(no subject)

[bobbysocks]

The Cyberpunk AU Meme 3.0 [OPEN BETA]

Welcome to the future. Please abandon all hopes and dreams after this point, for the very definition of the term cyberpunk is "high tech, low life". The idea behind cyberpunk comes from the thought that as technology advances, so broadens the gap between social status, where becoming middle class is an achievement and anyone wanting to become anything higher suffers from pipe dreams. This life is pain, where the only person you can really trust is yourself.


These are worlds defined by poverty or absolute control, where the net is your only escape from the troubles of the world. Cyborgs, meta-humans, AI, and corporations with undisputed power are what's being served out here. Do you have what it takes to survive?

To get started, you can create a scenario for yourself, or merely go to the Random Number Generator and choose a pre-made one for you and your partner, or you can even leave your comment blank and let respondents pick.


Possible roles
>The office drone: You're no one special. Day in and day out, you punch into work. You're unaware, or at least uncaring, of how shitty life around you is because at least the fistful of dollars you get keeps you from being on the streets.
>Deprogrammed: Similar to above, but a set of circumstances has made you realize just how blind you are. You don't have the savvy others may have but you have the determination to see your goals out until the bitter end. Or at least until your enemies make you a better offer.
>The muscle: You have a specific set of skills that are in high demand. Be it assassin or head-basher, you're rarely out of a job.
>Tech support: You have a way with computers that would make ABC agencies cry. Big people rely on you while even bigger ones are trying to get their hands on you.
>The talking head: Your district, your city, or your country knows you well. You're the face of propaganda, and boy, can you weave it! You're kept comfortable by the masters that feed you, though the days may be difficult as you see more and more injustices enacted.
>The Street tough: You're the lowest of the low. Life has given up on you, though you keep fighting on. You're the dealer, the gangster, the informant, the thief, and more. You know all the short cuts and the best ways to cause a stir.
>The fish out of water: Through experimentation, creation, or other factors, you've found yourself in this brave new world with no support to lean on. You need to understand the way things are if you're to survive long.
>The Hard-luck hero: Can be any of the above, though circumstance or sheer force of will has kept you from straying away from doing what's right.
>The Antagonist: Board member of a mega-corporation? G-Man with the need to stay in Power? Religious fanatic with an extremist bent? The background matters not. What does matter is that if you aren't the problem, you certainly benefit from perpetuating it.

There are so many more possible roles, so don't let this list limit you! If you think it could fit, play it out!

Prompts
>Deep Throat: One (or both) of you have managed to stumble across information that could change the way the world around you works. This could make or break the two of you, if you know how to handle the consequences of your following actions.

>The Hook Up: In the real world, people wouldn't waste their spit on scum like you. But in the net? You're a god, peddling information and resources better than Wal-Mart. Just be careful who you talk to. Not everyone thinks what you do is a good thing.

>Take a Stand:The corporations, the government, the gangs, the machines. It doesn't matter who it is, but you're tired of their interference in your life. Are the two of you ready to take them on?

>Thorns In My Side: You're the king or queen of your private enterprise. You have it all: A private army, AIs capable of placating the masses, connections even better than the government, and a demeanor that could charm Satan himself. However, there's still that little nuisance known as the underdog, and they're knocking at your door.

>What You Need is a Gramme...: You just got that newest drug shipment in, and it promises to be the biggest trip in your life. It promises to make you stronger, faster, smarter, and sexier, all in one hit. The only thing left is to try it.

>The Patchwork Man: People are disappearing, and no one seems to notice or care, except you and your partner. The only thing? They're also your worst enemy.

>Escape From...: You've just been kidnapped, and unfortunately, your partner's the kidnapper. What's their motive? Can you escape?

>Voight-Kampff: Your job is to track down and 'retire' human-like bioengineered androids who have gone rogue. Sounds simple enough, right? Not when your targets are as intelligent as any human, or more. Not only that, they are stronger, almost indistinguishable from humans in appearance. So much so it's possible one could be one and not realize it...

>Be More Human: You're a cop, a gumshoe or someone else dealing with law enforcement, a dangerous job to do alone. Good thing you have a partner, right? Only one problem, they're an android. Robots who can think and feel are a thing now, and what's more, some are starting to think they should have all the rights humans have. Whether you agree or not, you two are stuck together.

>FUCK Society: As the internet grows more advanced, so does inter-connectivity to the point whole cities are now monitored by powerful operating systems that govern all aspects of city life. You are a hacker that is out to fight the megacorps, while seeking revenge against the criminal element.

>This is the Construct: You're not just a cog in the machine, you are literally inside the machine itself, either raised from birth or a visitor (willing or unwilling) to this digital realm. Can you bend reality to your will as a User, maybe even The One, or are you a Program of the system, out to help or hinder the hero's mission? What are you supposed to do? Survive.

Comments

Asuka Langley Soryu | Neon Genesis Evangelion

[redheadcarrier]

[ Probably works best as "fish out of water", "hard luck hero", or antagonist, honestly. Happy to do whatever! ]

Vish | OC

[hellpup]

[Voicetesting!

Probably something along the lines of one of those street punks who seems to know everything about everyone. Trades information so he can spend his money and time locked in a virtual reality world.]

Hero Robot "No. 2" | Electroma

[electrauma]

( #2's role can just be a music bot or even being a fish out of water as a robot who may not be as "human like" as the majority. Maybe he struggles to continue to survive after #1's self-termination and needs someone's help? Multiple scenarios can work here. I'm more than happy to play things out! If there's a #1 out there... )

Techie | Dredd | OTA

[clan_techie]

[Some may remember him as one of the youngest members of the group -or Clan- of techs that kept things running around Peach Trees.
More will remember him as the voice of Peach Trees information under the reign of Ma Ma Madrigal and her clan.
But these days most people will know him just as the nervous young man with the augmented eyes, the one who has all the information, for the right price.
(Totally open to whatever sort of plot, if you just need to know something that's great, but getting him sucked into something over his head again is also great!)]

Margo + The Magicians + OTA

[high_king_bambi]

[She's got her own channel, she always has had, one of the pretty talking heads that the government employs to keep the people watching and happy -but not too happy- and entertained and more importantly, consumers. There's always a new beauty product or a new gadget that her followers just have to have, because she has it.
But as much as she likes the accolades and the adoration, she actually wants what's best for her fans, and that's the kind of thing that gets a star cancelled.
(Down for someone trying to rescue her before she can be cancelled, or her falling in with some anti-government group and passing along information, hell, we can even throw in a 'magic is real' aspect because why the heck not?)]

The Mage + King Arthur: LotS + OTA

[animage]

[She's some kind of wizard when it comes to virtual pets or playrooms, they seem more real than reality.
It's probably best not to cross her, however, because the Veldt may be more than just a cautionary tale.]

Shiny | Fabulous Killjoys OC | OTA

[twice_as_shiny]

[She lives in the wasteland or the ruins or whatever the local city calls the uninhabited zones outside of the city's protection. She lives on the very edge of what's actually habitable and she might in fact be crazy.
But better crazy than bl/IND being a good little drone under the city's control. But if someone needs a rescue, a detox, or a getaway driver for a raid, she'll be there.
(Down for something semi-canonical or just whatever kind of futuristic dystopia your particular setting is)]

Eliot Spencer | Leverage | OTA

[90minutesofsleep]

[It's no Ratz's Tavern, but Eliot's food truck is pretty well known, and not just because of Eliot himself -though that's part of it- and not just because both of his assistants are attractive -though that's part of it- but because he's got a reputation for a damn fine grilled cheese, and for being able to help with any problem.]

Leia Organa | Star Wars | OTA

[vadersotherheir]

[Sure, she's a member of the city/country government, but she's been planning to take this thing down since she was in her teens. She's actually fostered two generations of rabble-rousers and troublemakers and with the new government being taken down by outside forces, now is the time.
Also available in OG trilogy flavor.]

Hi, Mom?

[forcefullyawkward]

It was the time.

But where on earth was her own rabble-rouser and troublemaker? He was supposed to be hacking into the database with his stolen First Order credentials. He was supposed to be cracking and corrupting the code that kept the troopers up and running. There were men on the ground waiting to move in at a moment's notice.

This is what her brother Luke had been training him for. Luke had a gift for neural interface technology, and so did Ben. But a brain hard-wired for neuromodulation came with its own set of vulnerabilities.

They called it 'dark side.’ All it takes is one hit and nothing matters. All of your problems and worries just fade to black. It’s dangerous and highly addictive - the perfect weapon to take out one of the Resistance’s key operatives without even lifting a finger... Ben’s been dabbling in it. This isn’t a rumor. The others have proof.

Whatever is a mother and rebel to do?

[vadersotherheir]

What most people didn't know was that Leia herself had experience with the stuff. Granted, it had been some thirty years earlier before it was as refined, and as addictive as it was now, and had been called 'sith' at the time, but she was familiar with how it worked.

In her case, that early experimentation had been an attempt to catch up, because despite being twins, she and Luke weren't wired the same, and she'd wanted to understand his ability with the neural interfaces, at least until she came to realize that she could do with people what Luke could do with machines, that people wanted to follow her, that they believed in her even when she wasn't fully sure she believed in herself, something that was all too common in those early days.

But for now, all she can do -not wanting to scare him into rabbiting off somewhere- was to send Ben a ping. The message was short -she didn't have much time between briefings- but warm, "Almost zero hour, kiddo, you ready to go?"

[forcefullyawkward]

The appeal of those chemicals was something that never resonated with Luke - not back when Sith had just started to flood the underground markets and not now during the rise of its synthetic successor. It was something that he felt clouded the mind more than it helped. Which made him all the more concerned that his nephew was actively seeking out the stuff. The last time he tried bringing it up with Ben, the boy got violent. A good part of the network went down.

If he was missing now, that was exactly where he was and what he was doing.

At first, there was no reply to Leia’s ping. But after a few uneasy minutes, one came complete with a petulant-sounding grunt. “Right now?! Are you kriffing serious?!”

OS1 + Her + OTA

[os1]

[It's an operating system, a virtual personal assistant and it comes in a variety of personalities.
But it might also be a ghost in the machine, showing up to answer hotline calls, or as a game sprite with no player or any number of places that a rogue AI might end up.]

Pepper | MCU | OTA

[indeediam]

[Officially she's the CEO of Stark Industries, former weapons manufacturer turned into green energy supplier.
Secretly, however, she's Rescue, getting power, supplies and yes, even weapons, to those in need, thwarting corruption more directly from behind a mask than she can from across a board room table (though that's still a good amount)]

Shuri | MCU | OTA

[memetic_princess]

[Shuri is a member of The Outreach, a group of mostly young, mostly well-to-do individuals who are slowly but surely building a little utopia for themselves, one that they hope to make sustainable before they spread it to the general populace.
Of course, they're always looking for new members, and new residents, and there are ways to contact her, if one knows where to look and who to ask...
(also down for general hacker shenanigans, I'll roll with most things.)]

Sam(antha) Flynn | Tron: Legacy | OTA

[wasmarvsidea]

[As the daughter of a world-changing programmer, and the CEO and majority shareholder of her father's company, it should be no surprise to any that she's nearly as much of a recluse as her old man in both the real world and the virtual world.
Some people think she died, years ago, probably some kind of motorcycle accident, or just a power surge to her VR console, but other people know she's out there, doing good deeds and fucking with the status quo.]

Gabreel King | OC | OTA

[malecompanion]

[In a world where everyone is jacked-in 24/7, actual human contact is something of a commodity, one that Companions, like Gabreel, provide.
Also possibly a companion-bot that grows feelings, I'm good with either.]

Shay | Uglies series | OTA

[1st_cutter]

[Shay is the leader of the Cutters, are they rebels? Deep web hitmen? Just some street toughs? WHO EVEN KNOWS!
(by which I mean I'm down for whatever, come at me)]

Bobby Singer | Supernatural | OTA

[unclebobby]

[Bobby is one of the Lo-Teks, literally living off the grid by way of being an urban scavenger, living in service tunnels, abandoned buildings and the like, he's old enough to remember a time before all this though, and knows that it'll all come down again, even the walls of Jericho fell.]

Lup | TAZ: Balance | OTA

[litchy_lulu]

[Some combination of Tech Support and Muscle, she's the kind of system security that goes through making sure there's no recent unauthorized or illegal-type activity on long-deactivated accounts of whatever sort, and if there is, she's the one who rains fire on the perpetrators, sometimes literally.]

Nim | Modern King Arthur | OTA

[lakelesslady]

[Tech Support to the extreme, this kid was raised both on and by the system, she knows her way around it and through it all like a fish through water, and she uses it all to her own advantage. She's definitely built up a little empire for herself, or at least a little patch to call her own and while her services are entirely legitimate on the surface, there's always something going on beneath...]

Klaus | Umbrella Academy | OTA

[ouiking_ouija]

[Perpetual fish out of water. He came from a wealthy family, built on technological and scientific advances, the kind of family that there were always rumors about of varying degrees. He fell out of the public eye sometime in his early twenties, of course there's rumors about that too, that he died, that he's been in rehab, that he's started a cult, any one of these things might be true.]

Einar + Inception OC + OTA

[uncle_einar]

[Antagonist, of a sort. Einar is a man that sells dreams. Bespoke, exquisitely-crafted VR simulations of a usually -but not always- particularly violent nature.
You see, Einar sells murder. Or, rather, the simulation of murder, beautifully rendered, and well-enough displayed that he probably has at least a few bodies in a basement somewhere. But of course, this isn't the sort of thing someone can just order from a catalog, but there are always ways to track someone of his talents down.]

Alvis | Killjoys | OTA

[the_penitent]

[Alvis is a member of the Akari priesthood, one of many strange little sects that sprung up as technology and understanding of the natural world advanced. The Akari believe that trees are the root of all life in the universe.

One of the oddities of their order is that they believe that their pain can bring others absolution, ritual scarification is not uncommon, and they are often derisively referred to as 'scarbacks'. It is polite to refer to them as 'aunt' or 'uncle', though they generally refer to each other as 'cousin'. They're a widespread order, and they've lasted as long as they have by adapting with the technology, believing that there is a time and a place for it. They are most easily identified generally by yellow traveling robes, and often by the assortment of spiked rings or bracelets they wear.

Alvis himself is one of the ones who has fully embraced this new world, with a 24/7 stream of his small cell of an apartment and a shoulder-mounted camera on the occasions that he goes outside.]

Hong Meiling | Touhou Project

[chinese_tea]