The Phase Trio

Lets pause for a minute and look back at our phantom players and their characters. We have one "player" who wants planning and riches. We have a second who is into physical struggles. The last character, has been transformed into our primary character and he is all about finding out how and who gave him "the bug" and then he wants to get even. These motivations will can all come together in our Phase Trio.

Peaking into the Fate Core Rules we see that each player should start off their adventure then hand it off to the other players. Now as a solo player you have a couple of choices, but I still want the phantom players to contribute randomness to the process. So lets head back to Mythic and see what hooks we can derive from some random word pairs when combined with what we know about the characters.

Adventure Tone: Hard Lethal
Animal Action: Imitate Mysterious
Action: Support Misfortune
Army Description: Weapons Disorganized
Character Combat Action: Loyal Assist
Location: Fancy Clean
Plot Twist: Necessary Disaster

Private First Class Stan Wilburn
Private Wilburn is sneaking into a change cult gathering. These psychos follow one of the rich infected and they believe that the Bug is the next step in human evolution. Most of them have been infected and the spy that the FBI had implanted found out they plan to each go out and infect as many people as possible before they are "martyred to the cause". At least that was the information provided before the agent fell off the radar. The decision to burn out the hive came down from the highest channels. That is why the bomb he has strapped to him has both a counter and a dead man switch. They were taking no chances.  He checks room to room looking for any servants or kidnap victims. None are expected, but the publicity will be bad enough without the extra "heat". Technically this isn't part of the plan, but Private Wilburn is a soldier, not a murderer. The rest of the squad gets it even if the brass doesn't. So, when he peaks in and sees a room full of teens he hits his panic button. He is unaware one them hits one as well. 

Aspect: Soldier yes. Killer no.

now we swivel the camera to Private Owen
From a near by van Private First Class Owen is monitoring Stan's progress through the mansion. He is worried about the extra time a room to room is taking. Stan's panic button and the signal to the security firm this rich bastard uses go off almost simultaneously. Floodlights illuminate the property like it is high noon. Just like that the situation changed from a clandestine assassination to a raid. Back up is on the way from where they are stationed in a safe house near by, but Stan needs immediate assistance. He looks up at the Lt., who gives the nod. At that point he puts the van in gear and guns the gas. The ornamental gate and tire shredders barely slow the van down. He wonders briefly if they front doors will

Aspect: Drives like a Maniac, but in a good way.

and now we take a look at Mission Specialist Lewis Brian
Was the mission a success? Yes and no. It certainly didn't go as planned, but frankly the plan was a stupid reactionary mess, clearly made in a panic by people who only read reports. Not to mention that attacking a US citizen on US soil with intent of mass murder was way beyond the squads paygrade, much less their morals. In a way it ended better. There were deaths of course. And there were interments of the infected that were already showing, and a medical prison for those that weren't. 

Only one of the youths had died, and he was attacking Private  Wilburn. Turns out she was a cultist with a young face. The teens were intended to be the first "Receive the sacrament" from the newly changed. Sort of an initiation. The idea of it chills my blood. 

This cell was neutralized and its "priest" was detained for interrogation.  Every scrap of paper, every computer, every cell pone, and everything in the "ritual chambers" had been brought out, before the terrible fire. The fire department was artfully detained by spontaneous traffic congestion. 

Now I had to earn my keep. I took journals, cell records, testimony from the youths (for all that was worth), and all the rest of the evidence and poured through it. We knew there were other such cells, in fact they were spreading faster than anyone would like to believe, but somewhere there was mastermind. The cult formations were too uniform, and showing up amid too many social and ethnic groups. This new form of terrorism wasn't random, and was very dangerous. Let me find the first string to pull and I will unravel this. And please God let me find it before it spreads out of control.

Aspect: Won't leave a job half done.

(I realize at this point doing all three narrations will make this blog post way too long, so I am going to do the rest off screen and just post the aspects. Here you can see the process. Each character gets a three act play in which we learn more about who they are, what drives them, and what they are good at. A good aspect can be a positive or a negative. Private Wilburn balks at unnecessary violence. Private Owen drives well, but recklessly.  Mission Specialist Brian just won't give up on a chase. In some cases these are positive qualities, in other cases they will cause complications.)

W.D.