[HEADING=1]Welcome to London 2056.[/HEADING]
The world has recently recovered from a global conflict that as a by-product, has drastically sped up technology in relation to human enhancement. Cybernetic implants and augmentation are fairly common within the military and law enforcement. Those with the money or influence are also able to gladly reap the benefits of this new technology.The rest of society can afford it to varying degrees. Minor enhancements are reasonably priced and there is a black market for that of a more serious nature, such as enhancements that are illegal for civilians. Military-Grade hardware is naturally tightly regulated and not allowed amongst the civilian populace.
Due to the increased danger that such technology brings, the law enforcement agencies and military are much more closely entwined than they have been in the past. Surveillance is everywhere and the response to law breaking is both swift and often brutal.
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[HEADING=2]The Organisations[/HEADING]
The sudden advancement in technology has also benefited multiple organisations greatly, So much that they have a great deal of influence over not just the industry, but the government as well. Corruption and espionage are rife in this city.
[HEADING=2]The Law (Government/Police/Military)[/HEADING]
The main driving force behind The Law is stability. They want peace on the streets and the general populace safe. The "greater good" is considered more important than individual rights. Their stance on criminal behaviour is strict and uncompromising. They are as intrusive as far as their job requires and will not hesitate to infringe upon civil liberties if they consider the ends to justify the means. They are also fighting a somewhat losing battle in all of these areas.
-All officers are trained in fire-arms usage in case of emergencies. In day-to-day policing, various non-lethal weapons are carried such as Tasers, stun guns and low level EMP weaponry.
- Augmentation is mandatory, albeit of the visually unnoticeable kind. Video/audio augmentations are implanted in order to make police work more effective. Therefore they do not use radios in the traditional sense (it's like having a video phone call that you can "see" slightly in front of your face).
- Physical augmentation is tightly regulated and not seen among most officers unless they are SWAT or similar. The exception naturally being replacement prosthetics for injuries, but even then they are replacements not enhancements.
- Other forms of augmentation such as Cyberware (for hacking) are limited to those working in the relevant departments (counter-terrorism units and such)
- Cosmetic enhancements are allowed so long as they do not go against the rules regarding appearances (officers are still expected to look "smart" while on duty).
- All officers are expected to be in peak physical condition and trained in hand-to-hand combat.
- While the general role of Law Enforcement is the same as today, it is far more intrusive and aggressive. Warnings are not given more than once and suspects fleeing an officer are to be apprehended by any means necessary.
- If officers have reason to believe they or a member of the public are in danger, they are permitted to use lethal force in theirs or others defence.
- Cameras are included in the video/audio augmentaions police receive so that everything they do while on duty is recorded.
- Drones and surveillance cameras are common in day-to-day policing. Both are operated via control rooms as opposed to individual officers (although drones will be used by officers on the street under certain circumstances such as raids).
- Mech's are top of the range, and the police have a decent amount of them. They are used for civil unrest, riots and security purposes. They are not used for normal situations such as patrols.
- Ranks and specialisations work in pretty much the same way as normal policing. Those of exceptional skill in certain areas may be head-hunted for specialist roles or after a certain level of experience is gained as a normal police officer they may apply for one.
- The specialisations available are also quite similar to those you'd be familiar with. Detectives are still around, as are Scene Of Crime Officers. Both of these roles quite often have slightly more augmentations than the average officer, mostly in regards to visual enhancements (such as ultraviolet for spotting blood).
- The police and military are quite closely entwined. Under extreme circumstances the military are often called in with police support, with the polices role normally reduced to dealing with the public and such.
- Corruption is not uncommon in Law Enforcement. It is not condoned but it is present in all areas. As with all computer technology, there is a way around it. Dirty cops could get black market augmentations that effectively "jam" or delete their recordings. Or else if the person within the department that deals with such recordings was dirty, they could alter them as needed.
The recordings are meant more for efficiency than to catch cops out though. If a person claimed a cop was dirty and had nothing to base it on other than "check their data recordings", the police wouldn't think that was enough. The only time they'd really check would be if there was a strong enough reason to do so.
There isn't a person watching real-time what each cop is doing or anything like that. The kind of situations where that would be used would be things such as drug raids and such where they would use the camera footage for coordinating the officers.
- Police security is very tight. As they have so much surveillance, naturally they need to be able to protect it. They have very advanced security in both the physical and cyber variety.
- Augmentation is mandatory, albeit of the visually unnoticeable kind. Video/audio augmentations are implanted in order to make police work more effective. Therefore they do not use radios in the traditional sense (it's like having a video phone call that you can "see" slightly in front of your face).
- Physical augmentation is tightly regulated and not seen among most officers unless they are SWAT or similar. The exception naturally being replacement prosthetics for injuries, but even then they are replacements not enhancements.
- Other forms of augmentation such as Cyberware (for hacking) are limited to those working in the relevant departments (counter-terrorism units and such)
- Cosmetic enhancements are allowed so long as they do not go against the rules regarding appearances (officers are still expected to look "smart" while on duty).
- All officers are expected to be in peak physical condition and trained in hand-to-hand combat.
- While the general role of Law Enforcement is the same as today, it is far more intrusive and aggressive. Warnings are not given more than once and suspects fleeing an officer are to be apprehended by any means necessary.
- If officers have reason to believe they or a member of the public are in danger, they are permitted to use lethal force in theirs or others defence.
- Cameras are included in the video/audio augmentaions police receive so that everything they do while on duty is recorded.
- Drones and surveillance cameras are common in day-to-day policing. Both are operated via control rooms as opposed to individual officers (although drones will be used by officers on the street under certain circumstances such as raids).
- Mech's are top of the range, and the police have a decent amount of them. They are used for civil unrest, riots and security purposes. They are not used for normal situations such as patrols.
- Ranks and specialisations work in pretty much the same way as normal policing. Those of exceptional skill in certain areas may be head-hunted for specialist roles or after a certain level of experience is gained as a normal police officer they may apply for one.
- The specialisations available are also quite similar to those you'd be familiar with. Detectives are still around, as are Scene Of Crime Officers. Both of these roles quite often have slightly more augmentations than the average officer, mostly in regards to visual enhancements (such as ultraviolet for spotting blood).
- The police and military are quite closely entwined. Under extreme circumstances the military are often called in with police support, with the polices role normally reduced to dealing with the public and such.
- Corruption is not uncommon in Law Enforcement. It is not condoned but it is present in all areas. As with all computer technology, there is a way around it. Dirty cops could get black market augmentations that effectively "jam" or delete their recordings. Or else if the person within the department that deals with such recordings was dirty, they could alter them as needed.
The recordings are meant more for efficiency than to catch cops out though. If a person claimed a cop was dirty and had nothing to base it on other than "check their data recordings", the police wouldn't think that was enough. The only time they'd really check would be if there was a strong enough reason to do so.
There isn't a person watching real-time what each cop is doing or anything like that. The kind of situations where that would be used would be things such as drug raids and such where they would use the camera footage for coordinating the officers.
- Police security is very tight. As they have so much surveillance, naturally they need to be able to protect it. They have very advanced security in both the physical and cyber variety.
Outside of The Law there are two main organisations at play in this city. Both are involved in the human enhancement industry (as well as others) and are in constant rivalry for control of it. Both have various areas of expertise and means of getting what they want.
[HEADING=2]The H.A Dynasty[/HEADING]
The Human Advancement Dynasty is an unusual organisation in that every employee is related to one another. When the company began in it's original form several hundred years ago, it was a small family business. As it expanded it employed only people in the same bloodline (male or female) from the original owner. Today the company is gigantic, covering many areas of business although focusing primarily on human enhancement which it had the finances and connections to invest in at the perfect opportunity.
Their main strength is information and communication. Being so connected and tightly knit, their reach is vast and they take full advantage of that. They work via manipulation and stealth, as such they tend to have many agents with enhancements suited for spying, hacking and infiltration.
While the organisation only consists of directly linked families, familial hierarchy has no place within the corporation itself. Age and relation mean nothing compared to expertise, experience and whatever qualities are needed to help benefit the family as a whole.
[HEADING=2]CyCorp[/HEADING]
Cycorp was founded by a "triumvirate" of scientists who each brought their own area of expertise to the human enhancement field of research. The ingenuity quickly led to strong government funding and they were the primary drive behind the research that allowed prosthetics to become much more than just replacements. Swiftly followed by other technology that the government felt would be useful, Mecha being one such example.
Much more openly aggressive than their rival, CyCorp expanded their business through swift take-overs, risky investments and (unbeknownst to many) arms trafficking. Not only that but they also have various private security companies under their corporate umbrella. It is therefore unsurprising that they have many agents with access to military-grade enhancements and have been linked (but never proven) to mysterious closures and buyouts of smaller companies, along with several violent crimes.
It has been several years since the three scientists have been in charge of this corporation though. Not long after the company reached it's peak, each of the original owners mysteriously resigned in quick succession. Since then the leadership of the company has been under frequent change. Not much is known about the current CEO, nor are the circumstances leading to their appointment.
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[HEADING=2]"Queen Bee"[/HEADING]
Queen Bee, The Bee or just plain Bee (depending on who you ask), is a mystery. All that's known is aside from being very well informed, their information is always accurate and almost always beneficial (hence the "Queen"). What their motivations or goals are is anybody's guess, but there are plenty of people who can attest to being told exactly what they needed to know at exactly the right time.
If you see this then the chances are you have a good friend somewhere.
There are of course also various gangs occupying the city. They vary from the highly organised and efficient, mainly dealing with drug smuggling, weapons and black market enhancements. All the way down to minor gangs focusing on burglary and small-scale drug dealing. Naturally their access to advanced enhancements is somewhat more limited, but there are a handful with the reach to get some of the better hardware.
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[HEADING=2]Technology[/HEADING]
As mentioned before, human society has made significant advancements in terms of science. With the right money, influence or qualifications, people are able to improve themselves both physically and psychologically in multiple ways.Prosthetics have reached the level where they are indistinguishable from a natural limb, both in appearance and functionality. There are replacement prosthetics available that are not merely to rehabilitate, but to enhance the human body. Strength, speed, agility can all be increased drastically via limb replacement.
There are still remnants of older prosthetics that while functionally superior to natural limbs, are not completely organic looking. They are very rarely seen inside the Military due to constant improvements, it is largely the gangs that are still using this technology.
Limb replacement enhancements are one of the least sophisticated form of human enhancement developed. Technology that allows people to connect on minor levels to electronic equipment such as door locks, computer terminals and such are becoming increasingly affordable and common.
Enhancements of other parts of the body also exist. Eyes with synthetic variations that allow the user to see in the dark and infra-red are available. On a more advanced level it is possible to have a visual/audio interface that is only seen by the user. Thus eliminating the need for phones, GPS or other similar forms of technology. This is mandatory for all of those working within the police and military.
Cyberware has been developed, but is a rarity even amongst those in the industry and government. Cyberware allows the user to directly connect to and manipulate computer based technology. This technology requires the person to be directly connected to the hardware they wish to use. It is not easy to use and is tightly regulated.
A clarification regarding hacking augmentations in relation to Cyberware.
While they exist, they are not quite GitS level where they require a Cyberbrain and the user goes "into" the computer in virtual reality. It's more like having hacking hard/software as an augmentation and plugging in simply allows the person to use it. Visually speaking the user would see the computer data in the same way as a video call for example, kind of like a translucent image they see with their eyes. Or at a more simplistic level plugging in would activate the hacking software and it works automatically (for something like opening an electronic door etc.)
Weapons are significantly more sophisticated but still largely revolve around ballistic fire-arms and explosives.
Drones are incredibly common within the Military and Police Forces, with Mech's less so. Although naturally the forms and functions differ considerably between the two. Drones outside of war zones are normally used for reconnaissance and the Mech's for crowd control during civil unrest and riots. In the military drones are also used for surgical strikes and Mech's as replacements for tanks.
If you have any queries about what is and is not technologically possible within this setting then by all means ask and I will clarify. The above is not an exhaustive list, but I didn't think anybody wanted to read an essay.
The gist of it is that this future has the kind of technology that Cyberpunk normally includes. If you are familiar with Ghost in the Shell, Deus Ex and other Cyberpunk works, you will have the general idea.
There are still remnants of older prosthetics that while functionally superior to natural limbs, are not completely organic looking. They are very rarely seen inside the Military due to constant improvements, it is largely the gangs that are still using this technology.
Limb replacement enhancements are one of the least sophisticated form of human enhancement developed. Technology that allows people to connect on minor levels to electronic equipment such as door locks, computer terminals and such are becoming increasingly affordable and common.
Enhancements of other parts of the body also exist. Eyes with synthetic variations that allow the user to see in the dark and infra-red are available. On a more advanced level it is possible to have a visual/audio interface that is only seen by the user. Thus eliminating the need for phones, GPS or other similar forms of technology. This is mandatory for all of those working within the police and military.
Cyberware has been developed, but is a rarity even amongst those in the industry and government. Cyberware allows the user to directly connect to and manipulate computer based technology. This technology requires the person to be directly connected to the hardware they wish to use. It is not easy to use and is tightly regulated.
A clarification regarding hacking augmentations in relation to Cyberware.
While they exist, they are not quite GitS level where they require a Cyberbrain and the user goes "into" the computer in virtual reality. It's more like having hacking hard/software as an augmentation and plugging in simply allows the person to use it. Visually speaking the user would see the computer data in the same way as a video call for example, kind of like a translucent image they see with their eyes. Or at a more simplistic level plugging in would activate the hacking software and it works automatically (for something like opening an electronic door etc.)
Weapons are significantly more sophisticated but still largely revolve around ballistic fire-arms and explosives.
Drones are incredibly common within the Military and Police Forces, with Mech's less so. Although naturally the forms and functions differ considerably between the two. Drones outside of war zones are normally used for reconnaissance and the Mech's for crowd control during civil unrest and riots. In the military drones are also used for surgical strikes and Mech's as replacements for tanks.
If you have any queries about what is and is not technologically possible within this setting then by all means ask and I will clarify. The above is not an exhaustive list, but I didn't think anybody wanted to read an essay.
The gist of it is that this future has the kind of technology that Cyberpunk normally includes. If you are familiar with Ghost in the Shell, Deus Ex and other Cyberpunk works, you will have the general idea.
[HEADING=2]The Opening[/HEADING]
Officer Webb was tired and bored. His shift wasn't over for another three hours and with the constant rain pouring outside, he was resigned to slowly patrolling the streets in his car. His route was a relatively safe neighbourhood one with straight, well lit streets. As such he had no reason to expect anything out of the ordinary to break the monotony. He would remember several hours later that he wished it had remained that way.
The call came in around 11:30pm.
Officer Webb pulled his car up to the curb outside the hotel he'd been called to. The report said that one of the night staff noticed the door to a room ajar and called out to the resident inside. Upon not getting a response she entered the room only to find two dead bodies.
Making his way up to the room, closely followed by an anxious and slightly nauseated looking hotel manager, Officer Webb slowly pulled on a pair of dispensable gloves and reported in that he had arrived at the scene. He wasn't sure exactly what to expect as he pushed the door open, but what greeted him upon entry was nothing like he'd seen so far in his career.
The two bodies were laying opposite one another in almost perfect symmetry. Both corpses were on their backs with their feet a couple of feet apart, as though they'd been standing face to face and fallen backwards. Each of their foreheads had holes in them that looked like they must have come from a firearm. What was strange was the complete lack of blood on the floor. It appeared that the projectiles had not only cauterised the wounds but also not passed through the skull.
If this was not strange enough, upon looking around the scene Officer Webb noticed that there were more holes dotted around the room at around head height, each of them evenly placed apart. While his curiosity was itching, he decided to briefly ignore the oddness of the scene and follow protocol.
Removing from his belt a portable chip scanner, he gently lifted one of the victims arms up and pressed the device to their wrist. The machine bleeped twice and the persons ID flashed up on the screen.
Name: Ryan Grey
D.O.B: 23/02/2029
Employer: CyCorp
"Oh, shit" he whispered. Officer Webb didn't recognise the victims name. Their employer on the other hand was not somebody he could possibly fail to know. This was bad. Very, very bad. With a feeling of rising dread he performed the same procedure on the second victim. The machine bleeped twice more and he was then faced with their ID and an even larger problem.
Name: Abigail Pearce
D.O.B: 16/09/2022
Employer: The H.A Dynasty
"Oh, shit."
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[HEADING=2]Character Creation[/HEADING]
This will not be completely set in stone just yet, as depending on your job/role some alterations may be needed (agreed upon by both of us). There are no "classes" or hard stats, I would like people to be whomever they want within reason. You can be a part of one of the Mega Corporations, The Law, a gang or just a regular (or irregular) person.
If you wish you could even be a character in charge of one of the above mentioned organisations. Although I would ask that anybody wishing to do that would only choose to do so if they can post regularly, or be fine with me taking over for them during any absences. The characters will be central to the overarching story after all, so they cannot be idle.
I am remaining vague in regards to the details of each organisation as this is a world of conspiracy and secrecy; you will not know the finer details unless you have the right or the means to. If you choose to be a part of one of the large organisations I will pass on more details via PM closer to the starting point of the RP.
Name:
Gender:
Age:
Nationality:
Physical Appearance (including typical casual clothing):
Augmentations (if applicable):
Affiliation/Occupation (if applicable):
Areas of Expertise (if applicable):
Areas of Personal Interest:
Brief Background:
Gender:
Age:
Nationality:
Physical Appearance (including typical casual clothing):
Augmentations (if applicable):
Affiliation/Occupation (if applicable):
Areas of Expertise (if applicable):
Areas of Personal Interest:
Brief Background:
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[HEADING=2]The Rest[/HEADING]
The general rules of RP's apply. I'd recommend giving this thread a quick look over if you are not familiar with them.
This RP generally falls under "Free-Form", you will be deciding most of what happens without my input. My role will be to push the overarching story along with updates when needed, introduce new characters and (unless they are taken over by a player) controlling the major organisations at play.
"Queen Bee" will be under my sole control and may at various times contact you within the RP or via private message. If you see this image in the beginning of a PM from me:
It is a direct communication (in role) from them. You may act upon or ignore whatever you are told however you wish.
Oh, and while I won't be enforcing any limits on it, it would be nice if not everybody is a master hacker, as tempting as that may be.
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[HEADING=2]Where do we go from here?[/HEADING]
I will create a group and send out invites before starting. The purpose of the group will be for me to announce updates and for any OOC (Out of Character) chat.After that I will create a new thread for the RP itself to take place in and the story will begin. As seen in the "Opening" section, the overarching story starts with the apparent murder of two employees who work for the largest corporations in the country.
The opening post will introduce all of the characters and set the scene. If anybody has any particular place/scenario they would like their character to start in, then please PM me as soon as possible. Any time before the RP begins will be fine.
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Please ask if you have any questions, in here or via PM! I will create a group for OOC chat if there is enough interest for the RP to go ahead.
EDIT 1: Information dump on the police, some additions to technology and re-wording of a few sections added. Plus details of the next step of the RP.
EDIT 2: Anybody who wishes to join the RP from the very start will need their sheet submitted before Wednesday as that is when it will officially begin. I will not be closing applications, but any characters submitted after that point will join in the first update (the time-frame for that is currently unknown).