My plot surrounds upto 5 corporations that utilise an underworld that serves them. They have cornered the government through buying politicians, cornered the law by buying judges and police, and have enabled themselves unlimited "freedom" within the society. They used these "freedoms" to monopolise different markets and squeeze all workers and citizens into a powerless position. Civil unrest is brewing, but the people are sick and weak, and unable to really stand together against the corporations for fear of being without what services they do give, and are devided by media, politicians, representatives until utterly isolated. This situation has forced an underworld to form, but THEY TOO serve the corporations. Most intruigingly, this underworld serves a TECHNOLOGICAL purpose, because the rich want technology to do all kinds of things, such as empower their security forces, live longer, or do impossible things like "time travel". The MC comes from another time and used to work for them, but his timeline/universe was destroyed after time travel (his creation) went horrifically wrong during a FIGHT against these corporations (because they killed his family to aquire the tech). He lived for a hundred years travelling through all kinds of universes trying to get out of his moral dilemma, but only seems to repeat his mistakes in those worlds, and travels away before he destroys them too. On his deathbed he refused to die knowing he destroyed his universe and undergoes brutal proceedures that essentially make him immortal. To the world he seems like a 30 year old, but he is closer to 130. He is hiding out in our universe in the year 2056, which is when these huge corporations gain their foothold. And the only reason he chooses to fight them this time is becaause its PROBABLY the right thing to do, after he is approached by a pesky woman scientist who is about to go down the samee path as he did. He is torn by the idea that someone will suffer the same fate as him and it reignites his battle. He does not kill, he sees the ceos of these corporations as people, he doesn't think they are evil because they kill, so he isn't interested in going in like an action hero, cuz he honestly thinks that just makes him a terrorist and hypocrite (because he killed his whole world, so is not pure as the snow)... So what is the problem plot wise? The woman is kidnapped, her family taken hostage, until she finishes her work on time travel (they know she is close and don't want her straying and exploring her options) They will kill her after she gives it to them, which she finds out from a talk with the MC just before she is abducted. The main character fails to stop the abduction, and questions his obligation to even help her, but he decides he will and walks down to a corporate building, wades through the protestors who are either starving or being declined health services or being priced out of the city and their jobs. He gazes up at this skyscraper, knowing he has to face it. I need to somehow construct a plot from these corporations, the underworld, the civil uprising, and the kidnapping, in a way that the main character doesn't act either violently or passively. If he acts violent I can only see him hurting innocent employees and being a thug that kills a ceo (not a solution, they aren't exactly evil). If he acts passively, like through talking people out of things, just stealthily taking the kidnapped girl out of it, or causing a revolution that shifts power, it won't have the depth and intruige I want it to have. Currently, I have it organised such that he doesn't know which company she worked for and he wants to AVOID his old company because it brings back aweful memories and he doesn't feel strong enough. The corporations are as follows Medical - a monopoly on health services (privatisation) think pharmaceutical companies owning the hospitals and serving all their needs, and governments, businesses, etc all pay because if they don't then WHOOPS no healthcare for them or their loved ones. Private security - these guys are responsible for the mechs and security forces all companies use, and are used in government installations and operations all over the globe too. Housing - The system for housing is a total monopoly due to liscences required to lease property, and these guys are a result of some very rich guys buying proprty from the banks after some disasterous economic crashes, they influenced law and government to introduce liscencing to all the property they couldn't buy Banking - digital currency is instantaneous, and is regulated by the banks, whom own MOST of the economy (about 85%) and are essentially permitting money to be used only to ensure it retains its power Resources - they mine on certain planets with automated machines with the aim of eventually colonising them, but it is a long way off, they own energy, and most materials related to it So, I need to create a plot out of the MC facing the smokescreen these guys have put up that hide where the girl is, but also, he realises he should change what is happening cuz he might be this worlds last chance, because he already knows how fierce the tech underworld is and how innevitable it is that the technology will be abused. He has to restore some kind of ceasefire against the people, perhaps even sabotage the relationships between the companies and break their alliances, to starve and destabilise the underworld, all while finding the girl and stopping her from following his own path. Anyone have any ideas on how I could weave the plot or examples where it has been done well? How the corps work to the public - private health systems can refuse anybody - very strict rent enforcement (security agents are trained to be exceedingly ruthless in collecting) - never out from under the need to get ahead of where they are - monitoring on their finances (think of how schemes are set up to appear like "a bargain" but are really incentives to spend and create pressure) the person has to meet certain goals to maintain a "status" otherwise fees spike Its an exaggeration of reality, so, I mostly am looking for a plot that is feasible as a way to make people's lives better without destroying their society and how it works Borderlands (hyperion) Mission impossible Hitman (the game) The Matrix Blade runner Star Trek Are going to be inspirations for how I lay these corporations out
So, I have to admit that whole character backstory kinda confused me, but that may just be because how it was presented. To answer your question best I can, your idea of having a man take down leaders of various business does strike me as a video game type plot, most notably the Assassin's Creed series. But since your hero doesn't want to kill people I'd imagine your plot would be more in line with having him infiltrate one of the companies as an employee and use some espionage and mental warfare to secretly find the girl's location & force events into place that lead to the collapse of each respective industry, like a row of dominoes. Hope that gives you something to ponder at least.
