An Unexpected Journey

The Setting:

It is March, 2050, and you live in a medium-sized town called Arden. Arden, population 80000, is somewhat unremarkable, with few attractions apart from the Museum of Odds and Ends, and being the setting for the lackluster TV shows "Storage Mysteries Unlimited 5000" and "Pencilsketching Landscapes with Rob Boss". The summers are warm, the winters are chilly, and the scenery is lovely - except when the massive storms cause dangerous flooding. Society is, in most ways, far more liberal than it was in 2021. Technology has advanced dramatically, and organic body modification is something that anyone can afford- provided you have the right permits, of course! The mysteries of the mind, however, are still largely unsolved, though there are those who are willing to push the boundaries of science... and what most would consider ethical.

Dramatis Personae:

You: You're 18, and are planning to leave for your first semester at the prestigious BigCity College of Engineering. You're slender, and of average height, and are rather average down there as well. Your parents are divorced, with your father David living in Othercity with his new girlfriend, Cindy. When in Arden, you live with your mother Ellen, who works as a nurse at the Arden general hospital. You're smart and a hard worker, though you're actually quite laid back. You're also quite a nerd, but most people don't really mind that anymore. You've been dating the lovely Neha Sharma for 2 years now, since your second year of high school, and are deeply in love. The two of you are excited to be going to college in the same city come the fall. (default name: Ian Smith).

Neha Sharma: Neha, age 18, is the top student in your class, student body president, all round star, and your girlfriend. She's been dating you for 2 years now, and loves you deeply. Slim, long legged, with jet-black hair, coffee-colored skin and big, soulful brown eyes, she's quite the knockout. You can't quite figure out what she sees in you, but you have her heart, and she has yours. She'll be joining the prestigious Varhard University, also in BigCity, in the fall.

Armand Delacroix: Your best friend since before you could walk. He's a year older than you, and he's already off to college. He's a second generation immigrant from Haiti - his parents were displaced as children after the horrific earthquake of 2010. He's someone who understands the value of hard work, of doing what's needed to be done to get ahead, but also of kindness, friendship, and compassion. Since going to college (at Othercity University), he's grown into his formerly lanky frame in spectacular fashion. It hasn't changed the fact that he's still a huge nerd at heart, and has a preternatural sense for finding great weed.

Chad Newington: The 18 year old scion of the wealthy Newington family, and your (former) rival for Neha's attentions. He's tall, good looking, and a reasonable athlete as well. He's also an entitled prick. You and he can't stand each other.

Sarah Thompson: Neha's best friend, and the most attractive girl in your school. At 18, she's already got a townwide reputation for her beauty (especially after her successful modeling gigs) - and her free spirit and willingness to explore. She likes you well enough, but simply can't understand what Neha sees in you.

Ellen (Smith): Your harried, overworked mother, who's going to turn 43 soon after you go to college. She's an ER nurse at Arden General Hospital, and is tough and no-nonsense in all her dealings. She's a beautiful woman, but rarely does anything with it, since she's got you to look after and a mountain of responsibilities at the hospital.

David (Smith): Your father, who 5 years ago decided to have a midlife crisis and abscond to Othercity to live in a condo, drive a flashy red gas guzzler, and who now lives with Cindy a.k.a. Bimbo++ (thanks, Neha!). Odds are, you aren't going to see much of him anytime soon.

Dr. Selene du Maurier: A beautiful, enimgatic woman. She'd had a distinguished career in academia as a neuroscientist, until she was to leave her post at the prestigious BCE-Varhard Slim Institute of Brain Sciences under a dark cloud. She now lives in Arden, and makes a living with her sex toy store, Selene's Enigmatic Emporium. Some say that she uses the proceeds of her sale to fund her forbidden research...

Authors Note: This story isn't just meant to be a story only focused on the corruption of the main characters. There's a conspiracy that is the cause of everything that happens to them, and also informs the way they go about resolving it. There are three generic paths you can take - a "submissive path", a middle path, and a path, each with their own key moments and resolutions. I'll most likely go about writing the middle path first, with some stuff from the other paths thrown in there. The path won't start for a while though, either in story terms or in "real world" time.

The other thing is, this is my first story of this sort. Any comments/reviews you leave would be really helpful.