Incarceron - A sandbox cyberpunk roleplay

[YoshiSkittlez]

New Ancora: Year: 2118

"WELCOME HOME CITIZEN."

New Ancora. A haven to some, and a prison to others. Here, everyone has a want, a need, a desire - be it for money, drugs, sex, peace, or whatever else the mind can contrive. In New Ancora, you can fulfill that desire (or die in the process), so long as you keep your nose clean and stay in your Zone.

Will New Ancora be your Nirvana?

[THIS MESSAGE HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE NEW ANCORA GOVERNMENT. A SAFER CITY, A SAFER PEOPLE]

Districts

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

New Ancora is broken up into twenty-one districts; we consider your individual wealth, familial history, criminal records, and profession when providing you with the right fit!

District 0, informally called the 'Outer Heaven' of New Ancora is regarded as little more than an urban myth by the general populace. What is known is that District 0 is the powerhouse of New Ancora, housing every known government building and seat of power running the city. Heavily guarded and monitored, only renowned professors and scientists, military officials, and political figures are allowed within - with a government-issued ID required to even step aboard transit to the District.

NOTE: Attempting to sneak into District 0 without a formal ID or Access Pass will result in immediate imprisonment preceding a formal trial

Districts 1-9 are referred to as Zone Alpha. Zone Alpha is the "ideal" home for those seeking success in New Ancora. Filled with immense skyscrapers, skylights, and penthouses, Zone Alpha contains the least corruption (both civilian or otherwise), the best economic status, the safest security, and cleanest regulation aside from District 0 itself.

Officers regularly patrol the streets (which are consistently cleaned and maintained), gang activity and illegal trade are all but nonexistent, and citizens are granted many personal rights and freedoms that make Zone Alpha the New Ancora that so many people hope and dream for.

THIS IS A GOVERNMENT ISSUED ANNOUNCEMENT
Transit from Zone Beta to Zone Alpha is strictly prohibited without possession of a government-issued Access card. Violation of this rule is a federal offense and can/will result in the temporary or permanent ban of a District/series of Districts

NOTE: District 3 is the New Ancoran military base, and is thus not included in the Residential Section of your New Ancoran Welcome Manual. Transit to District 3 requires a government-issued Access card or prior appointment. Violation of this rule is a federal offense and can/will result in the temporary or permanent ban of a District/series of Districts

Districts 10-20

THIS IS A GOVERNMENT ISSUED ANNOUNCEMENT
District(s) 11, 18, 19, 20 are currently under government control and access to these Districts is strictly prohibited withou possession of an Alpha-Level Access card. Violation of this rule will result in immediate exile from New Ancora or summary execution by lethal injection.

Zone Beta represents the "Lower-Class" of New Ancora. While Districts 10-16 are generally quiet, District 17 is quickly becoming overrun by crime, gang activity, prostitution, and drug/human trafficking. In Zone Beta, most citizens can live a moderately average and successful life if they work hard enough. However, growing crime rates and corruption of government/police officials are making Zone Beta gradually unlivable. However...there's no better place to find a hitman or information broker than in Zone Beta.

Ganglands

THIS IS A GOVERNMENT ISSUED ANNOUNCEMENT
Dangerous gang activity in New Ancora is being strictly opposed by the New Ancoran Law Enforcement. REPEAT: There is NO threat to New Ancora or its people as a result of gang activity. Any involvement in a gang or other harmful organization is deemed highly illegal and any and all found gang members will undergo legal processing.

Gangs in New Ancora are not new, nor are they a rarity in the streets of Zone Beta. In fact, older, wiser citizens of New Ancora will tell you that gangs have been there since the beginning.

As with all foul organizations, gangs in New Ancora did not start out with ulterior motives. They were simply neighborhoods that banded together to protect themselves, each taking care of their own. However as time went on, these neighborhoods began to turn into individual families - and these families found out ways of how to get rich quick. Maybe buy an Access card to move to the much-safer Zone Alpha...or maybe just to buy more dope. Either way, it wasn't long before the Families got involved in any number of illegal contraband: be it drugs or illegal narcotics, prostitution, slavery, or even back-alley surgery and "augmentation".

Gang wars aren't frequent, at least not out in the open. Gangs prefer to operate under more clandestine means, dealing with each other secretly and quietly, preferring executions and late-night murder raids. It's a twisted sort of harmony. So long as regular citizens of Zone Beta keep quiet, out of the way, and don't interfere with gang business, they can expect to live in a relatively safe and quiet environment.

The most potent gang activity can be found in [RESTRICTED] Districts 11, 17, 18, 19, and 20. These "hotspots" are considered highly dangerous, and most intruders will be shot or killed on sight.

Law Enforcement

Every district in New Ancora has its own fully staffed police department, complete with officers and hardened detectives handling the cases local to their territories. Overseeing these departments, albeit loosely, is the New Ancoran Bureau of Defense (BoD). One BoD agent is assigned to each police department, though he or she is not required to be or stay there, or to enjoy the mandatory visitation hours.

You can sometimes find BoD agents at the gates working with or in place of that district's officers. They are not confined to Alpha yet still don't spend enough time patrolling in Beta, which is one of the two actions they are (technically) required to fulfill each day. BoD agents are equipped with clean white armor.

Ask the local cops and they’ll tell you most of the BoD is a bunch of fancy kids with glitzy tech and daddy issues that don’t give a shit about the city they were sworn to protect, focusing more on the latest gossip or news coming from Zone Beta.

For the most part the police departments alone deal with all of the crime that happens in the lower districts. BoD agents will sometimes work alongside local cops in big cases like gang raids or drug busts, but those occurrences can be rare. The police, at this point, prefer it that way; their time to be angry about BoD's general negligence has been exhausted for a long while, and the current social climate between the two forces is the less they have to see of each other the better.

Police armor is a black variant of the BoD armor, though produced at a slightly reduced level of quality. The suits in circulation are a tad bit on the used side but the AH-114 name is known specifically for its longevity and solid build. Detectives and officers typically wear some kind of jacket over their armor.

There are a plethora of jails throughout New Ancora in all districts, however there is only one prison located in District 0. As there is very little known about District 0 itself, even less is known about what happens to prisoners incarcerated there... only that they never return.

Drugs
Mainstream drugs from the 21st Century (Marijuana, Cocaine, Meth, etc.) are still around and widely distributed as illegal substances. However, scientific advancement has allowed a wider range of illegal narcotics to become mainstream contraband in New Ancora.

- Lucid A highly addictive and notoriously dangerous drug, Lucid has the unique effect of stimulating the temporal lobe, increasing ones perception and expanding their personal thought horizon. Lucid users describe their highs as ranging from terrifying to exciting to inspiring, to a mixture of all three. What makes Lucid such a dangerous drug is the harrowing effect it has on the body. The addict's body is unable to withstand repeated dosages of Lucid, and will start degenerating at an astounding rate, eventually causing the user's body to simply shut down.

- Emotion Tea The "Elevate" nightclub in District 4 is highly sought after for their unique Emotion Tea, a beverage that causes the drinker to feel inclined towards a certain emotion for a set amount of time, ranging from a few minutes all the way up to a few hours. While the diluted effect in the tea itself is legal, there are reports of Beta Zone citizens getting their hands on the undiluted drug, which, when injected into the bloodstream, can completely control someone emotionally. This drug does not feature many negative effects physically but can cause emotional and mental harm long-term, as practitioners can become little more than vegetative husks, devoid of all emotion.

- Hand of the Devil A highly amplified steroid incredibly popular in Zone Beta, this drug, directly injected into the bloodstream activates the user's adrenal gland, filling them with an immense amount of rage and bloodthirst. In this state, while the user will gain increased strength, speed, and endurance from the adrenaline rush, the rest of their faculties will temporarily atrophy, making them all-but-completely unreasonable. Side-effects of Hand of the Devil include: increased aggression, muscle aches, weakening of the heart with a chance of heart failure or cardiac arrest, heightened stress hormones, and fatigue. It has also been noted a more physical change can take over the user such as a change in eye color.

NOTE: Hand of the Devil partially earns its name due to the notorious fact that 90% of its users die within minutes of their first usage, due to cardiac arrest. Only those in extremely good physical and mental condition can survive their first hit and keep going.

- Devil's Breath Also known as Scopolamine. Iconic in the hands of the Colombian drug dealers, this odorless and colorless powder is one of the most dangerous drugs out there. Grown from a beautiful white flower, the drug has both amnesiac and suggestive capabilities, with a near instantaneous effect. The result of this combo? A drug that instantly puts someone under the user's control, and who won't remember a second of it the day after. If they live that long.

- DNP When first conceived, this diet pill was a marvel, burning away fat at an extremely quick rate. Unfortunately, many users of the drug found that it burned it a little too quick, the energy in their body used so rapidly that their body literally burned from heat on the inside, causing death.

- IT No information is yet available.

Nightlife

When the sun falls, the Districts become awash in a neon haze of night culture. From beautiful clubs featuring the best sound systems and soaring sky-bars to rougher dive-bars with seedy back rooms and seedier patrons (the kind to find whatever drug it is you’re craving), there’s something for everyone to enjoy on a weekend.

Places of Interest in Zone Alpha

- Eclipse One of the more expensive nightclubs (even by Zone Alpha standards), Eclipse prides itself with its planetarium-esque dome ceiling. Well-dressed patrons can enjoy watching a variety of 4D high-definition images while sipping from glasses of freshly imported wine. Features the latest in modern musical tastes. D1

- Starbucks Yes. Still here. Every Zone Alpha District

- Elevate One of the more aloof lounges, as far as Zone Alpha goes, 'Elevate' is notorious for their uniquely blended and produced 'emotion tea': a beverage that comes in a variety of flavors or emotions, with each drink meant to incline the drinker towards a certain type of emotion. Be it elation, anger, joy, sadness, excitement, or lust, among many others. Rumor has it, however, that 'Elevate' has a darker side to it, though neither the police department or BoD have made any formal investigations into the matter. D4

- Insurgence One of Zone Alpha's most popular dance clubs. Insurgence is where teenagers or other technophiles go to dance, drink, or listen to the current remixes. Includes a balcony dance-floor and bar. D2

Places of Interest in Zone Beta

- Flannery's: Your classic Irish bar, chock-full of: regulars, alcoholics, and rowdy drunks looking to have a fun night. Lot's of sports, lot's of bar-fights. D12.

- The Spit: Looking for loud guitar music or girls and guys with neck tats? Here's your place. The Spit is one of the oldest rock clubs in New Ancora, originally establishing itself strictly as a venue for hardcore punk bands they've expanded their resume to include most rock music with an edge. Countless local punk bands - playing stuff from 1980s style hardcore, to the catchy vibes of late 70s punk - have walked through the back door and have delivered head-splitting riffs and quick bass lines. It is also notably the best place to watch an unrestricted cage fight if you're in the mood to watch someone get killed. D13.

- Dead Cell: Probably the cleanest club in Zone Beta and the closest to anything like the clubs in Alpha, a favorite of university students and young professionals. There’s a VIP floor at the club’s very top that is rented out practically every night. It's not known particularly for it's strong drinks or major hookups, morso taking on a 'juice bar' type ambiance with tasteful, classical, soft music in the background. D10

- Avalon: A ground level club that hosts live MC's and plays a lot of hip-hop, trap, and golden oldies. Avalon can be described as: unpretentious, easy-going, and “one love”. Come here if you’ve been hitting the herb and want unwind with a few drinks and talk to the local dudes or ladies. It can get wild on the dance floor, so be sure you make friends or you might feel a little lonely when everyone’s getting close. D17

- Bennys: What used to be 'Dennys' but has since undergone a multitude of revamps, it is still the basic 24-7 restaurant though certain sections have been constructed as a duo smoke-shop where patrons are permitted to smoke their favored (legal) delights while they eat a good 'old fashioned home cooked' meal. Every Zone Beta District.

- Warehouse: A scuzzy rock bar featuring live music every night. It's a cool but rowdy music venue that can hold 2,500 occupants; don't plant yourself in the front of the stage if you're not comfortable with being apart of the mosh or potentially kicked by stage divers. D15

Transportation

Getting around New Ancora is made simple, fast, and stress-free by a myriad of intricate highway systems and roads. Citizens can choose from a series of hover-cars and bikes ranging drastically from your expensive, top-of-the-line piece of machines - the kind that don't just get you from A to B, but extrude a certain lifestyle over anything - to your piece o' shitboxes that squeak and squeal their way down the 105.

Personal vehicles aside, New Ancora also offers much by way of public transportation such as the subway, monorail, taxi's and buses. Each method of transportation is restricted to two zones; where you get picked up and where you get dropped off. This is to ensure that those boarding are permitted within the district of departure and vice-versa.

Social Climate

New Ancora, while united on a large-scale front, nonetheless suffers differentiation of opinion in regards to the social climate.

While New Ancora is renowned for its technological prowess, there is much controversy regarding artificial intelligence, robotics, and human augmentation. While the majority of New Ancora (85:15) doesn't believe the technological advancement to be a threat, there are still a number of citizens quickly growing anxious and fearful of what artificial intelligence could bring. Objectors cite Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics as one of many reasons New Ancora should cease in its research, while supporters claim Asimov's Laws to be outdated and unnecessary.

Gun laws in New Ancora are strictly regulated, with only Zone Alpha residents, New Ancora Police Officers, and BoD officers allowed the right to purchase and carry. These strict laws have caused an incredibly large and powerful black market organization to rise up in Zone Beta, which, coupled with the lack of proper surveillance, has led to the majority of households to own at least one firearm.

Freedom of speech and freedom of religion, likewise, are highly regulated in New Ancora. Though there are no official laws or bills banning religious freedom, public opinion, as well as vague government mention show a lean towards atheism or agnosticism. As a result, many formerly mainstream religions (Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, etc.) have become little more than splinter groups, typically limited to a family's personal beliefs. Freedom of speech is still, for the most part, protected, however, any statements made that could pose a threat to national security will result in either an official warning or small fine, with repeated offenses punishable by harsher penalties.

Gay marriage and right to choose have been formally legalized in New Ancora. Due to the weakening of mainstream religion, these choices have not caused much backlash with the general populace.

Racism and bigotry as a whole have shifted. While typical skin-color/ethnicity racial tension does still exist, it has become all but nonexistent as negative opinion tends to point more towards cyborgs/synthetic organisms. While this current xenophobia has not become incredibly prevalent, the general public opinion of cyborgs and artificial intelligence is typically fear or apprehension.

Science & Tech

Science and technology in New Ancora is highly advanced and developed, with humanity having solved many, if not all of the issues that plagued them in the early 21st Century. Stem cell research has advanced to the point where many diseases and deficiencies have been cured completely, such as: cancer, diabetes, arthritis, baldness, blindness, deafness, Parkinson's Disease, and Alzheimer's amongst others. This has also lead to increased life expectancy, with the average Zone Alpha New Ancoran resident reaching the average age of 105, with expected advancement to only further increase this number.

Prosthetics and artificial limbs, too, have advanced exponentially, with a wide range of prosthetics available to most any Zone Alpha resident. These cybernetics are designed to feel fluid and natural, while containing many advantages compared to the old limb. Because of this, many residents have chosen voluntary augmentation simply to enhance their physical abilities, though it is incredibly common to see augmentation used in hospitals.

However, current medicine and augmentation is not perfect, and there have been various reports of augmented subjects suffering from various negative side-effects such as (but not limited to): phantom limb, incorrect nerve ending connections causing extremely painful spasms, seizures, and outright rejection of the prosthetic. Prosthetics also require constant calibrations and check-ups to ensure they're functioning properly.

Likewise, mental implants are not without their own share of side-effects, with various cases of: chronic migraines, early onset of mental illnesses, paranoia, insomnia, auditory and visual hallucinations, metal poisoning, and a distortion of perception.

Because of these side-effects, there are some citizens who believe augmentation should be restricted for only the most severe cases, though the majority populace still utilizes augmentation on a regular basis, with no apparent care towards the side-effects. The hospitals themselves turn to augmentations as an immediate fix, whether the patient asks for it or not. By political argument, augmentations are quicker and have better results, deeming cybernetics 'the future.'

In the general topic of synthetics, Robotic development has advanced to a point where robots and machines are commonplace laborers and assistants, with some machines even serving as security guards in certain Zone Alpha locations though the programming remains a simple algorithm.

True Artificial Intelligence, however, is still mostly experimental in nature, though there are reports of semi or even fully sentient synthetic lifeforms being produced or prototyped. It is known that the New Ancora Police Department and Bureau of Defense are looking into prototype recon and combat units to aid in various missions.

The World Beyond

THIS IS A GOVERNMENT ISSUED THE PEOPLE'S ANNOUNCEMENT
No one has forgotten the world outside, though your government would like you to believe otherwise.The Walls have Ears.

Citizens

Deon Saunders ~ @YoshiSkittlez
Katherine Saunders ~ @YoshiSkittlez
Vander Pzypialkowski ~ @Mach2
K-9 Mk. 1 ~ @Ghost Shadow

New residents, please apply here for amicable placement:

New Ancora Residency Application - Please fill out all sections

<Name:/>
<Nickname(s):/>
<Gender:/>
<Age:/>

<Occupation:/>
<District:/>

<Height:/>
<Weight:/>

<Appearance:/> (As realistic as possible, no anime)

<Personality:/>

<Biography:/>

<Other:/>

[YoshiSkittlez]

Welcome everyone :) You may have seen this roleplay around a time or two in the last few years and that is because my co-GM's and I have been working on this project for quite some time now - tweaking, refining, trying to perfect. Currently we are looking for 4 new characters, and if you want an idea as to what characters are already in play or if you need a little help or inspiration as to what to do for a CS, you can take a look

here

Deon Saunders

Played by YoshiSkittlez

Name: Deon Desmond Saunders
Nickname: Darth
Gender: Male
Age: 24

Occupation: Cage Fighter at The Spit
District: 4 (by invitation)

Height: 5’11”
Weight: 168 lbs

Appearance:


Personality:
Deon is a merciless, cut-throat, brutal male that could be described as selfish and self-centered in almost all instances. He only looks out for himself which he often-times refers to as 'number one' and will stop at nothing to prove that he is better than everyone else. His hardened exterior can be chipped away though when a woman or two come into play, as he is a bit of a womanizer and has a pretty high sexual drive. He will, however, never put a woman in too high of a priority level, especially when his reputation is on the line of being a ‘bad boy.’

He holds no remorse for those he injures while fighting in the ring and on more than one occasion has attacked with a more powerful purpose than to simply injure or knock unconscious. It is said that Deon holds a certain, animalistic rage when he fights which has kept him champion even when he was outmatched. He laughs at his pain, showing no weakness and many times others have often wondered if he is even human.

Biography:
Deon was the first born to Riley Saunders in the low levels of District 17. She was only seventeen herself but somehow, she managed to raise him on her own (the father mysteriously absent since conception and never, ever talked about) until Riley met another man who stepped in as Deon's step-father at the age of 4. Two years later, and Riley had another child, a girl this time and Deon's step-sister he grew incredibly close to.

Just as life seemed that it could be manageable in District 17, Deon's step-father was killed when returning home from work by a small-time gang that really wanted his wallet. Unable to make ends meet for her two, young children, Deon took it upon himself to drop out of school and find employment to help out. This robbed him completely of any childhood he might have had left, becoming a man years before puberty even hit.

At first Deon was just a messenger boy, delivering secret messages to organization members in the lower districts that were more than a bit sketchy, but he knew better than to ask questions. The pay was poor and he was lucky if he didn’t get beaten or molested by his boss on a daily basis, even if he delivered on time and didn't warrant any punishment. As Deon entered his teen years, however, he left the job as a messenger boy and started working in a slaughter house, butchering up the livestock into fresh meat for his district to purchase at ridiculous prices.

Deon quickly grew desensitized to animal life and the longer he remained working at the slaughter house, the more creative he would get in just how to kill the livestock before butchering; even going as far as 'not noticing' the animal wasn't completely dead before butchering it up. After just a few years, he grew bored of killing animals however, and when he was 18 he got a job fighting in the ring at a local bar for entertainment purposes. It was probably illegal, the things he was doing and allowed to do. But nobody really cared what went on in District 17 anymore. He found that fighting others was something he enjoyed, even if a bit too much.

Now known somewhat famously throughout the district and certainly bringing in more customers during the night, he earned a comfortable amount of money to provide for both his mamma and sister. But once again, just as things were starting to look up (even having saved up enough to buy his family's way into District 12), his whole world came crashing down in a way that would forever change his life.

Coming home from work one night after a very successful victory, Deon found the house to be incredibly quiet on the outside. The door was kicked in, the front windows shattered, and immediately he knew something was wrong. Upon investigation, he found his mamma and sister dead in his mamma's bed, stabbed maliciously, strangled, beaten, tortured, even possibly raped. Their bodies were still warm, his mother's arms wrapping protectively around his step-sister's body as though she were trying to shield her but to no avail.

Deon didn't stick around long, however. If the bodies were still warm, that meant their killer wasn't too far away. He bolted from the house and followed his heart, finding a man nearly a foot taller than him running with a bloodied knife. Outraged, Deon took the man, concealed by the shadows, down and let his emotions get the best of him. It was a terrible mistake. He was sloppy, and the man had Deon on his back within seconds. With the same bloodied knife used to kill his family, the criminal sliced through the skin of Deon's head, starting at the tip of his brow and dragged the blade as far to the back of his head he could go, aiming to scalp Deon all the way around. The criminal was forced to stop, however, as the flashing lights of a police car scared him off. Too weak to pursue, Deon forced himself up and managed to slip away to lick his (emotional) wounds and learn from his mistakes. He refused to seek treatment for the injury, deeming it a physical reminder for him to remember forever.

Unable to bear their memories any longer, Deon used up what money he had left after their respected funerals and moved up from district 17 to district 4 with his younger cousin who had to go through a whole slew of paperwork to make the move legal. It almost didn't even work, but the brain-power and tenacity of his cousin eventually won in the end. Even with the new promise of a better life, Deon couldn't help but to accept a job offer in Zone Beta as a cage fighter for 'The Spit'. The commute doesn't bother Deon much and he has the credentials to travel between zones. He can't help but to feel grateful to get out of the 'rich' neighborhood once in a while. The life of his cousin just simply wasn't the life for him.

Deon has lived in District 4 for nearly a year now, but the emotional wound that Deon carries is still as heavy as the day he found his family murdered in their own home.

Other:
Deon is an avid smoker and never passes up an opportunity to get drunk off his ass even when expected to fight that day. He has a whole slew of connections to the harder drugs which he will often-times deal and even use when his body isn't up to par for a fight. He is amply known to sell drugs to women for sexual favors instead of money since he has plenty of it already.

Katherine Saunders

Played by YoshiSkittlez

Name: Katherine Riley Saunders
Nicknames: Kate, Katie
Gender: Female
Age: 22

Occupation: Student in Robopsychology and Mechanics
District: 4 (Born)

Height: 5'10"
Weight: 123 lbs

Appearance:


Personality:
Kate is exceptionally introverted, having never truly developed social skills as a child. She was always working on projects on her own, never a 'child' but always a braniac, rendering her 'weird' to her fellow classmates. Even as an adult when sitting in on the most important of seminars, she takes no part in the hectic discussion periods that follow. She keeps up the front of a frosty girl, plain and colorless, who protects herself against a world she dislikes by a mask-like expression and a hypertrophy of intellect. Though on the inside, she does indeed feel the stirrings of a cold enthusiasm.

Often times, she is approached for her professional opinion on robots and is repeatedly asked, "Are robots so different from men?" in which she always replies, "Worlds different. Robots are essentially decent." To those who don't know her personally, her misanthropy seems largely unexplained however those whom have known her for a long period of time or have worked with her before know that her attitudes are rather well-founded.

She is a small woman, but there is a towering strength in her face. Tensile strength, that speaks to endurance, to maintaining in the imperfect world. Her mouth is thin, and her face pale. Grace lives in her features, and intelligence; but she is not an attractive woman. She is not one of those women who in later years it can be said of them, 'She must have been a beauty when she was younger.' Kate is simply plain but makes up for it with her powerful personality.

Biography:
Katherine, or Kate as she prefers to be called, was born and raised in the fourth district with a very comfortable life. She had good parents, a great childhood as an only child, a stable home, and a bright future. As a child, Kate’s imagination and prowess seemed to know no bounds. At first her teachers were rather worried about her intangible ability to ‘think outside the box’ at such an early age, but they later began to embrace it as she got older and joined clubs like the spelling bee or science club and continually brought home the blue ribbon for her school.

All through the rest of her school days, Kate remained ‘stuck’ to the science club, earning the interest of many different colleges as just a Sophomore to join their science department. At 16, Kate wrote her first of many papers on robotics, a Physics-1 paper entitled 'Practical Aspects of Robotics'. This was after attending a Psycho-Math seminar within District 0 in which she received a personal invitation from the Governor himself to attend as his guest. Despite the wishes of the colleges and interest from District 0, Kate remained as ‘normal’ as she could and continued her education, graduating with the rest of her class where the selection of schools were waiting for her - full ride.

Kate’s main area of study and experience resides in cybernetics, learning to construct positronic brains that responds to given stimuli that can be accurately predicted. She only has half a term left before graduating with her bachelors, but already District 0 has a job lined up for her as the first ever robopsychologist where she would be permitted to continue to study for her PhD.

When not working on school projects, Kate works on more personal ones. She has a few prototypes of her own design within her home which proved to work better than a security system since she was broken into shortly before her cousin came to move in with her. The ‘prototype’ had successfully stuck the robber with a sleep dart, rendering him completely unconscious until Kate was able to call the cops after getting an alert on her phone about the break-in. Since her cousin has moved in, however, there have been a few accidents of a 'mistaken intruder' which she has currently been working on to fix.

Other:
While perceived as a 'boring' type of girl, Kate does enjoy her scotch after a long day, though as expected, she has never had any sort of romantic relationship with anyone and doesn't appear to be interested in changing that any time soon despite her mother's badgerings.

Vander Pzypialkowski

Played by Mach2

Vander Pzypialkowski

Totally working on a new and (hopefully!) improved sketch of Vander, btw.

<Nickname(s):/> N/A
<Gender:/> Female
<Age:/> 19 yrs, 10 months

<Occupation:/> Ex-student. Part-time dealer, full-time addict.
<District:/> 16

<Height:/> 5'10"
<Weight:/> 116 lbs

<Appearance:/>

Vander is, at first glance, unhealthy. She's too thin, with a tired look about her. But a closer examination will quickly reveal just how poor a state her body is truly in. An addiction to Lucid has left her as a walking skeleton. Although she is tall, she weighs barely eight stone. What little body mass she retains is comprised of decaying muscle, her drug having long since burned away any hint of fat on her body. Beneath her clothing, her ribs, spine, hips, and collarbone are all prominent.

Despite the haggard state of her body, she is still young, and her face retains a hint of the attractiveness it once held. She has strong cheekbones, shapely eyebrows, and a charming smile. Her eyes are dark, a brown so deep it appears black, and the pupils are more often dilated than not.

Vander's Zone Beta upbringing and ties to the less-respectable demographic show in her sense of style. Her wardrobe lacks colour, seeming to be comprised solely of blacks and greys. Jeans a few sizes too large are held up by a studded belt, and she has a collection of raglan shirts with the logos of varying rock and punk bands. Her face is decorated with several piercings; a brow stud, several cartilage piercings on each ear, and gauged earlobes. Her hair is long and naturally wavy, dark in colour as her eyes. Sometime around the formation of her Lucid habit, she elected to shave the left half into an undercut.

<Personality:/>
Despite her edgy appearance, Vander is quite the pacifist. Quiet and reserved, she considers her words carefully whenever she speaks. Whenever possible, the young woman avoids violence and confrontation. Highly intelligent, the street smarts she acquired growing up in the depths of Beta are complimented by a wealth of academic knowledge. When she first became involved in the black market of drugs, she often served as middleman, negotiating carefully between involved parties to make sure that everyone got their way. Never once did a deal go sour.

Vander has dabbled in a handful of street drugs. Cocaine. Potent emotion tea. Ecstasy. But today, only one drug has her attention: Lucid.. Vander knows that her drug addiction is inevitably terminal. She has accepted her fate with a resigned bitterness, but fears death. For a Lucid addict dies in one of two ways - overdose or withdrawal. Vander hasn't decided which prospect is more terrifying. She tries not to think about it.

<Biography:/>
Zone Beta has never been a great place to come from. District 16, in particular, contains all manner of shady folk. And it is here that Vander has spent the entirety of her life. She was raised by her father, Dominic Pzypialkowksi. A mother whose name Vander never learned left them a week after her birth. Her relationship with Dom had soured while the child was still in her womb, but the two had waited for Vander to arrive before they split apart.

Childhood was a small apartment at the corner of the seventh floor. Vander's bedroom window gave her a view straight down one of the busiest streets in Sixteen. But she was far more likely to be found staring at the pages of one of her books than looking at the city's nightlife. From a young age, it became apparent that the girl was academically gifted. Dom homeschooled his daughter for many years. But by the time she was twelve, her knowledge was far surpassing what he was capable of teaching, and he turned to hiring tutors from Zone Alpha. Maths came easily to her. Science even more so. At the age of sixteen, Vander took her graduate tests, and received her diploma. Her chemistry and biology grades scored in the 99th percentile, her overall score in the 96th.

The next logical step would have been university. A degree in biochemistry and a lucrative career in Zone Alpha. But even after applying for every scholarship, tuition for the top school was still more than her father's salary.

She was seventeen when she began synthesizing street drugs.

Vander started simple. Common drugs. The kind anyone could cook up in their kitchen with a little bit of know-how. It only took a few months for her to make connections and become immersed in the city's night life. She went to clubs, made connections, earned a little extra coin, and earned enough extra coin to move out and buy a small apartment a few blocks away from her home. A year later, she found herself a business partner. Grey was twenty-five. He was charismatic. He knew the business, and had a well-established clientele base. Vander was soon working as a middleman for him.

Their relationship was short-lived, but passionate. Barely eighteen, Grey was the first and only man Vander ever became involved with. Two months into their affair, Grey introduced her to Lucid. The following week was filled with sex and drugs, after which Grey left Vander alone to her addiction.

In the past year, Vander has lost everything. Her savings account, previously full of hope for a college education, instead dwindled faster and faster as her habit became more and more difficult to sustain. She sold her small apartment, moving instead into an even tinier and more run-down studio apartment. She is now nineteen years old, and her body is wasting away. Her internal organs are slowly shutting down. When she isn't on the drug, the stomach cramps and migraine are unbearable. The rent hasn't been paid in two months, and an eviction notice will likely go up soon. Her drug stash is dwindling, quicker and quicker, and she has no income to replenish it. But even now, she still takes hits of Lucid.

<Other:/>
The prognosis for a casual Lucid user is four to five years, on the outside. Once an addiction is established, the body metabolizes the drug on a 48 hour cycle, after which withdrawal symptoms begin. Migraines, nausea, tremors, cold sweats, muscle cramps. The longer the habit is sustained, the more frequent the injections are required. Eventually, most victims can no longer financially sustain their addiction, and the withdrawal leads to death.

Vander's addiction is far from casual. She first encountered the drug a little over a year ago, and hit it hard. Today, her body craves the drug roughly every six to eight hours. Sleeping through the night without a dose is impossible. The drug's effects are less potent, and the withdrawals far worse, than when she first started. At best guess, she has a month or so before her body shuts down.

K-9 Mk. 1

Played by Ghost Shadow

((\\*//))

<Unit Identification:/> K-9 Mk. 1
<Preferred Designation:/> CERBERUS
<Gender:/> N/A - Male programming and identity
<Age:/> 3

<Occupation:/> N/A - Prototype Artificial Intelligence
<District:/> 4 (Created)

<Height:/> Three-and-a-half feet at the shoulder, and six-and-a-half feet in length
<Weight:/> 203.5lb

<Appearance:/>

Opening Sub-Folder: CERBERUS

Opening Sub-Folder: CERBERUS - Combat Mode

<Personality:/>
Gifted with an advanced intellect and artificial intelligence, Cerberus is considered one of the first "fully-sentient" machines ever to be created in New Ancora. With his advanced intelligence, Cerberus is capable of utilizing logic, reason, and independent thought, allowing him to solely complete many individual tasks that other machines would be unable to without human assistance.

Created with an AI system somewhat modeled after the human brain (thanks to New Ancora's own Katherine Saunders) Cerberus is capable of comprehending, or at least mimicking certain human emotions; such as curiosity, sarcasm, fondness, affinity, and learning capacity.

Cerberus often questions the need to fight, especially if it means killing; citing that he "lacks brutality." It is possible that this is a chosen trait by Cerberus, rather than a simple programming defect, as he is shown to posses compassion and concern for others, despite what he had said. This is partly why the K-9 Program was deemed a failure, as Cerberus lacked the drive or will to cause necessary casualties to complete missions.

Cerberus is incredibly well-educated in human psychology, philosophy, and history, having archived many Extranet sites on the topics. Though, despite his knowledge, Cerberus does not seem to fully comprehend certain figures of speech; such as metaphors, hyperboles, understatements, or similes.

Lastly, though he is a highly advanced synthetic, Cerberus's programming does grants him dog-like behavioral tendencies as well, such as a fondness for climbing on furniture, showing specific affinity towards a single human individual, acting in fright when someone steps on his tail, or simply lounging about when inactive, amongst other behavioral traits.

<Equipment:/>
Due to being built more for reconnaissance and scouting purposes, Cerberus lacks the heavy weaponry found in more front-line units. For range, Cerberus is equipped with a variety of spring-loaded high-frequency knives, superheated to the point they can sear through metal. For melee purposes, Cerberus' body is equipped with knife-like blades attached to the underside of each leg, blade-like claws, and sharp canine teeth that make him extremely deadly up-close. Lastly, Cerberus' tail can function as a weapon in itself, should the need call for it.

Combat aside, Cerberus is capable of picking up and playing various radio systems, and comes with an audio-playback feature that allows him to record and replay any audio he was currently present for.

<Biography:/>
To say Cerberus's creation was a secret is a disputable claim. For many years there have been rumors of the New Ancoran government beginning to prioritize the creation of fully-functioning, fully-sentient AI, though for many years these rumors remained only that. The K-9 Mk. 1 Unit was created 3 years ago to serve as a combat and reconnaissance unit aiding the New Ancoran Police Department and Bureau of Defense. By impermissibly using design schematics and neuro-AI software developed by Katherine Saunders, a science and robotics development team led by Doctors William Mars and Johann Clark proceeded with the construction of Cerberus, first implanting the software into a standard platform for training purposes.

Initially, Cerberus passed all expectations, not only displaying self-awareness, but a vast amount of intelligence and logical reasoning, as well as the ability to converse freely with the scientists when supplied with a vocabulator program. Transferred to its current, more advanced platform, Cerberus was then assigned basic training field work involving mock scenarios and scripts. However, issues began to spring up when Cerberus began questioning the need to take orders, the need to follow missions and kill whoever it (or "he" by its own designation) was ordered to. This caused a series of attempted revamps and memory wipes, though the science team soon discovered that Cerberus's own memory was as resilient as a human mind, and thus could not be erased so easily.

This caused Cerberus himself to become misanthropic and cynical in his views of humanity, being subject to their cruelty influenced by scientific discovery. Yet this all changed the day Cerberus was introduced to Dr. Mars's own teenage daughter, River, who suffered from chronic, debilitating depression. Dr. Mars felt it suitable that she have a companion, and dubbed Cerberus an informal therapy assistant.

Though initially finding the work demeaning, Cerberus soon grew close to River, a constant companion to talk about anything with. The two formed an incredibly close bond that went beyond simply human-and-machine. Cerberus believed that he was helping guide River back from the brink of depression and giving her hope again -- but even he could only do so much.

One fateful day, after one of their many visits, when River was preparing to leave for the evening, she gave Cerberus an incredibly heartfelt goodbye - as though she were going away for some time. Cerberus was perplexed but thought nothing of the matter, simply bidding her a "Good night." And an, "Again tomorrow." She said nothing, simply leaving with a tear rolling down her cheek.

That very next day, before the sun had even risen, Cerberus received the news that River Mars had committed suicide by overdose of medication late the night before.

Devastated, and with no one to blame, to hold responsible, Dr. Mars held Cerberus solely accountable for his daughter's suicide and, as punishment, began putting him through an intensive series of impossible scenarios, forcing him to constantly fail time after time after time until Cerberus believed himself to be a complete failure of the K-9 process.

Content that he had translated all his own self-loathing and hatred into Cerberus, Dr. Mars let the AI be, and resigned to drown in his own sorrow.

Cerberus remained active during this time, though never participated in any more tests or scenarios, instead being used to patrol the science facility by the remaining scientists there.

With no designated master and a free will, Cerberus, upon accessing his memory banks recalled mention of one 'Katherine Saunders' having been the one to create his AI unit. Deciding to go find her, Cerberus fled the science facility in search of her, leaving no trace behind as to his whereabouts.

<Other:/>
Due to Cerberus's AI being comparable to that of a human brain's, he is capable of suffering from the robot equivalent of dreams and 'nightmares', periods where his fondest and worst memories replay themselves rapidly while he's in a resting stand-by mode. During these times, he will typically go sit by himself to ponder for a few hours before attempting to enter standby mode once more. Cerberus also appears to hold the memory of River Mars close to him, and any mention of her will prompt a unique reaction from him, though he will never explain why.

It is our hope to once more bring this roleplay the three of us hold very dear to our hearts and get a good cast of characters but not only that, but a good few writers out there wanting to take a stab at this. Although it is a sandbox rp, there are a few main arcs my co-GMs and I have devised over the years to help keep the plot going rather than fizzle out as many sandbox rp's go. Other than that, have any questions? Got any interest? Let us know! We are here to help :)

[Dolerman]

Hi there, could I make a mechanic character for this?

[YoshiSkittlez]

@Dynamo Frokane I don't see why not...

[Dolerman]

@YoshiSkittlez okay cool, I am interested.

[FantasyChic]

Consider me interested. Very interested.

[YoshiSkittlez]

@FantasyChic great :) any idea what kind of character you'll want to drum up?

[Eirene]

Hello! This looks really interesting. I was thinking of creating a young, rookie cop character who received test-augmentations to see if it increased his/her performance in the field. However, though the augmentations did enhance their performance, it caused a bunch of *not quite thought out* side affects, both psychological and physical. Does this idea seem like a good fit for your RPG?

[Garden Gnome]

Wow this is really interesting and well put-together!
Maybe I'm missing something here, but in which direction is this RP going to be in?
Like everyone doing their own thing or working towards a common goal or objective per-say?

[Lord Wyron]

Well, as a sandbox roleplay, each character is effectively allowed to do whatever they want to. That being said, the GMs will be coordinating as puppet-masters setting up events, conflicts, and various plot-lines that will interlock and unite some characters together. For example, let's say Deon is fighting a cage match. Kate is Deon's cousin, Cerberus is looking for Kate. Given the seedy nature of Deon's location, a drug bust or some other event could occur, thus a law-enforcement or more morally inclined character could end up in the same location and potentially interact with multiple characters involved.

With involvement of the GMs and creativity of the writers involved, we're making this a sandbox with a plot!

[tatszico]

Very interested as well, though I'm not totally sure what type of character to play. Im digging the concept and setting though - hopefully I can be apart of your guys' little fun group!

[Gaebrael]

I am very interested.

[FantasyChic]

@YoshiSkittlez

I am unsure as of yet, I would need a free day to actually come up with something, but it being the weekend I am working a lot.

I was thinking of making a performer-type character. Like a singer. But I don't know anything else beyond that.

[YoshiSkittlez]

Well we have four open spots open right now so I'll say we won't officially start until the first four completed CS' have been posted here so it looks like you have some time.

[BrassOtter]

Hello, hello! Just a couple questions before I attempt to slap a character up.

What's the limitations on creating robots? Would the parts and materials for something simple like a bartending robot or security drone be open to the public? If Dynamo doesn't turn up with his mechanic, I'll very likely make a robotics expert that makes/repairs robots for a living... And dabbles in killing machines for side-cash, just don't tell his sister.

Speaking of his sister, that brings me to my second question; Is there a limit to the number of characters we can have? Was going to make a young man and his much younger sister, try to get a good dynamic going.

[YoshiSkittlez]

@BrassOtter Excellent questions. As far as robots for characters, it rather depends. This is a world where almost everyone has been augmented in one way or another; cybernetic limbs more common than not though that technology in itself is still new and developing (see 'Science and Tech'). So as long as those rules are followed, there is no limitations for characters that way.

However, if you are looking for a fully functional robot like GhostShadow's character... these boys are incredibly rare and would be only "working" in zone alpha uNader government law. Now my character, Katherine Saunders, is a robotech student and has made little bits to help her around the house, but these boys are limited to just your basic "android" and don't function enough to base an entire character off of.

Hope that makes sense.

Also, if you want to do a brother/sister duo I say go for it. It will only fill in one spot of the 4.

[BrassOtter]

Improper choice of words, I apologize. I meant what would be the limitations on having a character that creates robots. Stuff like bar-tending robots, security drones, etc. that the grimier parts of Beta might be interested in. My character would have a bit of augmentation centered around it, definitely, but I didn't mean to imply I'd be making a robot/cyborg character. I'll get to work and send something to you shortly.

[YoshiSkittlez]

@BrassOtter Ah, no worries. Well like I said, my character Kate does that for a living lol so I guess the only limitation here is be reasonable, if that makes sense? We don't need two completely socially awkward science geeks running around XD

[Mach2]

Boop! Gonna drop this here for now. Edited/rewrote Vander's bio. Your favourite addict is back, everyone.

Hider

Vander Pzypialkowski

<Nickname(s):/> N/A
<Gender:/> Female
<Age:/> 19 yrs, 10 months

<Occupation:/> Ex-student. Part-time dealer, full-time addict.
<District:/> 16

<Height:/> 5'10"
<Weight:/> 116 lbs

<Appearance:/>


At first glance, Vander is unhealthy. Thin, with bags under her eyes and a tired posture. But look a little closer, and you'll see just how sorry a state she's truly in. An addiction to Lucid has left her as a walking skeleton. Although she's tall, she weighs barely eight stone. She is skin, bone, and quickly-decaying muscle. Lucid has long since burned away any hint of fat on her body. Beneath her clothing, the ridges of her spine and collarbone stick out like mountains. She needs a belt to keep her too-large jeans from sliding off her bony hips.

But despite the sorry state of her body, Vander is young. And hidden in the face of an addict are small details hinting that, under different circumstances, she could have been attractive. She has strong cheekbones, shapely eyebrows, a charming smile and an even more charming laugh. Her eyes are dark, a brown so deep it appears nearly black, with wide pupils.

Vander was born and raised in Zone Beta, and it presents itself in her sense of style. Her clothes are worn-out grunge with a heavy punk flair. Black jeans are held up by a studded belt, and complimented by a small collection of raglan shirts with the logos of varying rock and punk bands. Her face is adorned with several piercings; a silver brow stud, a trail of cartilage piercings through each ear, and heavily gauged ears. She doesn't remember the night that she elected to shave the left side of her hair off. It was sometime around the formation of her Lucid habit, but she's chosen to maintain the style.

<Personality:/>
Despite a hardcore and edgy appearance, Vander is typically one of the sweetest people you'll come across. She's quiet and reserved, and avoids confrontation. She was homeschooled, and is still tremendously intelligent. She was sixteen when she took her graduate tests, and could have been accepted to any Zone Alpha university she chose. During her days as a dealer, she complimented her academic knowledge with a wealth of street smarts to get her through every negotiation she made. People liked Vander, and Vander liked people. Never once did she have a deal go sour.

In prior years, Vander has dabbled in a handful of street drugs. Cocaine gave her a bad high. Emotion tea was all right, but she never really got a feel for it. But Lucid. Lucid, she was hooked a week in, and the addiction has only intensified over time. She knows the drug will kill her, but she tries not to think about it. Because a Lucid addict dies one of two ways - overdose or withdrawal. And neither sounds pleasant.


<Biography:/>
Zone Beta has never been a great place to hail from. District 16, in particular, contains every variety of scum-of-the-Earth. But for Vander, it's home. It's always been home. She was born there, and raised by her father; Dominic Pzypialkowski. A Zone Beta resident who'd settled for a small trade school after failing acceptance to the engineering program at his school of choice. She never learned her mother's name. The woman vanished from her life a week after Vander was born, leaving custody to her father.

For her childhood, home was a corner-apartment on the seventh floor. For the price of rent, it was a nice place. Vander's bedroom window gave her a view straight down one of the busier intersections in Sixteen. At night, the street was bright with neon signage and alive with people. But Vander was far more likely to be found staring at the pages of one of her books than looking at the city's nightlife. From a young age, she was academically gifted. Her father, Dominic, wasn't an unintelligent man. He encouraged her, and homeschooled her himself for many years. But by the time she turned twelve, her knowledge far surpassed what he was capable of teaching, and he turned to private tutors from Zone Alpha.

The Pzypialkowskis never had a nice apartment. They never went out to the movies or sit-down restaurants. Vander's clothes, and her father's, came from thrift stores. But when it came to Vander's education, no expense was spared. And she loved every moment of it. Maths came easily to her. Science even more so. At the age of sixteen, she took her graduate tests and received her high school diploma. In chemistry and biology, her grades put her in the 99th percentile of all New Ancora residents. Overall, she was in the 97th.

The next step should have been obvious. A degree in biochemistry and a lucrative career in Zone Alpha. But Vander wanted the best school, and even if she applied for every scholarship available and drained the college fund her father had set up, the tuition was miles out of reach. So she took a gap year to earn some money.

Vander was seventeen when she entered the drug trade.

She started simple. Easy things. Common things. The kind that anyone could make, but no one wanted to get caught making. She kept it secret from her father, not that he would have suspected. To him, it would have been merely another random science project. It only took a few months for Vander to establish the connections she needed. She snuck into nightclubs, met people, sold a little, and made small money. Then she made more, and her income increased. Enough that she was able to move out and still be able to put money away for school. She took up residency in a small apartment only a few blocks from her home.

One year after she first dipped her toes in the water, she met her business partner. Grey was twenty-five. He was charismatic, he knew the business, and he had a well-established clientele base. And, he liked Vander. Or he said he did, at least. Before too long, they were working together. Vander's chemical knowledge and easygoing personality made her an ideal asset for him. She helped him refine his lab technique, producing higher and purer yields, and worked as a middleman for him. When they weren't doing business, they were lovers.

The relationship was short-lived, but undoubtedly passionate. Grey was the first and only man Vander ever became involved with. Two months after they met, he introduced her to Lucid. The following week was filled with plenty of drugs, incredible highs, and even more incredible sex. And then he was gone, and Vander was left alone to cope with an addiction to one of the deadliest substances in the city.

In the past year, Vander has lost everything. Her savings account, previously full of hope for a college education, instead dwindled faster and faster as her habit became more and more difficult to sustain. She traded in her small apartment for an even smaller studio flat. She is now nineteen years old, and her body is wasting away. Her organs are slowly shutting down. When she isn't on the drug, the stomach cramps and migraine are unbearable. The rent hasn't been paid in two months, and an eviction notice will likely go up soon. She hasn't spoken to her father in a year. But the state of her apartment, her relation with her dad, none of it matters. The only thing Vander is immediately worried about is the fact that her stash of Lucid is dangerously low, and she has no money to replenish it.

<Other:/>
More on Lucid:
Unquestionably, Lucid is considered one of the most dangerous recreational drugs in New Ancora. It is highly addictive, and withdrawals are frequently fatal. Once an addiction is established, the human body metabolizes the drug on a 48 hour cycle. The longer the drug habit is sustained, the more frequently injections are required. Eventually, most deaths come in one of two ways. A miscalculation results in an overdose, or an inability to financially sustain the addiction leads to fatal withdrawal.

Lucid is a mind-altering drug, capable of profoundly increasing sensory perception and mental capacities. Physical symptoms of withdrawal include body aches, tremors, perspiration, and migraines. Psychologically, withdrawal results in the world appearing 'dull' or 'fuzzy', and concentrating on a given task becomes difficult. Long-term usage results in increased metabolism, muscle atrophy, and eventual total organ failure. The prognosis for a casual user is four to five years, on the outside.

Vander's addiction is far from casual. She first encountered the drug a little over a year ago, and hit it hard. Today, her body craves the drug roughly every six hours. Sleeping through the night without a dose is impossible. The drug's effects are less potent, and the withdrawals far worse, than when she first started. At best guess, she has roughly a month before her body shuts down.

[Lord Wyron]

Alright, got a few edits made and here's Cerberus' finished product!

CERBERUS

K-9 Mk. 1 // CERBERUS

((\\*//))

"I have established new parameters now - created my own directives."

<Unit Identification:/> K-9 Mk. 1
<Preferred Designation:/> CERBERUS
<Gender:/> N/A - Male programming and identity
<Age:/> 3

<Occupation:/> N/A - Prototype Artificial Intelligence
<District:/> 4 (Created)

<Height:/> Three-and-a-half feet at the shoulder, and five-and-a-half feet in length.
<Weight:/> 214lbs

<Appearance:/>

Opening Sub-Folder: CERBERUS

Opening Sub-Folder: CERBERUS - Combat Mode

Opening Sub-Folder: CERBERUS - Standard Platform

<Personality:/>
Gifted with an advanced intellect and artificial intelligence, Cerberus is considered one of the first "fully-sentient" machines ever to be created in New Ancora. With his advanced intelligence, Cerberus is capable of utilizing logic, reason, and independent thought, allowing him to solely complete many individual tasks that other machines would be unable to without human assistance.

Created with an AI system somewhat modeled after the human brain (thanks to New Ancora's own Katherine Saunders) Cerberus is capable of comprehending, or at least mimicking certain human emotions; such as curiosity, sarcasm, fondness, affinity, and learning capacity. Whether these emotions are genuine or superficially expressed remains to be seen.

Cerberus often questions the need to fight, especially if it means killing; citing that he "lacks brutality." It is possible that this is a chosen trait by Cerberus, rather than a simple programming defect, as he is shown to posses compassion and concern for others, despite his artificial nature. This is partly why the K-9 Program was deemed a failure, as Cerberus lacked the drive or will to cause necessary casualties to complete missions.

Despite his mild nature, however, Cerberus is highly protective of those he deems under his care; and has no qualms in assaulting or even killing those who pose a threat to his charges.

Cerberus is incredibly well-educated in human psychology, philosophy, and history, having archived many Extranet sites on the topics. Though, despite his knowledge, Cerberus does not seem to fully comprehend certain figures of speech; such as metaphors, hyperboles, understatements, or similes.

Cerberus seems to possess a certain amount of wit as well, with a fondness for thinly-veiled sarcasm. That said, on occasion jokes will fly completely over Cerberus' head, and he will take the thesis of such jokes literally.

Lastly, though he is a highly advanced synthetic, Cerberus's programming does grants him dog-like behavioral tendencies as well, such as a fondness for climbing on furniture, showing specific affinity towards a single human individual, wagging his tail when pleased, or simply lounging about when inactive, amongst other behavioral traits.

<Equipment:/>
Due to being built more for reconnaissance and scouting purposes, Cerberus lacks the heavy weaponry found in more front-line units. For range, Cerberus is equipped with a variety of spring-loaded high-frequency knives, superheated to the point they can sear through metal. For melee purposes, Cerberus' body is equipped with knife-like blades attached to the underside of each leg, blade-like claws, and sharp canine teeth that make him extremely deadly up-close.

Combat aside, Cerberus is equipped with a built-in stealth camouflage unit. When activated, the unit will bend light waves around Cerberus' frame, rendering him virtually invisible. Likewise, he is capable of picking up and playing various radio systems, and comes with an audio-playback feature that allows him to record and replay any audio he was currently present for.

<Combat Schematics:/>

RESTRICTED INFORMATION: O-3 Security Clearance or above required for further viewing. You have been warned.

Though lacking in effective ranged weaponry, the K-9 Mk. 1's canine design makes it incredibly dangerous up-close; capable of overpowering all but the most heavily-augmented of humans in close combat. It's powerful jaws are capable of exerting a pressure of over 2,000psi, allowing it to break bones open with incredible ease. It's legs are powerful enough to impact stone, and allow the unit to reach incredible jumping heights. The Mk. 1's sleek platform design and coordinated frame allow it to reach and maintain speeds of {up to} 50mph, while advanced hardware allows it to effectively maneuver its platform while at such high velocities.

The Mk. 1's 'tail' is a fully-functional manipulator arm, with the three flexible prongs at the end serving as 'fingers.' This tail is typically used for manipulation of the Mk. 1's high-frequency knives or interaction with its immediate environment. However, the tail can also function as an effective weapon if desired, capable of puncturing through human flesh and muscle.

The Mk. 1's most dangerous weapon, however, is its mind. Equipped with a constantly-learning, constantly-adapting neuro-AI network, the Mk. 1 is adaptable, resourceful, and tactical. Processing information at an inhuman speed, the Mk. 1 can adapt seamlessly to various scenarios, with 'surprise' being a general rarity. In countless mock scenarios and VR simulations, the Mk. 1 has exceeded all expectations in independent reasoning and strategy. Nevertheless, the Mk. 1 is not perfect, and can suffer from shortcomings in its processors that mimic that of human error. This should not be a deciding factor in its efficacy, however, and the science team regards the unit with the utmost pride and confidence.

--Dr. Johann Clark, co-Head of the District 4 Science Team.

<Biography:/>
To say Cerberus's creation was a secret is a disputable claim. For many years there have been rumors of the New Ancoran government beginning to prioritize the creation of fully-functioning, fully-sentient AI, though for many years these rumors remained only that. The K-9 Mk. 1 Unit was created 3 years ago to serve as a combat and reconnaissance unit aiding the New Ancoran Police Department and Bureau of Defense. By impermissibly using design schematics and neuro-AI software developed by Katherine Saunders, a science and robotics development team led by Doctors William Mars and Johann Clark proceeded with the construction of Cerberus, first implanting the software into a standard platform for training purposes.

Initially, Cerberus exceeded all expectations, not only displaying self-awareness, but a vast amount of intelligence and logical reasoning, as well as the ability to converse freely with the scientists when supplied with a vocabulator program. Transferred to its current, more advanced platform, Cerberus was then assigned basic training field work involving mock scenarios and scripts. However, issues began to spring up when Cerberus began questioning the need to take orders, the need to follow missions and kill whoever it (or "he" by its own designation) was ordered to. This caused a series of attempted revamps and memory wipes, though the science team soon discovered that Cerberus' own memory was as resilient as a human mind, and thus could not be erased so easily.

This caused Cerberus himself to become misanthropic and cynical in his views of humanity, being subject to their cruelty influenced by scientific discovery. Yet this all changed the day Cerberus was introduced to Dr. Mars's own teenage daughter, River, who suffered from chronic, debilitating depression. Dr. Mars felt it suitable that she have a companion, and dubbed Cerberus an informal therapy assistant while the rest of the team attempted to rectify his pacifistic nature.

Though initially finding the work demeaning, Cerberus soon grew close to River, who saw him as a close companion and friend. The two formed an incredibly close bond that went beyond simply human-and-machine. Cerberus believed that he was helping guide River back from the brink of depression and giving her hope again -- but even he could only do so much.

One fateful day, after one of their many visits, when River was preparing to leave for the evening, she gave Cerberus an incredibly heartfelt goodbye - as though she were going away for some time. Cerberus was perplexed but thought nothing of the matter, simply bidding her a "Good night." And an, "Again tomorrow." She said nothing, simply leaving with a tear rolling down her cheek.

That very next day, before the sun had even risen, Cerberus received the news that River Mars had committed suicide by overdose of medication late the night before.

Devastated, and with no one to blame or hold responsible, Dr. Mars held Cerberus solely accountable for his daughter's suicide and, as punishment, began putting him through an intensive series of impossible scenarios, forcing him to constantly fail time after time after time until Cerberus believed himself to be a complete failure of the K-9 process.

Content that he had translated all his own self-loathing and hatred into Cerberus, Dr. Mars let the AI be, and resigned to drown in his own sorrow.

Cerberus remained active during this time, though never participated in any more tests or scenarios, instead being used to patrol the science facility by the remaining scientists there.

With no designated master and a free will, Cerberus, upon accessing his memory banks recalled mention of one 'Katherine Saunders' having been the one to create his AI unit. Deciding to go find her, Cerberus fled the science facility in search of her, leaving no trace behind as to his whereabouts.

<Other:/>

• Cerberus Voice Sample {Standard Platform Used}
• Due to Cerberus's AI being comparable to that of a human brain's, he is capable of suffering from the robot equivalent of dreams and 'nightmares', periods where his fondest and worst memories replay themselves rapidly while he's in a resting stand-by mode. During these times, he will typically go sit by himself to ponder for a few hours before attempting to enter standby mode once more.
• Cerberus appears to hold the memory of River Mars close to him, and any mention of her will prompt a unique reaction from him, though he will never explain why.