I can’t quite decide whether this would be better on another planet or just severely futuristic. Ah well, that can be discussed I suppose. The general outline is this;
The world is an entirely different place, little more than a barren wasteland, highly policed and intensely paranoid and secure. Cities are well spaced out and over-packed, large, secure roads connect the cities and are always heavy with traffic. With twelve lanes the amount of pollution the crammed highways produce is almost choking and this means very few people move out of their cars when outside of the cities. It also means the highways are beacons whilst lost in the endless scrubland. The cities however are in themselves enormous, probably the all the size of an averagely sized state. Entirely walled it, they house the ever growing population and inside the cities, especially the richer areas, you’d think everything was entirely like it is now. Gardens are cultivated, there are even suburbs. If you have the money you wouldn’t know the world had changed at all.
Each city had an independent emperor, but all are answerable to the Capital which had a rule King and government. This government decide everything and lay the law whenever they can. Though most cities deal with their own crimes, severe crimes such as murder and treason, can only be tried in the Capital. The Capital is the largest city in the world and is easily four times the size of the others, it also houses more corruption than any other and the population there is so crowded that it is almost impossible to afford to live there.
Of course there are other problems plaguing the world other than a corrupt government. Disease, famine, and poverty are crippling the planet and for the poor things are a constant struggle. Healthcare has become a privilege that most can’t afford and as such drugs and other such novelties are rife.
One of the most dangerous diseases going is vampirism. Once upon a time it was rare, very few contracted the disease and those who did kept it very quiet. It is even rumoured that it was once considered a blessing rather than the curse it is today. After an intense outbreak one hundred and twelve years ago, security tightened on those infected. The outbreak not only saw mass hysteria in the streets, it also saw the impossibly strong infectee’s bring down multiple of the cities, killing hundreds of guards, policemen, not to mention innocent people caught in the fray. Little is known about the disease save that it prevents the body from making its own blood, therefor it has to be ingested so that the body can absorb the nutrients from another blood source. This process also increases speed, muscle tone, senses and reflexes, however it also causes many internal organs to decompose causing infections and sepsis. Few survive beyond the first month and without intensive blood consumption it’s unheard of to survive the first week. It takes years for the benefits to weigh in enough for any noticeable change to occur and few make it to the stage. It is speculated that the longer the disease festers, the stronger and more dangerous the carrier becomes.
Since then it has been outlawed, those infected are forbidden on pain of instant death to enter the cities and are banished to the outlands. As such their numbers have dwindled but it is far from wiped out. The farmers who live on the outskirts have to take measures to keep their cattle safe from the leeches and whilst travelling people are warned not to leave their cars out of fear of the starving diseased.
When at full strength these ‘vampires’ are formidable, which is why it is outlawed to let one feed. Luckily for the kingdom the strict laws, frequent vehicle checks, and a ruthless checking process upon entering cities has ensured that they are never at full strength.
The female protagonist will be a girl (17 – 22) that wakes up in the middle of the outlands, entirely without memory or knowledge of this place. In fact all she remembers is anything any of us would know. Anything about this world, she has to learn. The male will be a long infected vampire, who is looking for a way to get into the Capital. He is in fact the King, his ‘disappearance’ having been concealed for nearly a century. His throne was taken by an imposter and now the imposter’s son has claimed the inheritance. Of course the girl isn’t going to know any of this; in fact all she knows at the start is that she’s in an entirely unfamiliar place and a stranger has offered to take her to a city if she hands over her bracelet.
Obviously anything else that happens is up for discussion
.
Reply With Quote
...then my second choice would be Matters of state
...let me know if that one is open
Posting Permissions
