The 'Secret History' [3.5 d20 Modern]

[Callos_DeTerran]

Show of hands, who else hears about a 'secret history' in a spy movie/book/etc. or a movie/book/etc. where some organization that has it's hand in or investigates the supernatural and finds themselves intrigued about just what else is different in the world of said movie/book/etc?

I know I do.

It's why I want to have something exactly like that to reference for my upcoming IRL game. A 'secret history' to give tidbits of to my PCs whenever a serious point needs to empathized or a bit of humor injected into the game.

Examples from fiction would be like the stuff Hunter mentions in the Venture Brothers ('The second American Revolution...the silent one.' and 'besides, you know the president is just a decoy')

Or an example I intend to use in the game itself at some point, 'The department only tried allying with Shadow once, in 1945, and after the wyrms were done Hiroshima and Nagasaki were never the same'.

Conspiracy theories that have more truth to them then people would think, shadow groups manipulating historical events in clashes with each other, and supernatural creatures being the sources behind things like microwaves. Give me your thoughts playgrounders and help me make a Secret History for the world!

[Inyssius Tor]

Topically-applied fluoride doesn't prevent tooth decay. It does render teeth detectable by satellite.
Secret messages
The plastic tips at the ends of shoelaces are called aglets. Their true purpose is sinister!
encoded in amino acid chains
There was a magic bullet! It was forged by Illuminati mystics to prevent us from learning the truth!
in carb-free breakfast bars
EDIT: I'll probably be able to post something better tomorrow.

[Prometheus]

This reminds me of the setting of the RPG unknown armies, in which occult phenomena and urban legends are true.

For some reason I can't quite articulate right now, this thread also reminded me of a book I've been reading recently, Vellum (Book of All Hours) by Hal Duncan, there exists infinite (or a ridiculously large finite number) of alternate universes (planes) to this one. What is interesting is that these alternate universe don't exhibit the Butterfly Effect, but in fact quite the opposite occurs. Seemingly profound changes (say, the separation of mankind into gnomes, elves, satyr, orcs, and pixies) have little effect on the modern world and its history other than to change a couple of proper nouns - even relationships of particular individuals in particular locations remain the same (unless of course, that is the profound change). In addition to this apparent force of fate, it becomes a meaningless question to ask "Which is the correct/original version of the world?".

[SurlySeraph]

I think the d20 modern Dark Matter book is all about this.

Other than that, let´s see what useful information I know...

Have you ever wondered what the Internet is made of? I don´t mean the silicon and wiring we use to access it - I mean what the Internet itself, as an object, is made of?
Did you know that the human brain can store information more densely than any known artificial storage medium?
Do you know where Silicon Valley, where the Internet was developed into its modern form, is located?

Do you know how many people go missing in California every year? Once you find out, try graphing the number of disappearances per year vs. the the number of new web pages per year.

[bosssmiley]

"You mean '45. Hitler died in 1945."
"Did he now?"

GURPS Illuminati, TSR's old Tabloid rpg, Delta Green, Feng Shui, Over the Edge and Unknown Armies should be a good starting point. Oh, and Ken Hite's Suppressed Transmission books.

And remember: we were never here and you never heard of GITP...

[BRC]

Not only does Elvis live, but he killed JFK.

[Noneoyabizzness]

was hoping for a repairman jack reference

[Jimp]

Not only does Elvis live, but he killed JFK.

Twice. The nanobots just couldn't take a second gunshot. Elvis just doesn't quit on a hit, he follows through.

[Fax Celestis]

The Chaosium Call of Cthulhu book has a great timeline of exactly what you're asking about.

[Mikeavelli]

"Hi. You're going to call off your rigorous investigation. You're going to publicly state that there is no underground group. Or... these guys are going to take your balls. They're going to send one to the New York Times, one to the LA Times press-release style. Look, the people you are after are the people you depend on. We cook your meals, we haul your trash, we connect your calls, we drive your ambulances. We guard you while you sleep. Do not... f*** with us. "

Or for the modern times, you could switch over to..

"We are anonymous, and we are legion. We do not forgive, we do not forget."

[BRC]

Twice. The nanobots just couldn't take a second gunshot. Elvis just doesn't quit on a hit, he follows through.

The first Nanobots were developed by FDR to cure his polio using notes left by Benjamin Franklin. Upon realizing the potential his project held, he faked his own death and has been working in secret since then. His plans reached a hitch however, when Elvis shot down his experimental weather balloon near Roswell.

[The Glyphstone]

All according to plan...

fnord