S
Scarecrow
Guest
Original poster
The Thing is a horror film adapted from John W. Campbell's 1938 Who Goes There. For the purpose of this roleplay, we will be following the 1982 version. The overall objective of this RP is to SURVIVE. Obviously this goes without saying: you have NO IDEA that there is an alien in your base. You wouldn't even know what it is if you saw it, and you certainly don't know anything about it. Until you know, you DON'T.
A Midwinter Night's Dream
The year is 1982. You are one of approximately 35 personnel stationed at Outpost 31, a U.S. Government facility for weather research in Antarctica. The station is staffed by a number of scientists, including several geologists and meteorologists. You and the rest of the team are currently preparing for a rather nasty blizzard.
Tonight is much like any other night: pitch black, temperatures below 40, and a strong easterly wind. You dare not go outside.
Most of the crew are currently taking dinner in the mess area. On a wide hole in the wall sits a metal counter, and the kitchen lies just behind it. Several rows of wooden tables are situated across the floor. There is a card game going on.
Who are you?
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Operations Manual (To be taken OOCly. Feel free to skim through some sections.)
Rules:
- No arguing, insulting, etc. If there is a problem, notify me.
- No metagaming or powergaming. If you don't know what these are, tell somebody.
- Only a GM can make events.
- You must use indicators (", *, Prose) to differentiate "dialogue" from *actions* and narration.
- Dialogue must be color-coded to help identify the speaker. Each character should have a unique color (Example: "I couldn't do anything! He just ran in there!").
- Your character portrait may not be a selfie, anime, or cartoon. DeviantArt sketches and drawings are acceptable.
- Spamming the thread is prohibited. Very short posts (less than a paragraph) will be considered spam. This is to remove clog from the RP and to make things less sporadic.
- Remain in-canon. That means no ass-pulling GPS systems, cell phones, etc. While some of this technology existed, it wouldn't be widely available or practical.
- Please use common sense. If it doesn't seem like it should belong, it probably doesn't.
Commander *This role is important to game progression. You must remain active, and if you must take leave, notify the GM* - As the defacto head of outpost 31, you are in charge of all operations. Like the saying goes, "Heavy is the head that wears the crown". Don't be surprised when people start blaming you for the mess..
Special items: .357 revolver; key to Weapons Cabinet: a few bolt-action rifles, a shotgun, and a couple Colt .45s.
Note: you are not the "Master of the Universe", nor are you a grizzled special forces badass. Should you choose to accept this role, you are expected to have a good head about you. The U.S. government isn't going to contract a psychotic to run a $100 million installation. You have been forewarned.
Helicopter Pilot - The station is in isolation, and apparently you're the only one who knows how to get a bird in the air. This is also the fastest mode of transportation and is the only way off Antartica. That makes you the most highly sought-after person on Outpost 31. Expect to be hassled about giving scientists rides like you're some kind of taxi (Oh wait, I think that's the official title).
Special items: UH-1 Iroqois helicopter.
Researcher (Unlimited) - Practically everybody here has a P.h.d. Sorry, you're not that important. However, depending on what your specialization is, you may be the smartest person on the continent at any particular moment (Not like that's saying much, considering a total population of less than 1000).
Physician - Those eggheads are bound to hurt themselves at one point or another. They're clumsy as it is; add a -40 degree wind chill and we're talkin amputation.
Special items: 3 months medical supplies; operating room with surgical instruments, a chemistry set, an operating table, IV lines, heartbeat monitor, etc.
Dog Handler - As the title suggests, you're responsible for feeding those mutts...I mean huskies. You probably have a better relationship with these creatures than anyone else on the station (If for no other reason than a reliable food source).
Special items: 8 huskies (approx. two sled teams); 2 two-man sleighs.
Thing - I don't see why I have to explain this, but I'll do it anyway. YOU EAT AND KILL STUFF: humans, dogs, you name it. Note: for obvious reasons, I will not be accepting applications for this role. Things are invitation only upon recognition of your RP abilities as the story progresses.
Extraterrestrial Biology - *This is pretty important, so you might not want to skip*
Things are extraterrestrial life forms that have the innate ability to replicate the identity of any organism they consume (Think Liquid Metal Man from Terminator 2). They can, therefore, think AND act like the person or animal they imitate. As a Thing continues to assimilate organisms, it will eventually get larger and may split into more Things. This should be thought of as mitosis or the replication of cells. While the monsters operate independently from each other, they are still parts of a whole. These monsters are actually just one alien broken down into pieces.
Infection - *I've taken a few liberties here*
If you should be unfortunate enough to come into physical contact with one, there is a 50-70% chance of infection.
Listen up, because the next phase is critical. You have maybe a 5 minute window before assimilation is complete. Deep cuts, lacerations, and gore speed up the process dramatically. Remember, all it takes is flesh on flesh! You may not even know you're infected!
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