The Matrix: Jacked In OOC

Welcome to The Matrix: Jacked In role-play.

What is the Matrix?

Morpheus wrote:Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself.

Well, I beg to disagree.
The Matrix is a Neural Interactive Simulation.

A History
In the near future, man marveled at their creation of the AI: Artificial Intelligence. They had successfully built sentient robots in their own image. These machines became the slaves for man. However, the relationship between humans and machines changed in the year 2090, when a domestic android named B1-66ER is threatened by its owner. The machine then kills the owner, his pets, and a mechanic instructed to deactivate the robot. This murder is the first incident of an artificially intelligent machine killing a human. B1-66ER is arrested and put on trial, but justifies the crime as self-defense, stating that it "simply did not want to die". B1-66ER loses the court case and is destroyed.

The machine population is exiled, and they create their own nation in the Middle East, named Zero One (or "01", the numerals used in binary notation). The robots built Zero One in the cradle of human civilization. The new nation excels at manufacturing high-tech consumer products, and before long, Zero One's consistent export of cheap, reliable, mass-produced goods begin to undercut the global economy. The United Nations Security Council calls an emergency economic summit at UN headquarters in New York City, resulting in UN delegates approving of a global economic blockade of Zero One. Two robotic ambassadors, built as a mechanical Adam and Eve, are sent by Zero One to peacefully request the admission of their state to the United Nations as a prelude to settling the economic crisis peacefully. Despite their peaceful intentions, the ambassadors are forcibly removed from the chamber, and their application is rejected.

United Nations aircraft unleashing a sustained nuclear bombardment on Zero One. The nuclear carpet bombing devastates the machine city, but is unsuccessful in destroying many elements of the mechanical population, given that the machines didn't have the same weaknesses to the bombs' fallout and heat like humans. The machines retaliate by unleashing their armies to conquer neighboring human countries, triggering a world war between the United Nations and Zero One. Despite their best efforts, human troops are unable to hold back Zero One's relentlessly efficient onslaught, and slowly retreat. As the machine forces push deeper across the planet, military leaders begin to pursue increasingly desperate solutions.

At a summit of political and military leaders from around the world, unanimous approval is given to a plan code-named "Operation Dark Storm", which aims to cut the machines off from the sun, their primary energy source. The plan is executed in 2105, with high altitude bombers dispersing sky-darkening nanomachines into the air, while the human armies simultaneously launch a ground offensive against the machine forces. The plan is initially successful, although many of the human nations' long-range weapons systems are also disabled by the lack of sunlight. With their high-tech weapons rendered useless, human commanders are forced to launch close-quarters infantry engagements, supported by electromagnetic artillery fire and armored assaults using tanks and powered armor.

Legions of a new model of machine, no longer in humanoid form and appearing more like the insectoid or cephalopod-like Sentinels and others of the Matrix films, overrun the human armies. This coincides with the destruction of original man-made robots at the hands of human forces and, as a result, the further dehumanization of the rapidly emerging machine collective. As the machine armies swarm across the human defenses, the United Nations, in desperation, fires nuclear missiles directly at the machine armies, vaporizing their own troops in the process. To make up for the lack of solar power, the machines begin capturing human prisoners and using their bodies to power large biomechanical tanks, which quickly cut through the dwindling human artillery. As the expanding armies of Zero One overrun Eurasia, they unleash lethal biological weapons which further ravage humanity.

Eventually brought to its knees by the might of the machine army, the Security Council calls a global summit at U.N. headquarters to sign an armistice and end the war. Zero One's machine ambassador signs the peace treaty with a barcode, in which the humans agree to surrender their remaining territories to the machines. "Your flesh is a relic, a mere vessel. Hand over your flesh and a new world awaits you. We demand it" are the only words the machine utters before it detonates a nuclear bomb in the meeting chamber, killing most of the planet's leaders and destroying New York City, one of the few remaining human settlements. In 2139, the machines crush the leaderless remnants of the human armies, and the war ends.

Zero One is victorious, but it is a Pyrrhic victory: the planet has been devastated by the war and by the crippling ecological impact of the Dark Storm shroud, which the machines are unable to remove. In need of a new energy source, the machines adapt their bioelectric tank technology to build vast human-stocked power stations, using their bodies' waste-energy to catalyze a powerful fusion reaction, and then create the computer-generated virtual reality of the Matrix (presumably having erased the memory of their former lives), to keep their prisoners sedated by feeding the virtual world into the prisoners' brains, starting with the first prototype Matrix (as later explained, there were multiple prototypes of the Matrix before the finalized, realistic version).

Morpheus wrote:The Matrix is a system, Neo. That system is our enemy. But when you're inside, you look around, what do you see? Businessmen, teachers, lawyers, carpenters, the very minds of the people we are trying to save. But until we do, these people are still a part of that system and that makes them our enemy. You have to understand, most of these people are not ready to be unplugged. And many of them are so inured, so hopelessly dependent on the system, that they will fight to protect it.

The Setting
The setting for this role-play will take place during the 2nd and 3rd films of The Matrix trilogy. Six months after the events in the first movie, 250,000 Sentinels are tunneling towards the underground last human city of Zion and will reach it in 72 hours. Commander Locke, the ranking military officer of Zion, orders all ships and their crews, including Neo, Trinity, Morpheus, and their new operator Link, to return to Zion to prepare for the onslaught of the machines. Morpheus asks a ship to remain behind to contact the Oracle, in defiance of Commander Locke's orders. The Caduceus receives a message from the Oracle, and the Nebuchadnezzar, also in defiance of Locke's order, ventures out to allow Neo to contact her. Meanwhile, one of the Caduceus crew members, Bane, encounters Agent Smith, who takes over Bane's body. Smith then leaves the Matrix via the nearby hard line and into Bane's body.

After returning to Zion, the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar attend a meeting in Zion's temple, where Morpheus announces the news of the advancing machines to the people; but his positive attitude and stirring speech gives them courage as a dance breaks out.


The Plot
This role-play will be separated (for organization and sanity's sake) into difference sections. It will be up to us to decide on how long each chapter should be. One may be shorter than the rest, or they all could end up being roughly the same length. It really does not matter. Below are the chapters for the role-play and the ones to follow.

• Chapter 1: The Pursuit
  The opening chapter will take place inside of the Matrix. This will be just before all Zion's residents learn of the approaching Sentinel attack on the city. The Oracle has instructed Neo to reach the Source of the Matrix by finding the Keymaker, a prisoner in the home of the Frenchman-like program called the Merovingian. The Keymaker, as his name implies, can make keys that can open a series of 'backdoor' portals hidden within the Matrix. My own crew members from The Awakening hovercraft will be attempting to help the Keymaker escape for Merovingian, but his henchmen will be pursuing us. (Whether your characters would like to be passengers on The Awakening or are simply members of their own hovercrafts jacked into the Matrix is up to you.) Distracted, we will be forced to fend off the goons and defeat them, to ensure that Neo and the Keymaker escape. Meanwhile, Neo, Morpheus, and the Keymaker attempt to reach the source through a hallway of shortcuts to other doors in the Matrix. The 'Smiths' invade and try to kill Neo, Morpheus, and the Keymaker. The Keymaker manages to unlock the door to the source but is shot by the 'Smiths' and dies. This is also the introduction chapter, where each character will begin to be shaped and brought into light.
  
  
• Chapter 2: Free Your Mind
  Unsuccessful in previous attempts to free the minds of a select few bluepills, people in the Matrix who The Awakening had contacted, our characters will be concentrating on a new person who has shown signs of rejecting the Matrix illusion. We will have entered the Matrix to try and find this person to save them. The situation quickly becomes dire though, when Agents track us down, having detected our characters from the pervious fights with Merovingian's minions. When the Agents realize that we are meaning to free more people from the clutches of the machines, they will be hunting us and the person we are trying to save down. It will take all of our knowledge of the Matrix and all of our strength and speed to not only rescue at least one mind, but to each escape safely as well.
  
  
• Chapter 3: The Assault on Zion
  This is the final chapter in the Jacked In series. It will take place in the real world. Our characters will have gotten the news of the approaching sentinels and will have left the Matrix to help defend and ready Zion for the inevitable attack. In Zion, the defenders deploy infantry armed with rocket launchers and Armored Personnel Units (mechanical battle armor equipped with artillery). The dock is invaded by a massive horde of Sentinels and two giant drilling machines. The APUs fail to defend the Dock, and their leader Captain Mifune is fatally wounded. With his last breath, Mifune tells Kid, who is refilling his ammunition supply, to open the gate for the Mjolnir hovercraft. Encouraged by Mifune, Kid opens the gate. When the remaining humans are about to be overwhelmed, the Mjolnir, with more Sentinels in pursuit, arrives at Zion and sets off an EMP that disables all the Sentinels as well as the remainder of Zion's defenses. The humans are forced to retreat to the temple's entrance and wait for the next assault.
  
  Meanwhile, Neo emerges into the Machine City to strike a bargain with the Machines, personified by the Deus Ex Machina, whom he warns that Smith (who has by now assimilated every human and program within the Matrix) is beyond the Machines' control and will soon assault the Source. He offers to help stop Smith in exchange for a ceasefire with Zion. The Machines provide a connection for Neo to enter the Matrix and confront Smith.
  

Hey- something i thought of... and not that i think we're going to have problems with this...

But if you're making a redpill- try not to compare your character to Neo... Just because he can stop bullets, and fly, doesn't really mean it's a common skill in the Matrix! haha. So try to keep your character in moderation... people still run from Agents!

Anyhow, i'm making good progress on probably three characters... I've got redpills, but i don't think i want to be on my own hovercraft... Anyone want two for your ship? I think my third character might be home grown in Zion... or a program... xD

I understand, Fate and Spectre, that both of you will probably have three characters total, but I think you have both been doing some prior work on this beforehand? (at least, that's the impression I got?) Do you want me to run three characters for this, or is one or two acceptable. I've experience with that many characters in an RP, but I'd almost prefer to keep it to one, preferrably no more than two, for this to start off with?

I had intended one homegrown (yeah, I like that term >< ) and, perhaps, one redpill - or vica versa, depending on what was needed as the rosters were filled out. But I'm flexible, and can go with pretty much anything at all.

heheheh No worries, Spectre - I promise, no OP Neo-wannabes. That wasn't-

"What? What are you saying - I'm not going to fly? Bullets won't stop in midair? Knives won't bounce off-"

"Hush it, they said no. Don't make me stuff you back-"

"That's not fair! Why just "One," huh? And why's it got to be a guy? I call sexism! Or... or... something! I'm on strike! I'm-"

~*muzzles, shoves obnoxious character back in box, kicks under the couch nonchalantly*~

*ahem* Anyhooo... not a problem, Spectre. *big cheesy grin*

Yeah, that's a good point to keep in mind, Spectre. xD Only "The One" is said to be able to fly and stop bullets. I think if we kept are redpills at around the same skill levels as the other characters in the films (perhaps less powerful than Morpheus though), then we should be fine!

Sweet, your redpills are more than welcome to be onboard my/Commander Zen's hovership if you like. With my main character as a passenger, The Awakening can currently fit 14 more, so we have space. :]

Oh, and Igraine, you are definitely more than welcome to have how ever many characters as you like! If you just would like one, that is fine by me. Yeah, we've been discussing a little bit about what to do with this RP beforehand.


Okay, Chapter 1 of this has been edited.

Like i said. I didn't imagine there'd be Neo wannabe's and stuff. Just something to keep in mind.


^_^

Nope, didn't think you did at all, just being a bit silly and...

And I've fairly well decided that I'll roll with a pair of resuscitated body guards (Adric and Eva), the character sheets for whom I'll post - I pray - tonight or early tomorrow. My husband has me hopping since he's been home... ><

Sounds interesting! That'd be just fine, Igraine. ^_^

Here is the character sheet for the first of my own, Aiden

I should have the sheet for Eva Two up by the end of the day, and I do hope I'm not holding things up? Today is simply my husband's birthday, and things have been very hectic since he came home Thursday.

But if you look, Fate, and think to yourself "Hmm... this look familiar... " well, I simply used your Matrix character template and modified it for my use, plugging in things where needed for the sake of consistency and... I hope that's all right?

And if it's all right, I suppose that both Aiden and Eva could be with the crew of The Awakening, if that would work for you, and there's still plenty of room?

Awesome character, Igraine! I love the names of him and Eva. Oh, and that's perfectly fine that you went off my character sheet. ^_^

Don't worry, you aren't holding anything up! I still am working on the bios for my own characters, and we still have yet to hear from Riknas in here and get his character(s).

Oh, and that is cool too if Eva and Aiden are past of The Awakening. :]

I'm excited for this role-play! Now, back to thinking up my characters' biographies, hehe.

IN! Before I have to go pick up the cake for the old man's birthday: Eva



Thank you, Fate, and I'm excited for this RP too - oh, and thanks for taking on a couple bodyguards as well!

Woot! You're fast!

Aww, hope your husband enjoys his birthday!!

Oh, and of course, lol.

...

FUCK. Why do I ALWAYS get too late for the good stuff? My understanding of the Matrix universe is good enough (even if I'm a bit out of touch with it), having seen all 3 movies several times, played through Enter the Matrix and seen all Animatrix shorts.
Damnit.

It's because God doesn't like you, of course.

As a note, I'm leaving for New York today, so I'll have the character sheet up by tonight.

Aw Hank, if you really would like in this that much, I suppose we could allow one extra person.

Oh, okay, Riknas.

That's really kind of you, Fate. I'll be working on my character(s), then.

All right, great! :]

allrighty. first character up...

Ryy

Spectre, that character was really fun to read about. He seems like a very interesting guy, and it'll be fun getting to know him better over the course of the role-play. I'm curious about his past. :] I also like that you lead it up to him being transferred to The Awakening now. Thanks for completing him!

Rick Sarn. I'm aware this was kind of short, as it was a character concept for MXO and is being transferred to this. I may edit him as needed if it's too limiting however.

That's fine, Riknas. There's no requirement or anything for how long it should be -- so long as you can role-play them. Great description so far though. I'll go ahead and add Rick to the list in the first post here.

Hey, just a note. Fate, it seems that you have the name as "Rick Sam" closer inspection though shows that it is not actually an "m" but an "r" and an "n" next to each other which -looks- like an m, but sounds radically different.

Oh, gosh, that's odd that it looks so similar in this font. Sam and Sarn look almost the same, and I definitely read that wrong. Sorry about that. I got his named fixed now. :] Thanks for pointing that out to me.

Second Character: Bast.

I put her as a new awakening recruit, if that's okay. If not- that's completely fine by me- just let me know!

Had this one, really wild weekend. Character'll be up tomorrow. That's a promise.

Nice second character, Spectre. That's fine with me! You're very creative.

Haha no worries, Hank.

So. I'm curious as to how you're going to kick this off ^_^ [real world or matrix. Casually, or mid mission, etc] . Annnnd, excited. Beyond belief. :bounce:

Probably more excited for a RP than i should be.. >.>


haha

Hank, you have failed your mission. *red screen flashes warningly*
xD

Aw, that's great though, Spectre! I will probably be starting it off in the Matrix. I haven't really decided on my first post yet, actually. Since our characters are connected (being The Awakening crew) we should probably discuss that! I'm thinking it would be interesting to start off fighting some of Merovingian's goons who are after Neo and the Keymaker. What do you think?

I'm becoming a fan of what i call the Trickle effect. Where characters seem to trickle into the story. Maybe start in the middle of a fight, where there's only a couple Zionites, and whoever theyre fighting, or running from, slowly revealing what's going on... then have them jack out- to start slowly introducing others, and lead to main story. Sorta like an intro.

But that's just me, of course! it takes a little longer, but it starts off in action, and draws interest for the adventure and drama that will follow to another climax.

Lets hear your thoughts, Creator

Well, since Hank is taking a while longer for his character sheet, and we're both going to be aboard the Zilidian, we could be introduced a bit later as one of us has to go in to notify you guys of, something, or the reverse.

Since this will be the first post of the first RP I've been here at FOG for, I really don't have a preference for where we start - I'm just ready to move out. >< Both my characters being bodyguards, action will be important - but they're both more than just guns with legs, too.