Dystopian Cyberpunk RP- "A Detailed Chronology of the World's Collapse"
OOC: http://roleplayerguild.com/showthrea...20#post8266620
Fifty years ago, "Biografting" technology was introduced to the world. A group of scientists working independently, who would later form the company Machina Corpus, presented the idea of "advanced prosthetics" to the UN; the UN leapt on the idea, each country eager to get as close to monopolizing the technology as possible. The scientists, who hailed from England, allowed the UK direct access to the initial blueprints for the biografting technologies. The UK went on to share these specs with the US and France, leaving other countries to produce cheap knockoffs through risky procedures. What only the UK, US, and France knew was that biografting was much more than just a chance for newer, better prosthetic limbs- it was a gateway into much, much more.
Within five years, however, other groups began to suspect. Spain and Italy backed each other in demanding the blueprints at a UN meeting, and they managed to convince France to cooperate; this angered other, left out nations, who proceeded to either make similar demands of Spain or step up their own research programs. Although none of them knew it at the time, everything was going to change.
Two years later, various extremist groups had emerged in places like Russia and Germany, who were rapidly falling behind technologically. These groups, branded terrorists by their own governments, staged bombings in London, Paris, and even Washington D.C.; Rome was hit, too, while Spain remained untouched. One of the groups- it is unknown which, as all of them claimed responsibility- uncovered the designs for the full extent of biografting and made them public.
The secret was out now. Biografting wasn't just used to replace limbs- it was used to enhance existing ones, and to alter the mind as well. The UK's Royal Air Force all had "enhanced perception" chips in their brains; the US' Marine Corps. and Navy SEALS had "iron lungs," which allowed them to recycle oxygen for much longer periods of time; France had gone a different route, using the biografting technology to develop "EXO Suits," which were lighter, more efficient sets of body armor. The final nail in the coffin was that the governments had concealed all of this from the public. More and more extremist groups rose up, some in favor of what would come to be known as "Enhancing," others opposed to it.
It is said that the fall of empires begins with a revolution and ends with a war; every major nation that had control over biografting felt the pains of revolution, and soon after, all the great nations went to war. Everyone was alone; alliances went up in smoke, and if you weren't a major nation you became part of one by force. A mere thirty years after biografting emerged, the world tore itself to bits, and the select few were there to pick up the pieces.
Machina Corpus, the world's largest biografting company, now leads London and all nearby territories. If Man was shaped in God's image, London and the majority of Western England is shaped in Machina Corpus' image; the buildings are tall, bright, and shiny. The Westminster Clock Tower is black, with electric blue hands and numbers, and its famous chime is now a robotic AI announcing the time. All throughout London, people survive only due to biografting; they owe their lives to Machina Corpus, and pay their debts in the form of armed service and donations to science. The latter phrase represents, of course, kidnappings orchestrated by Machinus Corpus to further biografting technology.
The Patriots, remnants of the American government, are based in Manhattan. The once-great city was nearly leveled by bombings, and The Patriots have been forced to rebuild. The Empire State Building, which was safeguarded vehemently, still stands, and is their main base of operations. Most of the biograft tech they have is remnants from before the war, mixed with some relatively new tech siphoned from London.
Finally, there are Les Revolutionaires. The rebellion in France, which really should have been the smallest, was secretly fueled and financed by an angry Russia. The rebels were cunning, and left most of their country intact. However, France is still much the same as it was before; biografting technology has left the architecture and quaint atmosphere of Paris alone.
Then, there were those who leeched off of the positions of others. The PMCs, which forced themselves upon The Patriots and Les Revolutionaires. They were, respectively, Mechanical Sword and Bioweapon; the first secured The Patriots some black market lines of trade with London, securing their continued loyalty. Bioweapon took a more direct approach, arming Les Revolutionaires' militia and becoming the police force for the people of France, as well as the personal bodyguards of some Parisian "nobles."
Okay, above is the basic idea and the background. The outline of plot progression is this: We'll start, introduce our people, and then after a bit of mucking about I'll add a major plot point (muahahah, it's a secret) and it'll kickstart the real RP. Who's interested?
