Psychokinesis (henceforth referred to as PK) is an ability that humans evolved to possess around the year 2101. The father of the first human to demonstrate an ability to use PK would become the director of the then called Psychokinesis Project. The ability had manifested itself at the age of 12, and granted the young girl the ability to levitate, speak telepathically, and use telekinesis. Scientists closely monitored the girl's condition. Realizing the danger involved with such an ability, work was quickly started to develop a means of controlling this power.
A specialized chip was designed and implanted at the upper tip of the girl's spine, just where it connected to the brain. This allowed the scientists to disrupt the signals in the part of her brains that showed activity during PK use, thus allowing them to stop her if she went out of control. Unfortunately, the girl died shortly thereafter, proving unable to deal with the stress PK placed on her brain. A pill, named Psyche, was developed to offset the effects of PK usage, which included a shortened lifespan, extreme migraines, and brain deterioration.
Further noting the combat capabilities of such a skill, and noticing a slow increase in the number of individuals capable of PK, the government began hoarding orphans to use as military super weapons. Thus, research into making weapons compatible with their newfound powers began. It wasn't long before they found a highly malleable metal that reacted extremely well to Psychokinetic abilities. Harvesting this metal, they fashioned it into a small sphere for easier portability.
During the year 2113, the first Variable was created. From that point on, those capable of using PK were deemed Constants, and the Psychokinesis Project was renamed the Variable Project. In the years that followed, several new types of variables would be created, each of them reacting differently to an individual's unique brainwave patterns. Those would be the long-range physical type, the short and long-range mental types, and the most dangerous of all, the spatial type.
In the year 2113, the International Variable Organization (IVO) was created. Best thought of as a top secret UN that focuses exclusively on variable laws between countries, it was their way of maintaining a peace. They enjoyed it for a time, until a Russian Constant went rogue and headed towards the US in 2119. The US sent out a Constant of its own in retaliation, but the rogue Russian destroyed the chip that regulated the Constant's PK usage and convincing her to run away with her. In the year that followed, the two made various enemies and allies in their quest to expose the corruption of the Variable Project to the world. It was during this time that Anti-Psychokinetic equipment came into development, as a means of combating rogue Constants.
Variable Types
Psyche
Research has found that active usage of Psychokinesis shortens one's lifespan and deteriorates the brain. To counteract this unseemly effect, IVO developed a drug referred to simply as Psyche, which was administered to the brain automatically every so often via a chip implanted near the top of the spine — a chip that also served as a means of keeping tabs on Constants so they don't escape. Repeated use of Psyche has caused most Constants to develop a dependency on the drug, and, should they stop having it administered, are at immense risk of death. In most cases, a Constant will become corrupted, at which point they lash out, before succumbing to death as a result of their brains turning to mush, unable to withstand the strain of its own Psychokinesis usage.
While it is typical for Psyche to be administered via the chip, tablet forms do exist for cases of emergency.
Corrupted Constants
Corrupted Constants are those who've either used Psychokinesis far too excessively, beyond what their brain is capable of handling, those going through withdrawal from not receiving Psyche after having become dependent on it, and those who've attempted to sync with custom-made variables for which they are not compatible. Notable features of corruption are discoloration of the hair and eyes, as well as enhanced Psychokinetic abilities during the moments leading up to their death. In extremely rare cases, with careful and regular administration of the Psyche drug, it is capable for a corrupted Constant to live days, weeks, and sometimes even months before succumbing to death.
General vs. Custom Variables
General Variables are those crafted from bits of the metal that've been found to be universally accepted across Constants. The downside to having been so cheaply crafted and so widely usable is that they aren't nearly as durable as custom made variables, and are better suited for training purposes than actual combat use. Custom made variables are crafted and tailored for each individual Constant. As a result, only that Constant's particular Psychokinetic patterns will be able to successfully sync with the variable without risk of corruption. Due to their increased durability and power, custom made variables are easily able to break general variables.
Timeline of Current Events
2101 — The first case of Psychokinesis is discovered in the United States. Subsequent cases appear around the world throughout the coming month. Research into Psychokinesis and its' possible uses begin.
2104 — World governments begin to take in orphaned children that demonstrate themselves capable of Psychokinesis as test subjects, while great strides continue to be made in Psychokinetic research.
2110 — The world militaries decide on using Psychokinesis users as militaristic trump cards, subjecting them to various brainwashing methods and training them to be mindless killing machines.
2111 — Research into how Psychokinesis reacts with various substances leads to the discovery of a rare, malleable metal that would soon come to be termed as a "variable". Incompatible "syncings" resulting in death lead to the development of the Variable Efficiency and Control Test (VECT). Those who wield variables are coined Constants, and the officially named Variable Project is initiated.
2113 — The International Variable Organization (IVO) is founded to to establish rules and regulations regarding various aspects of variable development and usage. Short-range physical type variables are created and combat tested. Long-range physical types follow shortly thereafter.
2114 — Short and long-range mental type variables are developed to enhance preexisting abilities of Psychokinesis users.
2115 — Short and long-range spatial type variables are developed, but quickly banned after being deemed too dangerous for use.
2119 — BlaC, the Constant representative of the United States, is suspected to have been terminated by the Russian representative, WeiD, who'd gone rogue.
Roleplay Information
This roleplay revolves around the escape of a small group of Variable Project test subjects from a United States government facility, and their journey to find the evidence they need to expose the Variable Project to the world, as well as the trials and tribulations they face along the way. I'm looking for three to five people capable of putting out two or more paragraph posts on a weekly if not semiweekly basis, with attention paid to grammar and the like. Access to Discord is also preferred, as there will definitely be a server for this once an OOC is made and sheets start being approved. If you have any questions whatsoever about the setting or anything contained therein, feel free to ask me either in PM or here.
