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Kalanna Rai
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 Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 11:41 pm Post subject: The Hands of Fate |
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IM's story Boiling Cauldron inspired this tale. Not so much in content as in style...you'll see what I mean. Enjoy.
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The Hands of Fate
Prologue- A Fateful Afternoon
It was a beautifully, sunny afternoon that day. Along a scenic patch of California's Coast Highway a single motorcycle sped along, nearly alone. Driving the bike, blue eyes sparkling, short blond hair rippling in the wind generated by their passage, was a man in his late twenties. He was dressed in the usual black leather jacket and a pair of Wrangler jeans, his sunglasses had slid halfway down his nose. He wasn't wearing a helmet because he'd given it to his passenger.
The four year old girl clung like a burr to her daddy's back, the over-sized helmet held close by several straps, tightened as far as they would go just to hold it on. Every once in a while he'd glance back and look over the top of his glasses and through the plastic visor to see if she was having a good time. Every time he got that beaming grin.
He'd been looking back less and less of late. He'd spied a silver car coming around the curves of the road in the opposite direction. Whoever was behind the wheel had to be slightly incapacitated since they were taking corners at dangerous speeds, veering all over the road. Keeping his eyes ahead of him he was wary. A veteran biker, the young man wasn't about to endanger his little girl. He was all she had left in life. Her mother had died some months back, yet another victim of an unsolved violent crime.
The girl tugged on his jacket and he glanced back for just a second to see what she wanted since the patch of road was nearly straight and that car had vanished around the far side of the curve ahead. She grinned at him but, before he could grin back, her expression became one of terror. Whipping his head around he couldn't believe his eyes. The silver car was airborne, hurtling toward them at what seemed like an impossible speed!
There was only one option. He cut sharply to the right turning the bike sideways, laying it down on the road. He could dimly hear the scream of his little girl over the sound of his own rushing blood and the bike's roaring engine. He never saw the shrapnel that flew off the car and clipped his head; only felt the explosion of pain and slipped into the darkness that fell over him like a wave breaking on the shore.
The little girl was flung clear, by some miracle, as the bike came to rest on top of the young man, the car coming to rest upside down on top of the bike. A single hand protruded from under that pile, blood seeping out and pooling in the palm. It was luck, or perhaps a possibility of Fate, that had another car come screeching to a halt only an instant later. The driver whipped out a cellphone at half the speed of light, dialing 9-1-1 while getting out of the car.
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This is just a prologue and while you can't see the Boiling Cauldron influence just yet you will. Tell me what you think.
_________________
"It's not just about living forever...the trick is living with yourself forever..."
"Music makes you braver."
Last edited by Kalanna Rai on Thu Oct 25, 2007 12:48 am; edited 1 time in total
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| Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2007 12:06 am Post subject: |
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Ah, that sucks, the dad must have died.
Anyways, I liked it and it flowed together smoothly. Can't wait to see a glimpse of the plot outline!
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Polokin
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| Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2007 11:41 pm Post subject: |
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Never! The ambulance will get there just in time, and save the mans life! Or I'll be wrong, and the man will die a slow, painful death.
I can't think of anything  I'll just wait to chapter two (or one, as Rai just pointed out to me that this was the prologue) , and then I'll probably have something.
I was forced to read this, it wasn't on my own fr- *Gets glared at by Rai*
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Kalanna Rai
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| Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 7:06 pm Post subject: |
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Right well I'm going to post the first chappy now. Enjoy.
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Twist One: Combat Confusion
The darkness was crushing him, weighing down upon him like the weight of countless worlds. He couldn't draw a breath, not a single gasp nor cry could escape his frozen lips. There was nothing that could be done, no muscle that could be moved, save his laboring heart. The sound of it's ragged beating filled his ears, the only sound in this private hell. I'm dead...the only thought running through his head.
A missed beat here, a skip there, each time it did he felt as if he was being torn apart. Was this lingering undeath punishment for his untold sins? He was a good candidate for such punishment if it was. It couldn't go on, he knew, and the moment that beating stopped so would he.
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The little girl dashed across the street, little hands clasping the single bloody palm that protruded from under the wreckage. Her scream slicing across the scene of ruin. "Daddy!"
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His world burst open as he suddenly came awake. "Sophi!" The stricken filled cry flew through the space around him. Surrounded by dim light, aches all over his body, he could see only the neglected interior of an unused industrial building. The unmistakable feeling of a gun barrel was flush against his temple.
"Bad time for a nap boy-o. Bad time indeed." He glanced over at the man holding the gun to him. He couldn't have been more than thirty, certainly not old enough to be calling anyone boy-o. And he'd really picked the wrong guy to mess with this time. "Get up, real slow-like, unless you want to lose your head."
"My name's Sharp, Alex Sharp...not boy-o." Alex winced at the sound of his own voice. It sounded...well like it had when he had first entered boot camp. The gun barrel pressed harder against his head.
"I know who you are boy-o, I've got your record right here. But I'm not going to give any no-account street punk any respect, even if you are ex-S.I. Not while you're still covered in the blood of my mates." Alex glanced at his hands briefly and noted the still tacky blood. What the hell!? How had that happened to him? The gun tapped him. "Now get up and get your worthless punk-ass moving."
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The Paramedics and Fire Department from a nearby town had arrived at the sight of the accident. It was clear from the onset that neither of the occupants of the silver car had survived. As one of them reached down to check for a pulse on the bloody arm another took a look at the little girl. The paramedic holding her looked to his partner who shook his head...he wasn't feeling a pulse.
"Daddy!" The little girl screamed again. The paramedic next to her tried to shush her, was going to start the 'Daddy's in a better place' speech. When his partner gave a grunt of surprise.
"We got a pulse!"
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The man with the gun couldn't have anticipated the reaction he got. If he could have his finger might have fired the fatal shot before he died. Instead it was over in an instant...and he was the one laying dead in a pool of his own blood. Alex stood over him, holding a very unfamiliar weapon in a very familiar way. "I thought I was out of the Corps. What the hell is going on!"
The only answer he got came when the steel doors at the other end of the area exploded in a hail of fire, smoke, and superheated metal shards. Men in strange combat gear Alex had never seen poured through the gap wielding weapons, similar to his own, that he had never heard of. Knowing when it was prudent to stand his ground and when his training as a sniper would come in handy, Alex melted into the shadows surrounding him.
The commandos found the dead man quickly enough and spread out to look for Alex himself. By that time Alex had already slipped out the blown doors and was concentrating on keeping on the move. He couldn't stop and let the shock of the whole situation seep in, he couldn't pause and make sense of the world around him. Instead he ducked into a building a few blocks away and hid in it's ruined interior.
He'd managed to make it up two flights of stairs that were little more than crumbled cinder blocks and twisted metal before realizing he could go no further. Dropping flat on his belly, he aimed the barrel of his strange weapon at the only usable entrance. Locking himself into position he watched that doorway with all the intent of a cat watching a goldfish swim circles in it's bowl.
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They finally managed to rig a crane out of the Fire Department's ladder truck and lift the body of the car. Finishing the last cut of metal on the motorcycle, they lifted it clear...
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How could the removal of the bike affect Alex's body...and what repercussion's might that have on the Alex trapped in the ruined building?
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Well I told you it was inspired by Boiling Cauldron. Now you see how. I hope you enjoy the ride.
P.S. It's a little sparse on details right now because Alex has absolutely no clue as to what's going on.
_________________
"It's not just about living forever...the trick is living with yourself forever..."
"Music makes you braver."
Last edited by Kalanna Rai on Thu Oct 25, 2007 5:42 pm; edited 1 time in total
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dinranwen
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| Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 8:07 pm Post subject: |
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| Liked it alot Dragoness...a little sparse on ideas right now..but I'll be back in the words of the Terminator.
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| Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 9:21 pm Post subject: |
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| Have the removal of the wreckage have a disastrous effect. Head on fire with pain, bone cracking agony and such. The building coudl start growing in size.
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Polokin
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| Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 9:29 pm Post subject: |
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The removal of the wreckage should go not so well, with parts of the wreck breaking off and landing on him, causing him alot of agony.
In the other world, he could be trapped in that building by the men that are now after him 
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Idea master
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| Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 9:31 pm Post subject: |
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At least you gave me credit.
Hmm...wreckage, huh?
Well, I say that when the wreckage is removed that suddenly his wreck of a mind clears up fantastically...
And when a link breaks in the crane's chain, that his situation worsens, i.e. the men find him and beat ten different types of crap out of him. They only know of seven, so it could take a while...
_________________
...So I've been summoned back from beyond the veil.
...No plans yet.
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Kalanna Rai
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| Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 9:39 pm Post subject: |
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Of course I was going to give you credit...but I couldn't resist this SG when the idea popped into my mind after reading Cauldron. Don't know if it will work as well though since what's happening to the poor guy is a little more intense and less lighthearted.
_________________
"It's not just about living forever...the trick is living with yourself forever..."
"Music makes you braver."
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Smudger
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| Posted: Sat Jan 27, 2007 3:10 am Post subject: re |
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Awwww!! Don't kill off the dad!
What should happen is that they lift the wreckage, causing the dad to go into a blackout.
The otherworldly Alex suddenly gets nauseous and crumples to the ground. THEN, they switch places , marine becomes dad and dad becomes marine.
As the English would say,"So'ated."
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Kalanna Rai
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| Posted: Sat Jan 27, 2007 9:40 pm Post subject: |
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To clear up a few things.
Alex Sharp is the man's name in both worlds. He's an ex-Marine in one world and ex- something called S.I. in the other.
In the physcial world he's currently unconcious with a skull fracture from flying bits of car, and his right side is pinned which means he probably has broken bones...feel free to suggest injuries here people, I'm open to suggestion on that as well.
In the other world he's laying flat on his stomach on a flat landing surrounded by rubble in a ruined building. The weapon he has is unfamiliar but simple enough for him to use efficiently. The men hunting him are an unknown factor. He's prepared to blow them all to hell no questions asked...
Also, his mind isn't foggy at all IM, he's just got no frigging clue how he suddenly got from sliding his bike under an airborn car, to running for his life from unknown soldiers in urban desolation. However, I'll start explaining things in the next chappy come what may...
_________________
"It's not just about living forever...the trick is living with yourself forever..."
"Music makes you braver."
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Squidgey
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| Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 4:08 am Post subject: |
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that was so cool
*excited*
post next chappy i wanna read more, i wanna read more!!
i reckon the unknown peeps shud find him and theres a shoot out
but he as the upper hand coz he is higher than them and he's been trained as a sniper which concludes he has the talent of stealth.
Meanwhile the car wreckage is being moved. He could start bleeding worse because the wreckage could be acting like a clamp on his severed arteries.Then making the paramedics to work as fast as they can but something goes wrong i.e
They crash the ambulance
Or they're working with such haste they cause more damage
thats it you've set me off
my minds overflowing with ideas 
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Kalanna Rai
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| Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 10:56 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for all the replies guys. I'm hoping Lordy will have the poll up soon...
_________________
"It's not just about living forever...the trick is living with yourself forever..."
"Music makes you braver."
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Cousin Eerie
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| Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2007 8:59 pm Post subject: |
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How dreadfully depressing and surreal ... I love it! I was too late to make a suggestion on this chapter, but I intend to keep an eye on Alex and his detached and fractured psyche...not to mention his twisted and broken body. It's too bad about the little girl though ... she lived. 
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| Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 6:32 pm Post subject: |
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Right...Enjoy.
----------------------
Twist Two: Generation Wars
As the motorcycle is lifted off Alex something becomes clear to the paramedics. A long shard of crumpled steel has been shoved through Alex's lower right abdomen. When the bike is lifted the long spike is pulled clear. Blood begins to soak through his clothes and fill his body cavity.
"We've got a bleed!"
----------------------------
Alex felt a strange sensation in his body and groaned. Why was he in so much pain? He spared a glance at himself but, from what he could tell, the blood he was covered in wasn't his own. And he could clearly tell...since all he was wearing was a makeshift loin-cloth and some stolen mismatched boots. A noise made him turn his head and he nearly swore aloud. In his moment of distraction a squad had crept into the building. Alex hoped it was the same one, if not he was in bigger trouble than he realized.
They hadn't spotted him yet and he wasn't about to lose the advantage. Taking careful aim he squeezed the trigger and was rewarded as the head of the man on point vaporized. He got off two more shots before he had to fall back...and took a moment to marvel over his weapon. Something like the gun he was using should have slammed the stock into his shoulder with a kick like a mule...instead it had been totally kick-less. Odder than hell as far as Alex was concerned.
The men were shouting now and a small canister flew up onto the ledge. Alex shot the ground next to it, getting luck and flipping it back over the edge before it went off, sending smoke down toward the troops as well as toward him. Knowing somehow that that gas would do him in he looked for options. A window with a thirty foot drop or a ledge that he knew was out of reach.
The smoke drifted around behind him, cutting him off from the window and the jump out of it. In desperation he lunged for the ledge above him...and found himself surging far up above it to where he didn't just grab it with fingertips...but landed flat footed. In combat mind he didn't pay much attention to it, already convincing himself that he'd overestimated the distance.
The stairs were intact here and he bolted up them and through a ruined hole to the roof. He didn't allow himself to become distracted by the surreal vista that spread out around him. He couldn't afford to have his eyes lingering on the glistening steel skeletons that reached toward the sky with their broken, grasping beams. They shimmered in the light of a glaring sun, the sky the sherbet colors of oncoming sunset. Yet they were ruins, twisted and melted in places, the steel running like candle wax.
His brain barely registered the fact as his combat geared mind processed other data. Instead of trying to figure out where he was or what had happened to the obviously war torn city, he sought cover behind a large pile of debris, concealing his location as best as he could. A few minutes later footsteps could be heard but the figure that came into view wasn't a suited soldier...it was a young man.
He was looking around, clearly searching for something...or someone. With a frown he spoke into a communicator of some kind that was wrapped around his wrist. "He's not here." The kid listened to something, a scowl darkening his face. "I'm telling you those readings are wrong. Troops I've seen plenty off, even heard some shots, but I haven't seen hide nor hair of an S...shit."
Right about then the first of the combat troops made it through the hole, his rifle swiveling to the young man who bolted for the only available cover...Alex's. Raising his wrist to his mouth again the young man yelled into the communicator. "We've got Ristos! Repeat, Risto combat squad!"
A shot just missed him as he rolled behind the pile of rocks. Alex had a hand clamped around his mouth before he could get a word out and made a quiet gesture...the kid nodded.
Shots were riddling their pitiful shelter and the kid looked at him. He pointed to the ledge. "Jump man, you've got to."
Alex stared at him. "Are you nuts kid? It's got to be sixty feet before you hit bottom. I'll take my chances getting shot thanks."
The kid grabbed his arm. "Am I nuts about what?...Oh wait." Before Alex could stop him the kid grabbed hold of his makeshift waistband and pulled, exposing Alex's lower right abdomen. A small tattoo could just be seen, a black spade like from a deck of cards.
"Oh damn...you're one of them. Time for explanations later just grab hold of me and jump. I swear you'll be fine." A shot whizzed past them, burning Alex's shoulder with it's contact.
Alex grabbed hold of the kid and crouched, the edge a few feet away. "This is nuts..." But he jumped, just in time as more shots scorched the spot he'd just occupied. The wind rushed past him as Alex maintained his balance, one leg extended all the way, the other curled up close. Like a comic book hero almost except he didn't even have the benefit of spandex.
The kid spoke into a small wrist-sized com again. "I've made contact with the S.I. and he's definitely a Death Card." Then they hit ground. Alex expected his legs to crumple under him like so much glass...but instead he landed easily...like he'd scooted off a seat and dropped an inch. For a moment both of them stared at each other in shock, then the young man spoke in a hushed tone. "Damn man. You're a scary sonuvabitch." He turned back to the com. "Have transport now?"
---------------------------------
The sky darkened as the med-flight landed, their gurney rolling across the asphalt like greased lightning. Alex, already strapped to a backboard, was easily moved onto the gurney. An ambio bag was placed over his face to augment his breathing. The paramedics briefed the flight crew.
"He's got head trauma, lacerations of the right arm and torso, and has abrasions on his right leg and possible fractured tibia. He's also got a large puncture wound on his lower right abdomen and profuse bleeding, probable internal injuries. Pulse is erratic, breathing unstable. I don't know if he's going to make it."
Nodding that they'd understood the flight crew started an I.V. and went airborne.
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Tires squealed and a strange armored vehicle swung into view. Grabbing his arm the kid pulled him toward it, shots spattering the dirt behind them. "Come on!" He shouted, diving into the car. Alex lunged into the car just behind the kid, slamming the door shut and hearing shots hit the plated panels. The kid grinned at him like an idiot clapping him on the shoulder. "That was intense man! I'm Duke and the driver is..."
"Mars." The driver supplied, hitting a sharp corner.
"Mars," the young man said with a nod toward the driver. He then extended his hand. "Damn glad to meet you...?"
"Alex." Alex said as he took the extended hand. Duke gave it a hard shake then returned to gripping his seat with conviction.
He smiled at Alex, all lopsided grin and brashness of youth Alex no longer possessed. "Alex, cool man. Cool." He said it like a mantra, as if savoring the flavor and feel of the words.
Alex shook his head, ah to be young again. Still, there were more important things on his mind. "Would you mind explaining things to me...I'm a bit confused."
Duke grinned. "I would be too if I suddenly woke up bloody and naked with hyper-suited men shooting at me. But I don't think I'm the best person to explain things. I mean I could tell you somewhat but not really enough to make you believe me."
Alex folded his arms across his chest, grimacing and trying to ignore the fact he was naked...mostly. "I'm ready to believe in Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and hell throw in Bigfoot for good measure. So why don't you tell me what you can."
Duke shrugged. "Right, I'll give you some history, explain things as they stand. What your part in it all is, how you got here and all that jazz, I'll leave for someone else. Deal?"
Alex shook Duke's hand. "Deal."
Duke grinned. "Alright. Well first off this isn't Earth...well not your Earth. We're a lot more technically advanced for one and in the middle of a nasty conflict two. With me so far?"
Alex nodded and the kid went on. "There's two opposing factions on the planet, the Ristos or Aristocrats who were in the combat suits trying to shoot you, or the Free Radicals like Mars and me. The difference, Ristos are genetically altered and enhanced. Free Rads are freeborn and proud of it. Ristos have all the tech and, at the moment, control of everything. We have what we can steal and are fighting guerilla warfare with them."
Alex nodded again even though he was thinking, WHAT THE HELL?
Duke took another breath and continued. "We've been trying to break one of their major projects lately without much success. We've got plenty of weapons and munitions, we've got an auto plant for those, but some of the rarer tech we've had to steal in batches. And we're also short on combat armor of quality, not that death-trap stuff."
Alex could see a problem there.
"And then, of course, they've got poor saps like you. S.I.-Superior Integrity or Supreme Intent. Come in four sets, Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, and Spades. Hearts are people in the public eye, charismatic and propagandized. Diamonds are in the financial sector. Clubs are shock troops. But you're a Spade, a Death Card. You're designed to be an elite killer...and I pity you poor bastard. They're going to hunt you down until they kill you in a gutter like a dog."
Alex opened his mouth and Duke cut him off. "I already said I'm not going to explain how you got here or what you're supposed to be doing. I'd only make a mess of that. But I know someone who can. You've trusted us this far...willing to trust us further?"
----------------------------
Well, is he?
_________________
"It's not just about living forever...the trick is living with yourself forever..."
"Music makes you braver."
Last edited by Kalanna Rai on Thu Oct 25, 2007 6:15 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Kalanna Rai
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| Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2007 6:44 pm Post subject: |
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So nobody has an opinion? Or is this just a dog chappy?
_________________
"It's not just about living forever...the trick is living with yourself forever..."
"Music makes you braver."
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tramp in a storm
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| Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007 10:11 am Post subject: |
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I caught up
lol. I say he goes along with it. When he is told everything he can do what he likes. He's Ninja!
_________________
Did you know: If you plug speakers into your ears, your thoughts will be heard out loud
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dinranwen
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| Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007 1:05 pm Post subject: |
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| I say he agree's. After all. Why not. And besides right now, I'm just plan confused...I can use an explanition or two.
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Kalanna Rai
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| Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007 10:50 pm Post subject: |
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Explainations may not alliviate your confusion Din...the explanation he may get isn't exactly crystal clear. But it's interesting to say the least and ties in nicely with the title.
_________________
"It's not just about living forever...the trick is living with yourself forever..."
"Music makes you braver."
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| Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007 10:53 pm Post subject: |
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| I say he agrees.
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Kalanna Rai
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| Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2007 1:46 am Post subject: |
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Okay, a third chappy for all of you. Enjoy!
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Chapter Three: The Hands of Fate
Alex looked at Duke with a stunned expression. Did they think he was an idiot? At this point in time he'd do everything short of kill someone to get some answers...and he wasn't real sure how long that last resolve would hold out. "I'm going to trust you as far as explanations go...then I'll make a final decision about where I stand. Is that cool?"
Duke looked at him levelly. "As long as you understand that if you decide you don't want to help us you'll be a dead man. The Ristos aren't likely to want you back after you've come in contact with us and we're not likely to let a Death Card go rogue on us."
Alex stared at him, damn but the boy was honest. No sugar coating at all...Alex liked that. Blunt, no quarter, no bullshit conversation. This was almost refreshing. He reclined back in the seat and stared at the ceiling. "I suppose you'd have to try but I bet I'd lead you both a very merry chase before I went down."
Duke nodded. "I don't doubt that you would...Mars! Take us to Peachie's house. He can explain things to our guest."
Mars flashed a quick thumbs-up into the rear view mirror and hung a right so sharp the vehicle went up on two wheels as he cut down a narrow side-street. They thudded back down hard onto all four wheels as they found a main road. With a muttered oath about the pot holes in the street, Mars gunned the engine and began to veer around them while Duke patted Alex on the shoulder. " Don't worry man. We've got it all covered."
Alex looked down at his virtually naked body, which was streaked with grit, dirt, and drying sweat and blood. He rolled his eyes and muttered, "Great, I wish I could say the same."
Duke looked Alex over with a critical eye and laughed. "Peachie's going to have a coronary when we show up with a mostly naked, blood covered Death Card. I'd better have my Click ready."
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The med flight crew had been working double quick to keep Alex's heart going. They'd gotten all his I.V.'s going, cleaned what they could of his wounds, stripped him down, and kept his oxygen flowing. Now they circled for descent at a major trauma hospital, forms in white coats and green scrubs were already visible on the roof.
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Peachie's house turned out to be a Tudor style mansion on a quiet street where everyone had massive twelve foot hedges to keep the prying eyes out. Alex looked back at Duke with raised eyebrows. If the Ristos hated the Free Rads so badly...what was this 'Peachie' doing in the lap of luxury?
Duke grinned at his consternation. "Did I mention that Peachie is a Risto working for us. That's why we've got our stealth shields up and Mars is driving like a little old lady on her way home from the market." Alex wasn't willing to complain about the last, Mars's driving made taking a Humvee through a mine field look safe by comparison. The van crawled at a sedate pace through the wrought iron gates and came to a stop on a small parking space made from white pebbles of a uniform color and size.
Duke opened the door and hopped out as the gate swung shut, gesturing for Alex to do the same. For a moment Alex hesitated, not wanted to just hop out of the van in broad daylight dressed in nothing more than his skivvies. Duke raised an eyebrow at him and tried to hide a smirk in vain. "What's wrong? Shy?"
Alex hopped out of the van and slammed the door behind him hard enough to rattle the armor plates and crack the window. "Hardly." Alex took the time to observe his surroundings as Mars locked the van. He was impressed with everything he saw, and he had the feeling he was seeing very little of a very large estate. It reeked of wealth and sophistication with it's beige paneling and dark, almost black, wooden beams. Ivy covered the lower half of the walls like living green siding and the path across the perfectly landscaped lawn showed not a single crack or flaw.
As they walked up the drive, which had very little security for a world where a genocidal war was going on, Alex felt very...well...naked without either gun or clothing. Yet both Duke and Mars moved as if unconcerned, covering the ground at a leisurely pace. The massive house grew ever larger as they approached, looming over them like some brooding creature.
The path stopped in front of a pair of massive doors, the kind Alex had only ever seen in movies set in medieval times or history textbooks when they covered castles. An elaborate door knocker shaped like a stylized lion's head decorated the center of each door, the lions' eyes staring like gilded sentinels. Without hesitation Duke sized one and knocked seven times in a familiar pattern. Knock, knock, knock knock, knock, KNOCK KNOCK!
It swung open on its own and, the moment Alex stepped in, they found themselves sliding down a long chute and popping out into what resembled a scene from a movie about the color white. The closest thing Alex to compare it to was a scene from the old movie 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory' with Gene Wilder. The scene where Mike TV becomes the first boy sent by Television.
Everything in the room was perfectly, stainless, luminescent white. It was so white it was emitting it's own light from the white walls, white ceiling, and white carpet. There were no decorations that Alex could see, or if there were they were the same shade of white. Indeed it too a few moments for him to pick out the white furniture that occupied the room. Several globular chairs that looked like lava lamp blobs floated in the room. They looked like liquid drops of the carpet suspended in space. There were three of them arranged in a semi-circle in front of an ergonomically curved desk. The desk had a luminescent top that glowed intermittently.
It was from behind this desk that an elderly man with iron grey hair frown disapprovingly at them. Alex had to give the man props for accessorizing...his finely tailor suit was the same color as the room and the furniture...which unsettled Alex since it made the man's head, neck, and hands look disembodied. Alex twitched, his version of a jump, when the man finally spoke. "Why do you knock? The door would have opened for you automatically."
Duke laughed. "Hey it authenticates that it's really me."
The older man stood. "Indeed." Walking out from behind the desk he sized Alex up like a hunk of meat...or a lab specimen. "And I suppose this is why you're disturbing me?"
Duke nodded. "Yup he's an..."
"An S.I. and a Death Card at that...I still fail to see why you brought him here."
"Because," Duke said flopping into a chair. "He's Fated."
The old man's eyes went huge as saucers and he circled Alex like a shark. "Did you explain? Of course not..." He shook his head and took Alex by the arm, leading him to the chair directly in front of the desk.
He gestured to it, all but forcing Alex to take a seat. "Here, sit. No don't mind the upholstery...it's self cleaning." Alex stared at it and wondered where he could get some. It would sure beat the hell out of scrubbing grape juice out of something every time Sophi spilled.
The elder gentleman walked around his desk and seated himself, drumming his fingers on the top of it thoughtfully. He favored Alex with a hard stare. "Just how open minded are you..."
"Alex." Alex smoothly supplied. "And I'm not sure. Why?"
The gentleman sighed. "Because I'm about to take everything you know about your existence as you know it and shove it out the window." He smiled faintly. "I'm Emile Peachtree, by the way, and I was a doctor and scientist until I was offered a position in our government. It was a high ranking prestige job with a highly classified project code named 'Fate Changer'."
Alex nodded even though he had no idea what those two words meant...or why both Duke and Mars flinched at the very uttering of them. Emile, though, continued on heedless of the reactions he'd already elicited. "Once I learned what Fate-Changer was all about I was appalled. It's one thing to alter genetics to wipe out disease and imperfection of the human genome...it's another to make men into weapons. In our culture it's highly taboo to splice flesh and machinery, to alter genes until the result is no longer human. Such a thing happened in another universe and we observed...but I digress."
Alex was lost...just how many other universes were there...and which one of them was really 'his'. The possibilities were mind boggling and virtually endless. He'd never been much of a sci-fi fan, or even much of one for science, otherwise he might have known more about these 'other worlds'. Well, science fan or not, he was about to find out first hand.
Emile had paused a moment, as if to collect the right words, and now continued in a hesitant voice. "You, are an unfortunate man...or a very fortunate one depending on your mindset. Project Fate-Changer was an amazing, abominable, marvel. Since none of the people of our world would consent to anyone born here being subjected to certain experiments, the project found a way to steal people from the worlds they belonged in and bring them here."
Alex's jaw dropped. "What? You mean I've been kidnapped?"
The old man nodded. "That is an oversimplified way to put it. The closest I can come to describing it is that your mind has been hijacked. The body you are in is not your own. It started out as an anonymous, androgynous, lump of flesh and other components. Once your mind forced it's way in, it conformed to your shape...no doubt you won't remember this. Nor will you remember anything for a half hour after...do you?"
Alex shook his head. "I woke up covered in blood with a gun to my head." The old man wrote this down on the top of his desk...which was actually a screen of some kind.
"Then you must have a have a high instinct for survival. That is probably one of the reasons you were picked. Another might be your physique." Emile tapped his fingers against each other. "Tell me...what did you do for a living?"
"Kill people." The words popped out of his mouth before he could censor them and put a pretty bow on them like 'patriotically serving my country'.
Emile smiled faintly. "At least you're honest about it. Most young men called it 'doing their duty'. Death Cards are always either military or criminal. You didn't seem very criminal. Still I'm sure you want to know exactly what an S.I. is."
Alex chuckled. "That would help."
Calling up a hologram which the top of his desk projected in the air between them, Emile began to elaborate. "S.I. stands for Superior Integrity. You do not have calcium bones...you have a light-weight carbon alloy that is both lighter and stronger. Your muscles are not just tissue, they're thin bands of cyber-organic circuits and bio-steel. You're genes have been spliced with those of animals to give you abilities far beyond normal. You are a weapon, not a man."
Alex sat back in the chair, absolutely shocked by what he had heard, what the hologram was showing him. He'd just had his mind stolen across space and time, been placed into a body that wasn't even his, wasn't even human, and his little girl was a whole world away. He didn't realize how hard he'd been gripping the chair until the arms splintered. "I need to get back home..."
---------------------------------
The flight touched down, and the flight nurses briefed the medical staff on the roof as the wheeled him towards an elevator. "Caucasian male, height 6'0", weight 265lbs, age is twenty-nine, blood type O. Name's Alex Sharp, he's an ex Marine, and he's got a daughter named Sophi. He's also got head trauma and a bad belly wound, fairly sure of internal bleeding..." The litany of injuries went on.
Rolling him straight into T-1 in the trauma bay, the ER doc on call rushed up to him...
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What will the doc do and how will that affect Alex?
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Took me forever to write this. Hope you liked.
_________________
"It's not just about living forever...the trick is living with yourself forever..."
"Music makes you braver."
Last edited by Kalanna Rai on Thu Oct 25, 2007 6:56 pm; edited 1 time in total
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| Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2007 2:08 am Post subject: |
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Likin' the story so far, Rai!
Personally, I would like to see what happens when his condition worses even more. Have the doctors accidentally rip open a major tissue. Have it affect his behavior, leaning towards a more aggressive side, that or make a twist and have him take a more empathic side.
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| Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2007 6:19 am Post subject: |
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Good story Rai I would like to read more of it.
I might agree to fenrins's that it would put an intresting twist to the story.... but some how just let the guy live, mabey he'll find something new along the way and it'll change the way he thinks about life...
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Polokin
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| Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2007 8:03 pm Post subject: |
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| Liked this chapter, Rai. Only found a few minor typos, but apart from that it was well written. I h5 Fenny on something happening that affects his emotions or behaviour in some way.
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dinranwen
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| Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2007 1:57 pm Post subject: |
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I'm not sure Rai, not that into 'Scrubs' to know anything about what is usually done for this type of thing.
I'll come back with a fresh load of Idearium when I can.
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Kalanna Rai
Assassin for Hire
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| Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 11:08 am Post subject: |
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WOW...I'd totally forgotten this. I should get it promoted...
_________________
"It's not just about living forever...the trick is living with yourself forever..."
"Music makes you braver."
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Crunchyfrog
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| Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 11:45 pm Post subject: |
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The Review Board are going over it now, Rai - you'll hear in a few days.
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Kalanna Rai
Assassin for Hire
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| Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 7:41 pm Post subject: |
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GAH! I didn't do any editing on it guys! Not even run a cursory spell check!
_________________
"It's not just about living forever...the trick is living with yourself forever..."
"Music makes you braver."
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scissorkitty
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| Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 8:01 pm Post subject: |
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| What if the doctor is able to start repairing Alex's body- but it has NO affect on his other-universe existence? What if he is a vegetable in *real* life with Sophi, but alive and super-human in this other universe? What if Alex is faced with making a choice between LIFE without Sophi- unless he can find her parallel in the new universe- or life with Sophi (but be unable to have actual contact with her because of his vegetative state)?
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Masterweaver
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| Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2008 2:44 pm Post subject: |
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Assuming the "trauma" represents the interdimensional radio, any attempts to repair it could have one of two effects:
He could be partway pulled back into his reality
The mind that originally inhabited the body he's in now could wake up in his body.
I mean think about it. A biogenetic weapon has to develop some primitive intelligence before getting "programmed," otherwise it could not sustain itself lon enough to be programmed. If that woke up in a mere human body, think what would happen! Of course, seeing him phase between the worlds would also be an entertaining little twist.
So in the end, I say at least PARTIALLY fix the trauma.
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dinranwen
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| Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 8:18 am Post subject: |
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Oh! Oh! I've got an idea. *cue corny light bulb light itself above Din's head* If your still working on this Dragoness, which you should be you naughty little dragon this has all the potential of actually being GOOD, how about the stronger Alex becomes in This World----The Weaker he becomes in the Other World sort of a parrell conterversy sort of.
Of course, it would mean it would work the other way around too.
Last edited by dinranwen on Fri Mar 07, 2008 7:07 am; edited 1 time in total
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Kalanna Rai
Assassin for Hire
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| Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 10:27 pm Post subject: |
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You know I forgot all about this...I'm amazed anyone remembers it. Maybe if it gets a few more readers I'll continue it Din, but I'm considering these past couple hits a fluke.
_________________
"It's not just about living forever...the trick is living with yourself forever..."
"Music makes you braver."
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DeadManWalking
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| Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2008 10:37 pm Post subject: |
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This is pretty cool.
I can see a lot of different ways this could be a totally freakin AWESOME storyline.
Great ideas.
And i may have one that's similar.
(although i didn't read this before i wrote that one)
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RandomMN
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| Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2008 10:04 am Post subject: |
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Another good story line Kalanna.
I can see lots of options for it branching into something deeper.
1) People are only hi jacking the minds of people about to die. So what happens when the body on the other world doesn't die? Perhaps a coma? Does the conscience become split?
2) Alex begins to remember his former life (up until about thirty minutes before the transfer to keep it inline with the story) and knows he will do whatever he must to get back to Sophi. To do this, the doctors on the other world must patch him up.
3) His body on the other world dies, leaving the gate closed to his daughter. This would make him hate the ones who did it to him, making him more pliable to the Rebels cause. Perhaps this leads to a problem of the cybernetic side of him gaining more control, making him less human.
Great stuff! I'd be interested in hearing more
Keep it up!
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Kalanna Rai
Assassin for Hire
Joined: 21 Jan 2006
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Posts: 3102
Location: The Frozen North
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| Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 3:32 pm Post subject: |
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For reasons known only to myself. I would appriciate this being saved or perhaps moved to the Vault for the time being.
Thanks.
_________________
"It's not just about living forever...the trick is living with yourself forever..."
"Music makes you braver."
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