The proposal for the visual narrative - 'The Ghosts of Yamaraja'

1. An Interactive Sci-Fi Mystery

2. 
The Ghosts of Yamarāja is a sci-fi, mystery
set in the future. It revolves around a small
cruise shuttle called the Yamarāja, where
everyone onboard has suddenly disappeared.
The main protagonist of the story is you, a
government investigator sent to investigate
the events that led to the disappearance of
four individuals.

3. 
It begins with a black screen; an audio file plays
in the background. It is a distress signal from the
cruise shuttle, asking for immediate assistance.
After the user has selected ‘Begin’ from the
menu, an animation plays showing a small ship
docking at the Yamarāja. The screen will then go
black (similar to the opening) and the thoughts
of the investigator will appear onscreen, such as:
‘The ship was cold and silent. The stench of
death lingers in the air as I take my first steps
into this tomb of mystery.’

4. 
As the player moves around the ship, they will eventually
learn that a private medical company were using the
Yamarāja to conduct secret research into a deadly illness
that has been plaguing multiple planets, called ‘Space
Pox’. The scientist in charge of this research is Dr. Yull
Smith, who intends to test his formulas on his dying
daughter, a victim of the Pox. The captain of the ship has
been hired to keep this a secret, as the methods used by
the doctor are unorthodox and unethical. When
investigating the captain’s quarters, the player will learn
that the captain is struggling to cope with his immoral
assignment, through a series of audio logs. The
passengers on the other hand, have no knowledge of the
experiments being conducted onboard the cruise shuttle.
Yet, before their disappearance, they were beginning to
notice strange noises emanating from the doctor’s cabin,
evident in the diaries found within their rooms.

5. 
Eventually, the user will discover that one of the
doctor’s experiments went disastrously wrong,
creating a mutation in his daughter. The monster
devoured both the doctor and the passengers
before the captain was able to lock it within the
cargo hold. Yet, the guilt and horror of what had
occurred was too much for the captain to bear.
So in his moment of madness, he activated the
distress beacon and exited through the airlock,
leaving the monster locked away within the bowls
of the ship.

6. 
The user will then enter the cargo hold and
come to face-to-face with the beast. A
decision will be asked of whether to shoot the
monster (knowing that it was once, and
maybe still is, a small child) or walk away.
There will be a separate ending, depending
on which path the user takes.

7. 1) Vera Gloodburg – Retired Author
Vera was a once famous author, who penned the
epic romance saga: ‘The Fourth Kingdom’. She is
now trying to re-enter the literary world by writing
a new romantic novel, set aboard a cruise shuttle
similar to the Yamarāja. The trip was meant to give
Vera both inspiration, and relaxation.
2) Hans Eric Williams – Archaeologist
Hans is on his way to the biggest find of the century,
the tomb of Rendrick the Third, on the planet Rendall.
He hopes to aid his brother and gain some of the
riches in return. His trip was strictly business, but
with a little leisure on the side.

8. 3) Captain. Ado Fitzgerald – The Pilot
An old wartime pilot, who fought during the
Interplanetary Wars. Ado became the captain of the
Yamarāja when it was first commissioned. He hoped
the job would take his mind off his bloody past, and
give him some solace.
4) Dr. YullSmith – The Scientist
Shunned by his peers for using unethical approaches in his research.
Yull is looking for a chance to redeem himself, by finding a cure for
the incurable, the infamous ‘Space Pox’ disease, which has claimed his
daughter. Fortunately, the private medical firm, ‘Pirex’, has taken a
liking to the doctor’s results, even though it is performed in an
unorthodox manner. They have therefore funded his research and
have organised a discreet place to test his theories, the Yamarāja.

9. 

Most of the interactivity will come in the form of ‘Data Tablets’ that are
spread out within each scene. As an agent of the government, you have
access to private files which are stored on the tablets.
When pressed, the tablet will appear larger and will show a QR code,
which the user can scan with their iPad/ iPhone. The iPad/ iPhone will
then show a page from a diary, a newspaper article or a video clip etc.
The story will be revealed through this mechanic.
Data Tablet
Data Tablet
iPad/ iPhone

10. Instructions
for
navigating
Arrows
used to
move
around
room
Data Tablets – Used in conjunction
with an iPad/ iPhone. Shows
diaries, newspaper articles etc
Mouse cursor,
highlighting a
selectable
object

12. 
To create the scenes from the previous slides,
I have utilized copyright free images (which
are being referenced in a Word document).
Some of the elements in their original form
can be found below.

13. 

Here is the first
page of the
Navigation Map.
It shows a linear
narrative,
whereupon the
user is required to
explore each room
before moving
onto the next.

14. 


This is the second
page of the
Navigation Map.
As the user nears the
end of the story,
they will be given a
choice. The decision
they make will lead
to a different ending.
After the narrative
finishes, the user will
be taken back to
starting the menu.

15. 

Time – As there are multiple units occurring
within the third year, I am hoping that I will
enough time to create a high quality narrative
that will immerse the user.
Software Problems – Most of the techniques I
purpose to utilize, I have used before in
different projects. My only concern is whether
I reach a technical roadblock, which may take
additional time to overcome.