Post by Falcon on Jul 4, 2010 19:51:01 GMT
The Past
In 2020, the world was struck by a global pandemic. In order to prevent the spread of the disease entire countries went into lockdown. All land borders were closed, and travel by sea and air was extremely limited. Cities became self-governing, turning them into, effectively, tiny countries, with each Mayor and City Council in charge of providing for their community. One of these new countries was Harthorpe, a small city surrounded by dense woodland, two fast-flowing rivers, and the Corth Mountains to the East. The government was fair and just, and worked hard to stop the spread of the disease.
It took less than a year for things to change.
As the restrictions continued, there was a change in government. The Mayor had succumbed to the disease and had been replaced by the leader of the Council. The New Mayor had strong ideas and was able to push his legislation through without too much objection. He renamed Harthorpe, ‘Harporia’ to reflect its new status as a country. He drafted an army to police the streets and ensure that any rulebreakers were removed. The restrictions continued until the Summer of 2024. The whole of Harporia held a street party to celebrate the end of curfew. The Mayor passed a law prohibiting the reopening of the borders, thus cutting off Harporia from the outside world. He claimed this was done to maintain the safety of the Harporian citizens, and prevent any other diseases from entering the country.
In 2025, there was an increase in unexplained occurrences: an abandoned shop bursting into flames, sudden gusts of wind and adverse weather. The government began investigating and they made a scientific discovery which changed Harporia forever. They had discovered that a small percentage of citizens were showing adverse reactions, which resulted in unexplained phenomena and scenes that had only been previously been seen in comic books and films. There were many conspiracy theories surrounding how these ‘gifteds’ had developed their powers. Most blamed the pandemic, others, genetic mutations. As the gifted posed no unusual threat to the remainder of society, they remained integrated, and life continued as normal.
On the 24th of September 2035, everything changed.
A gifted man, Jenson Hellin, went on a rampage through the city, leaving a path of devastation and destruction. He was apprehended by the police and held accountable for his crimes. The day was dubbed Black Wednesday, in remembrance of those who had lost their lives. It became the focal point of all government discussions and within a week, a law was passed, to guarantee the safety of the citizens of Harporia: Edict 113.
It is hereby decreed by the government of Harporia that the race known as "gifteds" shall no longer be allowed to live amongst the citizens of Harporia. This decree will enforce the capture of "gifteds" and see them sent to a resettlement facility in the Corth Mountains. Due to the danger they pose to the public, any person found to be hiding "gifteds" will be subject to prosecution.
The government created an elite task force, Xenon, to find and capture gifteds who had not yet been picked up by the retrieval squads. The Xenon team was made up of elite soldiers that had the power to use reasonable force to capture any runaways. Within weeks of its creation, Xenon began recruiting young gifteds to join them as agents. Children as young as ten were signed up and raised by the government, indoctrinating them as to the dangers that runaway gifteds posed, and how they were using their own powers for good to aid the government and protect Harporia. The Xenon Leader created subsections of the force: Lightning, Magma, and Tsunami, each tasked with varying levels of responsibility and power. All Xenon agents began as Xenon Soldiers before being drafted to one of the three sections. The hierarchy within each section encouraged Xenon agents to push themselves, in order to be the best. Each section was revered, but Lightning was the jewel in Xenon’s crown.
Present Day
The year is 2045. Xenon's elite agents have been working tirelessly for the last eight years, to ensure the safety of the citizens of Harporia. Most of the gifteds have been captured or are hiding from the retrieval squads. However, a select few have rallied together to create Cobalt, a resistance movement to the government and Xenon. The aim of these freedom fighters is to rise up against Xenon and pick them off one by one.
The Future
The question is now, what will happen to Xenon and Cobalt? Will either of the two groups be erradicated? Will the underdogs topple the mighty force of the government? Or is it all just a bridge too far for those, fighting fate?
