1.3 Conversion Methods

NOTE: The Consortium is not actively recruiting. Recruitment ceased at the moment The Event began.

Volunteer

In the early days of the Consortium, most individuals were invited to join the movement, or heard about its formation by word of mouth, typically by someone already involved in the Consortium. Most volunteers already possess a deep-seeded hatred for Starfleet and the Federation or otherwise desire to see their quadrant freed by any influence from the Alpha Quadrant, including the Klingon Empire and the Ferengi.

Telepathic Conversion/Manipulation

The Consortium places a high value on both anonymity and having small numbers. Having small numbers, however, is becoming increasingly difficult due to where some agents need to be. Assassinating a Chief Operations Officer aboard a starship and replacing him with an agent is near-impossible in Starfleet. Exposing such an individual to the Consortium operating structure poses a risk should the agent be discovered.

Therefore, several loyal Starfleet officers were targeted for telepathic conversion. This could involve direct or indirect contact with a telepath, and possibly even some form of drugging or inebriation to weaken the officer in order to establish a telepathic link. Officers are often targeted based on their service records, psychological profile, and notes made by medical and psychological professionals.

Once converted, the new agent is prepared to do he Consortium's bidding once exposed to orders. Orders can be delivered in a variety of ways, hidden in a subspace transmission, response to a code "challenge" phrase (such as "Pity is Treason") or written in code on a crate label. Upon receipt of orders, the Starfleet officer instantly abandons his duty and begins to act out his/her tasks. The agent will not stop until the task is complete or his/her body ceases to function.

Otherwise Forced

For those the Consortium are unable to mentally manipulate, alternate means are used, including threats to an individual, his/her family. Promises of promotion are also considered, though these are rare, but it is entirely up to what motivates the target.

Blindly Following

For most personnel on Starfleet Ships and Bases, they believe they're following orders from Starfleet and are completely unaware that those orders were in fact fabricated or influenced by the Consortium. These should be the easiest to expose to the truth, but whether or not they recognize it will be the true challenge.