156 Seconds

• Genocide.
  • An imminent catastrophe threatens to destroy the entire earth.

Slightly over three minutes ago, a portion of the Earth’s surface began to be bombarded by extremely high energy gamma rays. Caught in the centre of these rays, a small group of people have been bestowed with superhuman powers. While coming to grips with their newfound abilities, one of our new heroes saw a vision of the future. The source of these gamma rays is some sort of alien artefact travelling through space at 99% of the speed of light. In a little over two and a half minutes, it will slam into the Earth, annihilating the entire planet.

Our heroes now have exactly 156 seconds to figure out how to work together and use their powers to save humanity!

The setting is a fictional variant of near-future Earth. The immediate impact zone of the artefact is in the outskirts of a large city.

• Mega: Playable. Capable of super strength, super speed, and flight. May carry up to one other hero with them at a time.

• Forcemaster: Playable. Can generate powerful (though not impervious) forcefields.

• Core: Playable. Can manipulate earth, rocks, and metal.

• Remix: Playable. Can copy one hero’s powers and temporarily grant those powers to another hero (in addition to their usual powers). Up to two copied powers may be active at a time. They cannot copy their own power.

• Overcharger: Playable. Can manipulate energy, transferring it from one place to another. If used on a fellow superhero, that hero’s powers can be amplified (or diminished) for as long as they remain targeted.

• Emissary: Playable Mega’s sibling, transformed into a monstrous being with superhuman strength and the ability to manipulate tendrils of shadowy energy. Bound to an alien will emanating from the artefact.

This Vignette consists of a single scene which lasts a subjective time of only 156 seconds. The characters have a number of problems to overcome, the completion of which will determine the final outcome.

• Core is having trouble controlling their new powers. They start the Vignette in the centre of a ring of destruction, magma beginning to bubble up at their feet.

• When Mega’s sibling was struck by the gamma radiation, they were also possessed by the alien will of the artefact. They are now actively trying to prevent the other heroes from taking action. Mega is distraught at the fate of their sibling.

• The earth has an orbital defence system designed to prevent asteroid impacts. This may be helpful, but the gamma ray emissions from the artefact are interfering with its control systems.

• Even if the artefact is stopped, the process is likely to cause a large amount of collateral damage. Find a way to protect the civilians from it and from Emissary.

• Slow the object down: whatever the plan is, slowing the object down is likely to help a lot.

• And of course prevent, contain, or otherwise mitigate the effects of the impact.