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Utopolis: Policing the Retrofuture Welcome to the Retrofuture It is the turn of the millennium, the year 2000. But this is not the world in which we live, but rather the world that could have been, as imagined by the prognosticators of the 1950s. It is the retrofuture.
The city of Utopolis is a shining beacon of all that mankind has achieved in the past 50 years. Monumental skyscrapers of shiny glass and steel dominate the skyline. Each is virtually a city itself, with living space, businesses, and entertainment all contained within. Pedestrian slidewalks and sky bridges connect these bastions of modernity, while rooftop aerodromes allow quick jaunts by automatically-piloted jetcars or aerotaxis should the need arise.
At ground level, the automobiles of the retrofuture—huge vehicles of chrome and glass with sweeping fins and aerodynamic profiles—are driven in orderly formations at breakneck speed by automated systems, while the passengers recline in comfort. The weather-control satellites ensure that it is always sunny and temperate, with occasional gentle rains. There is no pollution, no smog—everything is operated via electricity from solar or atomic power.
The citizens of Utopolis live a pampered existence. All heavy labor is done by anthropomorphic robots, with bulky limbs and glass domes and vacuum tubes for heads. House-sized supercomputers keep the city and most businesses running in an orderly fashion. People can only work 20 hours a week by law, leaving the rest of their time for leisure and family. Food is pre-made and cooked by microwave or consumed in pill form. Plastics abound in housewares and interior construction, allowing robot maids to efficiently hose down an entire house in minutes. Fashion has remained much as it was in the 1950s, with conservative suits and hats for the gentlemen and modest dresses for the women. Virtual entertainment and civic fraternal organizations occupy much of citizens’ time. And everyone can keep in touch by videophone, either in their home or on their wrist.
Technology and science have made Utopolis a world of plenty, of well-ordered prosperity, a world of endless optimism and opportunity—for everyone but you.
Policing the Retrofuture
Despite the wonders of Utopolis, there are still citizens who fall into vice or crime and threaten the city’s order. You were once one of these malcontents and criminals, but you were caught and taken to one of Utopolis’ reeducation centers, where you were instructed on the error of your ways and the values of a good citizen. Along the way, you “forgot” the nature of your crime, the facts surrounding it, and all aspects of your prior life. Once reeducated, the final phase of your rehabilitation began, your service as a member of the Utopolis Police Department.
Now you are armed with a zapgun, a wrist videophone, a suit, and a badge. Paired with your robot partner, your task is to investigate disorderly events and uncover criminals, setting the city right again. In addition to serving as your backup and a source of exhaustive knowledge about the city, your robot partner, clad in its black tailored suit, also ensures that you have learned your lesson and are on the road to becoming an exemplary citizen. Your partner is a robot like all the others, with a glass dome and vacuum tubes for a head and a mechanical voice devoid of emotion. It’s name is a combination of a letter and numbers, although some detectives insist on giving their partner a nickname.
When not on the job your time is spent in one of the police department dormitories, where you have a bed and a foot locker to store your clothes and few personal items. After a few years of honorable service, you can expect a return to normal civilian life, but with a police detective’s pension to smooth your transition and fund your leisure.
Certainly, some citizens are suspicious of police detectives, particularly rookies, but you have every intention of proving your worth and making your mark on the city. And former police detectives have even gone on to serve in Utopolis’ government and establish businesses of their own. It’s an opportunity, a new start. But sometimes, in the dark of the night or upon arriving at a crime scene, you feel something scratching around in the depths of your head, something lurking, a dark remnant of your past and your forgotten crime. Will you persevere, catching the criminals and becoming a model citizen, or will your hidden demons slowly reveal themselves and tempt you into uncovering, even returning to, your forgotten life? You’ve got a clean slate—will it redeem or destroy you in the beautiful city of Utopolis?
The original version as submitted to Kevin Allen, Jr.'s Reversed Engineer Design Challenge can be found here and is based off of the character sheet created by Thom Foster found here. This game is lower down on my development pile as I contemplate how to handle the investigation elements in light of Gunshoe and the other games that have come out more recently. But if you've got enthusiasm for the game thus far, drop me a line and let me know--it may motivate me to focus more on finishing it. |
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