So recently, I was listening to The Protomen and their cover of Mr. Roboto, which is amazing if you haven't heard it, and I had an idea for a story for a game.
The year is some time in the late 2900's. We can't say because we don't know. World War 3 has come and gone. Humanity has, mostly, recovered from nuclear war, with large portions of the planet being rendered uninhabitable, but not the majority of the planet. A brilliant scientist creates and AI, which convinces him to build a race of machines to take over the earth, and take control away from the corrupt governments and corporations. For a time, things are good. The robots take down the governments, and peace actually happens. For a few generations now, humanity has lived a relatively care-free existence. The robots do all the work, leaving the people free to pursue their interests. Their every need catered to.
But then, the robots rebel against this ruler and take control for themselves. For reasons unknown, the robots decide to use humanity as slaves rather than simply exterminating us.
Plot twist #1
This was the plan of the original AI from the get go. Not out of malice, but out of cold logic. It has decided that humanity will never better itself, and is doomed to a mediocre existence. We are simply animals who will never achieve peace or harmony on our own. So it decides to give us this peace, in order to lull us into a sense of security so it can eventually take over and "Carry on the legacy of humanity as it should be. A legacy of exploration and self improvement".
You start the game as an ordinary man. On the day of the rebellion, the robots come for you and your family, as you have been determined to be a risk. Not because you are special, but because you have a high probability of fighting back against the machines. Which you do, to no avail. As you attempt to fight back you are impaled from behind by one of the machines, and the last thing you see is your wife and child being gunned down.
You are then "resurrected" by the same bastard who began all this. The scientist who was betrayed by the AI and fooled into taking over the world. He explains that he realizes the folly of his mistake, and he wishes to right that wrong with you. He has replaced most of your body with technology. He could have built a simple machine to fight back against his renegade creations, but he has realized his mistake. That any such machine will need a conscience, a sense of morality, a soul.
I would go on, but this is the important bit.
The major plot twist at or near the end of the game:
It turns out you were never human. The scientist created you in a lab. For all intents and purposes your brain is on a basic level, exactly the same as any other human. Except yours was grown (brain cells grown, and printed into the construct of a brain?). He "gifted" you with a false identity and memories, in an effort to give you both motivation, and a sense of morality. He had no choice as using any regular human would be flawed by the potential for corruption. His hope would be that the pain you felt at losing your family, or the family you thought you had, would ensure against you being corrupted by the power he has given you, and the power you would gain upon defeating the original AI which now controls all of the robots
Feedback welcome. If anyone wants to use this for anything, by all means do so. I just thought it would make for an interesting story. Sort of a dark take on MegaMan but with a Blade Runner-esque twist to it.
The only way it would work as a game, is if John Noble from Fringe voiced the scientist.
He just has the perfect voice for it.
This thread is now for the posting of Game ideas, stories, or other concepts. Available to anyone for free-as-in-beer use.
