Dark Future

Story summary for Dark Future:

Fo Shen has been captured by the CDCA. In his interrogation, we learn some of the history of the Purists, that the Purists have created a "localized critical shift" in the Pacific basin, and that the Buro and CDCA are in the midst of a civil war. Dr. Boatman has Fo Shen killed by a guard.

In the two parts of the Dark Future story, the main plot revolves around Homo Omega and his plan to take over the future. He lays a trap for the Dragons using the former Jason X, now brainwashed and calling himself Jack Seven. The Dragons launch an assault against Omega's "base," but are ambushed and soundly beaten. Omega unleashes the abominated Thing with a 1000 Tongues to crush the Dragons, but Dirk Wisely manages to deprogram Jason, who then takes out the Thing, at the cost of his own life.

The Dragons track down Dr. Ally Matthews and learn Omega's true plan - he wants to spread a nanovirus across the world that will kill or abomify the entire human race, and is about to do so. They borrow a nuclear weapon (!) from the Jammers, and talk them into helping launch an assault against Omega's true fortress. The Jammers create a distraction by attacking the base, and the Dragons sneak inside to plant the bomb. Once inside, Dr. Matthews reveals that this is also a trap, and Omega begins to cut them down. Dirk sets the bomb, and Kar Fai stays behind to hold Omega off during the countdown. The other Dragons escape just before the tower blows, but Kar Fai (presumably) dies in the blast along with Omega.

All this occurs against a backdrop of civil war - the Buro (led by Johann Bonengel) and the CDCA (Cross-Disciplinary Convergence Association, led by Dr. Curtis Boatman) have split the world between them. The story implies that Omega has been subtly nudging them toward this schism for some time.

We also learn that the Purists are advancing their own cause by building four Nexus towers at key points in the Pacific basin. They dupe Bonengel into funding the towers; when activated, they create a localized critical shift favoring pure magic over technology and arcanotechnology. The Purists have control of Hong Kong, Australia and a lot in between.

And Dunwa Saleem has been busy with his plans to create a new form of Ascended life that is not vulnerable to de-evolution when exposed to magic (hints for this plotline were dropped in the Daedalus Players' Guide). He also takes advantage of the civil war to complete the first three members of his new order.

This story summary was written by Stefan Vincent, and can originally be found on his website, here.