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[Grek]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

What is this?
A forum game, duh. Specifically, it is a hard-science forum game detailing one man's exile from the Martian Arcologies into a wasteland ravaged by humanity's first and only interplanetary war. This will be a serious game, so please don't suggest anything too silly!

Wait, Martian whats?
Arcologies. Giant self-contained cities which housed the surviving human population of Mars after the war.

Wait, what war?
The Great War of Martian Secession was fought in the 2060s over the right for the Martian Colonies to declare independance from their ruling nations back on Earth. Without cheaply imported Martian resources, Earth wouldn't have been able to sustain their populations and, as a result, the UEN (United Earth Nations) came down harshly on any attempts for the Martian Colonies to break away from Earth. In the end, the conflict became so heated that nuclear, biological, nanotech and mass driving weapons were used by both UEN and Martian forces, resulting in the near extinction of the human race.

So this is a post-apocalyptic sorta game? Set on Mars?
Yeah, pretty much.

What are you using to make the pictures?
AsciiDraw, a free program used to paint ascii pictures.

Are you going to abandon this like you usually do?
No! I promise to an update with at least one AsciiDraw picture every Wednesday, come rain or shine, posts or silence, hell or high water. This schedule will keep me from falling into a viscious cycle of not updating due to a lack of posts caused by my lack of updates.

Wait, I have more questions!
Post it in the thread and I'll put it in this post.

[Dwarmin]

1. Female
2. Heather A. North
3. B
4. B
5. I had found documents during an excavation of a collapsed portion New Borealis that suggested certain much vaunted historical figures of Loyalist Earth past had in fact, openly profited and willingly exacerbated the Great War-while the world burned down around them. Before I could determine the truth of these rumors, I found myself arrested, my work destroyed, and myself thrown from the arcology in the dead of night-the only explanation, given by a truly miserable looking Captain of the guard who had once been my friend, was that I was being sacrificed for the 'Good of Humanity'. A line of reasoning, not too dissimilar from the public statements of said historical figures I mentioned before.

[kingfisher1112]

1. Female
2. Alisha 'Kingfisher' Storla
3. D
4.A
5. She was exiled for shooting a senior officer after he tried to murder her. He was popular.

[Alternatecash]

1. Female
2. Heather A. North
3. B
4. B
5. I had found documents during an excavation of a collapsed portion New Borealis that suggested certain much vaunted historical figures of Loyalist Earth past had in fact, openly profited and willingly exacerbated the Great War-while the world burned down around them. Before I could determine the truth of these rumors, I found myself arrested, my work destroyed, and myself thrown from the arcology in the dead of night-the only explanation, given by a truly miserable looking Captain of the guard who had once been my friend, was that I was being sacrificed for the 'Good of Humanity'. A line of reasoning, not too dissimilar from the public statements of said historical figures I mentioned before.

I concur.

[yourfears]

1. Female
2. Heather A. North
3. B
4. B
5. I had found documents during an excavation of a collapsed portion New Borealis that suggested certain much vaunted historical figures of Loyalist Earth past had in fact, openly profited and willingly exacerbated the Great War-while the world burned down around them. Before I could determine the truth of these rumors, I found myself arrested, my work destroyed, and myself thrown from the arcology in the dead of night-the only explanation, given by a truly miserable looking Captain of the guard who had once been my friend, was that I was being sacrificed for the 'Good of Humanity'. A line of reasoning, not too dissimilar from the public statements of said historical figures I mentioned before.

I concur.

+1

[Grek]

Special Early Update:

[Dwarmin]

I guess I should be thankful it was Alisha. Maybe I had a friend up high I didn't know I had, someone who knew she wouldn't carry out the order. Maybe. I know a few of the military types who would have done it without hesitation, or worse than that. Not that it matters now. I really hope Alisha doesn't get pegged because of me.

I wonder how they will spin my disappearance. I had friends, allies, family. Perhaps my 'body' will be found in an unfortunate tunnel collapse? I might be an interesting post-mortem hero then, a researcher who valiantly gave her life to forward Human knowledge.

More likely they won't bother to explain it at all. They'll leave my ultimate fate a mystery, and a warning to others-this is what we can do to you. Ask too many questions, and this is what happens. When the alternative is you and your family being thrown to the wastes, I cannot really fault anyone for not taking up my banner. I knew the risks when I started.

The lab...I remember taking something as I left. What was it?

Ah, I see. I surely wouldn't have left without my...

Lab Item/Anti-Radiation Pills

It wasn't much, hardly more than a single kits worth-but, it was far better than nothing. These things taste real bad and are tough to choke down, but when the alternative is a slow death to radiation sickness, you take the damn pills.

Emergency protocol for people travelling overland is to take one a day just to be safe, but in this case, I think I'll save them for an emergency...

Action: My first thought was to head along the old road that lead out of the arcology.

Not that there was much of a road left, but I figure I'll find someone or someplace eventually...it's my best hope, and a slim one.

Do I really think that I'll find anyone...that they'll be friendly? This blasted wasteland makes a mockery of Human aspiration, a jest of hope. Its death to stay here. It's death to go back. I can only go forward.

It's quiet now....the Desert speaks to me, and it's saying 'I'll grind you to dust, and nothing will be left-not flesh, nor ashes, nor bones. The wind will scatter everything, and it will be as if you never existed.'. I shiver, despite the heat of the day.

-Heather North, Personal Log A.1

[Loud Whispers]

This one time... On mars camp...

Let us begin our walks.

[Tiruin]

((Posting to watch. Anything with D-...with density intrigues me.))

[Grek]

I have no idea what that means.

[Loud Whispers]

I have no idea what that means.

Neither do I

*bump*

[Grek]

Regardless, the update will the Wednesday, just like it says in the OP.

[Grek]

[Dwarmin]

(*Click*

Heather North's excited breathing can be heard on the tape, against the background of desert wind...)

I've been driving for a bit, and I see this sign. A map. A Road sign. It shows not only Borealis, but Hafas and Malpis. I only vaguely recognize those names.

The sign is crude, yes. But legible-and for the most part, free of rust and corrosion. This means...alot of things.

There was someone out here, or was. My chance of survival are...slightly increased.

It means the Borealis Council has been lying to us. Or themselves. I guess that's still hard to wrap my mind around. Somehow I doubt driving back and showing them the sign will be any proof of my claims.

Suggested Action: I think I should go on to Hafas City, or whatevers left of it.

I can only hope something of friendly civilization exists outside the walls of Borealis. I'm no soldier...I mean, I've never even..

(*Click* A pause.

The tape starts again)

...I have not killed anyone before. This pistol feels ugly and heavy and wrong, just hanging on my waist...it seems like a betrayal of my ideals. After all, I'm a scientist. I'm supposed to be above these things, above violence. But I don't know what I'll see in Hafas-or what might see me. If I'm to survive out here, I'll probably end up doing some things I'll lose sleep over. But it's better than being...

I can do these things. I know it.

This is Heather North. Signing off.

-Heather North, Personal Log A.2

[Loud Whispers]

Follow the yellow dust road to Hafas city...