Project Genesys

Sniktch said:

Oh, by the way, I'll give a fabulous No-Prize to the first person who can guess the comic book I stole the campaign idea from (except Skade - he already guessed, and received no prize )

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I know it, but I can never rememember the name. Gen-X? Gen-13? Something like that?

arwink said:

I know it, but I can never rememember the name. Gen-X? Gen-13? Something like that?

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The character names are definitely ripped from Gen-13, and we're up against something like them in the PbP at randomling's, so I'd say that it's the likely candidate.

Give those two a prize!

Yeah, I was looking to start an M&M game at home one Saturday as I didn't have all my regular players and didn't want to continue our Freeport campaign without 'em. I also didn't have a lot of time to prepare something. So I was thumbing through back issues in my comics closet and stumbled across the old Gen13 mini-series. And it looked like it would be fun to base a game on, so I placed a few calls, verified that none of my friends knew what I was talking about, and then stole some characters for NPCs and the basic plotline, and off we went. Now the only problem is that half of the guys would rather play M&M than Freeport.

BTW, Eddy is NOT one of the NPCs. One of the players came up with a character concept so close to 'Grunge' that we just modified the character to fit his concept. Oh, and Arwink and Capellan, there might be some things in this thread that you don't want to know until we wrap up the current story arc of the PbP.

For your No Prize, here's a picture of Roxy in her bathing suit



Busy day ahead of me at work - I'll try to update but don't know if I'll have the time...

so was it an acident that the main charachter is JIM LEE?

Great storyhour I'm looking forward to the next update.

Popping in during lunch break

DiFier, yeah, believe it or not, its an accident - the player was naming himself "Jimmy Lee" from the old Double Dragon game. I was greatly amused, and his reaction when I told him he was named after one of the comic's creators was pretty fun to watch

Breakfast was subdued, to say the least. None of the kids were feeling particularly well, and they picked at their food listlessly and discussed their situation in low, hushed voices. Jimmy and Jeff found places to sit with Eddy, his roommates Bobby and Deacon, and Kate and Roxy. Eddy seemed to be one of the few kids who hadn’t suffered from headaches or bad dreams, and packed away breakfast with great gusto, pausing only to introduce his roommates when Jimmy sat down. Jimmy recognized Bobby as the kid he’d seen tuning a guitar the previous evening, and Deacon, who sat a few feet apart and hardly spoke, was the gloomy goth from the bunk.

After breakfast the students were taken to a large gymnasium and instructed to sit on the floor. Jimmy felt a sense of trepidation – by this point he did not expect their “keepers” to tell them anything about what was happening, but he still found himself afraid of what they would say.

The door slid open and a stranger walked in. He was tall and well muscled, dressed in a skin-tight bodysuit of black and violet. A golden metal plate covered one eye and half of his face, puckered scar tissue surrounding it where it met and fused with his flesh. He was otherwise a good looking young man with blonde hair and (one) blue eye, perhaps twenty years old. However, the cold, cruel sneer on his face made him appear much older. He strutted out to the middle of the gymnasium and began to speak.

“Greetings, one and all, and welcome to Project Genesys. My name is Stephen, but should one of you find the need to address me, you will refer to me as ‘Sir.’

“I understand that you have been promised answers at this meeting; answers which unfortunately I am not fully at liberty to give. What I can say is that you are all now involved in a government project which concerns a vital matter of national security, and I must ask that you cooperate fully with any instructions that you are given in the course of the project. I apologize for the deceptions which were used to lure you here, but rest assured that when the project is finished six weeks from now, you will all be returned home safe and sound.

“Today you will be engaged in a variety of tests both physical and mental to establish your effective limits in each area. Tomorrow you will return here and I will begin your… training. Again, I must stress that cooperation is critical and that the fate of your country could rest in the balance. Any questions?” Without pausing, he continued, “Good,” and departed the room, ignoring the few hands that were waved in his direction.

Jimmy and his friends spent the rest of the day being herded from one test to the next, being pushed to their absolute limits. First came a series of physical tests – treadmills, obstacle courses, weight rooms, etc. – accompanied by another physical and another round of shots. This was followed by a short break for lunch and then a series of written and mental tests, on everything from math to puzzle solving skills. Some of the kids put up some resistance to the constant stream of orders, but most of them just went with the flow. The few troublemakers were taken aside and brought back a little later, pale-faced and cooperative.

By the end of dinner Jimmy was so tired he returned to his room and passed out immediately, without even taking the time to practice his forms or undress. And as soon as he was asleep he began to dream…

*****

He awoke some time later covered in a cold sweat, his temples throbbing faintly and the acrid taste of copper in his mouth. Jeff whimpered nearby and rolled over in his sleep, and in the bunk above him Wade snored contentedly. The bathroom door was closed and light shone from the crack under the door, and a quick glance verified that Alan was not in his bed.

Jimmy rose, groaning from the pain in his head, and knocked on the bathroom door.

“Go away,” came the feeble reply.

“Alan, you all right, man? Headaches again?”

“Yeah, headache… Be alright, don’t worry about it…”

“Can I get you anything? Some aspirin or anything at all?”

“’Sup to you… I’ll… be OK.”

“Alright, man,” Jimmy said, “I’ll see what I can find.” He fumbled for his pack of cigarettes and stuck one between his lips, lighting it as he opened his door and stumbled into the hallway.

Jimmy had expected to find a guard on duty or something. There was supposedly a curfew, after all. But the hallway was deserted, silent save for the sound of laughter coming from Eddy’s room. Jimmy padded silently past their room and continued on until he came to Roxy’s. He was about to knock when the door opened and Roxy came out, also smoking a cigarette. She jumped when she saw him.

“Yikes, Jimmy! Try not to sneak up on me like that.”

“Sorry, just good timing I guess. What are you doing up?”

She sighed and took a long drag, “It’ll sound stupid, but I’m just sooo tired from today that I… I just can’t sleep.”

Jimmy shook his head, “Doesn’t sound stupid at all to me. I’ve been there before. Go for a walk?”

She nodded and smiled at him and he felt his knees go weak. Then she took his hand and he felt like his heart would burst. Jimmy floated down the hallway beside her, feeling like he’d achieved heaven on earth…

Next: A fine and private place… Eddy and Jimmy make a bet…

*****

Sniktch says: Hmm, my brain is mush. Hopefully this update isn't as clumsy as it feels to me right now, but I wanted to get something up before the weekend. Still, we now have the majority of the PCs introduced, although for now the story still centers on Jimmy, and we're fast approaching the point of no return, aka when all hell breaks loose. Bear with me a little bit longer as I try to reconstruct the events leading up to the real start of the action; the payoff should be worth it (I hope)

Good stuff. I've been looking through different M&M story hours (mostly on the official boards) in preperation for a game I'll be running. So far, your SH has been my favourite. Keep up the updates.

Thanks, a lot, ante up

I apologize for the slowness of the updates, but they'll come eventually. I've got a short one ready now, so I'll go ahead and post it:

*****

A little while later, Jimmy and Roxy made a pleasant discovery. Just past the cafeteria area they found a little hallway that led to an unused storage closet. The hallway was out of sight of any of the security cameras, and contained an entrance to the ventilation system.

Jimmy dropped into a crouch right away, examining the grate in the wall. “Hey, I bet we could get in here!” he exclaimed and started working on the screws. About ten minutes later he crawled into the air duct, followed tentatively by Roxy.

They didn’t get very far, discovering that they were in a closed section. Thick bars inside the ducts prevented them from accessing the air shafts or any other parts of the building. Except one. The cramped tunnel led about twenty feet to the left before opening into a small area about five by ten feet. Another grate in this area revealed that they were above some sort of computer room filled with glowing monitors and equipment.

Luckily, the room was abandoned at this hour, leaving Jimmy and Roxy free to enjoy their fine and private place.

*****

Jimmy woke up smiling the next morning, the events of the previous night still fresh in his mind. Wade and Jeff were slower crawling out of bed, and Alan was nowhere to be seen. Jimmy frowned; Alan hadn’t been in the room last night when he’d returned, though he had failed to realize it then. Well, he hoped nothing had happened.

He quickly washed his face and ran a hand through his hair to comb it, then hurried into the hallway, eager to join Roxy at breakfast. In the hallway he bumped into Eddy and couldn’t contain a wide, cheesy grin.

Eddy knew him well, “Wassup, man? Why are you so happy today?”

“I think I’m in love, dude. Or at least lust,” he grinned back at his friend, then told him all about meeting Roxy last night and their walk together.

Someone chuckled and clapped him on the back, “Way to go, stud! See, being in a government prison isn’t all bad.” Jimmy turned to see Bobby had crept up on them unnoticed as they talked.

“Yeah,” Eddy agreed. “And Roxy’s a babe, too, I’ll give ya that. But I’ll take her roommate, Kate – gotta dig those bookworm girls; all quiet and shy at first but real enthusiastic once ya warm ‘em up.”

“You’re a pig, Eddy,” Jimmy snapped, but he grinned as he said it.

They reached the cafeteria and joined the girls for breakfast. Jeff and Wade came in a little later, and then the silent goth, Deacon, showed up and sat slightly apart. Eddy kept teasing Deacon mercilessly but couldn’t get much more than one or two words out of him the whole breakfast. After the meal the kids were lined up and marched through the complex again, returning to the chamber where they had met Stephen yesterday. Once there they were instructed to fan out along the walls and wait.

They did not wait long before Stephen entered, the fluorescent light glinting off of his golden faceplate. He was wearing a simple gi tied shut with a black cloth belt, and when they saw him Jimmy and Eddy glanced at each other curiously.

“Greetings,” boomed Stephen’s voice through the hall. “As promised, today we begin your official training. However, first I need to know your current abilities.

“We will start with self-defense. One by one I will call your names. When you are called you will step onto the mat and attempt to attack me to the best of your ability. Do not worry about hurting me; I would be pleasantly surprised if any of you possess the skill to even touch me. Now… Kyle Aaronson…”

As the boy stepped onto the mat, Eddy leaned close to Jimmy and whispered, “Who the hell does he think he is? I would be pleasantly surprised if any of you possess the skill to even touch me,” he repeated mockingly. “I bet you ten bucks I touch him.”

Jimmy grinned, “Well, if you can touch him I sure as hell can. We both know my Kung Fu is better than yours,” he teased. “Ten bucks says I touch him and you can’t.”

“It’s a bet,” Eddy extended his hand and they shook, then sat back and waited to be called.

Next: The outcome.

woo hoo. I'm eageraly awaiting the next update.

“Edward Chang!” barked the voice and Eddy stood up and slowly approached Stephen on the mat. When he was five feet away he suddenly sprang and spun in the air, trying to deliver a brutal kick. Stephen sidestepped the move with laughable ease, caught Eddy around the waist, and slammed him into the mat. Eddy hit the mat hard and had the breath forced out of his lungs. He rolled over, gasping and trying to shake away the hit, his cheeks burning with humiliation. Stephen had stepped away and was already calling the next person from his list, so Eddy took his place amongst the students who had already been called and stared at the floor, not meeting Jimmy’s gaze.

Jimmy waited a bit longer. Finally, Stephen got to “Robert Lane” and Bobby stepped out, going down even quicker than Eddy, if possible. “Jim Lee,” called the voice and Jimmy stepped forward, breathing slowly and trying to empty his mind.

He hit ‘the zone’ and started to run, charging towards Stephen and raising his fist as if to swing, only to stop at the last minute, just outside what he hoped the bigger man’s range was. Stephen, unprepared for the feint, lashed out with his fist, striking only air and stumbling slightly as he over-extended. Jimmy saw the opening and his foot snapped up, catching Stephen full in the chest and forcing him back a step.

It didn’t phase him. Before Jimmy’s foot hit the ground Stephen had recovered, reached out and pulled Jimmy off-balance, driving his knee into Jimmy’s gut and sending him sprawling to the mat. The youth groaned and held his midsection as he heard, “My, my, Mr. Lee, I am impressed. Looks like one of you has potential after all. Don’t expect me to underestimate you again.”

None of the other students were able to match Jimmy’s success, and Eddy grudgingly paid the bet.

*****

Later that day the kids were separated into groups and given a regular schedule. Physical training was at a certain time, tests at another, the daily physical, etc – it was all scheduled group by group now. Jimmy’s group included himself, Eddy, Bobby, Kate, Roxy, and the quiet goth Deacon. They began to settle into a routine, the days blurring together. Jimmy and Kate still complained of severe headaches and sometimes couldn’t sleep because of them, and his roommate Alan’s condition continued to deteriorate. Jimmy and Roxy met frequently at night to crawl into the air vents and hang out in the little space, smoking and talking until weariness finally overtook them. They let Eddy in on the secret too, and sometimes he joined them.

There were other pleasant finds along the way. They discovered a game room near the cafeteria that had pinball machines and a pool table. They also found out that the facility contained a swimming pool on the floor above them, and that they could request pool passes when they had free time on their schedules. They never completely forgot that they were essentially captives – they had plenty of tests and their daily physical and shot to remind them – but overall it started to feel a little more like a camp and a lot less like a prison.

Until Saturday, that is, one week after they had arrived at the facility. That Saturday everything would change forever:

They had a lot of free time that day and they decided to go swimming at the pool after lunch. As they departed the cafeteria Jimmy realized he had forgotten his towel and started heading back towards his room, promising to catch up with everyone else in a couple of minutes.

He stopped as the door to his room swung open, the smile vanishing from his face. Alan was sitting on his bed looking worse than Jimmy had ever seen him. Sweat gathered on his brow and trickled down his face to drip on the sheets, his skin was very pallid, and Jimmy would even swear that it was softly glowing.

“Uh… hey, man – you alright?”

Alan looked up at him with clouded features, “Hurts… so… bad… can’t… take… much… more…” His voice trailed off weakly at the end.

Jimmy’s mind raced, “Can I help? Should I get a nurse?”

Alan didn’t respond but Jimmy thought he saw his head nod feebly. Jimmy backed slowly out of the room and turned, racing towards the nurses’ station, ignoring the looks of other students happening by in the hallway. Something was seriously wrong with his roommate.

He rounded the corner and nearly ran into the squat, bulldog looking nurse from the first day. “Please,” he gasped. “There’s something wrong with my roommate – he looks real sick, and I think he needs help. Like, right now, help!”

The nurse looked at him curiously for a moment, then her eyes widened slightly as she realized he was being sincere. She grabbed a first aid kit and started following Jimmy back through the halls. On the way they passed two of the guards, who took one look at the nurse’s expression and fell in beside her. As they approached the door to his room Jimmy realized he had left it cracked, and a strange magenta light was spilling through the opening and into the hallway. Several students had gathered nearby but none had been bold enough to look inside yet.

Jimmy slowed down, a feeling of dread welling up within him, and the nurse and soldiers overtook him before they reached the room. “Stay back,” she commanded and swung open the door, bathing the hallway in the strange sickly light

Alan looked up as she entered, his face a mask of anguish. Jimmy stopped in his tracks – the room looked much different than a few minutes ago when he’d seen it last. The furniture was gone, the walls blasted and dark, and Alan was sitting in the middle of the empty floor. Some debris littered the room, but otherwise, all of the furniture, posters, chairs – everything in the room was gone. The soldiers pulled out handguns and leveled them at the figure on the bed as the nurse withdrew a syringe and vial from her bag and began to prepare an injection. Thus armed, the trio approached the bed as Jimmy watched in confusion and growing alarm.

“No, stay… back,” Alan rasped. “I’m… warning… you, stay back! Oh, please, God, stay back! GET AW*” CRACK

Alan’s voice cut off as there was a tremendous noise and flash of light, blinding Jimmy where he stood in the doorway. He felt several solid objects strike him, along with a sudden sticky wetness. He blinked rapidly to regain his vision, then dropped to his knees and retched uncontrollably as his sight returned. The nurse and soldiers… what was left of them… were strewn about the room in chunks. Jimmy was bathed in blood and gore from head to foot.

He looked up and caught sight of Alan, one hand still holding his head, the other… the other hand held one of the soldier’s pistols, slowly bringing it even with his own head, his arm and hand shaking wildly.

Jimmy fought to control his rising gorge. “Alan, no, don’t do it!” he cried.

“’m… sorry… Jimmy… hurts… too… much… can’t… take… anymore.” The pistol finally steadied, Alan reaching out with his other hand to hold it. Everything seemed to slow to Jimmy; he dove forward at the weapon, trying to knock it away; there was a loud report and Alan began to fall backwards, a sightless third eye showing in his forehead, a blossoming flower of blood, bone, and brain erupting from the back of his head. A loud clatter and thud as the pistol slipped from nerveless fingers and fell to the ground, followed by the corpse.

Jimmy fell to his knees sobbing raggedly, his gorge rising again. There was a flurry of movement as two more guards entered the room, one of them lifting Jimmy and half-pushing, half-throwing him into the hallway. Jimmy collapsed and vomited on the hard metal, then pushed himself to his feet and started running, away from the horror and madness he’d just witnessed. Ignoring the looks and shouted questions of his fellow students, the gore-spattered youth raced through the halls, past the cafeteria, to his secret hiding place. He crawled inside, replacing the grate behind himself, crawled several feet and collapsed, curling into a fetal ball. He did not emerge for a long time.

Next: Consequences and changes…

*****

I hope I've captured some of the intensity of the session here. I was very proud of the way my players were role-playing their characters at this point, and I wish I had their reactions to Alan's demise on tape. One of the few times I've been able to bring about complete silence in our gaming room, as the players gaped at me across the table with a mixture of shock and horror. Truly one of the best sessions we've ever had...