Brothers (Working Title)

The Story –

The story starts when Kyle is a young kid around the age of six. He lives with his mother and father, and they are all happy. He is an only child. The only thing that he wants is to have a younger brother, someone he can play with. To his surprise, one day his mother calls on the way home from a doctor to share the news that there is going to be an addition to the family, a new baby. This was very exciting, but the excitement was cut short as his mother was killed instantly when a drunk driver hit her with his car. This crushed his dad, who was never the same after that. The boy was left to fend for himself because his dad was always reminded of her when he looked at his son. The boy grew up alone without parents or friends and grew distant from people. Years passed and eventually Kyle graduated high school and went to an out-of-state college. He wanted a place to start new; a place where no one would know who he was or what events happened in his life. He was happy and began making friends and finally feeling like he fit in. But there was something from his past, something that he couldn’t escape from. He wanted a brother: someone who would always be there; someone who was family. During his time at college Kyle signed up for many different paid study groups to make some extra cash. His friends thought it was weird but no one really said anything. One day he saw an ad for an experimental surgery that “could possible give you the friend you have always wanted.” Without hesitation he signed up for the test. His friends tried to talk him out of it, but the prospects of what could come out of it were too high for him not to do it. Kyle went to the lab that day and met with the man who would be doing the surgery and had everything explained to him. “If this works out the way we feel it will, you are going to be cut into two and put together with a machine. You will go from one person to two cyborgs.” Without thinking twice he signed all the papers and got ready for surgery.

He awoke from surgery to find that the building around him had been destroyed and the other cyborg was gone. He began moving and found it to be difficult to do since he had not been able to fully recover. As he moved slowly through the building he found several survivors. Not wanting to leave them in there he began to drag them out, one by one, until there were no more left. Not having anywhere to go or anyone who would be missing him, he headed back into the lab to see if there was anything that he could find to help complete his recovery. Months passed and finally he was able to move around without difficulty, but there were many other problems he was facing: his robotic half was much heavier than his human half; another having been that he was running out of memory in his computer brain. These issues and more where preventing him from having a pain-free and somewhat normal existence, and it bothered him that he didn’t know where his other half was.

After several more weeks had passed and there wasn’t much left in the lab, Kyle decided that it was time to find another place to stay. When he emerged outside he was shocked to see what had been going on since the day he had gone in for surgery. The city had fallen into complete chaos and at the head of it, he discovered, was Kyle, his missing other half. He needed a new name now since his identity had been stolen. He decided to use Norm because of an imprint on the metal plate that made up the robotic side of his chest. He had no idea what “N.O.R.M.” stood for, but did not care. He spent the next few hours talking with some bums in an alleyway. He figured out that after Kyle had destroyed the lab he sold everything they owned and started forcing himself into power. After a few weeks Kyle had his hands into everything – the government, the police, judges, anyone and everyone who had some type of power. He made sure they answered to him. Pretty soon he was the king pin of the city and everyone feared him. If you weren’t on his payroll you were either homeless or an enemy, and were dealt with. The people who were hired to protect this city weren’t able to protect it, and that is why Norm took it upon himself to take the city back.

At first he didn’t know where to start. How was he going to take down an opponent who had unlimited technology and money when he had none? He wandered around and came across a lab technician who was there during his surgery. After some talking, a group of the remaining scientists decided to join Norm’s quest. They set up a base of operations in the broken down lab and got to work, trying to fix Norm with what little they had. He needed to go out and find more people to help him, people with different skills and inventory. Traveling the city he found many people to join him; some were willing, others needed convincing. All of them together helped him, and soon he was ready to take on the king pin.

Heading toward the tower of the king pin Norm came across significant resistance, but with everything his friends had given him, they were no match. Wave after wave of enemies fell at his hands. He climbed higher and higher into the tower, until finally he was face-to-face with himself, one side good, and the other evil. The fight began with each side equally matched in strength and stamina. The battle raged on until there was only one standing. Norm stood over the king pin and said nothing has he finished him off, and then looked on over the broken city. As night turned to day Norm headed back to the family he had finally found and left the city to heal itself.

The Characters –

N.O.R.M. – had a rough childhood and grew up wanting a brother. His need to have family led him to go through surgery and become two people. His other half took their real name Kyle and he has adopted the name N.O.R.M. which was branded on the chest plate on his robotic half. He is now burdened with the task of taking down his other half and restoring the city back to the way it was.

Kyle – His past is the same as N.O.R.M.’s, but after the surgery he became his own person. With the pain that was repressed since childhood he is determined to make everyone else pay. Taking money and power from the people who have it, he soon finds himself King pin of the city and there is only one who can become strong enough to take him down.

Aaron – A billionaire playboy who has watched the city go from bad to worse. He finds your team and offers to support it financially, because a town in the dumps is bad for business.

Rachel – She is the lead technician who worked on you during your surgery. She knows your life support systems like the back of her hand, and has a few tricks up her sleeve to increase your stamina.

Dad – He is the one who ignored you for most of your childhood. After losing his home he made his way to the streets, through chance he joined the team and is bringing his vast knowledge of machines to the table.

Dialogue –

Lab Interview:

Kyle – I have always had a rough life. My mother died when I was a child and my dad ignored me shortly after for the rest of my childhood. I grew up never knowing a real relationship with anyone until I came to college, but something was still missing. I was still longing for a brother, someone to be a family to me.

Scientist – You do realize that this is not a reversible surgery; if we fail you will die.

Kyle – But if you succeed?

Scientist – Then you will be two people.

Kyle – I will have a brother so to speak?

Scientist – Yes

Kyle – Where do I sign and how soon can you start?

Scientist – Right here and right now.

Alleyway:

Bum – What’s your name?

Kyle – Kyle

Bum – Thought you looked familiar.

Kyle – What are you talking about? I have never seen you before, nor have I ever been down here before either.

Bum – That’s true, but you’re the self made king pin of the city. You rose to power in a matter of weeks and now the city is going to hell. Take a look for yourself. [Hands him a Newspaper]

N.O.R.M. – Did I say Kyle I meant Norm. I just woke up from a coma and haven’t fully recovered yet.

Bum – I see; well good luck to you.

First meeting with Rachel:

N.O.R.M. – I know you from somewhere.

Rachel – I worked on your surgery, I was there during the explosion and you helped me out of the building afterwards.

N.O.R.M. – So you know what happened?

Rachel – Yeah, your other half –

N.O.R.M. – Kyle?

Rachel – Yeah, Kyle; he recovered faster than you, wreaked havoc on the lab, attempted to kill everyone, and then left. Soon after that he became the King pin of the city. He has everyone working for him.

N.O.R.M. – So I’ve been told. This is my fault…well maybe not all my fault, but most of it is. I need to do something about him but I can’t do it alone or in the condition I am in. I just wish I knew what to do or who to turn to.

Rachel – We’ll help you out.

N.O.R.M. – We’ll? There is only one of you that I can see.

Rachel – Yes, me and the other lab techs that survived. We will help you, but you are going to need to find others.

Artistic Style –

Realistic; I want this to look like it could be possible in a near future setting. The colors should be muted due to the hopelessness that is draped over the city, where as the tower should be the brightest thing in the city.

Game play –

This will be a third person action/adventure game. There will be basic controls such as jump, attack, fire, action, and block. All other interactions taking place in the game will revolve around these simple controls. The camera will be able to be moved by the player, but will always be located over the shoulder of the player character.

Character Interview –

My character is created for a video game that is in the design process. He had a troubled childhood and has been alone most of his life. Always wanting to have a sibling he goes in for an experimental surgery to have himself cut in two and turned into two cyborgs. Before his is able to enjoy the company of his other half he wakes up to chaos that he helped create. Now he has a dilemma go after his other half, or ignore it and live out the rest of his life alone.

What is your name?

My birth name was Kyle, but after the surgery it became N.O.R.M.

What surgery?

About a year ago I signed up for an experimental surgery to fuse man and machine. Basically I was cut in half right down the middle to create a copy of myself. Using a mold of my body the lab created two robots that they would use to put me back together, creating two whole people, two cyborgs. All of my organs were duplicated using plastic and sensors. I received all of the original organs while the other half got the entire lab created organs. When the surgery was completed I had become two different people.

What would make someone go through something like that?

I have always felt alone, so by doing this I thought I was going to get what I would consider to be a brother.

A brother? Tell me about your family.

My mother and father met at college their freshmen year and hit it off immediately. She was going to school for law and he was there to get a mechanical engineering degree. They married after college and soon after I entered the picture. Life was good for us. Mom was the head of her law firm and Dad did freelance work. When I was about five my dad got a call from my mother saying that she was pregnant and that I would be having a younger sibling. Moments later she was killed instantly in a car accident. It destroyed my dad. He slipped into a deep depression and was drunk all the time after that. His only comfort outside of drinking was the cars he built in the garage. He sold them so we would never have to worry about money, and he set up an account for me so I wouldn’t have to bother him when I needed something. He ignored me, told me that I reminded him too much of his wife, and that I was old enough to take care of myself. At the age of 6 I was forced to make my own food, get myself to school, do my laundry, and get good grades without any help. I had no one else except the drunken man in the garage. All of my grandparents were dead and both my mother and father were single children just like me. I grew up not knowing what a fulfilling relationship felt like, and I hated my dad for abandoning me. I left home as soon as I could and I didn’t look back.

Do you know what happened to your dad?

After my surgery I came across him in an alley where he was drinking around a fire barrel. I went to talk to him. When he saw me he broke down and started to cry. He told me that he never wanted to be alone, but understood why I left. We both needed something from each other, so we talked and I asked him if he wanted to help me with the mechanics of the robot. He agreed and, like that, we were a family again.

Why would you need help with the mechanics? Wouldn’t the lab have helped you out?

My “brother,” as I call him, woke up from recovery before I did and decided to kill me. You see, they needed to divide my brain in two and fuse each side with a computer. They did this so that it would be easier for us to control both sides. The part of my brain that had all of the hate and abandonment in it, along with the drive for power, was stored in his half of my brain. Without the other side to keep it in check, he was able to run free. When he awoke before me I guess he figured that I was the only one who might be powerful enough to stop him. He blew up the building while I was still recovering, took my name, money, everything I owned, and forced his way to the top. That is why the lab couldn’t help me; because Kyle killed everyone to insure that no one could stand up to him.

Do you know where your brother is?

Yes. He is currently the king pin of the city. He owns 60% of the city which includes police, government officials, and judges. Everyone who might be important or have power, I am sure he owns. The only way to remove him from the power he currently has is to kill him. Only then will the city be able to return to normal.

How are you planning on doing that?

I’m not sure. He was equipped with the same amount of technology I was, and that was pretty minimal. Since then he has acquired money and power, and with both comes unlimited options on what upgrades he is able to acquire. If he has the best in the business it would be impossible to sneak up on him, and there aren’t enough people here who aren’t afraid or on his payroll to help. So it looks as though I am going to have to face him and all of his minions alone.

Why are you going to take him on alone?

This is my mess. I feel somewhat responsible for what has happened. His hatred was a part of me for such a long time and I had completely repressed the memories and feelings that he is acting upon. If you had the drive to do anything that you wanted to do, good or bad, with nothing or no one to stop you, how far would you go? He has gone as far as he can in this city and he needs to be stopped before he manages to go farther. Who is going to do it, you? Like I have said before, everyone in this city is either on his payroll or too afraid of him, so that leaves me.

Really there is no one else you can ask for help?

I do have a small team of people that I have gathered to help me. There was one person from the lab who survived and has agreed to help me. She is also an expert on the inner workings of my life support systems. My dad has joined me and as I have stated earlier, he is a mechanical engineer. He is going to be helping me with upgrades so that I have a chance against my brother. There is a business man worth billions who offered to fund my venture. The reason: Kyle is bad for business. There are others around the city that I have had my eye on to join my team. Chances are they aren’t going to join without the proper motivation, but in the end I am sure they will see things my way.

What will you do once your brother is out of power?

I don’t know, since technically I am him I will have money and power. I could run the city the way I feel would benefit all, bringing it to a place that would make the people proud to live here. Or I could just take over for him and no one would be the wiser. Only time will tell. Chances are I will dispose of him and just fade into the city from where I came.

So what does “N.O.R.M.” stand for? Where did it come from?

I don’t know. Everyone who knew about it was dead before they were able to tell me. The machine part of me is branded with it across the chest. I figured since my other name was taken and I didn’t have a spare name, N.O.R.M. would have to do. If I find out that it means something totally ridiculous I might pick something new.