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Metal Gear Rising: The War Still Rages

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The year is 2020, six years after Liquid Ocelot's insurrection. Six years after the fall of the...
ZerbanDaGreat

ZerbanDaGreat

Daemon Noble of D E M O G R A P H I C S
Pronouns
They/them
The year is 2020, six years after Liquid Ocelot's insurrection. Six years after the fall of the Patriots. Their legacy did not fall with them. As it turns out, they did not have to manipulate every single facet of the world - some people liked what they were doing. Some people liked the war economy. Some people are willing to do whatever it takes to keep it humming along. Despite the destruction of SOP, new systems rapidly rose in its place. The dissemination of previously-classified Patriot data led to a renaissance in cybernetics research and development, leading to the rapid and widespread proliferation of total cyborg conversion. A new breed of soldier was created, a mercenary of a quality that could not be matched by any world government. Private Military Corporations found their niche once more, and they carved it out with ruthless efficiency. Proxy wars between these PMCs are fought across the globe, their outcomes bought in offices and meeting rooms thousands of kilometres from the fighting. War is routine. War is a business.

Two years ago, the US-owned Shabhazabad Airbase in Pakistan was attacked by an unidentified PMC the day the President of the United States was to visit. Though tipped off, Air Force One turned around at the last minute, the damage was done. The base was left in unsalvageable ruins, the flagship project Metal Gear Excelsus turned to scrap metal, and 2020's most promising candiate for Presidency was found dead in the rubble. The act was enough to push a world already teetering on the brink. Waves of fear and outrage rippled out in the aftershocks of the event.

Security has tightened worldwide. Information is monitored, analysed, and tightly controlled. We are all sons of the Patriots now.

Not that any of this means much to you. You're just one small, infinitesimally tiny part of this greater world. You're no great politician or famous war hero. Which is just too bad - it's not like you get a choice in getting involved. The world is so much bigger than you, it's all you can do to simply keep up with the current. But maybe you don't have to.

Maybe, one day soon, you'll get the chance to make it right.

Shut up this is not a bad idea I make good life choices.

Gender: Mostly cosmetic, though this may change how certain characters react to you.

[ ] Male
[ ] Female

Nationality: Each comes with its own unique backstory and prologue. This will change how certain characters view you, what kind of options present themselves to you, and what kind of skills or talents you possess.

[ ] Iranian. Born and bred in Zahedan, a relatively small city within spitting distance of the border with Pakistan. This was not a fun fact when a US military base in Pakistan suffered a dangerous terrorist attack two years ago, leaving the airfield in shambles and the President's life threatened. Tensions have ratcheted up to breaking point. All you want to do is find the right person, settle down, and continue the family business in peace. No matter what you wish, it's only a matter of time until your beloved country is dragged under by fear too.

[ ] Chinese. Born in Hong Kong, bilingual practically from the moment you could walk, reading and writing while your classmates stumbled through their ABCs, graduated high school when you were 13. Your family had high hopes for you from the start - they knew you'd make it, that you'd be the brightest mind of your age. The problem is, talent only gets you so far. And the older you get, the less impressive it becomes. Too smart for school, too smart for a job, too smart for anybody. At this point, it seems like cybernetics R&D or bust.

[ ] Brazilian. Born in Sao Paulo, it's actually kind of hard to call yourself 'just' Brazilian. One side of your family is Japanese, the other is sixth-generation Arabic immigrants, and your sister-in-law is Italian. Your ethnicity is 'yes'. Your city has been selected to host the Summer Olympics this year, previously not even eligible. It's been an immense boost to the economy, but you can't help but feel uneasy. Private contractors have been hired to protect the city from terror attacks, and cyborgs have been roaming the streets in greater and greater numbers in the leadup. Terrorism is all about the threat of violence but this feels different. Something isn't right.

[ ] Australian. Born and raised in Sydney to a family of fourth-generation Egyptian Muslim immigrants, you have mixed feelings about your country - and it is 'your' country, no matter what others might say. No matter what fresh horror stories come out of America in the wake of a second War on Terror, it seems like Australia matches them blow-for-blow. Private military contractors, cyborgs, are starting to show up on the streets. The government says they know how to run the offshore detention centres more efficiently, for everyone's benefit. You find that hard to believe.

Important note about voting: Regular voting, possibly with weighted options, is perfectly fine. It'll likely be used for 90% of the choices. However, I'd like to make it known that giving reasons for your vote will make me consider it more carefully than just "[X] Choice Text Here". Do a good enough job and your choice might break a tie or even win despite being second or third. I'd much prefer to reward investment and thought than bandwagons.

Write-ins, whether customizing existing options or submitting whole new options, are allowed but subject to review by the Quest Master (i.e. me)
 
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Dossiers:

The Patriots were a secret society, split off from the American chapter of the pan-national Philosopher's group after the theft of the Philosopher's Legacy during Operation Snake-Eater. They sought to control the world from the shadows, directing its course toward the future, but as the founding members aged the issue of succession presented itself. It was then sidestepped neatly. With the stolen Philosopher's Legacy, a secret cache of one hundred billion dollars amassed during World War 2, five incredibly sophisticated AIs were commissioned at the turn of the century. Named after five great US presidents, these AIs subtly directed America's growth for almost fifteen years.

They created the war economy. They knew full well what a well-directed war can do for technological progress, for social 'progress'. Bloodborne nanomachines entered widespread use in both military and civilian spheres, allowing an unprecedented level of surveillance and control over the world population. In 2014, one man with a vision and the means to enact it set out to destroy this system, no matter the consequences - Liquid Ocelot. Though he was prevented from plunging the world into complete anarchy, a sophisticated self-modifying virus coded by the child of one of the Patriot's many pawns became their downfall. A parody of their favoured FOXDIE virus, it dismantled the Patriot AI system completely while still leaving infrastructural necessities intact.

Their legacy is not dead, however. Nothing is capable of directing humanity that completely, that accurately. Plenty of people enjoyed the world they created. These sons of the Patriots remain, sustaining the war economy no matter what.
A Delaware-based PMC, now defunct, that was once an infamous name worldwide for its less-than-scrupulous hiring standards. Desperado operated with the worst of the worst, rubbing shoulders with terrorists and international criminals in pursuit of the almighty dollar. They were founded merely a year after the fall of the Patriots, and were one of the first adopters of the new and radical technology of cyborg conversion. Ever since then, they made a name for themselves as the primary employer of cyborgs the world over, despite their controversial treatment of personal self-destruct measures.

In 2018, they ran afoul of Maverick Security Consulting Inc. during an operation in a recovering African nation. Maverick were hired to protect the prime minister and train local forces. Desperado were hired to assassinate Prime Minister N'mani and destabilize the region once more. Desperado succeeded. Maverick - or rather, one Maverick operative in particular (pun perhaps intended) - did not forgive or forget. After six months of recuperation their primary field agent, codenamed Raiden, began series of devastation solo operations against the PMC in both Abkhazia and Mexico. Desperado did not only regularly work with terrorists - they kidnapped orphaned and dispossessed children from the streets of third-world countries, selling their harvested organs to pay for their conversion surgery, and training them into killers with immersive VR simulations. Employee turnover you couldn't buy.

Shortly after operative Raiden discovered this, Desperado Enforcement LLC ceased to exist as an entity. This is loosely connected to the fact that he personally killed the vast majority of their personnel and all of their high-ranking officers in the span of a single enthusiastic day in Denver.
With the downfall of Liquid Ocelot's insurrection, the 'Big Five' of the PMC world were all dismantled practically in the span of a single day. In the wake of this destruction, World Marshal arose as the new biggest PMC on the market. Based out of Denver, it became the world's largest supplier of cybernetics and cyborg private military contractors. They seemed to have state senator Steven Armstrong in their pocket - in truth, it was quite the reverse. By successfully pushing a drastic slash of state budget, Senator Armstrong was able to ensure the privatization of the police force and win World Marshal the contract. The PMC successfully consolidated their hold on their home base.

However, the US economy hit a downturn. A downturn turned into a full-blown recession. Most of World Marshal's contracts would not be renewed by the end of the year. Working closely with Desperado, they played host to the scheme of abduction and conversion aided by intensive desensitizing VR training - the Sears Program. They had the means to convert and train new cyborgs on the cheap - now all they needed was proof that they were still relevant. They took part in a false flag operation on Shabhazabad Air Base, intending to kill the President. Maverick's rogue operative was able to intervene and prevent the assassination attempt, but the 'truth' of what happened there became little more than a mad conspiracy theory. World Marshal was dismantled and auctioned off piecemeal, carrion for its subsidiaries, and business proceeded as usual.
A PMC ashamed to call itself a 'PMC', Maverick much preferred to take the 'small' jobs that let them sleep at night - trailing local militaries, working security, acting as 'deterrents'. Led by CEO Boris Vyacheslavovich Popov, the small company's name was catapulted into the spotlight by the events of 2018. After the fateful encounter with Desperado in Africa, they secured the services of brilliant German cybernetics surgeon Wilhelm Voight, codenamed 'Doktor'. He constructed one of the most advanced military cyborg frames in the world for operative Raiden, which he utilized to great effect in subsequent operations against Desperado and World Marshal. Their star operative resigned from the firm after discovering the nature of the Sears Program, going rogue to cut a bloody swathe through the streets of Denver, unsanctioned, in broad daylight. Maverick quickly disavowed any association with the operative, although they wasted no time in recovering the brains being used in the Sears Program once their former operative carved open most of World Marshal HQ during the course of one of his many battles.

Since then, Maverick have radically reinvented themselves. Choosing to take on every last one of the brains extracted for the Sears program, they entered the mass production of cheap civilian cyborg frames and trained the children in various trades and service jobs. The world's first cyborg labour firm. They continue to battle with child labour laws and other ethical questions as to how they have utilized their new 'employees', face creditors breathing down their necks at every turn, but they still have not wavered.
An enduring model of unmanned aerial combat vehicle, seeing active duty even long after the collapse of the Patriots. Shaped like a pair of disembodied wings, recent advancements in artificial muscle fibre allow it to keep itself aloft simply by flapping as well as utilizing its twin turbojets. The model's durability and manoeuvrability were sacrificed to keep it cheap and compact, as well as limiting armament options. Each Slider only has room for laser-guided AIM-9X Sidewinder rockets or a combination of 30kg unguided bombs and 5.56mm gun pods. Onboard artificial intelligence is network-based, causing the Sliders to become 'smarter' the more are within close proximity, and allowing unprecedented levels of accuracy and thoroughness in reconnaissance operations. Additionally, they are compatible with standard military cyborg frames, capable of interlocking with the operative's back to become a makeshift jetpack.
Born: 94/11/29 (Year of the Monkey)
Sex: Male
Identifying Marks: Tattoo of Guan Yu on back
Known Associates: Gan Jiang, Raymond 'Ray' Chu, Vincent 'Vince' Lee, Edward 'Eddie' Lee

A 49er for the Sun Yee On, charismatic and well-liked among the local chapters of the group. A rank-and-file Triads soldier who nonetheless shows martial promise through advanced aptitude in Wing Chun and Jeet Kune Do. A blooded initiate, believed to be connected with if not an active participant in several other gangland skirmishes which led to fatalities. Of interest.
The widespread 5.56mm NATO round was subject to stopping power complaints long before the fall of the Patriots and the cybernetics renaissance that followed. As CNT muscle fibre became standard construction material for military cyborgs, ballistic weapons became almost useless practically overnight. Even presuming a cyborg target didn't simply dodge or parry the bullets out of the air, most calibres on the market wouldn't even scratch their paintwork.

Designing firearms to use by cyborgs against cyborgs was a lot easier than making them for humans. Weight and recoil issues were a complete thing of the past, as even a rank-and-file military cyborg can rip a .50 mounted gun from its housing and wield it as a squad support weapon with only the gun itself to blame for any accuracy problems. The new rifle for the cyborg age was based off the tried-and-true AR-15 model and its formerly unwieldy and impractical .50 Beowulf cartridge. Even then it is intended mostly as a sidearm or harrying weapon, to be used when an enemy cyborg is already tied up in melee combat with an ally or otherwise occupied. It also serves to expedite dispatching less dangerous UGs from a distance, where otherwise an overzealous cyborg charging in with their machete may be lured into a Mastiff-dropkick-based trap.
Born: 77/9/20 (Year of the Snake)
Sex: Male
Nationality: American-born Muslim Indian

CEO and primary shareholder of Atlas Security Inc. The previous CEO of Atlas Security jumped ship only a month before evidence of cooperation with the Sears Program came to light, absconding to a tropical island with his ill-gotten gains and installing a figurehead to take the fall publically. Al-Amir was, nominally, that figurehead. When World Marshal's assets were liquidated, Atlas was thought by most to be one of the many subsidiaries that would simply wither away without support, like a gangrenous limb. Instead Al-Amir called in every favour he was owed, demanded payment for every single outstanding contract (sometimes in person, violently, allegedly), and made a curious purchase. The VR hardware, software and servers used in the Sears program. Though he weathered criticism and suspicion for such an act, he put the aquisition to good use - funnelling it into the newly-founded gaming subsidiary AtSoftware (name changed from simply 'Atlas' after a similarly-named Japanese-based company threatened to sue). Hardware and software sales soon pushed both companies back into the black, and Al-Amir set about remaking Atlas' image into one that could be trusted by the world. Naturally, there isn't a person alive who doesn't think he's hiding something. Chances are, they're right.
Trading since 2016, World Marshal's youngest and weakest subsidiary, focused primarily on trans-Pacific operations. Once a rising power in the Pacific, when news of the Sears Program broke they were forced to sell off many assets in order to secure an independent future. Now they own and run only a single base in the Philippines and little else. Rumours abound that their primary source of income is 'dirty', off-the-books contracts with no questions asked. A necessity; the PMC has little to set it apart from its myriad competitors, and cannot survive many lean months.
Born: 00/4/24 (Year of the Dragon)
Sex: Male
Known Associates: Jackie Jiang (brother), Elizabeth Jiang (mother)

Supremely gifted and talented from an early age, progressing through primary and secondary education at twice the rate of his peers. Graduated from a private high school on a full scholarship before even turning fourteen. Plans to continue on to tertiary education stalled as the sudden fall of the Patriots crippled global infrastructure and economic functions until the resurgent war economy began to revitalize them. Two years passed without education, training, or employment. The sudden stall caused a rift in the family, soon leading to a hostile divorce over how best to direct the 'family genius'. Accepted a job teaching Cantonese in a Denver high school as a 'gap year'. Was present when rogue Maverick Security Consulting operative codenamed 'Raiden' attacked Denver. Stayed an extra year, returning in time for New Years. Of interest.
A free-to-play online VR first-person shooter/character action game by AtSoftware using their proprietary FOX Engine released in 2018. Players take the role of new hires in the private military corporation world, undergoing cyborg conversion and taking contracts all across the world. A tutorial PMC exists for all new players to get used to the control scheme, but most endgame content revolves around player-run PMCs acting as the game's 'guilds'. Gained memetic notoriety due to its challenging difficulty. Features a cash shop, primarily of customization items and 'item pack' keys, parallel to ingame currency earnings. Free updates are released regularly, and its popularity shows no sign of waning even two years into its life cycle.
An international non-profit activist and humanitarian group. Founded in 2015, its stated mission goal is to ensure the protection of all ordinary citizens from the ravages of war brought on by the cybernetic renaissance and the resurgence of the war economy. In practice, they seem to dream of a world where cyborgs and UGs simply don't exist any more. While their disaster response efforts and pioneering of cheap but effective civilian cybernetics are without peer, they take an extremely dim view of any kind of military cyborg. Openly formed a Political Action Committee to sponsor any 2020 presidency candidates with a view to downsize PMC spending, causing extreme friction with the late Senator Armstrong's campaign.
The face of the modern battlefield, a total-conversion cyborg frame is one of the most advanced and versatile pieces of military hardware ever fielded. Each is essentially an empty shell, a high-class humanoid drone with baseline strength equivalent to having jackhammers strapped to your extremities. An operative undergoing surgery has their brain and brain stem excised completely from their bodies and placed inside a heavily armoured cyborg brain case. The brain case is in itself a highly advanced piece of hardware, rated to withstand direct gunfire without trauma to the brain within and emergency liquid oxygen dispensers which allow the disembodied case to survive for four hours before brain death begins. Once installed in a cyborg frame, the operative gains complete 1:1 control over it. Taking advantage of the human brain's neuroplasticity, an experienced operative can quickly become acclimatized to multiple frames, or even frames with exotic abilities or features with no human analogue. Military cyborg frames, such as backup bodies, can even be remotely piloted by AI. When performed on occupied frames, usually requiring direct physical access, it is known as 'brain-jacking'. Every frame comes standard with codec support and an XIFF tag which informs other cyborgs via Augmented Reality interface which PMC they are affiliated with.
MCFC systems, or 'fuel cells' in short, are the system which powers every military cyborg. The main 'battery' is located in the frame's torso, where a human heart would be. Much like the human heart it is responsible for the flow of electrolyte-rich artificial blood through the cyborg's veins. This powers the expansion and contraction of the CNT muscle fibre that makes up the majority of the frame, as well as any exotics the frame may possess. It is linked to the repair nanopaste cage (often referred to as the 'spine' of the frame due to its appearance), dispersing the nanopaste through the frame like antibiotics through the bloodstream of the human body. The first artificial blood medium was known as 'white blood', highly efficient but crippled by the need for external dialysis. The second was a more realistic red blood, first introduced in 2016. It eliminated the need for external dialysis, and was a general improvement over white blood - in the words of one Dr. G. Brooke; "Because before we had red blood it looked like cyborgs were bleeding spooge." A slightly more efficient variant was introduced rapidly in the late days of 2018 with a striking neon blue colour. Ostensibly the upgrade is to make it much easier to tell at a glance if a cyborg is injured and where. In practice, it was an effort to make cyborgs seem even more alien. PMCs, needing every edge they could get, complied easily with the upgrade.
Patriot technology dating back to 2005, it began to creep out into the wider market during the expansion of the 'Big Five' bubble. When that bubble burst and the new era of cyborg PMCs began, it became the new standard. A powerful electromagnetic field is conducted through a specially-prepared sword, making it vibrate with such speed that it weakens the molecular bonds of whatever material it strikes. The heat produced by the blades friction with the air is enough to leave the edges of any wounds it leaves in a cyborg or UG molten, and instantly cauterize any wounds it may leave on human targets. Generally powered via direct link to the wielder's fuel cells in the palm(s), and capable of ID-locking. Due to the nature of the high-frequency field, a cyborg operative can easily parry gunfire merely by waving the sword in the general vicinity. With experience, even parrying fully automatic machine gun fire is well within the realms of possibility. HF blades also require little maintenance, as the field leaves them practically indestructible. The older and higher quality the base blade is, the stronger the charge it can carry.


Story Posts:

Prologue: The Year Of The Boar
Update One: Touchdown
Update Two: New Year, Same As The Old Year
Update Three: Sweeping The Dust
Update Four: Along For The Ride
Update Five: Countdown
Update Six: Happy New Year
Update Seven: Remember
Update Eight: Fall

Act One: The Year Of The Rat
Update Nine: Dysphoria
Update Ten: Choice
Update Eleven: Atlas
Update Twelve: Cocoon
Update Thirteen: First Steps
Update Fourteen: Drop Your Shield
Update Fifteen: Control
Update Sixteen: One-On-One (with thanks to @TenfoldShields for saving me from writer's block)
Update Seventeen: Not As Planned

Dog Days by @TenfoldShields
 
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[X] Male
[X] Australian

Off-shore detention centers?!

This is the grim reality we're playing in, where super-jail has super-jails.
 
[X] Male
[X] Australian. Born and raised in Sydney to a family of fourth-generation Egyptian Muslim immigrants, you have mixed feelings about your country - and it is 'your' country, no matter what others might say. No matter what fresh horror stories come out of America in the wake of a second War on Terror, it seems like Australia matches them blow-for-blow. Private military contractors, cyborgs, are starting to show up on the streets. The government says they know how to run the offshore detention centres more efficiently, for everyone's benefit. You find that hard to believe.

Superjail in the wake of the Patriots? Sounds good.
 
Mfw Zerban follows through and starts his MGR quest.

Also oh my God I would be happy with literally any one of these backgrounds @@. Why can't we be all of them? The ultimate Metal Gear diversity rainbow.

But seriously yeah.

[X] Male.
[X] Chinese.

Because Zerban's character for his last quest was a lady and it'd be sort of fun to make him write something different. And the Chinese background package because "languishing genius slowly crumpling under the weight of family obligation and the fact that he/she hasn't accomplished basically anything" is a pretty goddamn interesting conflict.

Also the possibility of Metal Gear-verse Chinese Cybercommandos which is fucking awesome no matter which way you slice it (hue). But like I said I'm pretty pumped about any of these options.
 
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