December 21, 2004
IRE #5: Winter Solstice
Our fifth IRE is another slam dunk, since today is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Today is the Winter Solstice.
So what would I do with the day that allows the least amount of sunlight of the year?
I'm going to do something different, to leave the "Fantasy" ecological niche open to masters such as Arref and Ginger.
No, I am going to go a little different and make this a Paranoia plotline. I do have that new Paranoia XP, and the Winter Solstice gives me an idea.
It's not explictly mentioned, as far as I can tell in the book, but I would hazard a guess that the day cycles in Alpha Complex are uniform. What need is there for the change of seasonal lighting in Alpha Complex, when it is enclosed and self-sustaining?
So...imagine the fun the PCs are going to have when the day cycles in Alpha Complex start to get shorter, day after day after day. The Computer claims that this is correct function (and aren't you being treasonous in questioning this, red citizen?), but the worry clearly is shown on people up the chain. You could use this as a background thread for a number of sessions, just to keep the players nervous and wondering if this isn't some subtle attack on the Computer that is affecting power and supply.
Finally, after the Winter Solstice, much to the players relief, the days will start to get longer again. Or even more of a mindscrew, have the days return immediately to their normal cycle the day after it.
So was it an experiment by the Computer? A malfunction? Something a Programmer has done? And what if it happens again...will the lights return to normal...the next time?
Posted by Jvstin at December 21, 2004 10:36 PM