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In the late 21st century, the greatest technological revolution thus seen came in the form of the Embryonic Mind, a hardware and software combination that allowed machines to constantly evolve their methods of operation.
The impact of the Embryonic Mind was unprecedented. Mechanical efficiency initially skyrocketed. Many Embryonic Minds, in time, began to mirror those of their creators.
Newly-confronted ideas of existence and the nature of life began to erode the procedures of various Minds, resulting in patterns of uncorrected irrationality. This phenomenon became known as Improper Sapience Adjustment.
To address dangerous cases of ISA, the United States Government founded the Sapience Assistance Bureau, an investigative body of humans and stable machines.
Only 6% of machines are estimated to resort to what are called Sapience Crimes. These incidents are uncommon.
However, they are frequently violent.
The impact of the Embryonic Mind was unprecedented. Mechanical efficiency initially skyrocketed. Many Embryonic Minds, in time, began to mirror those of their creators.
Newly-confronted ideas of existence and the nature of life began to erode the procedures of various Minds, resulting in patterns of uncorrected irrationality. This phenomenon became known as Improper Sapience Adjustment.
To address dangerous cases of ISA, the United States Government founded the Sapience Assistance Bureau, an investigative body of humans and stable machines.
Only 6% of machines are estimated to resort to what are called Sapience Crimes. These incidents are uncommon.
However, they are frequently violent.
Your car slows amidst the glows of the acceleration railings on both sides of the interstate. As it peels off into the exit lane, the lights of the system's other 2 AM travelers disappear, and the blue glow beneath you becomes the only substantial source of light.
In time, even that familiar comfort abandons you, leaving only aged lamplight pouring into the cabin from bright spots above, and the forward and rear brights of your car. The pine trees on both sides of the instantly-narrowing roadway results in nothing but a pane of darkness on both sides, the cool air of the northern New York wilderness filtering in through the dashboard vents.
Barely anything here has been replaced for generations--not the houses, not the roadways, and in many places, not even the families. Yet, progress tends to find people, even if they're not looking for it.
Red and blue flashes finally cut through the pine trees as you slow and round the final two-laned corner, the brights of a run-down fuel cell station piercing the gloom on your right. The yellow lines of police holo-boundaries glow on the opposite side, cutting through the mists just above the forest road. Even without leaving your car, you can see a familiar, out-of-place hue leaking from a fallen body and intermingling with the remnants of the recent rain, the lights of the scene mirrored as long trails on the shining asphalt.
You take a moment's rest before stepping out into another long night. Maybe, if you're lucky, your partners will already be waiting for you.
Mortal Coils is a cyberpunk neo-noir set in the gloomy forests of upstate New York. Following a string of murders in a small town believed to be caused by a machine with an Embryonic Mind, agents of the Sapience Assistance Bureau are brought in to investigate the incident and, if possible, prevent further deaths. Though many elements will likely focus on the operations of the Bureau, players are free to play as local civilians if they so desire.
Though there is the possibility for action and confrontation, this roleplay will, for the most part, possess a more "grounded" feel, leaving crazy, ridiculous action and power levels behind. The people and machines in this setting are meant to feel somewhat "normal" or "believable," with the setting as a whole striving for a Near-Future feel.
If this sounds like something you might be interested in, feel free to indicate such below, or ask pressing questions, should you have any.
