Sign Up Black Horizon IV: End of Days [M-VSL]

[Corey]

[size=1][b]Corey
Gavin
The Boss
Dragon Warrior
Cyriel
Blayze
Revelation
Hinata[/b]

? [i]All items marked with * will have explanations at the end.?[/i]

[b]Black Horizon IV: End of Days[/b]

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[i]Somewhere in the Independent State of New Moscow. 2156AD.[/i]

Cigarette smoke floated through the air. The occasional spurt of flame broke the gloom as one of the attendees lit another. A single dim, shaded bulb illuminated the large round table of twenty-something guests. With a dull thud, the only door to the room opened. Light shone in from the corridor, momentarily blinding everyone inside before a man stepped through, closing the door behind him.

[b]Latigo-[/b] "Gentlemen. I'm glad to see all of you. People with... Resources such as yours are difficult to come by." The newcomer sat at the only empty chair.

[b]Morian-[/b] "Stop patronizing, Latigo. It's too bloody late to jerk us around. Get on with it." Latigo turned his head.

[b]Latigo-[/b] "Ah! Morian. The one person I didn't expect to see tonight. The man who said I was insane, and not worth another minute of his time." Morian looked across the table at another of the men.

[b]Morian-[/b] "Things change." Across from Morian, the man gave an almost imperceptible nod. Another spoke up.

[b]Mihailov-[/b] "So why have you called this meeting, Latigo? Your cryptic letters, which I'm sure we all got carbon copy's of, didn't exactly go into detail." Latigo nodded and set a black, metal briefcase on the table. He opened it and withdrew one black folder for each of them. On the front of each was a small red circle.

[b]Latigo-[/b] "Gentlemen. Inside these, are documents hacked from the WSA (World Security Administration) archives. I paid a lot for them. Some of the hackers paid with their lives." He opened his own folder. "The WSA archives have an unheard of 10,000 megabit, rotating modulation, bioware[b]*[/b] reinforced encryption. I had to send the top hackers in the world into their system through a neural interface. I lost four of them. Keep that in mind as you're reading this over."

[b]Smith-[/b] "Jesus Christ... Are you serious, Latigo?" Smith was already halfway through his folder.

[b]Latigo-[/b] "Patience Mr. Smith. I'll deal with all questions in due time. But at least give me the courtesy of speaking my peace, as it were." He inhaled and exhaled slowly. "Is everyone here aware of what actually happened to the Event Horizon on its maiden voyage, and what happened regarding it a few dozen years ago?" Everyone nodded. "Good, that saves time. The first page of the folder illustrates the calculations needed to create Dr. Weirs 'Gravity Drive'[b]*[/b]. At the precise time of activation, note how much energy is released. Normally, this energy is expelled between the two points of trav-"

[b]Smith-[/b] "You can't expel energy into zero space. It's impossible. The drive expels energy into another dimens-" Latigo pounded his fist onto the table.

[b]Latigo-[/b] "Which [i]is[/i] zero space as far as the calculations are concerned. When the drive is activated, according to Weir, the ship passed between dimensions. But he had it wrong when he said it only passed through his so-called 'gateway'." Latigo glared at the man, eyes blazing. "It forces the ship through that specific point in [i]every[/i] dimension simultaneously. The energy is dispersed evenly into infinity dimensions, making the total charge per dimension minute. Now kindly shut the **** up. I'm paying you for this meeting, aren't I?!" Smith bowed his head and sunk into his chair. "None of you make the mistake of underestimating the resources I've put into this. I can guarantee it's more than you get in a year doing whatever underhanded [i]****[/i] it is you do." Latigo sat back in his seat and ran a hand through his gleaming black hair. "I apologize. That was uncalled for. But please hold any questions until I'm done explaining." Everyone nodded.

"As I was saying. I believe this energy can be harnessed." Smith shot another look at him. "Not all of it. That would destroy the majority of our galaxy. But if we could capture even a trillionth of it, it would solve this worlds energy crisis and probably give the space program the kick in the *** it needs to get to Alpha Centauri." A voice spoke up softly.

[b]Morian-[/b] "Or..." Latigo smiled toothily. On any normal face it would have brightened the features, but it made the man into a beast. Throats were cleared. Feet were shuffled. And Latigo spread his arms wide.

[b]Latigo-[/b] "Or we patent this new form of energy, and sell it. We will, in the span of two or three years, be the largest and richest corporation in history." Low murmurs broke out. Some of the attendance continued reading their folders. One of the only elderly men present spoke first.

[b]Farson-[/b] "Is it possible?"

[b]Latigo-[/b] "We've run several simulations on the best bioware available. It pans out. But it's going to take a lot of bribery to allow us to conduct the experiments necessary for construction. Which is where everyone here comes in. I've just about tapped my resources getting this information and backing it up with sims. I'm sure you gentlemen will be wise enough to see the truth in what I speak." Latigo stood slowly. "Look over the folders. You're welcome to stay in my house as long as you want. I will answer any questions you have." He walked to the door and opened it. Light poured in. "You have one week to decide, however. Stay as long as you want, but decide within a week. Good evening gents." He shut the door with a dull thud.

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[i]Headline From the Atlantic Times. November 30th, 2160AD.[/i]
[b]Latigo Enterprises Stock Sets Record High[/b]
At the closing or the Stock Market yesterday, Latigo Enterprises had jumped nearly thirty points, ending the day at an unheard of 33,000 credits per share. The company, which took root in early 2157AD, promised clean, efficient, and totally renewable energy. They lived up to every single bit of their promise, and the world hasn't gone through such a technological boom in fifty years or more. The surplus of fairly priced energy has given the world a boost in morale, and there hasn't been a single 'war' in years. While still very secretive of how they can produce such a bountiful amount of energy, the majority of mankind has adopted a 'who cares as long as it works' mentality. Latigo Enterprises has grown into the largest and richest corporation in history. They're deeply rooted in politics, weapon research, the space program, agriculture, just about everything. [i]...continued on pg. 7e[/i]

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[size=1]The year is 2179AD. Latigos corporate offices span a compound nearly ten square miles. There are office buildings, dormitories, gyms, everything a small city has, for that is what it is. At the center is what they call the 'Gravity Reactor'[b]*[/b]. A much smaller version of Weirs 'Gravity Drive'. For over ten years the system they've constructed has worked flawlessly. They harness the small percentage of released energy and store it in large battery cells. Then they transport it all across the world.

During their most recent routine reaction, something happened. One of the twelve magnetic rings burnt out, and they were unable to shut down the reactor. A cascade failure began with the other rings, and eventually led to zero protection around the core. Latigo Corporation has been out of contact for approximately three days. No one has been seen entering, or leaving. The Military had attempted to enter the compound, but were repelled by an unseen 'wall'. Nine of the CEOs of Latigo Corp were on site when contact was lost. All data collected from scanning the compound from satellites and ground forces has returned the same conclusion. The Compound is no longer there. It can be seen, but as far as sensors are concerned, there's nothing.

Some scientists theorize the existence of temporal radiation[b]*[/b] seeping from the compound. Astronomers have begun noticing subtle shifts in planetary local. Pluto seems to have moved several million miles closer to the sun. Two moons of Jupiter have crashed into each other, something that was never supposed to happen. And parts of the earth itself seem to be taking a step backward in time. One day there was suddenly four feet of water in the middle of the Sahara desert. Giant dust clouds blanketed Europe for a week straight before disappearing as suddenly as they came. Buffalo, extinct for nearly a hundred years, began walking up and down the streets of Texas cities.

The thirteen remaining CEOs of Latigo Corp have compiled what they know and don't know at their secondary offices in New York City. During the 20 years they've been in operation, the corporation has been trying to learn all they could about the events involving the Event Horizon. They believe that all that has happened is caused not by temporal radiation but dimensional shifts. They knew it could happen, but as long as it didn't they were more than happy to line their pockets and reap the benefits. Now it seems as if the 'Hell Dimension' the records point to, which they believe is the dimension next door to our own, is beginning to seep through the gateway, changing our world one thing at a time with the Gravity Reactor as its focal point.

Along with the public experiments they did, several underground experiments were conducted, which are only now being disclosed. Most dealing with cross dimensional travel. The founder of the company, Latigo, saw the importance of these other dimensions and their unspoiled resources. If they could create a stable, and permanent gateway, they could become even more rich, and the world would again be in their debt. He ordered several hundred scientists to try and make the gateway he theorized. They failed, but there was still an unexpected benefit. Phase weaponry.

Phase weaponry attacks the targets at the dimensional level, literally erasing them from the world. It disrupts the bond the target has with the current dimension and causes them to fade out of it. The weapons are extremely high energy, needing several billion joules to fire a single beam, and have only been successfully tested by a laboratory accident three years ago. The scientist that was hit looked and felt normal for almost a full minute before he suddenly disappeared. Latigo believes the phase weaponry to be the answer to get into his compound. It might disrupt the 'wall' the marines encountered.

He has selected, and paid for, the top mercenaries in the world to infiltrate his corporation. They have been briefed on the situation, and that nothing like this has ever been seen before on Earth. They have been warned that they may not make it out alive, and if they do, no promises on sanity. They will be facing the equivalent of demons, both physical and psychological. They have been warned, and they are ready...
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[i]Footnotes:[/i]
[list][b]Bioware:[/b] A combination of computer hardware and organic neurological components. Very tricky to hack due to advanced healing and extreme processing speed. Plus if one were to simply destroy the organic or hardware portion, it would be rendered inoperable, and completely locked out.[/list]
[list][b]Gravity Drive:[/b] Pioneered by Dr. William Weir. An engine harnessing a black hole to bend space-time and instantaneously transport a vessel to any point in the universe. It failed and sent the crew of the Event Horizon to a 'Hell Dimension'. For more information see the movie "Event Horizon" and the RPG "Black Horizon".[/list]
[list][b]Gravity Reactor:[/b] Latigo Corporations version of the Gravity Drive. Much smaller and much more protected.[/list]
[list][b]Temporal Radiation:[/b] A theoretical type of energy relating to time and how it progresses. Theoretically it can cause any number of time paradoxes and shifts.[/list][/size]

[Dragon Warrior]

Well, it is 5:00 am, but I wanted to claim my spot while I still have a chance. I'll be sure to edit it when I wake from my sleep.

[indent][size=1][b]Name:[/b] Cutler Hawkins

[b]Age:[/b] 26

[b]Gender:[/b] Male

[b]Specialty:[/b] Demolitions

[b]History:[/b] Cutler pursued his career of acting and started off roughly doing small roles and stunts. Gradually he got passed along until he became more of an action star in his films. Eventually he took lead roles as heroes. He still did all his own stunts. Because of this, he was in constant peak physical condition and learned a variety of combat styles including martial arts, fencing, and gun-handling.

Sadly his years as a famous actor went downhill as his movies began to get low ratings. Film critics suspected it was Cutler making them horrid and his popularity dropped just as quickly as it had rised. He continued to try and make it back to the top, but to no prevail. Hoping to make a better name for himself in the action hero genre, he picked up actual jobs as a mercenary. He assumed if he was experienced in the field he could portray it in films. He soon learned acting was far more easier than the actual thing, but he soon adapted to it. He found he specialized in bombs and guns, but he was prepared to use any other means necessary to get his work done. He has yet to return to films.[/size][/indent]

[Gavin]

[SIZE=1]Bah, sorry to have taken so long old friend but there's been war at home over the phoneline.

[B]Name:[/B] John MacLaoidhigh, also goes by the codename Sigma.

[B]Age:[/B] 28

[B]Gender:[/B] Male

[B]Specialty:[/B] Extra Sensory Perception

[B]History:[/B] Esper, psycher, there are a number of names for what I am, several not polite enough to be used in company. If you listen to some people, they?ll tell you I can suck your soul right out of your body with only a wave of my hand and a few choice words. It?s all ******** of course, if I could take someone?s soul I?d be a lawyer instead of a merc, or maybe a debt collector, I can?t imagine too many people arguing over money when their soul is at stake. My entire life I?ve been segregated because of what I am, in school other children were afraid to be around me, some were fascinated asking me to read their minds and tell them what they were getting for Christmas, when I told them it didn?t work that way I was treated as though I didn?t exist, just another stone in the playground. High school was little better, I was lucky in that I wasn?t the only psycher in the school but at ten thousand students, I couldn?t imagine being the only one.

Her name was Emma, but she hated it when I called her that said she preferred the name Theta, that Emma was a human name and we weren?t human, at least not fully. She was three years older than me, but that didn?t stop us ending up in a relationship, I?d always looked older than I was, guess that?s maybe where part of the attraction lay. You can?t compare a normal relationship to a psycher one, I couldn?t even begin to describe the differences, we were together in mind, body and soul for three years and I naively thought it would last forever. Reality dawned when Emma graduated and she wanted nothing more to do with me, she was a college student and I was a high school kid and that was all there was to it. The next two years blurred into a haze, I left school pretty soon after, it reminded me of her too much, I picked up work as a porter in a bank but the money was **** and when I was revealed as a psycher I was removed from my position because they thought I was reading people?s minds. I didn?t matter that I couldn?t, at least not actively or purposefully but I found myself back again with nothing.

Couple of years drifted by, out of the blue I got a call from Emma, at first I wanted nothing to do with her, she called every day for a week and left more than a dozen messages on my answering machine, eventually I gave in an asked her what she wanted. She introduced me to my current line of work, seems that a lot of people are interested in hiring espers for occult reasons, others are more interested in using us to terminate those occult circles. I fell in with the latter, some of my contracts even came from those in the Church, I?ve seen stuff that couldn?t be believed and I?ve killed more than a few people. Eventually I started to get sick, the nightmares started, in the business it?s called psycher-psychosis, people who can?t hack what they?ve seen and done. I spent six months in an institution having my mind put back together piece by piece, the nightmares didn?t stop, nor will they ever stop, but I got back into the game. Within six years a burn-out like me had climbed the ranks faster than anyone, maybe it was that I was willing to take any job from anyone with enough cash to do anything.

Two days ago I got the call from Latigo Corp, I wasn?t even phased by what they told me I?d see, I just told them I wanted my pay in cash.[/SIZE]

[Cyriel]

[COLOR=Teal][SIZE=1][B]Name:[/B] "Sunny" Park

[B]Age:[/B] 26

[B]Gender:[/B] Female

[B]Specialty:[/B] Medic

[B]History:[/B] I always wanted to enter the medical field. As soon as I entered school, that was my one and only calling. I accelerated all of my schooling, graduating in one and a half years, and then entered medical school. Medical school was...a dream, the happiest time of my life. It was a joy to learn about the wonders of the body, the unique mechanisms in every movement, the content of every breath. At that time I also entered the military because of their scholarship program. Though I was almost a doctor, it was in training that I realized that I could use a gun as well as I could use a scalpel. It was something of a relief to me - my skill in combat training reassured me that I could protect myself from unwanted advances, my only fear. And there was another gift...of being able to protect others. To protect and to save what I could was my hope and my dream.

I married my man in uniform when I was 24, and for one year it was perfect; nothing could touch us - we had a beautiful house, a comfortable living, a wonderful life. And he helped me to protect, to save. He went on missions and came back with the wounded, as well as the tools I needed to save them. He was my magician, making things appear when I needed them, somehow pulling strings so that I could get a heart for a transplant, a special laser for a delicate surgery. And then...there was an accident. He almost died, but God must have been with him, because he was able to recuperate; I was so relieved. But then...it happened again, and then again. Three accidents in a span of half a year, all when he was off-duty. It took me so long to realize that something wasn't right, that perhaps...all of the things we had acquired were tainted by something, but I didn't know what.

Until one night, he didn't come home. Somehow, I knew that he wouldn't ever come back, and I was right - he was found in a meadow, his features destroyed by nine bullets. And then that night, they came for me as well, shadowed men that I'd never seen before, saying that there was a price to pay for underhanded dealing in the black market. They left me for dead that night, and it would've been better if I had been. But as it was, I was still alive, although no one else knew it. I disappeared, into the only world that I could: that of the mercenaries. It's been a year now, and I've uncovered the secrets my husband left behind - rings of black market organ dealing mostly, and debts he could never pay off in a lifetime. But he did it all for me, so that I could go on with my work, and heal my patients. I had never even thought that perhaps he needed saving as well.

Then this job came. I don't take many jobs - I'm not really the one who enjoys the hunting, the preying, the shooting, the killing. I know how to survive in those situations, and protect others if I have to. Efficient is the word. But word gets around in these circles, and the rumors are true - there's no better doc in this line of work, and I've never been one to walk away from a battlefield. It's the only place I can save anyone now.
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[SIZE=1]This probably isn't as brief as it was supposed to be...^_^;;[/SIZE]

[Revelation]

[size=1][color=#CD6619][B]Name-[/B] Tyler Jacobs
[B]Age-[/B] 32
[B]Gender-[/B] Male
[B]Specialty-[/B] Hacking
[B]History-[/B] [B]History-[/B] For years my life revolved around government files, security systems, school files, and other things like that. For as long as I could remember, hacking was my life. I could read algorithms quicker than anyone else, understand the binary codes, and input codes; I was a god when it came to things like that and no one could beat me? but it cost me my family and friends. At that time, I didn?t care because as long as I was messing with other people, I felt good- or at least I thought I did. It didn?t occur to me that I was not only hurting myself but also hurting other people, especially those close to me. It never occurred to me that it would literally destroy my life.

I couldn?t remember when I had gotten sucked into the life of hacking even if you tortured me. All I could remember was that there was a feeling of intensity and adrenaline that rushed through me every time my fingertips hit the keyboard and danced away: opening files, rearranging things, breaking firewalls, and such. But I could remember the first time I ever had done it- and it was a fluke at that time. It was back in 2164 when I had first acquired a job at a local computer industry and as far as I can remember, I had done it by accident.

As the years went on, I spent the majority of my life in my room, only coming out for food, bathroom, school, and very little activities. My social life had begun to deteriorate, my relationship with my father had died, and anything that mattered to me terminated. From then on, all that was left was the computer and me.
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[Hinata]

[COLOR=Purple]Name: Latrice Williamson

Age: 27

Gender: Female

Specialty: Hacking- bioware

History: Being to mysel,f as I got older I just got into computer use. Don't know how it really happened but it did. Even after the birth of my child I found it as a way to get away from life around me. That was about 10 years ago I had her, but we never really bonded that well. My mom took over with her. As I grew older I decided to go into the armed services. There I learned about the new advances in technology as well as bioware. Something that I knew little about before the military.

But I took to it quick and after a few years of working on various systems and even hacking into the systems that others had made I became someone wanted int many areas of the national goverment. I hated all the hypocrisy and other crap that happened and left the military and tried to disappear. Well especially after being threatened to death regarding all the stuff I knew.

I pissed me off to a point but I eventually was sought out by those willing to pay alot more for my intelligence on bioware than my own country. My kid sees me more often now and I don't feel so useless to my mom either. [/COLOR]

[Blayze]

[b][size=1]Name: [/size][/b][size=1]Phil Alexander

[b]Age: [/b]29

[b]Gender: [/b]Male

[b]Speciality: [/b]Reconnaisance

[b]History: [/b]I was always good at gathering information. I had the uncanny ability to scan a situation and pick up all necessary information from the scene within a few moments. I had originally planned to use this skill to join the army and work my way up through the ranks, but I soon realised, after just a few weeks in the British Armed Forces that it didn't pay well enough. But I wasn't stupid going about a career change. I knew that for what I was planning, I needed fairly extensive military training. So I stuck with the army for two years, becoming a top-class shooter of many types of small arms, as well as some slightly larger ones...

Then, after my two-year hitch, that was it. I left the British Army and launched into black market work, hiring myself out as a mercenary. And I was one of the best at what I did. It was a few years before I was asked about the Latigo Enterprises job, and although they warned us we may not come out alive, or sane at the very least, it was an extremely well-paid job. And I could never turn down one of them...
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[Zen]

[color=darkred][size=1]

[b]Name:[/b] Michael Sumerkalis (goes by Mike)

[b]Age:[/b] 25

[b]Gender:[/b] Male

[b]Specialty:[/b] Infiltration

[b]History:[/b] Several factors played into my choice of career. It would seem my life was almost based around my eventual work place. Shortly after graduating school, I spent two years at a local college, studying various subjects in the arts, particularly film and literature. However, my other grades weren?t up to snuff, so I dropped out and began traveling. I spent much of my time searching the world for teachers in my life?s passion, martial arts. Having received my 3rd Dan in Tae Kwon Do before dropping out of college, I began exploring other arts. Particularly the arts of close quarters grappling, such as Jujutsu and Hap Ki Do, which I had learned a bit about from my original masters. I spent two years dedicated to learning as much as I could about combat, aspiring to one day open up my own school and teach.

However, soon I found that I was running out of traveling and living money quickly. I thought about it for a time, and decided to follow in my father?s footsteps. I walked into the American Army Recruitment Office, and I signed my life away for four years. It was there that I learned many things, such as weapons training and general warfare conditioning. Shortly after basic training, however, I was noticed for my original talents in hand to hand combat and close quarters fighting. I was referred to an espionage unit, reserved for infiltration and the elimination of an enemy or threat within in a contained environment. Urban warfare and such. It was in this setting that I learned how to search a room or buildings weak points in order to gain entry to the said facility.

Shortly after my first few missions, the specialized unit was disbanded due to lack of need. I was honorably discharged and left in the world, no money, and no particular peaceful occupation I would be suited or qualified for. I didn?t have enough money left to open my school. So I instead, continued doing what I was good at. Fighting. I began putting my name out in the underground, and soon found myself with a wealth of jobs and descent pay. I began saving up, and realized that I was happy with what I was doing... [/color][/size]

[Corey]

[size=1][b]Name:[/b] Corey William Roos

[b]Age:[/b] 35

[b]Gender:[/b] Male

[b]Specialty:[/b] Command

[b]History:[/b] Some say that you can tell what a child's going to be when they grow up from watching them in their play. The kids that sit for hours in front of a computer monitor will be programmers, hackers, or IT. Those that race across the yard will grow to be athletes. Those with a strong sense of morality may go into the armed forces or law enforcement. And, or course, there are those that command from an early age. The so called 'leaders of the pack'. The ones that inspire loyalty. Those that can send a platoon to their death without a single opposition.

His mother always gushed about what a smart little boy he was. But it wasn't smarts. It was knowing what people wanted to hear. What they wanted to believe. There was a time, in his childhood, he could have talked any one of his 'friends' into setting themselves on fire. He used the gift as often as possible. Turning out A after A in school. Climbing the ranks of every job he ever had. But, like everything else, he got bored.

He enlisted in the Army, and grew to the rank of Brigadier General in under an unheard of ten years. He broke records on most of the war-sims that were held. Not only in completion time, but in survival rate. But again, he got bored. He was honorably discharged from the Army and entered an early retirement, hoping it would calm his nerves. It didn't and he yearned for something a bit more dangerous than the war-deprived Army could provide.

He went underground. After being in the armed forces, you knew things. His talent was a well respected one in the underground world of mercenaries. Planning. Convincing. Inspiring. He has already made a small fortune, but it doesn't really matter. This mission would be the pinnacle of difficulty. And the world was at stake.
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Game on.[/size]