ffgfg The Jack Subplot The Jack Subplot 1 11/6/2001 1 11/7/2001 and 11/21/2201 2 Jack Subplot replies, Monday November 26, 2001 14 Jack Subplot replies, Thursday November 29, 2001 18 Manifesto for the Center for Human and Mutant Rights 20 Manifesto for Harper and his organizations 21 Manifesto to “The Human” 22 Jack Subplot replies, Saturday December 1, 2001 23 Jack Subplot replies, Friday December 7, 2001 25 GM REPLY 12/11/01: 27 Jack Subplot replies, December 12, 2001 29 11/6/2001 Ok Chad, I am developing an idea that I believe is in line with my character. But first I will have to perform some research to determine the current state of the world with technology as it relates to detection and suppression of mutant powers, x-factor occurrence percentages at birth as a trend over time, and the current public feeling and media rhetoric on mutants in general. So, I want to make a series of new a.k.a. ids. None of the akas will use the name John. At this time the names do not matter. Using different ids I will begin researching the following issues, which most are probably public knowledge. The reason for the ids is to allow no useful traceable links. Of course, this will all be performed without the knoweldge of anyone other than myself. If I need to make some rolls on the ids and provide speific names I can. The idea is to make them disposable to the point that there is no consistent name floating in the world during my research. Area of interest, technology: What technology exist to detect if an individual may be a mutant Level of individuals mutant power Makeup of the individual powers What technology exist to suppress an individuals mutant power the mutant powers of all individuals within a certain perimeter Genetics: Is there a record or indication as to the percentage of births with the occurring x-factor. Basically, I am looking to determine if the trends indicate that mutants will one day be the normal society rather then the minority. Public opinion: Where does the public currently stand in regards to mutants? What are the governmental stances Weapons: Is there any record of third world countries using or planning to use mutant as weapons rather the historical trend of using technology. Any record or genetic experiments in any country to produce stronger mutants? Radicals: A couple of highly radical anti-mutant and pro-mutant groups. Geographic: Is there an disproportionate percentage of mutants in any country compared to the normal distribution across all other countries? I can role-play any of these investigations. But first I just want to collect what information I can to determine my future actions. 11/7/2001 and 11/21/2201 Identities are no problem for you. Jack has done so many over the years he can do up the paperwork for a new identity in his sleep. Just give me the names when you get a chance. I won't mention that you are doing subplots, but I have been storing everyone's subplots in the archive this time around, so when I release an updated version of the archive it will go public. That should not be for several months though. As to your investigations: Technology: There is technology which allows the detection of mutants. You are aware primarily through your association with Thermo for all those years that his old team, the X-men possessed a device called Cerebro, which could detect mutants at very long distances quite accurately. Thermo himself also hired scientists to create more short-range mutant detection devices at various times during AlertForce history, when he was detecting and recruiting mutants. You do not specifically know what the technologies are, but with some concerted research you feel confident you could create one of the devices if you wanted to. Essentially, you would have to create a gadget. If you want to, let me know and I will tell you the factor costs, etc. The way I envision it is that the aps of the device would be its range, and to detect a mutant, you would have to make an attack and do I RAP of damage. Do not want to create anything here. Just wanted to know what devices are public knowledge. I assume from this that public knowledge is that no such device exist. In addition, do any of the current devices that I know of indicate the types of powers and the magnitude of that power? GM Reply 11/21/01: There are no mutant detection devices that are “public” knowledge. As noted earlier, you are aware of Cerebro because you worked with Thermo over the years. He told you about it. You don’t know about its technology, but from what you can recall from what Thermo said, it would detect the location of the mutant, some idea of the strength of the mutant, and the general type of powers (not necessarily complete detail or specifics on the power). For example, someone looking for thermo using Cerebro would be able to find his location, that he is one of the more powerful mutants out there, and that his powers involve temperature control. The little devices Thermo had over the years were simply smaller, stripped down versions of this, with less range and accuracy. Jack Reply 11/25/01: I did not know that Cerebro could identify the mutant power level. I want to extend the research at Discovery labs to begin investigating the creation of this type of device. Same research scenario as with the mutant power inhibitor project. GM REPLY 11/25/01: No problem there. Your researchers are working to tie down the theory, and to design a device, but not build one. As far as you know, CEREBRO is the only such device ever built in a large scale. As noted before, if you want to build one, you will have to make a gadget under the gadgetry rules. Jack Reply 11/26/01: Todo :see below As far as devices used to suppress mutant powers, you do not find any record of one ever having been created, but that does not mean one could not be created. Again, you would have to create one using a gadget roll. If you wanted to make it so it would suppress ANY mutant powers in a given AP range, that would be very, very expensive both in factor cost and in expense. If you limited it to certain powers, or came up with other limitations, it might be less so. At this time I want to start have a few people at Discovery lab working on the core research required to develop these types of devices. When I created “the new Jack” he was created as a billionaire, so if I need erase a hero point to add money to this I will. Their goal is not to create one at this time, but to obtain an understanding of how the technology could be created to cover large tracks of land. Perhaps controlled from towers or satellite. They will use other research labs in universities when appropriate, but will limit the scope of the research labs knowledge, so that there is no obvious link to the end technology. Restate this - Any Research outsourced should be fundamental in nature, so the resulting technology could not be predicted or traced to discovery lab! GM Reply 11/21/01: Your research is underway. The Discovery people are doing the main research, but splitting off some issues to other entities. Nothing seems traceable back to you. Your lead researcher at Discovery gives you a plan and timetable which goes out over the next 6 months for preliminary results. He indicates that the project might go more quickly if you had some mutants to experiment on. Cells with the “X-factor” have never successfully been kept alive in laboratory settings. All the work your researchers can do is theoretical at this point. The plan your guy worked up is to investigate potential electromagnetic, photonic, sonic, and chemical solutions to the research goal, in that order. Jack Reply 11/25/01: Good, let this play out with the initial development of the theory. I will work on getting voluntary research participants later. Start investigating a list of low level powered mutants that appear to not want their powers. It is these people I will approach for experimentation. I assume that the experiments will not harm these people. They will be compensated for any effort including silence, and promised the potential of the removal of their powers. They will not be told that this is Discovery labs. Any experiments will occur offsite with technicians only. The test will be monitored through a secure channel to another offsite location were no one is present. Another offsite location monitoring the first two will contain the lead researchers. If security is comprised on the first site, the time it takes to both find the second site and to determine that there was a third site should provide plenty of time for the researches to leave even before the search for the third site begins. The second site should be setup to indicate that it is a primary complete with spilled coffe from a quick departure. So, most likely the search for the third site would never occur. GM REPLY 11/25/01: Ok. The problem here is that a list of low-powered mutants large enough to have any statistical validity for research would require the use of a CEREBRO like machine. You could do a records search, news search, etc, but low-powered mutants are not really on record anywhere. The only mutants on the “public” record are high-powered ones, for the most part. Setting up the research labs/decoy labs, etc. is no problem. You can do that in a matter of days. Getting a list of low-powered mutants for research subjects is the problem. Jack Reply 11/26/01: Todo: see below Genetics: Based on numerous studies which have been conducted over the last 30 years, the generally recognized figure is that somewhere between one per 10,000 and one per 100,000 babies born in the world are "mutants" or have the mutant "x factor" in their genetic makeup. Of these, between one and five percent eventually manifest powers or paranormal abilities. The other 95 % of mutants never exhibit any effects and many are never even aware of their condition. The first recorded case of mutant-hood was in the 1870's - a Russian farmer who found he could fly. Mass mutations began occurring in the late 1930's and 1940's, seemingly with the development and use of radioactive materials for various purposes - most notably nuclear weapons and nuclear power. Mutation rates exploded after the use of the atomic bombs during WWII, and have been slowly declining ever since. As far as whether mutants will eventually become the dominant species on earth, theorists are split evenly on this question. Unquestionably, some mutants have abilities which make it more likely that they can survive crises and be in a position to propogate the species Homo Superior (mutants). However, the x-factor seems to be a recessive trait, meaning that even if both parents are mutants, there is only a one in four chance of the offspring having the x-factor. Further, the use of radioactive materials has now been strictly controlled in most instances, thereby vastly reducing the number of people exposed to radiation-induced mutations. As such, some theorists believe that notwithstanding their superior abilities, mutants will eventually die out, as the number of mutants per generation becomes less and less. Since mutants have only been present in any numbers for two to three generations, neither theory can be proven true at this time. So, taking your averages if 1 in 50,000 is born with the X-factor and 3% of them have powers in a world of 2 trillion then there are 40,000 mutants in the world with about 1200 mutants with powers. Naturally born. Moreover, I would assume that the number of aliens or cross dimensionally mutants would make up a small percentage of this already small number. I assume that no research indicates an increasing or decreasing trend in this number GM Reply 11/21/01: Roughly correct. You run some samples on the few known populations you are aware of (some small surveys done in the 70’s in some neighborhoods in upstate new York) and come up with projections of between 50,000 and 100,000 mutants worldwide. This is not exactly what the other numbers yielded, but is not orders of magnitude different. You are pretty confident that the worldwide population of mutants is something less than 100,000. Aliens, cross-dimensional, or other miscellaneous would amount to less than 1 percent of the total. As noted before, researchers are split on whether the numbers should increase or decrease over time. Jack Reply 11/25/01: Oops, I entered trillion wrong. The correct numbers are 40 million mutants world wide and 1.2 million mutants with powers. Now granted many of the mutants with powers probably have them at such a low, or undeveloped, level that they do not even know they exist. So, I would assume that there are less than 20,000 mutants with powers developed to the point that they can be used in threatening manner. GM REPLY 11/25/01: Ok. I’ll do a GM timewarp and retroactively correct my math too. There are approximately 40 million mutants worldwide, and about 1.5 with powers. Your supposition about low powered mutants is correct, but not at that proportion. I’ll say that the number of mutants worldwide with significant powers is between 50,000 and 100,000. The remainder of the 1.5 million are what you have been calling “low level” mutants, either with no discernable powers or powers at such a low level as to be non-usable (0 or 1 ap levels). Jack Reply 11/26/01: OK, good background Public Opinion: Over the last two decades there have been several flare-ups of anti-mutant sentiment in the public (often due to actions by Thermo, the X-men, or other famous mutants). Each time, calls for mutant registration, mandatory mutant sterilization, and other more radical options have been made. However, each time legislative efforts to enact such measures were defeated, and anti-mutant sentiments eventually faded. The last legislative effort to enact mandatory mutant registration was in the late 1980's. Currently, there is little or no effort at any such measures. Anti-mutant sentiment is very low at present, due in part to the fact that supervillain activity (or any superpowered activity) has waned significantly over the last five years). Several universities are currently conducting studies to determine the cause or causes for this phenomenon, but no explanations have yet come to the fore. However, with the almost complete absence of supervillain or superhero activity for the last five years, there is no impetus behind whatever anti-mutant sentiment may be lurking out there. During the last several months, AlertForce has resurfaced and is garnering some headlines on both coasts, so this could change. I would like to hire an investigator to obtain a comprehensive list of the people in the world that have been injured or killed through the activities of mutant activities and if possible the mutants involved in the occurrence. He will be hired using and aka. When I meet him I will be made up as a 65 year old man with a beard and using a cane with a severe limp. GM Reply 11/21/01: This is simple enough. Your guy comes back to you in about ten days with a binder full of materials. Most of this was compiled in the mid-1980’s by a government committee involved in some of the anti-mutant legislation efforts at that time. Total deaths attributed to mutant activities since 1950 amount, according to these reports, to something on the order of 158,000. The number might be larger, but the report notes many scenarios wherein the culprits were never positively identified, or where mutants were working with normal humans (these instances were excluded from the total). Prominently listed on this report as the single mutant responsible for the most deaths is Magneto and his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, which was active from the late 1960’s until the late 1980’s, and which accounted for over 3,500 deaths. Thermo is also listed in the report, as being responsible for at least 5, and possibly more, civilian deaths over the course of his career. Thousands of other mutants are identified and listed. Jack Reply 11/25/01: Good, now I would like an idea of the listed reports of were mutants of performed acts of kindness to regular humans. This might be mutants that have regeneration using their powers in hospitals, etc… The act of using mutant powers to protect regular humans from other mutants should not be included in this in study. Really I am looking to get the following questions answered: Is it at all common? Have mutants proven to produce more destruction and harm using their powers than acts that would be considered productive and good? GM REPLY 11/25/01: You find the history of the last 50 years is replete with mutants who have helped others, and saved countless lives. Although the number of individual mutants performing good acts is less than the number of individual mutants performing evil or bad acts, the number of people saved or helped by the ones doing good acts outweighs those killed by evil mutant acts by several orders of magnitude. For example, with a little digging, you find not one but several instances where a group of mutants known as the X-men saved entire cities, countries, and even on at least three occasions the entire world from certain destruction at the hands of alien invasion or other non-mutant based attacks. Likewise, Thermo of AlertForce has saved many people over his career, and in fact on one occasion himself (along with AlertForce, of course) prevented alien invasions of Earth which would have killed millions. On a smaller level, you find several instances of mutant physicians or other healthcare practitioners who use their powers to save hundreds of lives every year. Incidentally, one of the physicians you find in this list is named Jerald Steele, whom you know as former AlertForce member the Protector. Jack Reply 11/26/01: OK, good background Weapons: You are unaware of any experiments currently underway to form mutants into weapons or to refine mutations. You do find records related to some experiments in the Soviet Union in the 1970's, but their conclusion was that mutations were too random to be useful. Certain exposures to radiation could be used to increase the rate of mutations, but even with these, a mere one in 5000 subjects was expected to manifest any useful mutations. This was not deemed a significant enough ratio to warrant further study into the program. Drugs and conditioning (such as those used on Jack) were considered a much more cost effective means of creating human weapons. I would like to begin an effort to obtain hard evidence on the test scenarios, basically proof that the test were performed. Furthermore, I would like to extend this search of evidence to third world countries were the creation of technologically advanced weapons would be difficult. I will do this research by hiring individuals using the same old man aka mentioned above. No name just appearance. If I need to spend a hero point or two for cash that is not a probably. Anytime I use cash for any of these projects I want to withdraw it in a way were it could not be traced obviously to the people I am paying. GM Reply 11/21/01: You have all the records from these experiments. You are certain that they occurred. I don’t quite understand how you intend to extend this research. You find no evidence that any third world nations have done research or attempted to create mutants as weapons. Such research and development, you conclude, takes more scientific knowledge, and finances, than any third world or developing nation could muster. Such a program would be limited to the developed world. When dealing with genetics and mutations, you cannot just theorize then build one. You have do to testing over generations, observing results and mutation rates, then develop plans on how to control mutations. This takes years and is incredibly expensive. You find some instances where third world nations have attempted to steal the Soviets’ research, but nothing ever came of it. Jack Reply 11/25/01: Ok, next step in the study is to determine the potential that research scientist working for the Soviet Union may now be employed by rogue nations providing the potential for future research efforts in this area. I am not really concerned with the research that has been performed in the third world nations, but more concerned of producing plausible proff that the ability to perform this research is growing quickly, resulting in the potential of these nations be able to produce mutants as weapons in the next 50 years. Can I assume that the attempts to steal Soviet research in this area was successful, however the ability to use the new found knowledge is still beyond these countries grasp. GM REPLY 11/25/01: Well, there is no proof that any actual research in this area is going on anywhere in the world. There is also no instance you can find of any Soviet scientist involved in the original research now working for any other nation on such a project. Nevertheless, it is easy enough to make a case with existing evidence that the potential for doing this research exists, if someone or some country only had the will and the resources to undertake it. In your analysis, the time it would take to produce mutants as weapons would vary between 20 and 40 years, depending on the number of mutants involved in the study and the resources applied. As to the research data which was smuggled out of the Soviet Union relative to that project, you dig a bit more and find that the KGB assassinated the person who smuggled the data out, along with the person he gave it to, shortly after the plot was discovered. You can find no information on whether the information got any further than the one person who was killed. Jack Reply 11/26/01: OK, good background Radicals: There do exist some radical anti-mutant organizations. The two most famous are the KKK and another organization called the Mutant Elimination Front. There have been no publicized activities by either group relative to mutants in several years. I would like to obtain further information on the Mutant Elimination Front and some information on radical and conservative PRO mutant groups. GM Reply 11/21/01: The Mutant Elimination Front is a secretive organization which appears to be based in the southeastern USA. Their public spokesman has been a masked figure known only as “the Human.” He sometimes sends videotapes to news stations with commentary and statistics on mutant actions. They have a website where they post lots of propaganda, mostly inaccurate, about mutants and how they are taking over the world and plan to eliminate Humanity. Lots of quotes from Magneto figure prominently. They don’t appear to have a lot of members, nor a lot of funding. They have taken responsibility for a number of mutant deaths, the most famous of which was where a high school student who revealed he was a mutant was kidnapped, chained to the back of a pickup truck, and dragged about ten miles at high speed over a dirt road, until he died a horrible death. The individuals who perpetrated the act were never apprehended. You dig a little and find an address you think is where one of the group’s leaders lives. It is in a rural community outside Birmingham, Alabama. Jack Reply 11/25/01: I will need a pro mutant group that appears to be headed by regular humans. A radical PRO group may be useful, but primarily I need a conservative PRO group that is lead through intelligence not just leftists feelings. The ideal group would meet the following criteria: The group needs to be publicly known and accepted by mutants to be mutant friendly. The group most be open to ideas that allow the regulation of mutant powers for the good of the mutant and regular humans. They may not agree with the attempts to date for regulation, however they could understand and even agree with the potential benefits. Their vision is a world were humans and mutants live together, but somehow the mutants will not, or can not use their powers in a destructive manner. As to this guy in Alabama he may be too radical for my purposes, however I will still investigate him further. Although he will not be useful for the end agenda he will be a valuable element for the means, and as a bonus Jack will have some enjoyment in making sure that he fulfills his roll on the agenda. I need a way to contact this guy. This may start with money which brings up another issue. I need a money front man. Granted I have money, but I need to filter it so that when it is traced they find him. From the list of people hurt by mutants I need a relative that has substantial resources. The ideal candidate would have substantial resource in the form of money. He will be an intelligent individual and would be considered an elitists. Why an elitists? Simple, he should be somewhat easy to manipulate when made to feel that do to his resources and above average understanding of how things really work in the world he has been brought into a plan that few people know about or could understand. When Jack meets him he will use his academic background in psychology to determine if this individual can be manipulated to fund these projects, if not with his money then with Jack’s money filtered to him. Jack will meet him using the old man aka and will not provide more information than is necessary to determine if this guy can be controlled. Jack’s end goal with this guy is to provide a scapegoat if necessary for future events as all the money trails will lead to him. All efforts would be to hide this goals money from being traced, but if someone were to trace it to him they would not look further believing he had motive, fits the psychological profile, and has the necessary resources. GM REPLY 11/25/01: You do a little more digging, and find just such an individual. His name is Henry H. Harper. He is a Multi-millionaire (not Billionaire though) whose wife and daughter were killed by an attack by Magneto in the early 1970’s. He is the president of a major manufacturing company in the Midwest and has some clout in both the state and federal legislatures. He is a large campaign contributor to conservative and anti-mutant politicians, and has been active in anti-mutant campaigns for twenty years. If you want to meet with him you are going to have to give me some pretty good detail about what you plan to tell him. He fits all your criteria, but is very intelligent and very powerful, in his own way. Jack Reply 11/26/01: TODO: see below Back to the guy in Alabama. Using my computer skills I want to find who pays for the Mutant Elimination front’s website, and further more who creates and updates the pages. In addition, I want to track were the money goals when it’s donated. If I can get an address a name and address on this guy I want to do the following: Create an aka of a film guy trying to make a “b” movie. Hire some actors to play out a roll on video tape were three guys hunt down with those super soaker water guns, torture, and kill a fourth. The video camera shoots will be unprofessional kind of like in the movie Blair Witch. The actors will be told that the goal is to make a game about playing “TAG” where the participants take it to seriously. Then, I will digitally alter the tape to indicate that the fourth man had some mutant powers and the water soaker guns were laser rifles that his powers protected him from. It should appear that these guys hunted and killed a mutant. I will then send this guy the tape with no name or return address. There should be enough changes to the tape so that if the actors see it on the 11 O’clock news they would not, likely, recognize it. The digital quality does not have to be to the level were it could withstand intense scrutiny by experiments in the field of digital imagery as I do not anticipate this guy having those types of resources. I will request that the tape is not released to the media. I will indicate that I sent it to him to prove my conviction prior to meeting him. GM REPLY 11/25/01: The Mutant Elimination Front has little or no money. Their website is paid for by the guy in Alabama (whose name is Lucious P. Singleton) out of his own pocket. He also maintains and updates the page (infrequently). It is a crappy webpage although it does have a message board. No problem on making that video. You have artist, I believe, at a good level and you are satisfied with the result. You send it to him, and request a meeting. You leave a return address on the message, and are sent a reply from someone calling himself “the Human,” who says he was shown the tape by Mr. Singleton, and asked to speak with you on his behalf. He agrees to meet with you at the location of your choosing. Let me know where you want to meet with him and what you intend to say to him. Jack Reply 11/26/01: Todo: see below Geographic: Mutation rates seem to correlate geographically with spikes in radiation exposure globally. For example, there was a significant spike in mutation rates in Japan in the generation following WWII: 1948-1955. There was a spike in the southwest US during those same periods, presumably resulting from nuclear testing there. The USSR had several localized spikes in the sixties and seventies correlating to nuclear testing, and there was also a mutation rate spike in the local geographic area surrounding Chernobyl about three to five years after that accident, as well. Other than these, mutation rates seem about the same geographically over the world. You are aware that AlertForce has four new members who came from an alternate dimension. They are "mutants" in a general sense but not in a literal sense. A quick tap into HAL reveals that their powers were created when an explosion of an unknown energy source occurred on Earth in their dimension. This caused them and many others on their world to undergo physiological changes which sometimes manifested in both illnesses and powers. This is what occurred with these four. As such, their powers are a result of a mutation caused by exposure to energy sources, but these four do not have the "x-factor" in their genes. Their mutations are completely different from mutants like Thermo or the X-men. So, geographically one could assume that Russia, Japan, and the United States have cornered the market on mutants. However, as third world nations begin the experimentation and construction of nuclear weapons mutant offsprings in these countries will most likely spike as they did in the three afore mention countries. And, one could further assume that, perhaps incorrectly, but with enough supporting data to be believable by the general public, that through the experimentation with nuclear devices the creation of mutants can be performed or accelerated under the control of these third world countries governments. Regardless of if this statement can be proven true or false the data presented appears to be enough that the common public could be made to believe that a high possibility of this occurrence exists. Basically, how much of this previous statement do I believe? Is there enough data to support the previous hypothesis? GM Reply 11/21/01: You believe that concerted, widespread nuclear testing and creation of nuclear weapons, along with the widespread use of nuclear power in a certain geographic area would indeed, over two to three generations, create a spike in the rate of mutations in a given population. Historically, that occurred in the USA, Soviet Union, and Japan, and you have no reason to believe it is not going on right now in India, Pakistan, North Korea, etc. In fifty years, you will be able to prove it. This information is well known enough that with a little public relations or propaganda work on your part, you could push public opinion to the (accurate) conclusion that an increase in nuclear power or weapons equals an increase in mutants born over time. Jack Reply 11/25/01: Good, this will work with the Weapons section. Mercenary Mutant groups: Finally, I would like to find information on mercenary mutant organizations that could be hired for jobs, (Good or Bad) Jack Reply 11/25/01: I will need some mercenary mutant groups. Not to powerful or intelligent. Like a band of west Virginia teenagers with sub-super powers. GM REPLY 11/25/01: I sent some info on this in an earlier email I don’t think you got. Here it is again: As I have noted before, there has been a marked decrease in super powered or paranormal activity over the last five years. You are only able to locate information on two groups who appear to be currently active. One is located in New York City, and calls itself simply "X." It is supposedly responsible for several bank robberies. They are at large and authorities believe they consist of at least three members, one of which has superspeed and one of which has invisibility. The second group is located in Chicago and is called "Generation Next." They have at least five members with varied powers. They appear to be calling themselves heroes, but are wanted for several vigilante type killings. Other than these, you are also aware of Thermo's mutant school in Alaska, and of the fact that several AlertForce members are Mutants. Jack Reply 11/26/01: Your right, my email failed me again. Thanks for resending. Todo: see below Also, - Who is Viper and what is there mandate? - Who is Marks Corp and what is there mandate? - Who created those robots that hunted mutants, the sentinels? GM Reply 11/21/01: VIPER is a worldwide organization with bases in hundreds of countries. Their goal is not to dominate the world overtly, but to do so covertly. VIPER always tries to put itself in a position to influence and/or control world events. Some governments they work with, some they want to overthrow, and some they are indifferent to. You are personally aware that VIPER has agents in many US Government offices, moles in governments around the world, and a network of hundreds of thousands of low and mid-level agents worldwide. Their organizational structure is secret – even to you. You are aware of several VIPER bases, and a good number of high level commanders, but you have never seen a complete organizational structure. VIPER’s actions are not always what they seem. You are aware that on some occasions VIPER has sent agents on missions knowing they will fail, just to allow authorities to believe they have VIPER “under control.” VIPER will often construct missions with a number of levels, so that there is some big, public action (like a bunch of VIPER agents taking over a power plant or something) whose only goal is to mask or draw attention away from some other mission occurring at the same time elsewhere. Their immediate goal is to gain economic wealth, and power, so as to keep themselves in a position to be aware of, react to, and control world events. Some have observed that VIPER has a better intelligence organization than any other ever created in the history of the world. MARX Corporation is the successor to an earlier corporation known as Cyberdine Industries. They are the ones who created the original mutant hunting robots known as Sentinels (also sometimes referred to as Minutemen). After Cyberdine merged with another company in the early 1980’s and formed MARX Corporation, they continued to design robots that attacked AlertForce and Mutantkind in general. The reasons for these actions were never clear, but MARX had a certain mandate to eliminate mutants (and later AlertForce in general) from the planet. MARX assembled a team of the top robotics and weapons designers in the world, and for almost twenty years was a leader in the manufacture of robotic weapons systems. Their masterpieces were the SF series of robots, many of whom fought AlertForce. Unfortunately for MARX, the company’s management was never as advanced as its science. The original reasons Cyberdine built mutant hunting robots were never explained. However, in later years, MARX began sending robots after AlertForce simply out of vengance. MARX eventually got into a battle with Star Labs, which ended with STAR and AlertForce attacking and dismantling MARX’s HQ in England (see era IV History section of the archive). Since then MARX has been downsized significantly from its heyday in the mid-1990’s and it is unclear now what its mandate is or whether its robotics programs still exist. Jack Reply 11/25/01: Good background. Will work on this later. Jack Subplot replies, Monday November 26, 2001 Cerebro Device: For the Cerebro like device, I do want to roll on making one similar to Thermos. Enough were I can hand it off and allow an employee to walk around town detecting “low level” mutants. When he finds one I can be called in to determination the identification of the individual through pick pocketing. I will of course return any wallet to the target after determining their identification. I have provided the following three rolls for the gadget: Note that I do not know what they mean or how many you need. 15,17,10. Note I am rolling dice using: http://www.irony.com/igroll.html; This site will allow the results to be emailed. Do you need here points? Do I earn hero points for subplots? The following six rolls are for pick pocketing: 18,10,13,7,23,8 GM REPLY 11/27/01: You do earn hero points for subplots, and you have earned a bunch for all this stuff, but you are also doing many large-scale things, including building gadgets, which under the new rules require the expenditure of hero points. What I am going to do to simplify things is just to call it even for now – i.e. the hero points you earned thus far on these plots will be used for investing in money, plans, and for the gadgets you want to build. If your plans get too big, I will make you spend some more, or if they scale back some, I will tell you what you earned. For now, I am calling it even. I consulted the archive and see that your gadgetry is 13ap. Using your rolls of 15 and 17, you successfully created a gadget for mutant detection. It has a body of 3, is handheld (so can be taken away) and a range of 12ap. It will detect mutants, give you a general idea of their power type (i.e. physical, mental, mystical) and will give you a rough power level reading (i.e. the aps of their strongest power, with an accuracy of plus or minus 2). You can write this on your character sheet, and I suggest you do, since if you ever come back and play you will not have it unless it is on your sheet. Research modifiers: For a larger version of Cerebro and the mutant power inhibitor project I am assuming or hoping that the time Discovery Lab spends performing research will apply modifiers to any eventual roll on the creation of these devices. GM REPLY 11/27/01: That assumption is correct, but making a full-scale version of CEREBRO will be a very, very difficult gadget roll. Your researchers have the basic theory down, and are working on specifics. You tell me how long you are going to give them before you try to make the gadget. Henry H. Harper: Ok, here is the motivation for contacting this man. I need this guy as a front man for the money transactions because the money will eventually get traced, and if it is traced to me the agenda will be damaged do to my history. This man has motive and sympathy that will both help the agenda when the money is traced. We may decide to not even hide the money trail. The problem is I do not want to divulge the full scope of the agenda without an assurance of his buy in. Moreover, I do not expect to obtain his complete buy in on the introductory meeting, therefore I need to decide how much information to provide him allowing the relationship to grow over time. So, the question is what do I have to bring his attention to the table. I need a demonstration of ability and resources before the meeting. Perhaps I need to get him to contact me? I need creditability. This will come after I joining the primary Anti-mutant group that he funds. I need to quickly establish myself with the group. I will do this simply by being a large financial donor. As I meet them personally I will use a charisma attack to encourage the idea of having a fund raising dinner were several anti-mutant people may give speeches, etc.. I will even offer to pay for the dinner. As part of being the payer I should be able to persuade myself to be seated with some of the larger donors whom agree to attend. I of course will be seated at the same table as Harper. If he chooses to not attend I will call him and perform a charisma attack over the phone. I basically will represent myself as a telemarketer for the anti-mutant the group. I doubt he will even ask for a name from a telemarketer. The aka for this whole affair will be Russian man in his late fifties, Vladimir Gurov. His background is a military secret service agent that worked to safeguard the scientists that Russia had performing experiments on the creation of mutants. Which he, of course, was appalled about, but one does there job. He was pleased to be able to be part of the man hunt after the third world nation had stolen some of the Russian research. I should be able to act my way through the necessary make-up and clothing. Russian is one of my learned languages. My goal at the dinner is to get to know this individual and to make him interested, even curious in some projects that I am evolved in to alleviate the mutant threat, but find myself uncomfortable talking detail at this location while consuming such volumes of vodka. The agenda is to spark his interest for a future meeting because he is curious and believes that I have access to some resources out of the ordinary. Rolls if needed in order of need: 5, 22, 15, 6, 25 GM REPLY 11/27/01: Ok. You tried to arrange to be a donor for a large dinner relating to an anti-mutant cause. Your first roll of 5 failed, however, and you were unable to make the connections and arrangements. You then found out, however, that there is a lobbying group in Washington that is funded in part by Harper. They are having a dinner/meeting to discuss upcoming issues and your second roll of 22 gets you an invitation, and in fact a place seated next to Harper. You have some good small talk with him (your roll of 15 helped there) and get him interested in some of your “projects” without giving him any detail. He seems to believe your background and Gurov identity, but your roll of 6 fails to schedule a concrete meeting for the future. He takes your card and tells you he intends to do a little investigating and call you back. He does not give you his number or indicate that he wants you to call him. Your sense after the dinner is that you really sparked his interest, and that he will be digging a bit into Vladimir Gurov’s background and checking out your credentials before getting involved. Lucious P. Singleton and “The Human” Ok I have some plans for “The Human”. Before talking to him I will place a neat looking device on the table that makes a few sounds and has some lights. I will indicate to him that it detects if any mutants are within 50 feet. The aka for this meeting is a British man, Charles Spencer, that once worked as management for Marks Corporation. I will even bring some information on the Mark’s robots, photos and some design specs. I will indicate to him a little history about Marks Corp and the sentinels, although I expect he will have heard of Marks Corp. I will indicate to him that Marks is not defeated, but rather is forming a covert mission that will affect all mutants, and the attack with the pickup truck inspired me to meet him and I saw unique potential in him. I will entice him with the potential of powerful weapons capable of hurting the strongest of mutants. I will leave the meeting with him wanting more information, but assured that he will be contacted to aid in the mission at a later date. In addition, I will warn him to start watching his back more carefully as my resources indicate that he is being tracked by an invisible mutant just waiting for an opportunity to bring down his entire organization, and he should avoid contact with other members. No real reason for this last part but to screw with him some. Dice Rolls as needed: 16,11,10 GM REPLY 11/27/01: This meeting is no problem and goes off exactly as planned. “The Human” wears a black body suit and a red face mask. He carries some kind of utility belt and appears to carry a lot of heavy weapons on him (not unlike Jack). He appears to know weaponry, as the things you see are quality gear. He carries himself with a confident attitude and seems like he would be a competent commando/fighter. He is very interested in participating in future activities by Marx or whatever group you are working with. He is interested in obtaining mutant detection devices and/or the weapons of which you speak. “Generation Next” and “X” Is there any reason why there is been such a marked reduction in activity? Are mutants disappearing or just being good, or were all noticeable events the cause of Alert Force? Neither of these groups will work for my cause. Will work on this issue later. GM REPLY 11/27/01: You have no idea why the marked reduction in super powered activity. As I indicated earlier, this is not just mutant activity, but any super powered activity over the last five years. The phenomenon has not been explained. It does not appear that mutants are “disappearing.” Your first thought is that Thermo would have been aware if mutants were disappearing and although you have been monitoring Thermo’s activities up in Alaska (as always) you have heard nothing about this. Further, you check into the backgrounds of a few mutants you were aware of, and they are all still alive, just not doing anything too outrageous lately. Pro-Mutant group with human leadership. Need the pro mutant group as mentioned under radicals 11/25/01. I will try to narrow the scope some after this. Getting the background information was required to form the basis for the subplot. I thank you for your patience. GM REPLY 11/27/01: The various “Pro” mutant groups you are publicly aware of are: 1. The Center for Mutant Research on Muir Island off the coast of Scotland. The director is Dr. Moira McTaggart. She is a well known mutant scientist, and is a mutant herself. She runs the world’s most well known public center for mutant research. 2. The X-men. This is not a public group, but you are generally aware they exist and are located somewhere upstate new york. You have been told they have training, research, and other facilities, although you have not seen any detail. They also have the only known large scale mutant detection device, CEREBRO. 3. The Center for Mutant Protection and Training in Alaska (Thermo’s school, known commonly as “Tundra Tech” because it is waaaay out in the wilderness). 4. Other groups that are generally favorable to mutants but which are headed by Humans include the American Civil Liberties Union, Amnesty International, and the Center for Human and Mutant Rights. These three groups fight for human/mutant rights generally, and are active on a lot of different issues (abortion, first amendment, etc). These three groups have all taken stands against the persecution of mutants, including opposing mutant registration legislation and other legislation making the use of mutant powers criminal in and of itself. Of these three groups, the Center for Human and Mutant Rights is the most likely to be favorable towards some kind of registration and limitation, as long as done fairly. Jack Subplot replies, Thursday November 29, 2001 Inhibitor device research: Do I think that if mutant powers are inhibited using the device the discovery lab is working on that I could sense the reduction or loss of the power using my hand held mutant detector device? GM 11/29/01: No. Mutants’ power is inherent in their genetic structure, which is what is being sensed. A mutant inhibitor device would be a temporary reduction in power. Your device would still sense the full potential power of the mutant. Do I think that a low level mutant would feel anything as a result of their power being inhibited using the future Discovery Lab device? GM 11/29/01: No. The primary research for Discovery lab is on the mutant power inhibitor. Any work on the Cerebro device is minor. As far as the time I want them to invest on it to aid in the eventual roll for creation, just let them work for now. Eventually I will ask to roll and you can give me whatever modifier you feel is fair. I would expect I have a number of people working on it with them outsourcing to research labs the core science. GM 11/29/01: You have the research set up and it is under way. The longer you let the research continue, the better the modifiers when you attempt to create a device. Let me know when you want to make an attempt at creating a mutant power inhibitor device. Need status on the current potential to create the inhibitor for the following applications; basically these would be range of influence: • Personal use, 10 feet • Household protection, 100 feet • Business, government building, or schoolyard protection, 1000 feet • Township protection, 10,000 feet GM 11/29/01: These would be under the gadget rules. The personal use one would be at a very low AP power level, and as such not as difficult to make. The higher the range, the more difficult and expensive to create. The range will equal the AP’s of the device when it is created. How will you have this device affect mutant powers? Its AP within its AP range verses the mutants AP in the power? Will they roll against something or just lose their power? Or, as I have not created it yet, will I not really know until I test it? Would it affect all mutant powers or just a type? Can I guess how it will work? GM 11/29/01: The way I see the device working is that the device will act as a power with an AP level. When you use it, it will be resolved like an attack on any mutant within its range. It will be an attack on the highest power the mutant has, using the power level of the device as AV/EV and the mutant’s power level as OV/RV. The number of RAP’s you do in damage will be subtracted from the mutant’s power level as long as the device is operating and the mutant is in range. You will not get any negative modifiers for multi-attacks, since it is an area of effect device. For example, say you have a 10ap mutant inhibitor going against a mutant whose highest power level is 5. It would be resolved as a 10/10 attack vs a 5/5. If you do 5 raps of damage, then the mutant’s powers would be 0 as long as the mutant was in range of the device. If you use a 10 ap device against a 15 ap mutant, and do 0 damage, then the device has no effect. If you roll good and do 4 raps, then the mutant’s powers would be at 11 as long as he or she was in range of the device. Harper: I anticipate that it would be difficult to obtain Russian information on secret service. At best I would expect he may have a resource to check with the CIA, so I would like to add Gurov’s file to the CIA database. Just confirm that he did what I suggested. Harper will check on some of the stories I feed him on stolen research which should all check out, as they were all true. GM: 11/29/01: You have planted the information in the CIA database. The Center for Human and Mutant Rights: As before I will get into this group through money. Donate some money and begin attending events. Just be noticed, but don’t true to push any agenda at this time. Just make some contacts. GM 11/29/01: You have donated and are on the guest list for all upcoming events. The first event is next week. Manifesto for the Center for Human and Mutant Rights The conversation of requiring mutants to register their powers has been heard and judged unfair and inappropriate by this organization, rightly so. The gene resulting in the creation of mutant powers is simply a defect in the human genome resulting from technology created by man for the destruction of man. The evidence is clear that the X-Factor is the result of nuclear weapon creation, testing, and denotation. Therefore, the mutants are not a problem facing society, but rather a responsibility of society. The mutant gene was created by technology and any problems resulting from these powers should be cured by the creation of technology. But, what cure is fair and responsible to both the general public and the mutant public. Registration of mutant powers indicates that the problem is the mutants. The analogy that mutant powers should be registered just as a handgun would need to be registered is invalid, because the individual with the mutant power did not ask, request, or seek out this mechanism. However, some of these powers are strong, and offensive in nature resulting in the general public developing a hatred for mutants derived from fear, and from what they do not understand. This is understandable, and the solution is to allow the general public to feel empowered to protect themselves and their families from the potential of mutant attack. The solution that technology is making available is to not require mutants to be segmented from the general population, but to just simply inhibit their extra ordinary powers, so that the general population has nothing to fear removing the accelerating pattern of hate and mistrust. The technology that is becoming available will allow mutant powers to be inhibited within a certain range of the technological device. The range can vary from protection of the individual, to protection of the home, to protection of large populations contained within tight areas, such as football games, or schoolyards. In the future the ability to even have whole towns ruled mutant power free zones would be possible. This is not a technology to be used lightly beyond the homeowner or the individual. This technology will exist and we must now make sure that legislation will exist to mandate that large areas of land can only be influenced by mutant power inhibiting devices through a vote of the general and mutant population. The analogy to this scenario is the gun collector in old west towns. When entering a town all gunslingers would be required to hand over their weapons before entering the town. The same would apply to mutant powers when entering towns of the future. The mutants and general population would all know that life within the town limits would be free of any mutant power removing the fear and concern without segmenting or classifying the mutants themselves. Mutant power inhibition would be voted in for government buildings, schoolyards, hospitals, or anywhere that the population as a whole feels is appropriate. The future of these devices will occur, and as it does no harm to mutants, we need to embrace it to assure that its use is limited to areas were appropriate. Manifesto for Harper and his organizations The existence of mutant powers is a problem that endangers the safety of all mankind, including mutants. For the potential of unimaginable attacks exist as long as unimaginable powers are controlled by individuals of common nature. By common nature, we imply that these individuals may not all appreciate the harm that they can inflict and consequently, in a temporary act of anger, they could unleash on many innocent individuals. As long as the potential for this tragedy exist protection must be afforded to the innocent. It is the primary roll of the government to protect its citizens from enemies both external and internal. And, as that mandate exist it is the responsibility of the government to enact the necessary funds and legislation to allow a national mutant inhibitor net to be produced. This net will not segment the mutants, or cause them harm. It will only protect everyone from the misuse of mutant powers. Through registration mutants will be allowed to use their powers in limited, unpopulated, areas of the country. In this sense, they will, just as an individual registers for a gun, register for the right to enter a mutant power zone where the national mutant power inhibitor will not operate. If a mutant wishes to live their life like all other ordinary humans then they will not need to register the existence of their now suppressed powers. This serves to solve the second, and scariest potential of mutant powers, “The demented individual with a god complex.” A mutant with powers far above the normal will face a daily challenge to not use that power to destroy those weaker than himself for he own personnel gain. This has occurred with the likes of Magneto, and will occur again. We offer these individuals the most humane solution possible with today’s technology by taking away the internal battle that they fight daily by removing the source of the agitation, namely their powers. Until a genetic cure for this abnormality is found, the mutant powers must be inhibited for the protection of all, and the salvation of a few!! Manifesto to “The Human” Speech given to “The Human” and encourage to be passed on by “The Human”. The fact that a handgun requires a license to carry, a form to be filled out and a background check to be performed prior to its purchase are for the protection of all. These same rules or regulations do not seem to apply, in the mid of mutants, to mutants or their powers; powers that can not even be determined for registration, powers that can not be classified through any modern day testing apparatus. Therefore, it is mandated that anyone detected with the said mutant gene, the x-gene, the x-factor, must have their powers inhibited. This is not provoking a discriminatory act against mutants. They did not ask for these powers, but they do have them and they are dangerous, therefore these powers must be inhibited through any technological means that we can develop. These powers MUST be controlled. A select few mutants may be given over time the ability to remove the inhibition of their powers if, and only if, they prove to be servants of, and for man. The number of births with the x-factor compounds the mutant problem for these numbers of births are not decreasing. This presents the issue that we may not have seen the scale of potential that mutant powers could become. Originally this was not considered to be a major issue, but now it is seen that as these mutants grow old in age their powers magnify many fold from their original conceptive levels. This possesses great danger to society as a whole. The chance or opportunity for a single mutant to develop powers at a level not yet seen, powers so strong that they could endanger the whole of the population within a country, continent or even the world, exist. It is for these reasons alone that we must develop the technology to inhibit mutant powers on a global scale. We must make a world net inhibitor, to protect the population of the world. I say to everyone who hears this, I say to every mother of a child, ever father of a child, to every individual who looks to the future that we must do this now before it is to late. We must work together to prevent the destruction of the future, of humanity, and to save the lives of our offspring. For if we wait, for if we fail in our resolve, the devastation of the future, the devastation which will occur, which is a destiny, will damn as all. And be wary of those leaders that fight for the rights for the mutants, for these individuals with these horrific powers, because some of these powers go beyond physical manifestations and into the realm of controlling, or influencing, the mind, and consequently, the opinion of ordinary man. I tell you this today, “Many of our leaders are NOT under their own influence, for they are controlled as puppets”. As more mutants are born, as more mutations occur, as more mutant adults produce mutant children, as this power grows in the older ones, and as the number of mutants with mental control capabilities grow, the DAY WILL COME were no human will have the self control, the self control given by GOD himself, to fight for the control of his own mind. This is the fear of tomorrow; this is the fear that will come. It is not a matter of us waiting for a reason to act, or for an example of devastation large enough to unite all man kind, for the example will not occur in a physical form, the example will not be widely displayed, because control of the media, control of the propaganda war, control of the rhetoric will be first, and it will be absolute do to the absolute control of those individuals who would most be willing, freely, to join our battle. Mutant powers must be controlled starting today!!! Jack Subplot replies, Saturday December 1, 2001 Note on errors in the roll playing. I assumed that the NEW jack had all the same skills as the old Jack, however he does not. I will be more careful of this in the future. It should have no affect on any of the results because even though Jack no longer has artist with acting he used to only have an influence of 9. Now his influence is 13 which means he still has artist at 9 as you have any skill minus 2 column shifts. I believe this is accurate although I may be wrong. Actually, there are several things on the new Jack character sheet that I do not understand the meaning of. These manifestos are the arguments that I will make in an effort to start a grass roots movement. Although, the movement will be slow at first it should be almost impossible to stop once it hits the general media because of the number of people already actively arguing for it. As you can tell from the three previous manifestos I am pressing for all three groups to embrace the new technology, Moreover, I am handing them arguments around the use of the technology, not the need for it. The goal is to have the different groups all arguing for the technology, and to provide the arguments on the details on implementation. Providing them a common ground with different shades to argue will make them happy in their unspoken agreement to disagree. This arrangement should, hopefully, result in the wide spread acceptance of the technology as no group is arguing against its use, just how its used. Harper: In discussions with Harper I want him to start funding a “think tank” to extend the research into mutant power inhibitor research. I will provide him with all of the research that has been produced in discovery lab, in a summary form, to date, but with no ability to back trace the research to Discovery Lab. I will provide him with the necessary information to submit for immediate “general” patents on the technology. As you know a patent does not require a detailed working of the technology, but rather a detailed explanation of the resulting effect from the technology. The goal of the patent is to prevent another corporation from getting a “general” patent on the technology and consequently being in a position to prevent the legal creation of the mutant inhibitors. Dice rolls as needed: You requested that 10 rolls of 2 10-sided dice be rolled. Roll them bones ... your dice are Roll 1: 8, 4 = 12. Roll 2: 7, 1 = 8. Roll 3: 6, 7 = 13. Roll 4: 1, 6 = 7. Roll 5: 6, 7 = 13. Roll 6: 9, 9 = 18. Doubles!!! Roll 7: 8, 5 = 13. Roll 8: 9, 1 = 10. Roll 9: 4, 2 = 6. Roll 10: 4, 9 = 13. GM REPLY 12/6/01: You begin spreading the manifestos to the three different groups as described above. They catch on like wildfire in two out of the three groups. “The Human” immediately begins quizzing you on when and where he can obtain these devices. You see him starting to go even farther than you had planned, into areas you had not intended. He starts talking about ways these things could be used to apprehend powerful mutants. Install one in a “safe area,” go attack the mutant and draw him into chasing you into the safe area and ZAP – no powers. The mutant is captured (or better yet, killed) before he even knows what hit him. This guy really, really wants some of these things and tells you he will do almost anything to get one. The Center for Human and Mutant rights is not quite as enthusiastic. The director takes your suggestions under advisement, and promises to discuss it with the board. You can tell, however, that he is frightened by your idea and does not like it. You suspect he is, in fact, a mutant himself. Harper you have in your pocket. He immediately begins funding the think tank you suggested, and is running with the technology. The patent applications are filed within days (although it could be months or years before they are approved). Harper’s name is listed on the patent applications. There will be no trace back to you or Discovery corp. About a week or so after the patent applications are filed, however, you get a call from Harper. He tells you he has had a car accident and is in the hospital with a broken leg and a concussion. He was driving his sports car along the route he always uses to go out of town on Fridays to his country estate in the mountains, when suddenly his car just seemed to “jerk” off the road, and he careened down a large hill and into a dry riverbed. He was nearly killed, but was thrown clear of the wreckage. He would have died anyway, but a police car just happened to be coming toward him on the road when the accident occurred, and the cop saw him and called for help. If that cop hadn’t been coming along, he would have lain unconscious in that ravine and probably bled to death. He will be in the hospital for a couple of weeks, and asks you to keep an eye on the think tank and foundations in the meantime. Jack Subplot replies, Friday December 7, 2001 First a comment; I enjoy that you play the game with each group or individual true to their nature. It makes planning more rewarding. Ok the adventure continues: Motivation: I expected, and in fact needed, “The Human” to want to go overboard and will have him play out some of his desires with the intention of playing into the theme of the CHMR manifesto which was that mutant segmentation occurs out of fear from normal humans. In fact, because I thought CMHR would be the challenge in the debate I was glad of the image you provided me of “the human”. Change of opinion does not occur without some pain. However, I did not expect the attack on Harper from the mutant, which at this time I expect is the cop. I need Harper to stay around, to not be killed off, so I will have to start protecting him, and the foundation for mutant inhibitor research. Actions: Harper: I will tell Harper that I suspect that his accident was the result of a mutant attack because of the patent submission. I am telling him this because I believe this will only strengthen Harper’s resolve to ally with me in this endeavor. I will let him know that an investigation has already begun to determine the individual responsible for the incident. I will recommend that he obtain the temporary services of a bodyguard, and that he restrict his travel, and that he does not make his travel plans common knowledge. I want to use my little mutant detector gadget to determine if the cop at the accident scene with Harper is a mutant, and a sense of his level of power. I will track him until he takes a lunch break at some restaurant. I will then simply eat lunch close enough to him to allow the mutant detector gadget to get a reading. As to the Patents I know it will take some time to actually get the Patent. That really does not matter because my goal was to assure no one else could get a patent preventing us from legally creating the devices. And, since our patents request are submitted we should be safe. “The Human” I will assure “The Human” that we are finding him a political target for his attack, and that he will be provided with the necessary tools and location. Moreover, I will warn him that his actions are apart of a larger plan, and as such, he must not act without direction. He won’t like this much, but I expect he will obey as long as I don’t make him wait to long. I expect he will do another mutant attack if I don’t give him something, but for now I would expect that his desire to be apart of our plans will keep him quiet for, at least, a little while. CHMR: I will have to use my little mutant detector device to determine if the leader of the CHMR is a mutant, and what powers he has. I want to spread the topic of the CHMR manifesto around the members of the CHMR. As I discuss the topics in the manifesto I will be looking for someone that I think may be welling to Champion the agenda at CHMR. The goal at this time is to not convince the leadership, but rather to spark a grassroots movement on this topic. I believe that the topics and presentation of those topics, as described in the manifesto, would be something that some members will buy into, but few could take direct conflict with. Mutant inhibitor device status: Allow all labs to continue research on this topic. I will commonly transfer results between the labs allowing them to work together. The foundation will know that I have research being performed at another location, but I will not let them know any further information. Just looking for a ballpark answer on this topic, so I know when to start rolling. • The goal of the research is to allow me to develop plans, using the skill scientist, for the construction of mutant power inhibitor devices. The plans should be such that the actual construction can be performed in a factory type environment allowing for mass production. The first devices only have to be 5 to 9 AP in power. Enough to inhibit a mutant with powers in the 1 to 5 AP range. Let me know when I can roll on this having a reasonably easy chance of success. • How powerful of a device do I think that I could, likely, create at this time for a prototype to be used for demonstration purposes? Ballpark AP range is great! Alert Force: Eventually, alert force may or may not investigate who is behind these mutant inhibitors. I want to start making a point to be available for logistical support for Alert Force allowing me to remain in the loop for information. I do have a concern with Loop’s ability to smell, so I need to ask some questions on some of his many limitations. He losses all powers when WolvesBann or Belladona are present? His sheet says 2 AP, but I do not know what this means. Would I know about these limitations, and if not would they be commonly determined through minimal research into werewolves? If I know this information then what does this mean for loops character. Basically, what I want to know is if I just have WolvesBann or Belladona crushed into a fine powered and then circulated in the air system at the foundation, would this prevent Loop for using his smelling to determine that I was ever there? Or, just create a WolvesBann aftershave? I am only looking to affect his ability to smell. Do any of the new characters have a power that would allow them to determine my involvement in this adventure regardless of disguise, i.e. like Loop’s sense of smell? Dice rolls: You requested that 10 rolls of 2 10-sided dice be rolled. Roll them bones ... your dice are Roll 1: 2, 9 = 11. Roll 2: 7, 3 = 10. Roll 3: 10, 7 = 17. Roll 4: 7, 4 = 11. Roll 5: 3, 9 = 12. Roll 6: 7, 7 = 14. Doubles Roll 7: 4, 7 = 11. Roll 8: 2, 1 = 3. Hope you need this one! Roll 9: 1, 9 = 10. Roll 10: 1, 3 = 4. GM REPLY 12/11/01: You track down the cop that rescued Harper from his car accident. His name is Charles Drummond. You use your mutant detector on him, and …. Nothing. He is definitely not a mutant. You do a little more digging and find that he has no affiliation with any mutants, no affiliation with any mutant causes, and nothing in his past or record to suggest he is overly fond of mutants. You do some investigation of the accident scene and don’t find anything on the car or the road, but about fifty yards up on a wooded slope overlooking where the car went off the road, you do see some signs that someone was there watching the road. Some prints, broken twigs, etc. You use detective and come up with the following info – one person. Male. About 6’2” tall. About 210 pounds. No other clues. The Human agrees to sit tight (for now) until he hears more from you. You get the feeling he isn’t going to wait long before taking some action. CHMR – your suspicions about the CHMR director were correct. He is a mutant, and a powerful one at that. His powers are mystical in nature, in the 12-14 ap range. That is all you find out with your detector. You are spreading your manifesto around to the membership, but it is too early to get any reaction. These folks have mountains of paperwork, and get hundreds of “position papers” put before them every week. You will have to wait and see when and how it takes root. Mutant Inhibitor gadget – hey, you don’t expect me to actually learn the gadget rules, do you? You are going to have to do the work, pal. He he. Anyway, just walk through the gadget rules. I assume you have the money to buy parts. I think the amount of time you study or spend on it gets you column shifts, and I will give you additional for having your other scientists work on it. For your calculations, assume you have been working on study for 3 months. I will give you two additional column shifts over whatever the rules allow, to account for your team of scientists. As I understand it, you have to pick how powerful you want the device, and then your success roll is calculated. So I can’t tell you what ap range you could make. You have to check the rules, decide how many hero points you are spending, then find out the success roll. You could make a very powerful one, but your success roll would just be harder. When you roll to make the device, just in your message to me walk me through your understanding of how the rule works, how many hero points you are spending, what your rolls are, etc.. I will tell you if I agree it was done correctly. Loup Garou: His vulnerability as you know it is thus: if wolvesbane or belladonna is within 2aps distance of him, he loses all powers except regeneration and invulnerability. He cannot go to wolf form in the presence of those herbs. He does not go unconscious or get harmed – he just cannot wolf up (and therefore would not have his smell powers). You surmise that if you had those herbs circulating in the air system of a building, he could not wolf up inside. I see you have been looking at his sheet in the archive. However, the other limitation on his sheet (about the silver tapped on his nose or whatever) has never come up in the game, and as such you are not aware of it, and I will not allow you to make use of this. You do know about the wolvesbane and belladonna because it recently came up in the game and is in HAL’s databanks about Loup. Final note: About three weeks after the patent applications were filed, one of your scientists comes to you and says he is getting a strange feeling there is some other research going on out there about this topic. He only thinks this because some reference materials on general mutant/genetic issues are getting more web hits, some resource materials he has been keeping his eye on are being checked out of the library more, etc. Also, a colleague of his from Boston whom he hadn’t spoken to in years suddenly called him “out of the blue” just to chat, but ended up casually asking him about what he was working on. He’s made a few inquiries and it looks to him like someone at or associated with a University in the northeast somewhere is doing some research on mutants, and possibly mutant inhibitors. Your submission to the patent department did not have explicit details on the technology, but someone who was an expert already who looked at your plans might be able to make the leap to devise the technology. He just thought you should know. Jack Subplot replies, December 12, 2001 Harper: I would like Harper to obtain some security and to build in is house both a alarm system that works via land based and cell phone, but to also have installed in his house a fault that he could move in the event that an attack should occur on his residence. I expect these recommendations would only fuel his hatred considering the atrocity that magneto inflicted upon his family, and will serve as a mechanism for his safety. Harper Accident: Just a leap on this, but the leader of the CHMR does not fit the profile of the individual on the hillside? Height and weight? The Human: No contact at this time. I know that he will act on his own, but I am judging that I have some time. This guy will have to start talking to his peers first to build the rage and courage necessary to counteract my promises. And, I have already planted in him a strong emotional potential to not see his peers because of the pretend, invisible mutant following and collecting information on him. I know he will act, but he will first have to overcome that planted lie which builds on his paranoia. And, this provides me with time. CHMR Now I will move my conversations, speeches, and manifesto to the people donating and supporting the organization. My goal is to have them understand this solution for controlling the mutant issue is not only fair to the mutants but also required for their own protection. The feeling of choice as to a non-human’s ability to prevent control or attack from a mutant will provide mutants, ultimately with more freedom and safety because the general public will no longer resent and fear them. In addition, it requires no registration, and does not remove any ability from the mutant. It only inhibits that ability within certain geographic regions. Mutant inhibitor project Can you give me an ideal of how much game time discovery lab has been working on this research and the total number of researchers involved; same question with the foundation? I expect that during the design phase I would use their efforts as a multi-attack on the problem with the time spent as a modifier. However, until I review the rules this is only a guess. At your convenience, can you scan the rules that apply to this subject? Loop: Ok, on the Wolvesbane. Not doing anything with this yet, other than collecting a sample of it, say a pallet load of the stuff. No problem on the comment about silver on the nose. That is a limitation that is way to silly to ever be used. It is not Jack’s intention to prepare himself to battle Alert Force or any member of, but rather to only inhibit their interference in this project. Jack does not believe that any act he is doing does any mutant or member of Alert Force harm. However, he does believe that his motives would be questioned if alert force determined that he had involvement in this project. In fact Thermo, is the character he is the most concerned for since he is the one the Jack has known the longest and would be the most emotionally hurt if he is lead to, mistakenly, believe that Jack has a vendetta against mutants. Jack’s acts are to prevent the potential of greater evil that human behavior mandates will occur any time a small group of individuals control a disproportion amount of power. A war will occur if the human and mutant groups can live without fear of each other. The humans fear the potential of the mutants while the mutants fear the envy of the humans. Mutant inhibitor competition I am not sure that Jack would care to find another group working on this. His agenda should be obvious, which is to allow individuals to feel secure from mutant control and/or attacks by inhibiting mutant powers within certain geographic regions or proximities to individuals. And, to assure that the right of the individual to use these devices is provided and allowed both through legal channels and ethical debate. America stands on the principle of “Free will” for all mankind. How can “Free will” be guaranteed to an individual when the potential for complete mind control exist? If the general public determines that the protection offered by mutants is greater than the threat from mutants then these devices will be considered unethical through public debate. It is Jack’s goal to assure that the public gets this right to decide. So, if another group is attempting to produce this device. Good for them. Moreover, if they are developing a device to inhibit the inhibitor this will only fuel the public debate, because now the ability for a mutant to carry a device that prevents their powers from being inhibited could easily be argued using the same position as registration for a concealed weapon. So either way my agenda wins which is to produce the public debate. GM REPLY 12/13/01: Harper: He is installing security in his home right now. He has also hired private investigators to track down the mutant who attacked him. The CHMR director does not fit the profile of the person you are looking for. CHMR: You see some of the people coming around to your point of view. A few of them are putting your plans on the agenda, and are attempting to sway others. Mutant inhibitor: I’ll scan the rules as soon as I get the chance, and attach them to an email. Loup: You have obtained a good size sample of wolvesbane. Let me know how and when you want to use it. Other research: Your thoughts are cogent. Public debate is slowly.. slowly coming to the fore. On that topic, if you weren’t reading the weekly game updates, several AlertForce members testified over the last few weeks before a congressional hearing concerning paranormal crime and crimefighting. One of the congressmen who was questioning the witnesses asked a provocative question something like… “sir, if there were some way to “turn off” paranormal abilities… some switch I could pull to simply deactivate super powers, do you think that would make the world a safer place?” The answers were different from different witnesses, but the fact that he asked such a question is suggestive, don’t you think?