In a future of chrome sheathed in leather, shadows prosper.
The year is 2066 and the world has changed. As humanity marches ever forward into the 21st century, the thin line between man and machine has been inexorably blurred as humans continue to rely on the enhancements of cybernetics and robots are continually upgrade to become more and more life like. This web of connectivity grows vaster by the day as common day occurrences like the internet have become even more engrossing do to advances in neurological and virtual reality technologies, that have made the dreams of "cyberspace" closer to reality. Humanity seems to have arrived at a golden age of innovation and advancements as new tech is released everyday making the augmentation outdated within weeks, but social tensions continue to bubble beneath the shining exterior.
Following the burst of the American asset price bubble in the mid 2030s and the subsequent depression whose ripples felt as far from Topeka to Shanghai, humanity was left in something of a slump. Governments failed to reign in control as entire towns and cities fell into total anarchy. To combat such chaos many governments were forced to pass acts which allowed prosperous companies primarily large PMCs to reign the populace back into control - such as the Private Intervention Act of 2035 in the United States. When the chaos finally subsided these companies manged to retain much of their power and today they made no attempts to hide their "security forces". Most national governments have either collapsed or stayed as shadows of their former selves puppets used by the corporations to pass laws and judgement in their favor. As a result nearly thirty percent of people under the age of sixteen are unemployed and over a quarter of the world's population are considered homeless vagrants as urban sprawl has slowly consumed the land and destroyed peoples homes.
These corporations, these faceless entities moving in the shadows wage a quiet war against one another and it is not uncommon for everyday citizens to be caught in the crossfire of two different enforcer groups. Rebellions and protest are crushed as quickly as they are formed, the instigators vanishing into black bags slick with rain never to be seen again. But even these revolts few and far between don't cause many waves if any. The people have become complacent to what is now everyday life for them. You wake up in your corporation paid for apartment in your crappy tenement housing, you go to your corporation paid for job where you worked like a drone for most of the day and face the ever constant danger of being fired if you move two seconds too slow with that filing report, and then you come home to watch your television who constantly remained you whose in charge. And they don't question a thing because how could they?
But this world like any has a darker undercurrent. Those forgotten by the corporate society above. Deep in the ghettos and the back alleyways, a different world can be seen. Here is a land that no even the CEOs and officials don't dare to enter without armed escorts and vans with ten inch thick windows. Those homeless and without work scavenge for what little they could to survive. Most fell into one of the many street gangs that roamed the back alleys and stalked the roads on cyber cycles. Holding strong control on many more illicit dealings such as drugs, prostitution and, black market dealings. But even they are still subject to the wills of the powerful as many have become little more than puppets for the bigger corporations to deal with threats and monopolize on illegal trade. And it is not uncommon for some of the bigger corporations to have multiple gang leaders on their payroll.
It is in this world where scheme, plot and double cross interconnect we see the rise of Divers. Divers are individuals born and raised in this world and know the ins and outs and every dark corner. These phantoms in the neon lit darkness are professionals who deal with "Special interests". Assassinations, hostile takeovers, kidnappings, drug running, and basically anything else that pays well. They are a loose confederation of members with Divers knowing one another but making a habit of not making any real personal attachments because Bob may be fine at the bar but the next day he may have five armor piercing rounds through his back halfway across the world. Most of their training either comes from just living or being taken under the wing of a more experienced Diver for a few years. Diver crews have been known to exist from time to time but they are usually short lasting only holding together for a few missions before falling apart.
Divers, Corps, Gangs and Civies. They all mixed together in a dark concoction that burned the throat as it went down and caused your stomach to do flips. This is the world of 2066, it's certainly not the end of the world but we are approaching it at the speed of light.
Following the burst of the American asset price bubble in the mid 2030s and the subsequent depression whose ripples felt as far from Topeka to Shanghai, humanity was left in something of a slump. Governments failed to reign in control as entire towns and cities fell into total anarchy. To combat such chaos many governments were forced to pass acts which allowed prosperous companies primarily large PMCs to reign the populace back into control - such as the Private Intervention Act of 2035 in the United States. When the chaos finally subsided these companies manged to retain much of their power and today they made no attempts to hide their "security forces". Most national governments have either collapsed or stayed as shadows of their former selves puppets used by the corporations to pass laws and judgement in their favor. As a result nearly thirty percent of people under the age of sixteen are unemployed and over a quarter of the world's population are considered homeless vagrants as urban sprawl has slowly consumed the land and destroyed peoples homes.
These corporations, these faceless entities moving in the shadows wage a quiet war against one another and it is not uncommon for everyday citizens to be caught in the crossfire of two different enforcer groups. Rebellions and protest are crushed as quickly as they are formed, the instigators vanishing into black bags slick with rain never to be seen again. But even these revolts few and far between don't cause many waves if any. The people have become complacent to what is now everyday life for them. You wake up in your corporation paid for apartment in your crappy tenement housing, you go to your corporation paid for job where you worked like a drone for most of the day and face the ever constant danger of being fired if you move two seconds too slow with that filing report, and then you come home to watch your television who constantly remained you whose in charge. And they don't question a thing because how could they?
But this world like any has a darker undercurrent. Those forgotten by the corporate society above. Deep in the ghettos and the back alleyways, a different world can be seen. Here is a land that no even the CEOs and officials don't dare to enter without armed escorts and vans with ten inch thick windows. Those homeless and without work scavenge for what little they could to survive. Most fell into one of the many street gangs that roamed the back alleys and stalked the roads on cyber cycles. Holding strong control on many more illicit dealings such as drugs, prostitution and, black market dealings. But even they are still subject to the wills of the powerful as many have become little more than puppets for the bigger corporations to deal with threats and monopolize on illegal trade. And it is not uncommon for some of the bigger corporations to have multiple gang leaders on their payroll.
It is in this world where scheme, plot and double cross interconnect we see the rise of Divers. Divers are individuals born and raised in this world and know the ins and outs and every dark corner. These phantoms in the neon lit darkness are professionals who deal with "Special interests". Assassinations, hostile takeovers, kidnappings, drug running, and basically anything else that pays well. They are a loose confederation of members with Divers knowing one another but making a habit of not making any real personal attachments because Bob may be fine at the bar but the next day he may have five armor piercing rounds through his back halfway across the world. Most of their training either comes from just living or being taken under the wing of a more experienced Diver for a few years. Diver crews have been known to exist from time to time but they are usually short lasting only holding together for a few missions before falling apart.
Divers, Corps, Gangs and Civies. They all mixed together in a dark concoction that burned the throat as it went down and caused your stomach to do flips. This is the world of 2066, it's certainly not the end of the world but we are approaching it at the speed of light.
State of Affairs
Hushed whispers have taken to the streets of late. They speak of new technologies being developed behind closed doors and in labs deep underground. They speak of new and mysterious weapons and more importantly whispers of artificial intelligence of the likes we have never seen before. True "androids" beings with the ability to think, feel and learn just as we do. And ever still society continues to teeter on a knifes edge as any minute the whole facade will come crumbling down atop itself.
This is where you all come in. You are a group of Divers hired by Kybuashi Enterprises, a large corporate conglomerated that specializes in biomedical technologies specifically in the field of neural augmentations. Your job is simple enough to transport a nondescript box 60 inches long and 30 wide. But following a chain of events that spiral quickly out of your control you are caught in a corporate conspiracy bigger than you could ever imagine.
This is where you all come in. You are a group of Divers hired by Kybuashi Enterprises, a large corporate conglomerated that specializes in biomedical technologies specifically in the field of neural augmentations. Your job is simple enough to transport a nondescript box 60 inches long and 30 wide. But following a chain of events that spiral quickly out of your control you are caught in a corporate conspiracy bigger than you could ever imagine.
In Summary
Chase the Night is a "traditional" cyberpunk story. Inspired by the likes of Blade Runner, Neuromancer, City Come A-Walkin', Cyber Punk 2020, and Ghost in the Shell. A story of corporate conspiracies, Subaltern, Heterotopia and Extensionalism and transhuamnism deep into the 21st century. Character development is key as they progress through the world and the team becomes closer to one another promoting charhcter development as the characters learn and grow. As Divers you come from a variety of walks of life from upper class thrill seekers to former gang kids looking for a way out.
The story possess elements that most would consider mature as it delves head first into the darker sides of society as it asks the question of "what makes us human". Because of this mature content and the subject matter that may arise because of it for the sake of story I ask you considered how comfortable you are with more darker subject matter before expressing any further interest.
Most importantly though Chase the Night is about style as much as it is about substance. This is a story aimed to capture the ever present coolness found in these works produced in the eighties and early nineties. Where neon lights cast trench coat ridden men on rainy streets smoking cigarettes, where the dark of night is only illuminated ever briefly by the bright and intoxicating muzzle flash. It's a gritty world out there and I'm going to need your help in capturing it.
The story possess elements that most would consider mature as it delves head first into the darker sides of society as it asks the question of "what makes us human". Because of this mature content and the subject matter that may arise because of it for the sake of story I ask you considered how comfortable you are with more darker subject matter before expressing any further interest.
Most importantly though Chase the Night is about style as much as it is about substance. This is a story aimed to capture the ever present coolness found in these works produced in the eighties and early nineties. Where neon lights cast trench coat ridden men on rainy streets smoking cigarettes, where the dark of night is only illuminated ever briefly by the bright and intoxicating muzzle flash. It's a gritty world out there and I'm going to need your help in capturing it.
