Life as we know it

[Nicola Christine]

Life in 2017 is not that different from life in 2012. Computers have gotten faster, economics in the western world is not running as smoothly as we would like it and politics is getting more conservative again. Oh, and the President of the US, at the same time as the EU Commission President, the Chinese Premier and the Head of the Arab League, has received a phone call: Be prepared to be boarded! The universe turns out to be bigger than assumed and Earth is only a small fish in a large pond. And life on earth has become a universal concern. To discuss the perceived mismanagement of the planet Earth has seven years to prepare for a galactic meeting where a decision of its continued independence will be taken. Invited are national representatives of humans, fae, vampires and shifters. Oh yes, this is the second shock for humanity - we are not alone, never have been really. And we have five years to either kill each other or at least pretend to get along. In the corridors of power the races prepare the big "come out" to the general public. All over the world human legislators are split on the desire to integrate or eradicate those non-humans in their territories before the seven year deadline is due.

In the UK, the Houses of Parliament have formed a multi-racial Committee to prepare the come-out. It's success will be a main deciding point on the question of humans and "others" can life side by side. All seems on track, till Lord Hughton, the chair of the committee, is found brutally murdered in his locked office. The murder shows clear signs of non-human involvement. Will this start a witch hunt or will we manage to avoid it?

Laura, aid to the late Lord Hughton, was the one to find his body. As a result she is told to work with the appointed investigators to find the murderer. They are under pressure from all sides, and someone clearly does not want them to succeed. Was the brutal murder a human plot to sway public opinion against the "others" from the beginning? Or was it a plot by the dissenters to ensure that there would be no come out?

I am looking for people to form the other investigators (everything from human, fae, ....). Preferably there should be some tension between the members of the group. They have to find the murderer, keep the existence of "others" under wrap or at least present them as "harmless" when dealing with humans and there should also be some intrigues from other sources (e.g. vampires wanting to make fae look bad so that they increase their power....). Any takers?

[Renji]

I may be interested if you could elaborate on the other species a little more (mainly shifters as I think I've got a pretty good idea for a character.)