Another BESM quest thingie idea! E.X.A. Extraction Xenophobe Armageddon. ----------------- Contacting: Email; HeWhoHuntsCats@aol.com Chat/IRC; Jex, Jexer, Cait`Sith Planning to run 'late.' (around 12cst) Channel: #Isis ----------------- The anonymous ad showed up in the all the newspapers wanted ads, and several buildings screens, and giant Ad-screens. 'Wanted: Mercenary, preferably experienced, but not required. High pay, extensive resources, no questions asked. Contact CSith@iww.BloodyUnicorn.org. Offer will expire within 3 hours.' All efforts to trace the ad have failed. ----------------- The industrial/military/technological megacity, 'Isis'. In the center of the city, an eyeless concrete/lead statue of a goddess, towers above the tallest skyscrapers. The megacity is home to 20 billion people. Amidst the city, crime and E-crime is common, and often responded to quickly and lethally by the local military. This does not do much to deter future attempts, though. While the megacities society is not dead to the spiritual world, it is largely drowned out by the technological scream that is the City. The megacity was started approximately 40 years ago, and upon completion, was nearly self-sufficient. The project had worked out better than the original designers could have hoped for. The History of Isis: Construction began as simply another city in a blasted landscape, casualty of a destructive war, in 2035. Before actual construction started, though, the government changed its plans, for the site to be a 'prototype megacity.' The contruction was put off for 4 years, as plans were finalized. Construction finally started, as well as at the site of its sister city on the Canada/USA border, Devorioge. And, 17 years later, it was finished. The final design called for an massive aboveground leaden tower to contain the quartet of nuclear reactors to power the massive place, which is the Goddess Statue Isis, that looks upon the city. Since the city started, there has been a massive influx of population, even Numechs call Isis home. The year is now 2087. The megacity Isis is essentially it's own country, sprawling over 100 square miles, densely packed with people and buildings. Self-sufficient and extremely well defended, and with enough trading power with the outside world to make it's influence known. Humans and Mechs coexist there, as they do nowhere else on the planet. All the government and civil services are provided directly by the government, despite most of it being automated, and having very little actual non-military power. Rumors have been heard, though, from various points around the globe, that the Numechs are trying to wipe out the human race. The scenery consists of various types of skyscrapers, giant plasma conduits running everywhere from the Goddess Statue, and highways everywhere. The plasma conduits are heavily shielded and armored, and for good reason. If one is ruptured, plasma spills into the surroundings, cooking everything it touches near-instantly. It's taboo to even fire in the direction of them, as previous incidents from before they were so heavily protected still linger in peoples minds. (Think Slave Zero. ...without the sewers.) The public transportation system consists of a network of Maglev trains, synonoumous with the network of plasma conduits. The maglevs travel at enourmous speeds, reaching up to 500 mph, and nearly able to start and stop on a dime, but are perfectly safe to ride due to the inertial damper system installed on each segment. 'tis an awe inspiring sight, to sit upon the head of the Goddess Statue, and survey the intricate web of conduits. Of course, being up there is illegal, too. =p -------- The Population of Isis. Humans. The bread and butter of any civilization, they are the majority of the population of Isis, counting 75% of all its citizens. Numans. The term given to genetically enhanced humans in the service of the military and government, altough it is possible to get such an enhancment through the black market. The enhancments range anywhere from simple physical boosts, to drastic appearance changes. (Numans are technically humans, but the various cultures of the planet won't call them 'Human' anymore, especially after Mechs became as advanced as they are.) Mechs. Self-aware, sophisticated, specialized robotic entities, that existed in the beginning to serve Man, but got smart enough to evolve past that, although they are still bound to the Laws of Robotics. They number 20% of the population. (It's hideously illegal to remove the Law of Robotics limits from Mech's, although it is possible to do. Any casual scan will reveal this modification, though, as ingrained as it is into any Mechs design.) Numech. Sentient, emotional, logical robotic entities, designed by mechanical entities, that have no master. They are shunned by humans, and they shun Mechs. Although it should be impossible for a robot of any sort to have a soul, some Numechs do. As well, they are free of the Law of Robotics. AI. A child of information, a free floating sentient program, that exists in the 'net, and all things that connects. Largely uninterested in the physical world, they rarely manifest themselves out of the 'net, altough it has happened. Nicknamed 'Fairies', by the rare human who's caught a glimpse of their undecipherable inner code. ------------- Other Setting Shtuff: Medical treatment: Medical treatment is almost solely administered via nanotechnology. The hospitals say its perfectly safe, but rumors abound that they're under contract by the military to continue unorthodox testing on nanotechnology, and thats the real reason you can't get it any other way. (Of course, there's many other conspiracy theories that run rampant.) Insane people: Insanity-ridden and otherwise commited people are no longer dealt with in insane asylums, but instead have a neural chip installed in their head, designed to help regulate brainflow. It's usually 100% effective. ----------- Items and weapons: Laser pistol; The portable, pistol-sized version of the laser rifle, it's half the weight and much more reliable than it's ballistic counterpart. (10 dam, Long Range. Minor, Uses Gun Combat/Pistol) Laser rifle; The full powered military grade weapon. (15 dam, Long Range. Minor, Uses Gun Combat/Rifle) Plasma rifle; Creating an temporary instance of a straight magnetic tunnel, then emitting pressurized plasma down it, these weapons are dangerous, leaving a scorching burning effect where they hit. (25 dam, burning. Major, Uses Gun Combat/Rifle) Plasma Cannon; A distinctive weapon, the user has a hefty backpack which contains the raw ammo for the weapon, a highly shielded tube feeding it to the attached rifle barrel, which processes it, and fires using the same mechanism as the the rifle. (35 dam, burning. Major, Uses Gun Combat/Rifle) Stundag; A small, long dagger, designed to electrically stun armored targets. (5 dam, melee, stun, AP/1, concealable. Minor, Uses Melee/Knife) Nanopatch. A patch of slightly adhesive synthetic fabric, composed entirely of nanites. Pressed upon a surface, and held, it will dissolve, the nanites going to work to repair any non-complex surface, whether it be flesh, metal plating, or even plastic. (heals 10 HP, single use. Minor.) Cats-eye contacts. Contact lenses that are actually sophisticated visual aids, functioning as night vision image enhancing goggles, and infra red goggles, both in one. They get their name for the reflection they give off while active. (Minor item.) Armored cloth. A synthetic fabric that absorbs damage, easily usable to make clothing as any other fabric. Examples are trenchcoats, pants, etc, and are indistinguishable from normal clothing. (Light armor/2. Minor.) --------- Technical stuff: This is a gritty sci-fi tech setting. In case you haven't figgered it out by now. ^^; Genetic enhancements, and such are generally gotten through the black market, or civil/military service. As illegal and controlled as they are, the military has strict control over the ones it provides, and the services available via the black market are a *pretty* penny. Plasma rifles, energy weapons, orbital lasers, lvl2 force fields and moon-earth space travel are easily within the technological limits, as well as nanotechnology, and various medical technology and scanning stuff, blah, blah. Anything above a laser weapon, though, is generally restricted to the military/black market, and is harder to get. ie; major item. Magic, psionics, and mystic supernatural type stuff, while available, get a +3 penalty to use while in the Megacity. Cyberpunk skill track, duh. =p Characters will be initially be built on 35 cp, 25 sp.