SilverDingo
The King of Lost Carcosa
THE YEAR IS 2117
For the average person, the 2110's are not a great time to live
Towards the end of the 21st century, resources became scarce. Oil wells began drying up, droughts and dust storms began plaguing once fertile breadbaskets, the sea levels rose, a major economic depression hit, and the human population hit a critical mass. This culminated in the Kashmir War. A brief conflict in which India, China, and Pakistan, each seeking to expand their territory, engaged each other in the Kashmir region. This ended with the Scouring of Shanghai, where a group of spies detonated a nuclear device in the city's economic center, killing sixteen million people.
Then there was the Scarlet Blight, a disease primarily affecting corn, which proceeded to kill off half the corn planted in the world. This had a ripple effect, as corn is the most widely produced staple crop. Not only could people not eat, but neither could animals, causing a large famine. Toxic dust choked the air from the nuclear detonations and mass crop burnings. Cities became overcrowded, while rural areas fell to the wayside, becoming desolate and barren.
But, it's not all bad. Due to the worsening state of the world and increased militarization across all nations, new technologies were developed. Genetic engineering became a common trend, especially among the wealthy and government agencies. Alongside this, technological implants were developed not only for the disabled, but also as an everyday device. Now you could have a blonde child with a pair of robotic eyes if you really wanted that. Both nuclear and renewable energy also became the standards with the lack of oil. While oil still exists, it's a precious and heavily guarded resource now. Most of the remaining cities are powered by Tidal or nuclear energies, with some large solar plants in deserts and plains. Antarctica is also home to several thriving cities, so that's pretty cool.
The most important of these technologies were designed for military use. During the Kashmir War, China developed a mecha for use in the mountainous terrain of the region, which was then used in urban combat and cleanup following the Scouring of Shanghai. These mecha were more maneuverable than tanks in hard terrain, allowing them to carry things and move swiftly when attached with rockets. They could also be operated by a single person compared to a team that ran a tank crew. Soon, other groups took notice and began developing similar designs, with a final modular design, deemed Cataphracts, becoming an agreed-upon standard.
Cataphracts were 25 foot tall mechs that could be outfitted with all kinds of equipment from railguns to rocket launchers to surveying equipment. Soon, Cataphract Corps became a standard military unit, usually working as a vanguard or entire form of combat, outclassing tanks. Knights, as their pilots came to be called, were soon genetically enhanced to have faster reflexes, reaction times, and strength in order to serve their superiors better.
Enter the Corporations
As resources became scarce, corporations from the early twenty first century began to scramble for the remaining resources. Amazon, Lockheed-Martin, Microsoft; they all rushed to grab a piece of the pie to save their own asses as the world came tumbling down. However, it wasn't enough, and in the 2080's, many of them collapsed due to infighting between board members, which soon lead to an international economic collapse. This economic collapse coincided with the breakdown in trust of most major world governments. Lack of accountability as well as ability to support their populations lead to massive dissatisfaction amongst the populace, leading to riots, civil unrest, and secession. As a result of the fall of the old world, new entities began to rise from the ashes, capitalizing on the power gap.
The new corporations took up positions as helpers, establishing order. Sure, governments still exist, but they’re no longer the institutions they once were. No, the corporations hold the real power, with their resources and wealth.
Currently, six corporations and their subsidiaries dominate the world markets, though, many others exist.
Regulus:
"Reaching for the Stars"
An American corporation primarily made up out of the remnants of Lockheed-Martin and Boeing, and thus primarily focused on the aerospace and defense industries. Also heavily involved in energy production.
Atlas & Kaiser GmbH:
"Protecting What Means Most"
A German arms manufacturer that also manufactures vehicles. Also runs a security firm.
Sanxing Systems:
"Serving Your World."
A Taiwan-based corporation that manufactures computers, autonomous drones, and medical technology for consumer and military use.
Amaterasu Group:
"Here for you"
Amaterasu is a Tokyo-based conglomerate, and thus has several divisions, but its largest divisions are its logistics division and its biotechnology division, both of which produce billions of dollars in revenue for the company.
Adelaide-Trask:
"Saving for Tomorrow, Today"
Originally a bank and Investment firm, the London-based Adelaide-Trask has since expanded, and is widely considered to be the most "white collar" of the corporations. Its umbrella includes consulting, investment, and entertainment.
Ilmarinen Heavy Industries:
"Building the Future"
A Joint Finnish-Swedish group named for the Smith from the Kalevala. Primarily involved in manufacturing of heavy arms and construction.
You, however, are not the average person:
Specially bred and genetically altered for combat, you are pilots for Cerberus, an international mercenary company dedicated to the use of Mecha for combat. You are a member of Combat Group 371-5, "Constellation," a crew of five and their handler. You are effectively owned by Cerberus and whoever else holds your current contract.
If you can't tell, this RP will be heavily influenced by Armored Core, specifically For Answer and Fires of Rubicon. However, it will also take influence from Ace Combat and Project Wingman. The players are soldiers genetically altered to be mech pilots and serve the interests of a mercenary corporation as megacorporate entities fight for control over the remains of the world and the small pieces of outer space.
However, mech combat won't be the only thing we do. I also have plans for briefings, social situations, and some other surprises.
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