Emergence 2028
Welcome to the Neon Nightmare
Emergence 2028 is the opening chapter of creator Ian Kane’s new franchise, set in a sinister near-future shaped by a fractured timeline where technological evolution split from our own.
In this parallel world, decades of geopolitical collapse froze consumer technology in the late twentieth century while advanced systems evolved behind closed doors. Society survives on scavenged hardware and repurposed machines, often modified in ways that blur the line between progress and harm. Survival is transactional, but conscience has not disappeared..
Los Angeles is a lawless pressure zone. Megafirms and underworld syndicates dominate daily life as traditional law enforcement collapses and criminal networks operate openly.
Beyond the city lie the Darkwards, vast quarantined sectors of failed experiments and abandoned infrastructure. Scavengers known as scavies, gang crews, and contracted teams still enter in search of leverage and truth.
Many never return.
At the center of the story are Zeke Malone and Cal Richter, former operatives who form Intrepid Soldier International, a legitimate private operations group known for stepping in when institutions fail. ISI protects civilians and pushes back against criminal power.
Their adversary is Luther Latimer, leader of the Dandy Routlettes syndicate, enforced by the psychopathic Drakken. Latimer’s reach extends to a circle of elite assassins, including Savina and the ex-boxer Blackout.
Above it all looms Millenius Biotech, led by ruthless CEO Revik, whose unchecked experimentation fuels chaos across the city. Circulating through every deal are eccentric arms brokers Sidestreet and Gabriel, suppliers of weapons, favors, and secrets.
Emergence 2028 is about survival with intention, and about choosing hope inside a system that already failed.
