Windsock
Two Thousand Club
It is the year 2617, and the planet Earth is on the road to recovery. Four hundred years earlier, Mankind committed its own mass suicide by bombarding itself with weapons of mass destruction. Remnants of mankind took refuge underground, in vast buried cities, 'Burrows', that were built just in time by Megacorporations. These same Megacorporations, now known as the 'Ruling Companies', absorbed the governments of old, and now control the world with an iron fist.
The surface, over the course of four centuries, now begins to slowly heal. Lush forests grow in deserted dunes, and urban sprawl is consumed by shrubbery and life. Concrete makes way for new lakes as the surface, vastly changed by the war, is in the process of being re-mapped by Corporate scouting parties.
Mankind has not changed, however. These Megacorporations face the same temptations as the nationalities they replaced centuries ago. Hunger for resources, strength, respect, and control fan the flames of new wars, as skirmishes turn to brawls, and brawls turn into vicious battles over territory, money, and prestige.
The greatest heroes and villains of these wars are the ones who pilot the greatest tools of these wars; the Neural Combatants. These semi-humanoid weapons, towering mechanical constructs, are each built expressly for the rare few with the special psychic traits required to pilot them. Coming from all walks of life, these Elites of the Elites, called anything from Pluggers, to Pilots, to MAVERICK's, are the shining faces and absurd farces of the parties they represent.
The Ruling Companies can agree on two things; the Inter-Corporate Dollar, and the maintenance of a special world-wide organization, MAVERICK, to monitor and manage these special individuals. Acting as a variety of institutions, MAVERICK locates, trains, monitors, assists, and provides work to these unique individuals. Pluggers are given a basic, starting frame to start their work, taught at special MAVERICK academies to hone their craft, and then given a choice when they officially graduate from trainee to rookie;
They can either stay unaffiliated, and work as a mercenary under MAVERICK itself, or they can leave and join one of the Corporations directly. Of course, much like any other choice, there's always the third option of going renegade, but that's a dangerous path for the reckless.
We follow the path of the first Inter-Corporate World War, the greatest war after the great destruction. Tensions boil as the Corporations finally stake all of the unclaimed zones, and the only path to more power is to take it from others. Fear and greed rule the day, and humanity begs for a third choice between total war and uneasy peace.
This story is enframed in the life of our "Hero", a fresh young recruit who has very recently graduated from a MAVERICK academy. The date dawns where he has to make a choice of who he serves; Nobody, somebody he'll never know, or, only himself.
Chapter Zero: Who Am I?
05:59 HOURS
JANUARY 14th, 2617
MAVERICK PILOT HOUSING FACILITY #108
SOMEWHERE IN THE 'OLD ALASKA' AREA
JANUARY 14th, 2617
MAVERICK PILOT HOUSING FACILITY #108
SOMEWHERE IN THE 'OLD ALASKA' AREA
It was a cold and snowy day, and all was silent. Barely awake, a young man sat collapsed on the bed, lurching forwards, and awaiting the sound of the alarm. Seconds started to resemble hours as the clock on the wall ticked and ticked.
He was a MAVERICK, or a Pilot, or a Plugger. A very important individual, any way you could put it. He graduated from his training just a week before, and he was essentially waiting for his paperwork to get finished, and was granted a brief respite from everything.
He was living in a quiet building, somewhere cold and dark in what was once Alaska. Built into a mountain, the facility was near the tip and was essentially a highly secret, private condo of some sort. A couple of his class-mates were technically in the building, but it was built big enough that they never actually needed to see each-other if they didn't want to.
The living space was built fairly utilitarian, and was a ten minute jog's away from a small base, also MAVERICK related. The base was a fairly tiny airfield that supported little propeller planes, and was essentially the only way in or out.
It was a pretty nice place to live, really. Very quiet. Of course, our hero was about to get kicked out.
The clock chimed, and it was finally six in the morning.
A little electronic by his night-stand beeped as well, and its screen bid him Good Morning, Sir!. It was a little PDA, communicator thing that every pilot that went through a MAVERICK academy had. It was about time he changed its default name to his own.
What should he put in?
Option 1. Write it in.
(First come, first serve)
I think it's important for a quest to have its rules in the very first post. As such, I'll explain the rules and how this'll work here.
Quests are a 'choose-your-own-adventure' style RP, where everybody responding to the thread controls one character's journey, by voting on what they do after the OP posts. In this quest, we control the character described previously in this post, the one you guys will name.
This quest will only use this one thread (at least for now), and this thread will be both for the quest itself and discussions related to it. Each post made by myself in this thread will be divided into the 'In character' content (the actual story so far) when applicable, then comments, such as this section of this post.
In between the story section and the commentary section will be a vote section. That section will describe your options and the type of vote it will be. In this case, the first one to vote on this issue will be the winner.
When we use a numbers-based vote, a maximum waiting period will be detailed, and/or a 'land-slide' number. If at least that many people vote for the same thing before the time is up, whatever they voted for will automatically be picked.
Feel free to discuss your displeasure at these rules in this thread, or, preferably, at me personally on my profile page.
Peace out, MAVERICKs.
He was a MAVERICK, or a Pilot, or a Plugger. A very important individual, any way you could put it. He graduated from his training just a week before, and he was essentially waiting for his paperwork to get finished, and was granted a brief respite from everything.
He was living in a quiet building, somewhere cold and dark in what was once Alaska. Built into a mountain, the facility was near the tip and was essentially a highly secret, private condo of some sort. A couple of his class-mates were technically in the building, but it was built big enough that they never actually needed to see each-other if they didn't want to.
The living space was built fairly utilitarian, and was a ten minute jog's away from a small base, also MAVERICK related. The base was a fairly tiny airfield that supported little propeller planes, and was essentially the only way in or out.
It was a pretty nice place to live, really. Very quiet. Of course, our hero was about to get kicked out.
The clock chimed, and it was finally six in the morning.
A little electronic by his night-stand beeped as well, and its screen bid him Good Morning, Sir!. It was a little PDA, communicator thing that every pilot that went through a MAVERICK academy had. It was about time he changed its default name to his own.
What should he put in?
Option 1. Write it in.
(First come, first serve)
I think it's important for a quest to have its rules in the very first post. As such, I'll explain the rules and how this'll work here.
Quests are a 'choose-your-own-adventure' style RP, where everybody responding to the thread controls one character's journey, by voting on what they do after the OP posts. In this quest, we control the character described previously in this post, the one you guys will name.
This quest will only use this one thread (at least for now), and this thread will be both for the quest itself and discussions related to it. Each post made by myself in this thread will be divided into the 'In character' content (the actual story so far) when applicable, then comments, such as this section of this post.
In between the story section and the commentary section will be a vote section. That section will describe your options and the type of vote it will be. In this case, the first one to vote on this issue will be the winner.
When we use a numbers-based vote, a maximum waiting period will be detailed, and/or a 'land-slide' number. If at least that many people vote for the same thing before the time is up, whatever they voted for will automatically be picked.
Feel free to discuss your displeasure at these rules in this thread, or, preferably, at me personally on my profile page.
Peace out, MAVERICKs.
