In Her Majesty's Service (Cyberpunk espionage RP seeking spies) (NEED ONE MORE!)

[GloomCookie]

Britannia Central Enclave
July 9th, 2196
A woman dressed in a tight black skinsuit that covered her from the neck down smiled into the camera, her blonde hair affixed perfectly into a bun behind her head, her blue eyes almost lifeless as she recounted the news, "Festivities continue as the People's Union celebrates its third Victory Day Celebration.  Three years ago today, the last holdout of rebel sympathizers was utterly destroyed, the few survivors executed without mercy.  While no positive identification was ever found of Queen Hathaway, our Glorious Leader, President Chambers, assures us that the Queen is no threat to the safety and security of Britannia.  In other news, the United Socialist Republic of North America has today announced plans to build a second habitat in orbit.  Security experts are certain that this is just another attempt to match the lead the United Asian Commonwealth has gained in the race for colonies.  Stay tuned for more from our beloved leader!"

The screen clicked off, and the lights came up.  A young woman turned to face the assembled group, looking serious.  The woman looked to be barely sixteen, yet she was the last Queen of the British Isles.  Having ascended to the throne abruptly after her father was executed, the young queen had been bounced around constantly trying to keep her safe.  They'd suffered a huge setback three years ago when they'd been found by Commonist forces, and the attack had left her severely injured.  Her long red hair flowed like silk down to the middle of her back, and she had a look of seriousness that should never have found her face.  Covering one eye was an eye patch where she'd lost an eye in the attack, and one sleeve was empty from where her arm had been amputated.  Yet despite her injuries, she still gave off the presence of a Queen, and everyone in the room would obey her orders regardless of cost.

"Nice to know President Chambers is cocky enough to continue to declare he's the winner," she said, the comment filled with bitter resentment at the man who'd taken her kingdom.

"Your Majesty, don't worry.  Soon we'll be able to strike.  Soon we'll be able to make him pay for what he's done to you.  You have my word on this," said the grey haired gentleman to her left.  He was the last general she had, and he was trying to coordinate the Resistance to the Commonist revolts that had swept her country away.

"I know, Donald, I know.  It's just annoying," she said, patting his worn hand.  He'd been busy the past six years, having been the one general to see the revolts for what they truly were.  Masked as a revolution, the coup was kicked off by then junior Parliament member Howard Chambers.  He'd argued that the crown was holding them back, preventing them from becoming a true member of the European Union.  Despite having been loyal members for almost two centuries, Chambers still argued that Britannia was to fall by the wayside unless sweeping changes were made.  Before, Victoria had been a simple figurehead, same as her father, but he'd transformed the monarchy.  Most didn't believe Chambers' retoric, but enough did to oust her and her father.  Declared President, Chambers was a tyrant, running the country the way he saw.  His power meant he had a say on the European nation as a whole, and he used that power to reduce liberties, raise taxes, and all in the name of security and solidarity.  In England, Victoria was still the Queen, and she was doing all she could to win.  She had followers, but most were scared to fight the government.  That's why she'd been forced to ask Donald for a special force.  One she could call upon to do whatever it took to restore the Crown and stop Chambers' insanity.

"With your permission, ma'am, we'll begin going through the names of candidates and start processing them.  The sooner they're ready to go, the better.  I know the Parliament you had created might not like you taking direct action, but we're running out of time," Donald said to her.

"He's right, ma'am.  Parliament isn't going to be happy, but unless we get them moving, Chambers might be harder to dislodge than ever."  This was from Prime Minister Doyle, the senior most minister still loyal to the Crown.  He and six others formed the Emergency Parliament, the government in exile that had temporarily suspended the rules of law to allow the Queen herself to take the lead and save the country.  They'd done so because no one would listen to them unless they had the Queen herself speaking to them.  As Prime Minister, he still had power, but he'd voluntarily surrendered it for the time being.

"So far everyone else seems to hate the idea I'm even around.  Why they remain loyal I'll never know, but I need to step over them this time.  Donald, begin finding me candidates.  I want to speak to them before they begin missions.  They'll be taking a big risk for me... and I want them to know I'll treasure their memories for the rest of my life."

[Revenent]

I'm a big fan of cyberpunk, so I'm in for sure. But, to clarify, is this going to be handled on a strictly GM-guided plot path for the benefit of the story, or will players have freedom to move around as they wish?

[Hellion000]

This is entirely brilliant. I'm not up for another forums game at the moment, but I wish you nothing but awesome times!

[GloomCookie]

I myself will be the GM and my goals are to set up convenient plot lines for you to follow, but you pick the actual outcomes and story.  For example, I might drop a piece of intel that tells you that a general will be in a position for assassination, but you were already planning something else.  Do you want to take the general out?  Or do you want to continue with the plans you have already?  That's what's up to you.  From time to time I might set up a sort of plotline without permission, but that's because I want to make things interesting, so I might do something like have one of you get shot in the arm or leg to take you out of the next fight.

Character Sheets

Code Select Expand

Image
[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Gender:[/b]
[b]Country of Origin:[/b]
[b]Citizenship:[/b] (People's Union of Britannia, European Union, Socialist American, Asian Commonwealth, African Federation, United Orbital Collective, Crown Loyalists)
[b]Specialization:[/b] (Medicine, Hacking, Sniper, Soldier, Demolition, Covert, Heavy, Pilot)
[b]Brief Bio:[/b]

Nations of the World
People's Union of Britannia Following an organized revolution in 2193, the majority of the British Isles came under control of the People's Union, a group that claims to be dedicated to advancing the people of Britain after the failure of the previous government to provide security.  Records show, however, that the People's Union was responsible for the bombings to instigate the change in government.  Since the take-over, the majority of citizens are kept under constant guard in contained enclaves, cities transformed into megacenters to better enable the government to control and dominate the citizens.

European Union Founded in the late 20th century, the European Union is one of the most powerful unions on the planet, uniting most of Europe into a commonwealth where the myriad of languages and cultures can work together to secure a future.  Most Europeans swear loyalty to the Union first rather than their own countries, and the universal language of the Union has become a sort of hybrid language mixing French, German and English into a new language known as Unity.  The EU maintains close ties to Britain but their relationship is complex, making it impossible to tell if Britain is a member or not.

United Socialist Republic of North America Following the collapse of the American economy in the early 21st century, the government that emerged rewrote the Constitution to better provide for the people and prevent further damage from occurring.  By merging with Canada and later Mexico, the USR is the largest nation on the planet.  Despite the name, the USR still allows private business, but with greater government oversight to prevent further collapse.  The USR also makes extensive use of robotics and cybernetics, making them one of the most advanced nations on Earth.

United Asian Commonwealth The disastrous Indo-Chinese War of 2069 left vast parts of both India and China devastated.  The two countries, already severely overcrowded, were dealt a serious blow, throwing millions upon millions of conscripts at each other.  The carnage was so severe that entire new mountains of bones remain to this day.  Both countries only stopped fighting after atomics were used, leaving almost 2 billion dead.  With the two regional superpowers out of commission, the remaining countries began to fuse together to form larger regions and bring economic prosperity.  The UAC is one of the least technological regions of the world, but their manufacturing output is second to none.

African Federation The African Federation was founded by reclusive billionaire Scott Hendrix to build stability out of a continent traditionally mired by warlords and tribes.  While the majority of Africa remains lawless and in chaos, the member states of the African Federation enjoy longer lives and economic prosperity unseen before on the continent.  The Federation is one of the more militant nations, needing to defend itself from Islamic Fundamentalists and rogue warlords, and their military prowess makes them respected soldiers around the world.  A special division known as the Sniper Squad Zulu is so proficient with their rifles that Warlords surrender at the mere mention they're being stalked by them.

United Orbital Collective Centered around Orbital 1, the UOB is a collection of self-sufficient orbital habitats built in the Lagrange point between Earth and the Moon.  Originally intended to be a resupply point linking the two, after the collapse of lunar development projects, Orbital 1 was due to be decommissioned.  However, those board Orbital 1 declared their intentions to stay, and have been slowly building ever since.  Using resources from the moon and a few from Earth, they've hauled asteroids to the station to serve as room to grow and gather resources.  Today, the UOC collectively boasts 528 habitat modules and a population of 3600.

[LightNight]

Intresting Idea, I have to think about it & see what happens with it first.

[Ghostraven]

This sounds interesting, would all the players work for the same patron? And what level of overall technology are you thinking of for the game? So are you thinking along the lines of Blade Runner, Shadowrun or more like Ghost in the Shell?

TTYL

Ghostraven

[GloomCookie]

I'm thinking varying locations within the same cities.  Some areas are bright, shiny, like Ghost in the Shell.  Others are dark, gritty, like Blade Runner.  The clean areas will have more troops and guards, while the poor areas are perfect for sneaking around.

I'm willing to entertain the notion of enemy spies, but I'd like someone to co-GM with me for that.  Work against me to pit the teams against one another.  I'd limit it to only two teams though, because bigger than that gets complicated in a hurry.  If anyone wants to co-GM with me, let me know.

[Revenent]

Wait, what's the United Orbital Collective? And is there a difference between the People's Union of Brittania and the Crown Loyalists, since you pretty much have to be a Crown Loyalist in order to be on this team?

[GloomCookie]

Sorry, I'll add the info about them.  And there's a subtle difference between the two groups.  If you hold a citizenship with the PUB, you have more freedom of movement through checkpoints and the like.  Crown Loyalists are those who have refused to get passports and citizenship in the PUB and have sworn to stay loyal to the Crown regardless of what happens.  The reason for the multiple options for citizenship is you might be working for a foreign government either for or against the Crown.  It's just a way of waving your flag I guess.  If you have citizenship in the PUB, if things go to hell, you can still disappear.  Crown Loyalists are likely to get shot if captured.

[orderNchaos]

Oh heck yeah, I'm totally interested in getting into this.  I've always loved Cyberpunk.  Do we have enough interest to start looking at characters, or do you want to keep working the interest thread? 

[GloomCookie]

I'd like to start getting some characters lined up.  Any questions and I'll be happy to answer them.

[GloomCookie]

Technology of 2196

Nuclear Fusion

While the theory behind fusion power has been well documented, the actual practical applications remained elusive well into the 21st century.  It wasn't until Dr. Nikoli Gegoran and Dr. Gabriel Brussard worked together to build Solar 1 in 2088 that fusion power produced more power than it consumed, enabling the reactor to function independently without outside sources of power except for start-up.  However, despite the reactor's start up, it would be another decade before the plants could be made commercially viable.  Pumping thousands of gallons of seawater to extract deuterium and triterium, the reactors revolutionized the planet.

While some areas of the world still use fossil fuels, the majority of world powers use fusion power.  The boon in cheap, plentiful power has made steel obsolete, replaced with lighter weight metals such as aluminum.  It also enabled computers and other energy-dependent technologies to become even cheaper to power, and now vehicles use compact power coils that are swapped quickly and easily, making fossil fuels obsolete as well.  Clean energy couldn't come fast enough to save the environment, however, as sea levels have risen over three meters as a result of greenhouse gasses trapped in the upper atmosphere.

Artificial Intelligence

Originally a concept of science fiction, artificial intelligence only became a reality after the creation of the first quantum "blue box", a device that allows truly random responses to be generated.  When an AI is allowed to make a decision, it weighs variables according to its programming and then selects the best options.  If two or more options carry the same weighted value, the blue box allows the AI to randomly choose one of the options, rather than rely on a biased random number generator.  When first brought online, an AI is allowed time to acclimate to its environment, choosing for itself the best way to carry out its assigned tasks and functions.

Because the quantum blue box is so difficult to construct, AIs are relatively few in number.  Most computers have on-board virtual intelligences, which act similar to an AI but are much more limited in function.  Some AI advocates claim that AIs are slaves, and that as sentient beings they should be allowed to choose their own goals.  Others claim that AIs are dangerous, and propose banning or severely restricting their usage.  The debate rages, sometimes sparking protests and riots outside the laboratories where AIs are constructed.

Security Mechs

The sensitivity of some corporate firms to corporate espionage led to drastic actions in the early part of the 22nd century.  Robots intended for construction were retrofitted with onboard VIs and weapons, to safeguard secrets corporations didn't want even guards to have access to.  The results were controversial, especially in the wake of the Jericho Massacre of 2109, when several mechs at Jericho Industries misidentified several employees and opened fire, killing 30 and wounding 48.  Their presence is still hotly contested by anti-robotics groups, who claim that it's dangerous to give machines the capacity to kill.

Security mechs range from humanoid to tank, depending on the security required for a given location.  Most have programmed commands that tell intruders to leave the area, and are armed with non-lethal ammunition to subdue.  When live ammo is fired by the suspects, the mechs switch to lethal rounds and return fire.  However, their limited onboard intelligence hinders performance, and every major military has banned the mechs from service.  The reason, most claim, is that mechs aren't as adaptable as humans, and that they cannot be controlled as easily.  Regardless of reason, mechs are a common sight inside corporate held zones.

[orderNchaos]

Are we using a specific game system or handbook to build characters off of?  Where are we going to be pulling skills, abilities, tech etc....?

[GloomCookie]

It's freeform.  I'm not going with systems because I lack the experience with it.  If I can find a co-GM who knows about systems and wants to help implement them, I'd be willing to give it a go.

[Revenent]

Name: Lani Alderman
Age: 29
Gender: Female
Country of Origin: England
Citizenship: Crown Loyalists
Specialization: Hacking
Brief Bio: Until three years ago when Howard Chambers took lead of the British national government, Lani worked at the corporate office of an online news publication run by her mother, Gloria Tanner. Equipped with a Master's in Intelligence Programming, and having the connection she did, Lani was perfect for a slot in control and maintenance of the company's small number of security mechs, which were humanoid and primarily used to keep vandals from tampering with the server room.

Unfortunately, when Chambers did come to power, those who supported the old monarchs like Gloria and her publication were found to be in a very dangerous position. The new president's men came not long after the coup and, despite Lani's best efforts, her security was unable to stop them from capturing her mother and destroying the server room. She could do nothing but flee before they found her and hope for the best, though the day wasn't over before the government-sponsored news networks revealed that her mother had been found beaten and murdered in the back alleys of what was now called the Britannia Central Enclave.

Whether it was to carry on her mother's legacy or to get revenge on the ones who killed her, it was then that Lani decided to disappear from the government-monitored public world and started a one-woman crusade of cyber-terrorism against Chambers' England and the corporations that served it, hoping to cause as much damage as possible before being caught in support of the old Crown.

[Starlequin]

Yep, I've seen enough; I definitely want to join in on this. Should have a CS completed tonight, maybe tomorrow if that will be alright.

[orderNchaos]

Working on a CS, probably be along sometime tomorrow.  Any type of tech or skill restrictions you'd like to put on us since we're not using a system?

[GloomCookie]

I'd prefer everyone just sort of go their own way to balance out the team.  A team full of snipers does no good if there's no one front and center.  Other than that, it's up to you.

[Starlequin]

Are there any objections to combining classes? I'm working on a concept for a sniper/covert, but if it's disallowed or one or the other is already called, I can stick with just one.

[Revenent]

Wouldn't a sniper sneaking inside the enemy base be counterproductive?

[Starlequin]

Well, I'm thinking he could slip inside, sabotage a few systems and introduce some chaos into the area, then escape to a firing position and pick off whoever tries to restore order. Linna's description of VI security mechs gave me an idea for remote sniping, too. (Really though, I'm still just tossing ideas at the inside of my skull and seeing what sticks  ::) )

[GloomCookie]

Let's wait until we get more people.  If not enough people sign up, you can double up on classes.

[Revenent]

Well, I'm thinking he could slip inside, sabotage a few systems and introduce some chaos into the area, then escape to a firing position and pick off whoever tries to restore order. Linna's description of VI security mechs gave me an idea for remote sniping, too. (Really though, I'm still just tossing ideas at the inside of my skull and seeing what sticks  ::) )

Ah, the modern version of "covert" we see in many recent games where you still let the enemies know you're there and kill them all, but in a slower and more complicated way. ;D (Just teasing.)

[Starlequin]

Sam Fisher style. Exactly!  8-)

[Cold Heritage]

Name: Anton Prudius
Age: 28
Gender: Male
Country of Origin: United Socialist Republic of North America
Citizenship: United Socialist Republic of North America
Specialization: Heavy (and Soldier, if we double up)
Brief Bio: As a child in the United Socialist Republic of North America, Anton grew up serving the socialist state like any good child-citizen would. He served in after school work brigades to do his part. As a child and young man, he worked uncomplainingly and efficiently for the good of the people. He was a good worker. When it came time to have his career assigned to him, he had the great fortune of being selected to join the People's Self-Defense Forces of the United Socialist Republic of North America. The transition from one cog of many working in the machine to one weapon of many fighting to defend the glorious, collective regime of peace and love that governs the United Socialist Republic of North America was a seamless one. He saw his first action at 16 in a minor police action in Africa, protecting the people's interests abroad so that the people could remain secure at home. He fought in many police actions in Asia, Africa, and South America. When he was selected to receive biological and genetic augmentations to better serve the interests of the people and the state through warfare, Anton smiled through every painful, invasive, and arduous procedure, glad to make this sacrifice for the glorious, collective regime of peace and love that cared for the people, just like him.

After a particularly disastrous mission in Columbia, he and his squad were abandoned and disavowed so as not to besmirch the political purity of the United Socialist Republic of North America. Each of the soldiers made this sacrifice gladly - some killed themselves, ensuring their bodies would never be found. Others, including Anton, simply vanished into the jungle and then made their way to other parts of the world. They were true believers, one and all. Anton, for his part, became a soldier of fortune, chiefly operating in Africa and fighting against Islamic Fundamentalists, awaiting the day when once more he would be welcomed back to the socialist state ruled by a glorious, collective regime of peace and love so that he could once more be a defender of the people and enact the will of the people's state. Until then, he kills for money.

And he's very good at it.