Future Nerf: Reader's Guide
READ THIS FIRST!
This is being added to the beginning of every chapter of the former "Future Nerf" series that I wrote several years ago. While the story is available for nostalgia purposes, it must be understood that the story as I've understood and developed it is a far cry from what you'll find here. Please do not modify or construct any prequel/sequel/alternate stories of your own based on these. One day when I've put all my thoughts into words there may be a re-release...not only of these chapters, but of the entire story, beginning to end, which no one has seen yet. Aside from this, enjoy :-).
Characters
"Ace" A hacker/information hunter that joined RAD in early February of 2012. Ace also does regular combat training, and joins his teammates on missions involving heavy fighting. His main area of weapon expertise is with sniper weapons.
"The Black Dragon"
Believed to be a former NAB player, the Black Dragon is head of the military. Few have seen his face, and most that is known about him is rumor. The military has flourished and become an elite fighting force under his care. It is said that he is a highly trained martial arts expert. He took control of the military July 1, 2010 when original military leader "the General" was zeroed in combat.
"Cam"
The first female member of RAD, Cam usually avoids combat duty, preferring to stick with her quieter job as RAD"s computer maintenance engineer. She is also an accomplished hacker, knowing as much about the workings of a given computer as she does its hardware.
"Crystal"
An elite level 5 Luna mercenary. Serves as Mir's bodyguard, and is trained as Mir's protege and possible successor.
"Curt"
Curt is a member of the RAD team. He excels at hacking, and the teams turns to him primarily when they need information. While this is his main arena, he isn't exactly inept at fighting. It's often necessary for him to fight his way into a place where he can work his magic.
"Echo Kim"
The lead researcher for Luna Labs' Medical and Biological Enhancement Research group.
"The General"
The original leader and founder of the US NPG military. Was zeroed in combat on July 1, 2010 in the final attack against the AAD.
"Interdictor"
A mysterious man that runs some sort of fighters consulting firm, matching clients with mercenaries that fit their jobs' needs. Primarily works out of Nerf Central Underground.
Martin "Custer" Lock
One of the first into the Nerf World, Custer organized the RAD team, pulling together a few other friends for it that had stayed in touch. He's in charge of the RAD team, organizing missions for them, gathering data, and managing their resources. He trains a lot, but rarely fights. It's this lack of appearance in combat situations that gives him an advantage in combat: No one really knows what he's capable of. In contradiction to his name, Custer has made many stands, and none of them have been his last.
Matthew "SLAM" Duncan
A long time NAB veteran an online friend of Custer's, the fighter known before as "SLAM" decided on a more normal and meaningful name. Joined RAD when it formed. Although an adept programmer and hacker before he joined, his attention focused more on combat, and he began training everywhere he could in martial arts and tactical combat techniques.
"Sharpknux" Morrison
An excellent fighter, Sharpknux doubles as the RAD team's demolitions expert. He's the one that sets things to blow, and that's good. No one can do quite as thorough and detailed a job as he can.
"Starbuck" Shelton
Starbuck suggested the name "RAD" to Custer before the team started. He is the tactical leader, usually in charge of groups sent out on a mission. His extensive knowledge in short- and long-range tacics, small arms, and combat movement is invaluable. Although an excellent shot and outstanding small arms fighter, his martial arts skills are poor, leaving him at a disadvantage in hand-to-hand combat.
Colonel Evanrue Voortman
The leader of the military's 501st fighter squadron.
Devon "West"
A lone mercenary who keeps his past as secret as his immediate future. He is a master of many types of weapons, including handguns, auto and semi-auto light and heavy guns, sniper and hunter weapons, explosives, and a variety of martial arts weapons. He prefers to take jobs alone, but will hire additional help if he needs it.
Captain Harry Wortham
Harry is the son of military General Wortham. He flies third position in the 501st military squadron.
General Scott Wortham
A five-star military general in charge of the military at Nerf Central, and outranking generals at most other locations. Wortham also has direct contact with the "invisible leader" of the military, the Black Dragon.
Teams
American Aryan Dominators (AAD)
Records from the older days of chaos are incomplete, especially for teams such as the AAD, which were somewhat disorganized. Based on an old racial and religious hate group, the AAD intended to take over and "cleanse" the Nerf world's arena. They were beaten in just in time by the General's military movement. After the US NPG took control, the AAD quickly became the last large team that opposed it. Before a resonable solution could be reached, the AAD declared war. However, the General's leadership allowed the military to advance on the ill-prepared and unorganized AAD in several battles, all of which were won in the name of the US NPG. At the final battle on July 1, 2010, when the General was zeroed, the AAD was declared dead, with all members in the final battle accounted for as zeroed.
Green Hats
The Green Hats originated from the North West U.S., supposedly militia and anti-government individuals. They dress in blue fatigues, and wear whatever green-colored hats are available (Occasionally dye their hair green, if planning combat against Lunas, only to annoy them). This group trains well, and their redneck lifestyle masks a professional combat prowess. They generally buy and repair used or broken guns, preferring not to spend much money. This leads to an array of non-standard, custom-made guns that house nasty surprises. Some have tried to duplicate their trick guns, but have failed.
The Green Hats "organized" about the same time as the Lunas. For reasons which both teams keep secret, the two began with hatred for each other, which led to a string of violent and sometimes bloody conflicts. The Green Hats were defeated after some time, and withdrew, though they still claim victories and higher skill over the Lunas. Now, though confrontations rarely happen, having both a Luna and a Green Hat in the same room means that only one of them will leave.
The origin of the group that attacked the US NPG on January 14, 2012 is not known, but it is certain that they were not Green Hats. True Green Hat members have a small tattoo on the back of the neck, above their hairline. The tattoo resembles a skull being pierced by several spikes.
Lunas
The Lunas team has several parts. The mercenary part, the first one, has around one hundred members who are highly trained and skilled in hand-to-hand, small arms, and tactical combat. Only female candidates who can meet extremely stringent guidelines are allowed. Aside from this, the Lunas' founder and leader, Mir, has established several commercial holdings, two space stations (One mid-orbital, one high orbit), and a research and development laboratory complex in Nerf Central. Between developing new technologies, bringing in money from establishments, and boasting one of the best mercenary groups for hire, the Lunas are financially well off.
While the Lunas have a public image in their facilities, the core group remains mysterious. A legend was started once (no one knows how) that the Lunas remained in the dark, unseen and enigmatic, but one day, a balance of light would come to join them.
RAD
Formed by Custer and Starbuck in mid-2011. This team is small, having under ten members. It relies on information, and employees several hackers. Although it is willing to test anyone for entry, its main intent is to reunite players from NAB.
Corporations and Organizations
ChemNerf:
One of the most controversial companies created, ChemNerf produces questionable confusion and knockout gasses of which long term effects are unknown. Currently councils of teams are working to ban these kind of weapons from wars entirely, while smaller teams with less than scrupulous motives are buying them up in an effort to cheat their way to the top.
DemoGroup:
Although PhoamTech has taken the lead with their sales of the Nerf bomb, DemoGroup remains the undisputed leader in demolition weaponry. Producing a long and detailed line of quick expanding foam grenades, rockets, and camo mines, DemoGroup is the first choice for teams in need of a poweful punch in battle.
Hasbro Nerf:
Hasbro was a falling company, and sold their Nerf brand name out as one of their last resorts to stay afloat. The Nerf name was soon released by the buyer (Whose identity still remains a mystery) as public domain, and many companies started to grab it up. Down to their last pennies, Hasbro took a risk on the wave of the new business boom, and went strictly Nerf. The move payed off, but they realized quickly that with competition, they would have to keep quality and durability in mind when designing and constructing their weapons. This they did, and finally, they were respected as one of the top Nerf companies. Hasbro maintains several complexes for planning and producing their merchendise. Their headquarters is the five-building complex in Nerf Central, California.
Larami:
When the name Nerf became public domain, Larami realized they could finally make it on their own. Splitting away from parent company Hasbro, Larami proceeded to make legendary clip weapons such as the WildClip and PowerClip v4. They retained an excellent name in ammunition manufacturing, producing roughly 30% of all foam projectiles in use.
PhoamTech:
This is the corporation that was created before Nerf was more than a brand name. They were dissatisfied with the quality of present day Nerf guns, and wanted to make new ones. Once Nerf was public domain, this small company grew into a thriving corporation. While they manufacture several good guns, their main market is standard ammunition and more unusual foam weapons. They are the top producers for Nerf bombs, foam nets, and special aerodynamic projectiles.
Sparktronics:
Sparktronics excels in energy-based nerf weaponry, such as whompers, scattershots, and other NAB classics. They also produce electronic disrupting weapons that can send a powerful EMP blast for a large radius.
Nerf Provisional Government (NPG):
The NPG is actually a set of agencies set up all over the world. The NPGs reflect the form of government in their home country.
When the Nerf world started out, there was no government. Teams were usually fighting, and raiding supplies. Finally, someone known simply as the General organized a very large group of fighters, and took over. He started the idea of a government that would unite and govern Nerf cities around the world.
Many real governments hated the idea, thinking that it would undermine their own authority. Finally, they reached a compromise. The Nerf governments were to be divided by country, and maintain the form of government their home country did. The General's team was American, and so he established the Us NPG. His team remained as the Military, which was a separate organization, but subordinate to the government.
Finally, the General personally led a regiment against the team called American Aryan Dominators, which was the last team opposing the NPG. The AAD was totally destroyed (no prisoners were taken, and none were seen escaping the battle) but the General was zeroed. In his place, the Black Dragon took over command of the army.
In recent days, the government has taken far more control, and the military has become more subservient. Some old military members feel this is unfair, and that the military should be restored to greater power.
Weapons
Chainblazer V
A heavy machine gun from Larami that feeds on micro dart ammo from a reloadable chain (see Larami Ammo Chain). It accepts virtually any type of micro, as long as it fits within the chain. While usually mounted on a tripod as a mobile gun, it can be carried and operated by an expert. This vertility, along with a 20 rps maximum setting make it a favorite for a variety of missions for nearly everyone, including the military.
Duzi 3
Although its name sounds like a poor pun, experienced players know that the Duzi 3 is no joke. Intended to perfom like the Uzi, Phoamtech developed this as one of its ammo-spending weapons. This large pistol can fire either minidarts or class 2 pellets, depending on the type of clip inserted into the grip. A standard clip holds 30 minis, or 40 pellets, although longer clips can be used. This weapon is used when a lot of fire needd to be sprayed from a small, mobile source. Clocking in at 15 rps (20 rps for pellets), this is one of the fastest firing weapons in its size class.
Hunter
A shotgun-like weapon manufactured by Larami. It has a four shell magazine. Original Larami disposeable shells use compressed air inside to propel eight four-millimeter projectiles, but a variety of smaller companies produce gun powder-charged shells. The hunter is relatively small, about two feet long, making it a powerful concealable weapon.
Hunter v2
A shotgun by Larami, like its predeccessor. This model has two barrels, which are loaded by a similar pump mechanism. It is three feet long, and has an eight shell magazine.
PowerClip AR
A much-needed improvement over Hasbro's PowerClip. This assault rifle accepts removeable enclosed clips, which are easier to manage than the rotary clips of the WildClip series. While this gun bears the title of assault rifle, it is more closely a precision rifle. It has excellent accuracy, but fires its 50 mega dart load at only 2 rps. It stands somewhere between an assault automatic and a sniper rifle.
PowerClip v4
The upgraded version of Hasbro's original powerclip. This weapon still maintains a 20-dart fixed clip, the same rate of fire, but better accuracy and much greater range. It also sports a two-shot burst mode along with fully automatic fire.
Tommy 4
An obvious Nerf version of the 1930s Thompson submachinegun. Several companies including Phoamtech, Larami, and Hasbro manufacture variations, though the origin is not known and no companies have been able to claim the new design as their own. It operates on the same old style magazine, which holds a round shape and 50 pellets. It maintains about the same rate of fire as the original Tommy gun, and is, in general, exactly like the original.
WildClip
The WildClip is a versatile weapon from Hasbro which is constantly under upgrade designing and release. Gun owners pay only a small fee to have their weapon upgraded (Or less to simply ship the necessary parts and instructions to the owner). As of January 14, 2012, the current version is 3.56. The first release of this upgradeable series was June 2, 2011. The previous WildClip models were failures, but Hasbro won back its credibility with this well-balanced, upgradeable submachinegun. WildClip PE
WildClip Personal Edition is from Hasbro. A sort of assault-pistol hybrid, this weapon is about as large as an SSII, with the exception of the ten-dart clip in front. Like an AR, it can switch between single shots or full automatic fire.
WildClip XL
An experiment in the WildClip series. The engineers at Hasbro wanted to see how a large-payload weapon would perform, and this was their project. A fairly large heavy machine gun, it can be handled more easily by a single person than a ChainBlazer V. It also has the potential for longer-lasting firepower: the dual side-loading ammo boxes each carry 150 micro darts. While not as accurate or fast-firing as the CB V, and prone to jams, this weapon is a favorite for defensive positions because of its payload system. When one ammo box is empty, the gun switches to the full one with no interruption in fire. The empty box can be reloaded while the weapon is firing as well. Despite some unreliability, this weapon has pleased and dismayed hundreds with its amazing 30 rps.
WildFire Adavanced
This, for the most part, is a Hasbro WildFire with simple upgrades to make it a more manageable and practical assault weapon. Its rotary barrels are now removable, like clips, and hold 30 darts.
WildFire Carbine
Another of the Hasbro series, the carbine was intended as a standard-issue weapon for large teams. Cheap and reliable. A stock can be attached or removed from the back, and the front sports a removeable 20 minidart rotary clip. The gun is sleeker and longer in design, and most claim it is a very comfortable weapon.
WildFire Professional
An assault rifle from Hasbro intended for professional mercenaries, elite teams, and special forces squads. The front carries a massive 30 mega dart rotary clip. The forward-heaviness is counterbalanced by a powerful and heavy pressure system near the stock. It can fire single shots, 3-shot bursts, or fully automatic at 10 rps. Makes a lot of noise, so not preferable for stealth operations. However, the punch its mega darts pack is enormous, and this gun sees frequent use as a shock assault weapon in place of the WFA.
Munitions
Aerodynamic Specials
A Phoamtech specialty. Standard darts compatible with most weapon systems. Designed and shaped for great speed, distance, and accuracy. A favorite choice for snipers.
Exploding tip darts
Standard darts with explosive heads. The blast is designed to virtually rip apart armor, among other partially discriminate destruction.
Mega dart
The mega dart standard has been set and maintained at four inches of length and a whistling or silent rubber head.
Micro dart
The micro dart standard has been set and maintained at three inches of length and a whistling or silent rubber head.
Nerf bomb
Manufactured by Phoamtech, the Nerf bomb inflicts real damage to surroundings, but allows people within the radius to safely be zeroed and teleported out. Nerf bombs come in several levels of power:
Level 5: For setting off other explosive devices that require a powerful charge. Level 4: For destroying a small group of personnel or light vehicles. Level 3: For clearing or destruction of internal structures such as hallways, air vents, or elevator shafts. Effective against heavy vehicles. Level 2: For destroying small buildings, less than ten stories. Level 1: Powerful enough to level tall buildings if planted at the foundation.
Technologies
Digisketch
A type of digital white board that allows users to draw and erase, as as load pre-existing sketches or images. They range in size from credit card versions to panels covering walls.
Intel Autohack 305
A dedicated, single-unit computer system. Designed to work in coordination with the owner's main computer. It connects to a remote system and uses a powerful CPU and built-in software to intelligently and expediently hack. It carries out "missions" given to it by the owner, which range from simple port-scanning to file retrieval, file delivery, and even complete data dumps and system failures. While it can automatically gain access to personal systems and crack through low-level firewalls, it usually requires the greater ingenuity of its owner. The user can connect using his own system, gain access, and then transfer the task to the 305. The front of the unit has a 20 inch wide by 10 inch high screen (intended for long lines of text) which constantly displays current tasks, progress, and potential problems. The 305's link to the user's main computer allows the use of the main computer's input devices, should user intervention be required. This equipment is military-grade hardware, but can be purchased by nearly anyone... for the right price.
MLRC
Multiple Location Redundant Connection. A term for the combining of internet connections to form a single, high-bandwidth, nearly unbreakable connection. It differs from pipelining in that subconnections can be routed from anywhere in the world using different IP addresses. The connections run to a MLRC combiner switch, which acts like a reverse router. At this point, the connections can be pipelined, or can be used to carry out separate tasks. Care administrators can mask the IP addresses to keep both the individual connections and combiner switch location secret.
Vehicles
Harley Davidson Elite Hover LE
This hoverbike was manufactured in very limited quantities: Only five were produced. The mercenary West owns one, and its performance serves him well. It also acts as a calling card because of its rarity.
Places
Nerf Central
The most heavily trafficked and populated Nerf-dedicated city. The US NPG along with companies Hasbro, Sparktronics, and ChemNerf have headquarters here. Also the site of the Military's headquarters, Obsidian Tower.
Far beneath the city is an underground bedrock cavern that was discovered. A very different city is built within, occupied mostly by mine workers, and some companies. Because of the Underground's proximity to the main city but distance from law enforcement, it becomes a haven for all kinds of criminals.
Obsidian Tower
The huge skyscraper in Nerf Central that is home to the military. It is at least twice as tall as the otherwise-tallest building. Nearly the entire outside is made from dark marble or stone, and it towers up to a flat peak measuring only 10 by 10 feet. The rest of the building contains training and simulation sections, administrative offices, recruit processing, and even four docking bays. A squadron of elite defense fighters is housed inside. In normal times, it seems like a single landmark. In wartime, it is a fortress.