#sci fi 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 144: Cherished (Dystopian AU)

Plot 139: Mini Plots For Clones, Duplicates, Twins, etc.

A) Muse A is casually flipping through the channels on TV for something good to watch when they stop on the pilot episode of a new show; they’re stunned that the lead actor, Muse B, looks and sounds exactly like them. It isn’t long before Muse A starts getting mistaken for Muse B when out in public.

B) Muse A attends a ‘haunted’ carnival with some friends and gets lost when they reach the hall of mirrors in the fun house. They bump into Muse B, a performer in the ‘freakshow’ who has the ability to split themselves in two, while trying to find their way out. Muse A has no clue that they’re simply one of Muse B’s copies.

C) Muse A was born and raised in a top secret research facility; their sole purpose for being is to provide donor tissue and organs to Muse B if Muse B should need. After a mix up, Muse A is mistaken for Muse B and is able to walk right off the premises without raising alarms. With nowhere else to go and limited socialization skills, they search for Muse B who they presume is their sibling. 

D) Muse A locates their twin, Muse B, 2 decades after they were adopted by separate families. Muse B had a miserable upbringing and decides to seek revenge on Muse A who had quite the opposite experience and now has a wonderful family of their own. 

E) Muse A is arrested for a crime they did not commit and they can’t understand how the DNA evidence seems to point to them. It isn’t until Muse B is taken into custody and put into the same holding cell that Muse A realizes there is a duplicate version of them who’s also claiming to be innocent.

F) Muse A is devastated when they discover that their significant other is having an affair with Muse B. They’re speechless when they manage to catch the pair in the act and Muse B looks identical to them.  

G)  Muse A invents a machine capable of cloning from a single strand of DNA for a prestigious science convention. Muse B, their most successful clone, is not only identical to them in every way possible but becoming better than them every day. Pretty soon, Muse A becomes worried that Muse B is preparing to take over their life. 

Plot 130: I Believe I Can Fly!

It started with a recurring dream.  Muse A was flying over the city, keeping an eye on what went on below.  Muse A flies different places every night, but the one thing each dream has in common is Muse B’s face.

Muse A starts to think they’re going crazy.  Dreaming of flying is one thing, but vividly seeing a complete stranger’s face every single night?  They’ve sought professional help, and every doctor they’ve spoken to has suggested that Muse B is either somebody from their past, or their imagination.

Muse A is convinced that Muse B is real, and grows increasingly frustrated with not being able to connect the dots.  They’re outside one day, completely consumed with their thoughts, when they notice they’re no longer on the sidewalk, but five inches above it.  Nobody seems to notice as Muse A experimentally takes a step and moves higher.  They land quickly and make their way home to experiment.

That night, Muse A takes a leap of faith out of their window and finds that they have somehow been gifted with the ability of flight.  Curious, they fly the route they’ve taken in their dreams night after night, and after months of restless sleep, find out that Muse B exists.  They bang on Muse B’s window, overexcited, and have no idea how they’ll be able to explain who they are, and why they’re floating in midair.

Optional:

Muse B has just discovered they have a power as well, and is relieved to find out they aren’t alone.

Plot 108: The Doll Maker (concept submitted by annoyeddoritos)

Muse A is a well-known toy maker, or rather, a doll maker to be more specific. They spend their days making breath-taking porcelain dolls that are incredibly lifelike. Frighteningly so. These creations are almost too real and make most customers second guess whether they should actually be purchased. Muse A would prefer not to sell any of their precious creations, but they must only to ensure that they’ll be able to continue with their art; after all, doll-making is a pain-staking and costly love. One day, Muse A receives a commission from a mysterious customer who promises to pay Muse A handsomely upon the condition that they use parts supplied by their own company. Muse A fancies themselves as a purist and is reluctant at first, but they can’t deny that the money they are offered would allow them to comfortably continue making dolls well into their twilight years. 

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: