Perhaps a 'Macguffin.'
The Maltese Falcon was a Macguffin. The characters were all willing to kill, lie, steal to get it, but it was never explained why. The reason wasn't important. It was just an object that drove the plot along, linked the characters, and created conflict. The arc of Indiana Jones, the Lochnar of Heavy Metal, the Incal light, it doesn't matter how many different stories, characters, or worlds are involved, the MacGuffin brings them all together.
In the case of EVE, let's suggest a doll. They are easy enough to buy, and you can even find them in mining missions.
Why is one ordinary doll so important that everyone has to get it? Does it belong to someone important? Does it contain something interesting, like a data core? Maybe it is an ancient artifact found at the EVE gate from long forgotten Earth?
I had been conceiving a story where a Gallentian archaeologist working at the EVE gate uncovers some evidence that all four races once originated from one planet. The Amarrian theological council hears about this, and sends out a patrol to have this man killed, his ship destroyed, and all of his artifacts eliminated. The man has an only son, who is six years old. After his ship starts melting in a battle with the Amarrians, the Archaeologist desperately starts stuffing his artifacts into a 'homing drone', a non-weaponized drone similar to a mining drone that can deliver small parcels at sub light speeds.
His son grows up to become a worthless loafer. He is a university drop out who spends his time and Father's inheritance money in the night clubs of Caille. When he is about 26, the homing drone arrives at his home address. It might be a Doll from the planet Earth, or perhaps a datacore, or both. A holographic recording by his father will have explained what happened to him, and the importance of this doll.
The son contacts the Archaeology department at the University, explaining what just arrived at his house. The head of the Archaeology department nearly has a fit, then calms himself. He informs the son that those artifacts belong in a museum, etc. The son is wondering if these artifacts have a cash value. He takes a photo of the doll and uploads it to the net, trying to auction it off. He watches as the price steadily increases into billions of ISK, and so does his bounty. There is the sound of weapons fire, as two Gallente bounty hunters defeat the home security system and start searching the home. The son hides behind one of the sex androids he keeps in his closet.
The son manages to escape his house without detection, however he now sees a video screen with his face on it, and the billions of ISK reward for his capture. As a petty crook and loafer, he realizes that everyone in his own social circle knows where he lives, where he frequents, and will come looking for him to turn him in. He decides he has to leave the planet and live as a fugitive.
The Amarrians refer to the artifact as 'the abomination', and will go to great lengths to obtain and destroy it. They believe that the knowledge and evidence it contains about the 'single planet origin theory' will undermine their entire feudalistic, slave labor based society. The balance of power in EVE will shift towards the Gallenteans, and away from the Amarrians and the Caldari.
This makes the artifact something of a hot potato. The value of it increases exponentially until it is worth more than a Titan. If you could manage to sell it, you would be rich! However, once people find out you are in possession of it, every mercenary in New Eden is out to kill you and take it for themselves.
So, somehow your character comes into contact with this artifact, or 'abomination'. It might just be news, an Amarrian loyalist might not see or be in possession of it (since they would destroy it and/or turn it in), but might wonder why PIE is diverting half it's fleet to search for this object. A Minmatar pirate might think it's payday, then realize that every pirate in low sec will be out to kill them. Some people might not even realize it's financial value, simply picking it up and keeping it with them as some kind of decoration.
I thought that a talking doll might be funny, perhaps even a talking teddy bear. The word 'bear' is a pejorative in EVE, but it is never explained why. There is even a story about an Amarrian torture chamber filled with talking teddy bears with creepy eyes that say "I love you. Do you love me? I love you. Do you love me?" I think it was meant to be funny, but why are there teddy bears in EVE? Weren't they named after the American President Theodore Roosevelt? It might be a torture if talking Teddy bears were the 'abomination' that Amarrians feared, sort of like the cage full of rats they put over Winston Smith's face in 1984.
I think a doll is generic enough so that everyone can make up their own story why everyone is trying to kill them in order to get it. You can pick up and dispose of the doll whenever you want, so long as it is never destroyed or inaccessible to others. Keep the doll with you for a while, make it your little traveling companion, pull the string and listen to it talk. Have some strange nightmares about it.
Getting rid of the doll means that you have passed the 'hot potato' to someone else. Toss it in the garbage or jet can it into space. You don't even need to know the person whom you passed it on to. It would make a fun gift to pass on to someone that you wanted to see killed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb8PxjhwsDE
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Topic: An idea to spark an RP resurgence. Looking for support. (Read 8282 times)