Midian City :: View topic - Escaping into hell : Stephan Nephilim (updated)

Stephan Nephilim · Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 3:37 pm Post subject:

Name: Stephan Nephilim
Accent: A very slight french accent and odd choice of words at time.
Species: Human with no enhancements
Age: 34

Stephan grew up on the mainland with a rather sheltered life. Northern Quebec was one of those places that the war had not really touched much. The forests were maybe more sick, mutations in the area were starting to increase, but all in all after the war life kept on pretty much as it had before the war. Soon after the war ended though, the rich of the world started rebuilding their homes in those places that were not ravaged, and Stephan's small town was one of those places.

Stephan spent his teenage years hearing about nekos, mutants and mad biomechs. but never really saw any. Degenerates of society could not afford to live in his hometown for long with the arrival of the rich and famous and their desire to keep their way of life.

Later in life, when his small rural town had become a thriving northern metropolis, he attended university focusing his attention on genetics and bioengineering. He was never top of his class, he lacked the discipline and genius to truly shine. As well he confused his official studies with hobbies in bio enhancements, computer technology and a short stint doing theater (because of a girl of course).

Upon graduating he was quickly hired by military doing research into modified and super human soldiers. The idea was that neko genes were too random in their enhancements, giving just as many negative side effects as positive ones. As well new types of mutants were analysed to seek out positive mutations that could be used. He never thought twice about the frequency at which his test subjects died horrible deaths or had to be put down. It wasn't that he did not know about them, but except on rare occasions, Stephan worked with cell samples and computer projections. He trusted his government and without the horror of the experiments being right in front of him, it was easy to ignore or make excuses.

Stephan had a happy life while he worked on the experiments. He had a girlfriend in the biotech department, friends that he regualrly shared a beer with and riches that came from family owned land (that used to be worthless) and one of the highest paying jobs around.

As with many 'democratic' governments, when social presure puts their rule at risk, they do the best they can to cover up any corruption and unpopular projects. So one day government policy changed without warning and the program that Stephan was working for was shut down. Not only was it shut down, but the government decided to erase all those who were involved in the project.

A slight flu and the governments hurry in their panic saved Stephan's life. While the military stormed the experimental medical center, Stephan was at home, nursing his illness so as to not contaminate the laboratory. Laying at home, watching holographic porn, a single cell phone call got through to Stephan from his girlfriend and it changed his life. She told him in a frantic crying voice that 'they' were going through the lab, room by room killing everyone and destroying all evidence of the work. She sobbed about their common friends that were killed, talking about how 'they just walked in and killed them'. The last thing Stephan heard from his girlfriend was a muttered cry and then gunfire. Following that, heavy boots and a background voice saying "trace this".

Shock lasted but a few moments, as his desire for survival kicked in. In the back of his mind Stephan always knew the extent of the cold logic of the government machine, and he had no doubt that within minutes someone would be at his door breaking it down. His last action before leaving home was to transfer every credit he owned to a foreign bank and grab what food and water he could fit in a backpack.

Escape was not easy but nor was it too difficult. Walking thirty or so kilometers south through the forest in a few days, he met the main road leading to the southern zones. Hitching a ride on the back of a transport was not too difficult and in time, he made his way to a small airport.

From here only luck kept him from being caught. At the airport, security was busy dealing with a defective biomech and waved him through after a quick inattentive scan. Once he arrived at Mainland International Airport, he was quickly arrested and questionned. For hours he was questionned about everything from his skills to his financial situation. Finally, he was exausted, nearly in tears and expecting his execution to come any moment now. But instead a man in a different uniform came in and sat down with a smile in front of Stephan.

"I think I can help you", were the first words of of the officers mouth. He explained that for a substantial fee equaling nearly Stephan's entire fortune, that evidence of his arrest could be erased and he would be delivered to Midian City. Stephan had heard stories of Midian, it was the place that parents used to scare their children, at halloween kids dressed up as Midian monsters. But his hesitancy about accepting the offer lasted by moments, better to takes his chances in Midian City then to face certain death.

As Stephan made the credit transfer and was then later brought to the boat going to Midian, he expected the MPD to at anytime betray him, dump him in the toxic water to die while they ran away with his credits. But for one reason or another, they kept up their end of the deal and disembarked him just bellow the former bridge to the mainland.

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((in game RP would start here))

So Stephan walked into Midian City, a place darker then his worse nightmares would have let him imagine. But he walked into the city with a determination to live, no matter the cost to himself or anyone else around him.

After a few days of sleeping in the alleyways, he found work doing vidphone repair. Nothing glorious, nothing that paid well, but it allowed him to buy new clothes, weapons and to afford his room at the hotel and community center. And he quickly learned that among the horrors of Midian was also the greatest beauties he had ever seen. In Midian City, he was more alive then he had ever been in his entire life before.