#futuristic plot

Plot 149: PvP aka Strange Dayz  (submitted by Aki)

Virtual reality dictates daily life in Oceania. Status and currency is awarded to the best players; illegal street games of Risk, matches between players outside of government-sanctioned tournaments, are major underground sources of income. When two countries go to war, the result is new and incredible: soldiers fight in VR instead of in real life, bombing the virtual landscape and targeting virtual currency sources, raiding each other’s virtual strongholds, even meeting in scheduled places for PvP brawls that will sap losers of their virtual currency and even hard-earned gear.

Muse A is a top player from a feared raiding guild that works for the military and leaves a path of digital destruction in its wake. They’ve ascended to the top of society as a venerated virtual soldier, attending expensive soirees in real life and then fighting massive, over-powered battles in-world. Their only rival is Muse B, a mysterious raider from the opposing side, and there are rumours that even their comrades aren’t sure of their real-life identity.

In fact, Muse B is a hacktivist who knows Muse A in real life. In order to fight against their own government, they’re using the identity of someone from the opposing country to fight on their side. So far as anyone knows, Muse B’s just a programmer who works as a bug-fixer at the firm that takes care of Oceania’s virtual universe.

The penalty for dissension is virtual death, being permanently banned from anything digital–essentially exile from human contact in the modern world. 

Is it just paranoia, or do Muse A’s suspicions about the enigmatic raider seem to be growing? Are they really chasing Muse B through VR or are their repeated mid-raid meetings coincidental? Are they spending an unusual amount of time visiting Muse B after work, or are they just looking for some peace from the celebrity paparazzi? 

Plot 147: Intelligent Life

Several years of diplomatic communications with extraterrestrial beings have culminated in peace between aliens and humans. With no imminent threat of harm, earthly life continues as usual and the existence of aliens is no longer something to fear but something to be excited about. Aliens and humans have agreed to work together for the betterment of both worlds; aliens are granted access to natural resources on earth that they cannot find on their own planet, and in exchange they offer earth access to advanced technologies that even the brightest humans could not conceive. The aliens are sending a troop of their kind to earth on the first ever collection mission this evening. Government officials will meet them at the designated landing site and one lucky civilian, chosen by a lottery drawing, will be invited. Muse A is this lucky civilian who has won the privilege of hosting an alien ambassador in their home for the duration of the extraterrestrials’ visit. Muse A will be compensated monetarily and also have bragging rights over a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. Muse B, the alien ambassador who will stay in Muse A’s home, is charged with the task of learning about modern earth culture and seeing how far humanity has advanced in the last few decades.             

Who will learn more from whom?

Plot 107: A New World?

It’s the year 3015. Aerospace engineering has advanced by leaps and bounds. In this age, the average citizen can board a luxury spacecraft and venture out to see the sights of the solar system (A trip that would’ve taken roughly 11 years by 21st century standards now only takes 3 days and a few hours to complete!) It’s still an experimental program and tickets are quite expensive, but for those who couldn’t possibly afford the once-in-a-lifetime trip on their own, there is a lottery draw. Muse A and Muse B have been selected through the lottery drawing this year. 

While on the second day of the tour, a radio transmission is sent from Earth, warning that a huge asteroid is headed directly for the planet; this could spell disaster for the world as Muse A and Muse B know it. Everyone waits on pins and needles to hear news. Just before the asteroid is set to make impact, the spacecraft loses connection with Earth and everyone aboard assumes the worst has happened. Though strangers before the ship left Earth, Muse A and Muse B turn to one another for comfort. As far as they’re aware, everyone they’ve ever known on Earth has been lost. With no motivation to continue the trip and potentially no home planet to return to, the captain and crew must turn their efforts to finding a habitable planet to relocate to or at the very least making contact with intelligent life who might assist them before their limited resources (including oxygen) run out.

Optional: 

Plot # 26: Artificial Affection

It's the year 2050 and technology has advanced by leaps and bounds, exceeding the vision and capabilities of countless scientists from previous decades. Artificial Intelligence is the buzz word on the lips on government officials as well as the everyday citizen. Robots have become part of daily life; delivering mail, performing home cleaning services, automating the task of driving a car and so much more. In this new era, artificially intelligent beings serve the purpose of making human life easier and more pleasurable. Muse A is a lonely beta tester, whose primary job is to test run androids (robots with human appearance) before they are shipped out for sale to the public. Muse A isn't the best at social relationships, so they much prefer to spend time with androids who can communicate and interact without judgment or need of social convention. When Muse A is asked to test a new android prototype (Muse B), Muse A is amazed at how advanced Muse B is. Muse B seems unique, learning at a pace more rapid than their predecessors, able to somehow intuit feelings of the user, gradually able to mirror human emotions: anger, sorrow, even love. As Muse A continues to "test" Muse B, the pair become attached to one another. Every day that goes by with Muse A noting the android's progress, Muse B begins to feel more and more..human.