticipated this tactic and proceeded to drive locomotives into the tunnels to ward off police approaching from them. The police cut power, but there was an extensive source of backup electricity available in the station, as required by law. Since the station had more than 200 access points, a number of them were either unknown to the cultists or left unguarded. The police strove for entry in these points, but in every case they were expelled by cultist fire. Security forces additionally faced the challenge of distinguishing, in the complete darkness, between civilians trapped in the station and cultists, since the latter wore no distinctive clothing. The situation tended towards a stalemate by the middle of January 2014. The Themiclesian government appealed for assistance from foreign states, and many governments were forthcoming to send specialist teams. | After the cultists secured the station, the police began to probe other access points, which included all the railway tunnels that led to the station in all directions; however, the cultists had anticipated this tactic and proceeded to drive locomotives into the tunnels to ward off police approaching from them. The police cut power, but there was an extensive source of backup electricity available in the station, as required by law. Since the station had more than 200 access points, a number of them were either unknown to the cultists or left unguarded. The police strove for entry in these points, but in every case they were expelled by cultist fire. Security forces additionally faced the challenge of distinguishing, in the complete darkness, between civilians trapped in the station and cultists, since the latter wore no distinctive clothing. The situation tended towards a stalemate by the middle of January 2014. The Themiclesian government appealed for assistance from foreign states, and many governments were forthcoming to send specialist teams. | ||
===Release=== | |||
The TTM Station was restored to normal operation at the beginning of April. Yet when asked what has the Station done to prevent a similar event in the future, its director replied that it was an "unfortunate event that could not be anticipated, and there is no reason to believe that it would ever happen again." The government stationed a few more policemen in the station in the aftermath of the incident. | The TTM Station was restored to normal operation at the beginning of April. Yet when asked what has the Station done to prevent a similar event in the future, its director replied that it was an "unfortunate event that could not be anticipated, and there is no reason to believe that it would ever happen again." The government stationed a few more policemen in the station in the aftermath of the incident. | ||
Latest revision as of 10:08, 6 September 2021
The Twa-ts′uk-men Incident (朱鳥門案) was a terrorist attack on the Twa-ts'uk-men Station in Kien-k'ang, Themiclesia. It was perpetrated by a cult that believed that the station was a safe haven in a coming nuclear holocaust, which would see the Themiclesian emperor emerge as the ruler of the world or a deity. Its members took control of the station initially trapping thousands of travellers and shoppers, but the cultists did not hold them as hostages, and most were able to leave the station unnoticed and unharmed.
The lack of complete maps of the station's multitudinous tunnels and stairwells, and their opaque layout, greatly handicapped subsequent police action and generating casualties. Cultists laid traps in ventilation shafts, abandoned passageways, and staff areas, also removing handrails and lighting equipment. Several attemps by the Metropolitan Police to surprise the cultists were foiled. After ten days the cultists had exhausted their food supplies, and the police was able to locate their centre of operations, where gunfire was exchanged for several hours. Most cultists involved in the station hijacking were apprehended, though numerous absconded abroad.
Background
Subway empoisonment
Takeover of the site
Establishing control
Over 100 cultists arrived at the station, emerging from chartered busses, with firearms and other weapons close to 9:00 AM on December 30th, 2003. Four busses parked at the Metropolitan Omnibus Terminus, while two entered the arcade of the north façade. Their weapons were concealed in suitcases and duffle bags and not detected by passers-by. Having gained entry, the cultists united with each other in the mezzanine level and forced themselves into the ticketing office. Their leader, or the "field director", asked to see the stationmaster and demanded he make a broadcast announcing the closure of the station; when refused, the cultists revealed their weapons and pressed their demands. The station master complied and broadcasted that "the station is immediately closing due to unanticipated electrical faults". The ticketing clerks were ordered to turn customers away and pull down the curtains on ticketing windows.
Initially, there was confusion over the meaning of the broadcast, as the physical station was shared by no fewer than six operators. Many travellers were uncertain which service was closed to the public, and others tried to leave the station through its connections to nearby buildings. Still others, receiving word of the sarin gas incident, believed that the announcement merely asked passengers not to approach the Metro platforms and remained in the building, believing that the well-ventilated concourse remained open. Additionally, many passengers were still filing into the station from its dozens of ingresses.
After the broadcast, the stationmaster was taken into the custody of the director's deputy, and the bulk of the cultists formed a party to seize the station's three operation control centres: National Rail's centre regulated traffic on the conventional railway and high-speed railway, Inner Region Railway's, the local suburban railway, and the Kien-k'ang Urban Railway's, the Metro system. These three facilities were located in areas off-limits to the public and were not near each other, but with the compelled guidance of the station staff, they were rapidly located and placed under the control of the cultists. National Rail's office buildings, which was in a building adjoining the station, was also subject to the seizure of the cultists.
Police probes
After the cultists secured the station, the police began to probe other access points, which included all the railway tunnels that led to the station in all directions; however, the cultists had anticipated this tactic and proceeded to drive locomotives into the tunnels to ward off police approaching from them. The police cut power, but there was an extensive source of backup electricity available in the station, as required by law. Since the station had more than 200 access points, a number of them were either unknown to the cultists or left unguarded. The police strove for entry in these points, but in every case they were expelled by cultist fire. Security forces additionally faced the challenge of distinguishing, in the complete darkness, between civilians trapped in the station and cultists, since the latter wore no distinctive clothing. The situation tended towards a stalemate by the middle of January 2014. The Themiclesian government appealed for assistance from foreign states, and many governments were forthcoming to send specialist teams.
Release
The TTM Station was restored to normal operation at the beginning of April. Yet when asked what has the Station done to prevent a similar event in the future, its director replied that it was an "unfortunate event that could not be anticipated, and there is no reason to believe that it would ever happen again." The government stationed a few more policemen in the station in the aftermath of the incident.
Recovery
Trial and controversy
Taking of bail
After the apprehension of the Mastermind, the Attorney-General announced that indictments for sedition will be filed starting in 2004, fully eight months after the conclusion of the episode. The Mastermind was released on bail amounting to OSD$184 million, the highest, by an order of mangnitude, ever imposed by a Themiclesian court of law. Legally speaking, the court has the option of denying bail altogether, on a charge of sedition; the Master of the Court, however, decided that this trial must be "above suspicion in every way", and so granted bail to afford the defendant unimpaired legal counsel. The Crown did not contest this decision, but the Kien-k'ang Metropolitan Police was alerted to "take necessary measures to ensure safety of the public and the defendant".